Complaints Department
With his signature mix of wit, irreverence, and sarcasm, Complaints Department columnist Steve Burgess writes what we're all thinking. Each month Steve chips in his two cents on timely topics and issues that affect British Columbians. Remember Vancouver 2010? Steve had something to say about that. Although one could accuse Steve of playing devil's advocate from time to time (see his "Why I Don't Hate Air Canada" piece), his commentary is a welcome voice at the end of a long day.
One way or another, downtown Vancouver’s esthetically challenged Sears edifice is sure to blow.
Novelty tissue dispenser. Giant prop for movies about dystopian futures plagued by hideous architecture. Build a second one and hang a “Women’s” sign on it.
These are just a few solid options for the Sears building in downtown Vancouver, now that the primary tenant is vacating. Certainly the demise of the giant, white-tiled department store block is sad for over 300 employees, and I will miss the great watch-repair department. I’m also concerned about the safety of Sears...
April 02, 2012 Complaints Department: Mobile and Wireless
Running a business website on 20th-century software is a flight of fancy.
I went online to book a ticket with Laos Airlines. Some will tell you that was my first mistake, although other online reviews insisted reassuringly that the Laos Air safety record is “not as bad as people say.” They really ought to paint that on the side of their planes.
This was not a desperate attempt to get a cheaper fare to Calgary. I was travelling from Bangkok to Luang Prabang, and in that situation one’s airline options are as few as flying from Vancouver to Winnipeg. You basically have two choices:...
March 05, 2012 Complaints Department: Retail
Steve Burgess deals with the inevitable heartache that comes from relying on faraway strangers to feed you.
Capitalism can be cruel. We don’t need mobs of protesters pitching tents in public parks to figure that out. Bright young entrepreneurs bring their exciting new enterprises to market, only to be stabbed repeatedly by the Invisible Hand and left to bleed out in the ditch. Too late the would-be tycoon realizes that there is simply no demand for a better moose trap. Such lessons can come hard.
But what of the poor consumer? Few people pause to consider the shopper who finds a beloved...
February 06, 2012 Complaints Department: Retail
Spiritual insight, tranquility and me-first capitalism. So where’s the problem?
Yoga can seem strange to the uninitiated. One must master poses like downward dog, crane, and revolved cobra while concentrating on chakras and purging the mind of all thought except the need for free markets unburdened by confiscatory taxation and government regulation.
It’s that last element that comes as a surprise to some. Most yoga poseurs are under the impression that they’re practicing an ancient Indian tradition that promotes physical well-being and spiritual peace. But not Lululemon...
January 03, 2012 Complaints Department: Policies and Issues
Hold off on the resolutions till the Mayan calendar has run its course.
Happy new year, everyone. I realize that sounds hollow, with the Mayan calendar coming to an end in 2012, bringing a global cataclysm. Bummer new year, more like. But what the hell. May as well party like it’s 2011. Besides, as the end draws nigh I think we may see some interesting developments in our corner of the doomed world.
Local signs of the Apocalypse have actually been there to see already, for those who paid attention – for example, the huge ship-building contract awarded to North Vancouver’s...
December 05, 2011 Complaints Department: Economy
Robberies and fat men in red suits are both prevalent in December. Coincidence? Think again.
It’s not among the more celebrated Christmas traditions. But along with the holly and the ivy, this time of year often brings its share of Santa Claus bank jobs. When you’re pulling a December heist you just can’t beat Old Saint Nick for a legitimate disguise.
No one likes to see depressing news at Christmas. The criminal class understands that. So it’s sweet that come December they often take the edge off their gun-toting felonies with jolly holiday-themed getups. The scheme was...
Do you like networking at events?
Brian Wong, CEO of Kiip Inc.,
on being a 21-year-old CEO
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