Phillip J. Boucher

Empower Your People to Improve Customer Service

2012-01-13T06:46:00.000-05:00

The best way to improve and deal with customer service issues is to resolve them at the level at which they occur, which is almost always at the front-line level. When a customer has to talk to a supervisor or the next person in the chain of command, it brings about two things: frustration on the customer's part, and the impression that the company really does not wish to resolve the issue. "That's not our policy" seems to be the catchphrase in use.And that's shameful. When it comes to customer service, when it comes to keeping a customer or losing a customer, policies can be changed, ignored, and overruled. And if a customer has to reach the regional director for that person to say, "Ok, we'll do that for you," do you really think that customer is satisfied? Hardly. Their issue may be resolved but the impression that it took this level to do it is not something that will thrill the customer to continue to do business with you.Giving the people that your customers deal with first the power to solve customer service problems actually shows your customer that you care enough about their patronage to want to keep them as a customer. This doesn't mean giving free reign to staff to go willy-nilly with whatever they want to do to help the customer. Establishing methods and procedures that staff have the authority to implement means you can solve most customer issues at the front-line level without risking a "too-generous" loss of product or revenue. Policies can be worked around and empowering your staff to be able to work around them while working within them means better customer service all around.The fewer customer service issues upper staff and management have to resolve the better your customer service program works for both your company and your customers. You work hard to get customers and you work even harder to keep them. So when a customer has a problem, make it easy to resolve that customer's problem. Empower your people, keep your customer happy and satisfied, and happily take in the revenue that that happy and satisfied customer will continue to give you.

Why You Should Hire a Freelance Writer

2012-01-12T21:05:00.002-05:00

Most companies and businesses use in-house employees to to create their internal and external communications material. The cost of in-house employees includes wages/salaries, benefits, and bonuses. In many larger organizations the workload can become huge and the production output of the staff can decline as the workload increases. The more documentation a company needs to get out, the harder and faster the staff have to work and eventually staff reach a point at which they start to scale back to gain a little breathing room.To help alleviate this type of situation, many companies rely on the services of freelance writers. In many instances, companies who have specific documentation topics send out work to freelance writers who specialize in that topic. The company then gets a more focused document that is well-written and targeted to a specific audience.When wages and fees are compared between in-house staff and freelance writers, even though a freelancer's fees may be high, the savings in time and benefits outweighs the fee. The freelancer is simply a contractor and the fee is the only monies paid. Taxes do not need to be withheld and benefits and bones do not have to paid.So next time your writing staff is overloaded with work or you need documentation on a specific topic that your staff is not familiar with, try a freelance writer. I just makes good business sense.

eBook Prices on the Rise?

2012-01-10T21:33:00.000-05:00

Recent articles on various websites and other media are lamenting the rise in electronic book prices. In some instances the electronic version actually costs more that the digital version. In all fairness, publishers make money on the amount of funds that come in minus the amount of funds expended to produce and distribute the book, and to pay author royalties. Publishing a book is not a cheap endeavor and authors want to get the most royalty per book that they can.While everyone wants a cut of the pie, the reading public is on the fence, caught between the rock and the hard place. They've paid money for a device that they can use anywhere, anytime to read their favorite book, and they've been accustomed to paying, in many cases, under ten dollars per title. Now that eBooks and reading devices have become more acceptable and commonplace, readers are finding that eBook prices are on the increase. As an author, I would much prefer a reader to pay $19.95 for a digital copy of my novel rather than $12.95 for a print version if the royalty payment on the digital version is higher. The publisher makes more and I make more. However, in seeing electronic publishing evolve over the years, the reading public has been used to and expects digital books to always cost less than the physical versions. This is the norm and if eBook prices rise, electronic publishing could suffer a major setback. In my own opinion, which is neither based on industry factors or royalty payments, digital versions of novels should be priced at $7.95 to $9.95 per title; normal non-fiction digital trade books at $14.95 to $19.95; and larger electronic reference works such as directories and such $24.95 to $49.95. This takes into account the author's time and energy to write the book and the publisher's time and energy to edit, format, produce, and distribute the electronic version. By keeping eBook prices down, publishers will encourage the reading public to embrace electronic publishing and enjoy buying eBooks to place on their devices for reading at home, on the commute to work, or on the beach. And the more books that are sold, the more money and enjoyment for everyone involved in the electronic publishing chain.

New Ebook Being Written on the VX-6R Amateur Radio Handheld

2011-11-09T20:42:00.000-05:00

I am currently working on a new Ebook: "The Complete Guide to Yaesu's VX-6R", subtitled, "And How to Program it With The VX-6 Commander Software". Hoping to have it finalized and available for sale come late spring/early summer of 2012.

2011-10-31T20:59:00.001-04:00

I have found out that a new book publisher is opening up very shortly here in Canada that would suit my novels. Going to submit my work the day they start accepting submissions. Maybe I can get in on the ground floor. Fiction sure is hard to sell, not like non-fiction. What the hell, I like writing fiction too!

Back in the saddle again.

2011-10-23T11:50:00.001-04:00

I have been on a little hiatus for a while, concentrating on getting some writing done and sent out. This has taken up a bit of my time but I hope to be more regular on my blogs, hopefully every week or two. The leg is healing, though stairs are still a bitch to do and my limp is quite pronounced. As for writing, I am now concentrating on marketing my freelance writing services via LinkedIn and other outlets. This involves a lot of research, a bit of schmoozing, and an offer of services. As well, marketing efforts continue for my two books "The Complete Guide to Canada's General Mobile Radio Service" and "Slot Machines: Fun Machines or Tax Machines?". In addition, submissions of my two fantasy novels DRAGONSTOEN and TATTONVILLE continue to publishers and agents, and of course submissions of my short stories are continuing. I am also currently working on a new Ebook, "The Complete Guide to Yaesu's VX-6R", a reference guide to a popular handheld Amateur Radio unit, and a political/romance/thriller (I really don't know what to call it), SVETA. Combine the above activities with the daily grind of life and there just seems to be no time to eat, sleep, or do anything else. But I don't mind. As a writer, I love to write. most writers do. It's just trying to find the time to do it.

The Real Reasons for Slot Machine Addiction

2011-06-01T02:18:00.000-04:00

When you look at the volume of books and reports that have been published over the years in regard to Slot Machine, also known as Electronic Gaming Machine, problem gambling, you will notice a particular pattern. Research, observation, and counseling of those addicted to EGM's, whether done at a kiosk, in an office, or conducted through a simulated casino environment, are lacking one specific and very important factor; the fact that these studies and counselings are not taking place in an actual gaming environment. It's fine to apply responsible gaming tactics and practices to try to help those addicted to electronic gaming machines, but nature and nurture causes fail to address the fundamental reason for EGM problem gambling; the proliferation of the myths, misconceptions, and urban legends that abound in books, magazines, online, and in television shows and movies.

As a long-time slot machine technician, my observation and discussion of problem gambling with patrons always came back to the fundamental beliefs in EGM myths; the machines are rigged, the government decides who wins, and the industry is simply an authorized "rip off" of the public.

With an approach to try to help these patrons, I told them the absolute truth about EGM's. How they are designed, how they operate, and how they determine outcomes. Through education and understanding I discovered that once a patron was receptive to understanding how EGM's work, they tended to either reduce their problem gambling activities, or were able to eliminate them altogether.

Nature and nurture causes of problem gambling aside, unless a counselor or other responsible gaming advocate deals with a patron right on the gaming floor with the belief in EGM myths and misconceptions, even the best programs and help are not enough to assist most problem gamblers. As I have proven through direct dealings with patrons, and through feedback from my book, "Slot Machines: Fun Machines or Tax Machines", the hardest part is getting the patrons to understand how EGM's really work. After that, traditional methods of treatment become much more effective.

Front Line Staff the Best Indicator of Customer Satisfaction

2011-05-10T11:31:00.000-04:00

Your company could have the best customer service indicators available, but still lack real data on just how satisfied your customers truly are. Surveys, data mining, letters, and comment cards only give you a small idea of a customer's opinions about your services or products. Many companies ignore the best indicator of just how well they service their customers, and they already pay for it. Front line staff.

There has always been that invisible solid wall that separates front line staff from supervisors and managers. Neither side will step over the line, staff for fear of reprisal and management for fear of capitulating. But there is a saying that is true to business: Managers know how to get the job done. Staff know how to actually do the job. And on this line of separation lies the barbed-wire fence that needs to come down. Staff should not have the fear of telling management exactly how it is, and management should not have the fear of hearing what they don't want to hear.

As a supervisor or manager your daily interaction is mostly with your staff. Yes you may occasionally deal with customers, and may even have close dealing with a select few. But in reality, with all the customer service data your company has collected, do you really know what your customers think? Do you really understand what they want, or how happy they are with your company? Most think so. But if you talk to front line staff, the overwhelming consensus is that you don't have a clue.

Whiny little ungrateful low-paid peons! We are supervisors and managers. We know what customers want. That's why we make better money! Go back to your menial jobs.

Yes, some companies do have that attitude. And if even one person in your organization thinks the same then your company as a whole doesn't have a clue. But the people who work with your customers everyday, serving them, helping them, listening to their praise and complaints, talking one-on-one, keeping them coming back, these are your best customer service indicators. Because as much as you may think that staff don't know anything about running a business and customer service, you'd be dead wrong.

Staff do know what customers want. They know what products and services customers like, dislike, or would like to have. They understand customers' needs. They hear exactly what customers think about your company, good things and bad things that never make it onto surveys, comment cards, or letters of praise or complaints. Sadly, no one asks them what customers truly feel. And when staff try to tell those in the chain of command, they are halted, refuted, and made to feel as if the uppers truly don't care. Staff actually know what works what doesn't.

Here's your chance to change that and get real, honest indicators about customer satisfaction. Motivate your supervisors and managers to actively listen to what staff are saying in regards to customers. Make it a two-way welcome interaction in which staff have no fear of stating exactly what customers are saying, and management has no fear of actually hearing it. Ensure that what staff is saying and managers are hearing makes it way to the top of the pyramid. Embrace the fact that staff are the best data mining technique for true customer satisfaction indicators.

Yes, they may work hard and get little pay for it in the grand scheme of things, but after all, there are more of them than you, there is strength in numbers, and you should utilize that strength to improve every aspect of your customer service program.

Back on Track

2011-05-05T02:04:00.000-04:00

After six months of physiotherapy and pain, I am back on track and can now walk without a cane. With this progress, both my physical and spiritual wellness are coming back to normal. This translates into a more productive avenue with my writing, and hopefully a more prolific output of work. I'm approaching several manufactures of two-way radio equipment for assignments to write user manuals and ad copy, working on a few new short stories and novels, and trying to promote my writing services through both traditional and social networking pathways.

As such I hope to write on this blog more frequently and avail myself of the opportunities that abound.

Dragonstoen: An Amulet for a Prince to be published by Necrology Shorts

2011-02-15T10:49:00.000-05:00

Well finally. Although the fantasy novels Dragonstoen and Tattonville are still out at publishers, at least one of my fantasy short stories is seeing the light of day. "Dragonstoen: An Amulet for a Prince" will appear in several media publications of Necrology Shorts, such as their website at www.necrologyshorts.com, and through download to Kindle devices via Amazon.com. With the publication of this short story, the adventures of Addler Berrington and his charge, Nesra the dragon, are about to unfold. This story features many of the main characters from the novel, such as Princess Alnya, Rapopella the Dragos, Lord of the Knights Kaska, and former Lord of the Knights Jastin Berger, and takes place several years after the events in the final book number five of the novel series. The story will be available online within at week or two on their website. Why not pay a visit, read my story, and let me know what you think.

Leslie Nielsen a Canadian Entertainment Export

2010-11-29T11:09:00.000-05:00

Canada has lost a great actor, comedian, and iconic symbol of entertainment excellence. Felled by complications of pneumonia, Leslie is now on the other side making even George Carlin pee his pants. A popular dramatic actor for many decades here in Canada and down in the States, he found a new genre as a comedic actor in the disaster spoof film "Airplane" and the "Naked Gun" series of films. I loved his comedic work more than his dramatic work, which I think is due to the fact that he was such a prankster and funny man off camera. I remember seeing him on set of some film or TV show back in the late 60's when I was a kid and Paramount had studios out in the Mimico area of Toronto. They would always be filming around my neighbourhood and I would see and even talk to some of the biggest stars of the time. I never did talk to Leslie but do remember noticing his good nature and humourous personality between shots.

It's a shame that we have to lose someone so entertaining at so young an age of 84. But if Leslie took only one thing with him, you can bet that it was constant companion; his whoopee cushion.

Injuries Degrade Will to Write

2010-11-29T10:58:00.000-05:00

I never would have thought that getting injured would directly affect my will to write. Not that I got injured in the upper torso at all. No arm or hand injury. No, I tripped and fell back on October 12, 2010, tearing the tendon from my right kneecap. Now, six weeks later after surgery, the cast is off and I'm wearing a physio brace. The pain in my knee is sometimes excruciating and the popping of pills only brings the threshold down one notch. Walking with a walker is slow.

Although I can now sleep in my own bed, which my wife is finally grateful for, I was relegated to the couch. I have my laptop here but whenever I tried to write, the desire, drive, and push was not there. Whether it was from the injury itself or the psychological side effects of it, I don't know. But my writing has suffered and has fallen behind what I would have liked to be at right now.

But now I have decided to press on and write. I have to. As a writer I have to keep writing. I need to keep writing. Rejection slips or not, I need to write, I need to get my work out there, I need the money coming in. Regardless of how "writer's block" occurs, a writer must overcome it somehow and continue to practice their art. "If you don't write it, it won't get written!"

Crash, Bang, Snap

2010-11-12T21:11:00.000-05:00

A recent fall has torn my tendon from the kneecap and surgery has left me immobile and goofy on drugs while I recover, hence the lack of any blogs for a while. Hopefully I will be back to writing form within a few weeks.

Electronic Books Hitting Their Niche

2010-09-09T22:15:00.000-04:00

While doing some research for a magazine article I was surfing the web and found myself coming across quite a few references to both the Kindle and Kobo eReaders. Both units allow a person to read electronic books in a similar fashion to the age-old way us ancient old folk used to do it back in the twenty-first century with physical books. Although eBooks have been around for more than a decade, the thought of reading a book on a small electronic device, even a unit like a Palm PDA, was more of a novelty than a norm.

However, with time comes progress, with progress comes change, and with change comes acceptance. eReaders are now better than ever and many folks who would have balked at the idea of taking one hundred novels in a little electronic book-like device with a screen to the beach or the park, now actually purchase electronic versions of books (whether versions of print books or ebook versions only) than ever had before. On average, electronic books cost less than physical books and are quick and simple to acquire (usually through download or via email.)

On the downside, that has been the bane of ebooks all along, is that anyone and their dead grandma can write and publish an electronic book. Take me for example. My self-published book, "The Complete Guide to Canada's General Mobile Radio Service" is available as both a physical book and an ebook. The ebook version is cheaper and arrives via email. But I am the author, editor, and publisher all in one. Does this mean that the book is of less quality than an ebook put out by a large respected publisher? I personally don't think so as I do have other books published by those houses.

Ebooks should be viewed the same as physical books. Some that are published by the big houses are nothing but crap, and some self-published books are better than what has gone through the typical publishing process, and vise-versa. What is clear from all this is that ebooks are now becoming an accepted version of the physical book. They will probably never replace the physical version, but like hardcovers and paperbacks are just another type of book to be enjoyed.

U.S. GMRS to Follow Canada?

2010-06-11T13:02:00.004-04:00

The people are revolting! Seems that the United States is proposing to change its own General Mobile Radio Service to mirror the Canadian GMRS in every way. This has many users upset and the Internet is rife with comments, kudos, and nasty things that even I can't repeat here.

This is, I think, the first time the U.S. has aligned a radiocommunications service to follow the same rules and regulations as that of a foreign country, namely Canada, instead of vice-versa. So it is with pride that we Canadians giggle just a bit as the FCC tows the line and sees that Industry Canada is the puppet-master on this one. All the FCC has to do now is change its Amateur Radio service to mirror ours, and everything will be right in the world. (Or is this just a ploy to set up one more trick into creating a North American Union? Grrrrrr! Damn you, you sneaky Americans!)

To find out more information about the REAL General Mobile Radio Service, the Canadian one, visit my website at www.phillipjboucher.com, click on to read the first chapter of my book, The Complete Guide to Canada's General Mobile Radio Service, and then click the link after the text to learn more.

Branding with domain name and website.

2010-05-25T10:22:00.002-04:00

Well, as a writer, you basically get business through your name. Now I did have a website on Tripod.com, but I've bitten the bullet and have acquired my own domain name and moved my website over to it: http://www.phillipjboucher.com

As well, I've added phillipjboucher@gmail.com as my new email. Now, everything I have, including this blog and my twitter account, are all under the phillipjboucher moniker. Now we'll see if the business follows.

More Focused Blogs

2010-04-09T19:35:00.004-04:00

My blogging history has, to this date, been one of mostly a tirade of things that I find annoying. Not that getting stuff off your chest is a bad thing, but upon contemplation, it seems as if blogs should be more about information and entertainment, rather than rants of anger or frustration. So, on that note, I have decided to limit this blog to my writing endevours so that readers will have a more focused and enlightened view on what is going on with my creative works.

Dragonstoen - The manuscript was rejected by BAEN books. A simple form letter was the messenger, so whether they liked it or not, rather than whether it fit in with their current group of needs, is unknown. That's the problem with writing and submitting works. A writer never knows (unless they really do receive a detailed explanation) as to why a work is rejected. We simply send it out to the next publisher on the list. Right now, Dragonstoen is at TOR books. We'll see what they have to say.

Tattonville - Right now I'm researching other Canadian publishers (since the manuscript was rejected by Edge) that might be suitable for this work. Being a about Native spirituality (Shamanism, the supernatural) makes it hard to determine what I should classify it as. Fantasy is the most obvious genre, however the fantasy or supernatural elements (a dead Shaman's spirit, a Native able to heal small wounds almost instantaneously) are quite under the main plot of the town's police force clashing with the RCMP and CSIS. I may be sending it out to a publisher or two in a couple of weeks. I'll update the status of it here.

Sveta - The current novel I'm writing is about a young male American composer and a young female Russian military student who accidentally meet when the composer does a tour of Russia, and of course fall in love, which ruins the plans of the Moscow intelligence chief, who tries to break them up, etc. Sort of a political thriller romance set a short bit in the future after the U.S. and Russia engage in a small war and Russia is the winner. This one is hard to write as I keep going off in different directions with it. I'm sure I'll get a focus on it shortly.

Disturbance Call at the Fairy Bar - this short story, involving a southern U.S sheriff and his deputy who police a town that exists both in the real and fairy realms, is now at Realms of Fantasy magazine.

Dragonstoen: A Necklace for a Prince - a short story based on the Dragonstoen novel is also at Realms of Fantasy magazine.

I'm currently working on outlines for a couple of fantasy short stories, two more fantasy novels, a pilot script for a TV version of Tattonville, and a script based on the British show UFO from the sixties. Too bad the rotation of the earth doesn't slow down. Then I'd have more time during the day to get all this stuff done. A writer not only writes, but sells and promotes his works and services as well. Besides novels and short stories, I have a couple of freelance works on the go. Like every writer on the planet, I really need Dragonstoen to get published, sell, get made into a movie, and make tons of money. In the meantime, I must live in the real world, though fantasy does have its advantages.

Learning From Mistakes

2010-03-15T09:59:00.002-04:00

Ok, enough of the Twitter, time to blog. As a writer, sometimes you take a chance on enhancing your resume and creating a body of work you think might be a success. I recently wrote a book on two-way radios and placed it on a Print on Demand site. Since the site would print and ship the books as the orders came in, it would save me a lot of time and effort in trying to find a publisher. This self-publishing avenue was, I thought, a good move.

I ordered several copies of the book for myself and was disappointed that the text was missing headings and was very poorly formatted, even though I followed all formatting and PDF conversion requirements for the site. It was not their fault, but my own, in working with my software programs. Now, I could spend the next several weeks or months trying to figure out what went wrong and redo everything all over again. When writing, you do have to crank out the product to keep productive, keep in the public eye, and keep the money coming in. What should I do?

To answer my question, I bit the bullet, removed the book from the POD site, and am now selling he book as an Ebook on my site. Click the PayPal button and once I get the order from them, bang, sent over as an email attachment, perfectly formatted and ready to read in PDF. Cheaper for the customer, less crap for me to deal with, and it let's me put this fiasco behind me and move on to other things.

In trying to save time and money (and I will NOT pay a vanity publisher to produce the book) for myself, and present a traditional product to my readers, I made a mistake and am not going to fret about it. If someone wants the book, they can get it in PDF. If they want the traditionally bound physical book, sorry, but I'm not wasting time in trying to figure out what went wrong. The product is still available, is niche enough that traditional publishers won't touch it, and I have other things to write.

If you're a writer, take this to heart. Whatever you write, fiction, nonfiction, or that epic poem, remember that if you want it published, either from a traditional publisher or through self-publishing, it's a business product you're producing. Not a baby, not a thing to be coveted from outsiders, but a simple product of your creativity. If things work out, great. If not, then move on. You must continue to write, not worry over why this story or novel got rejected or why your book is screwed up all to hell. Chalk it up to experience, and learn from the mistake.

Any more books that I decide to self-publish, will be in PDF. If they sell, great, if they don't, then that's fine to. As long as keep writing, I keep my desires alive.

Why Is Fantasy Fiction So Popular?

2009-09-20T20:20:00.004-04:00

Why, indeed? I was asked this by a colleague who could not understand why anyone would enjoy reading, or even watching, fantasy fiction. A strange question from a man who has the entire Star Wars CD collection. I pondered an answer and told him I'd have to get back to him later. I really didn't have an answer at the time. Now I did have thoughts float through my brain about escapism and such, but after careful reflection, I think that there may be deeper roots to the question.

I think most people who enjoy fantasy are those who are lacking something in their own lives (not a bad thing) or are harbingers of a great emotional creativity that has no other outlet than through visual "pretendness." Let me clarify this.

By lacking, I am not referring to something bad at all. This could be a lack of imagination. Being unable to fantasize as a child, you know, the whole "invisible friend" thing. Lacking creative or intellectual stimulation. Fantasy may be a way for these people to experience the spark that enables them to imagine or pretend for that brief book or movie time. Or maybe it is just about escaping from the humdrum of a boring existence and getting some excitement for a change. A lack of more desirable life.

Those with a greater creative or intellectual spark may find fantasy a way of extending their own hopes of dreams of a better world where magick rules and anything is possible. Fantasy could be the stimulating factor in a new theory, a new invention. We've seen many things that were pure science fiction only a few years ago, become pure science fact today. Could the magick, the creatures, and the adventures of the fantasy realm become just as real? The human imagine knows no bounds and neither does fantasy.

I suppose my answer will be a short synopsis of the above comments. It lets us escape. It stimulates our emotions and our imaginations. It lets us be someone or something else for a small moment of time. Fantasy fiction makes us real humans. No wonder it's so popular.

New GMRS Book Already Causing Controversy

2009-09-06T23:50:00.002-04:00

The publication date of my new book, “The Complete Guide to Canada’s General Mobile Radio Service: How to Get the Most Out of Our Nation’s Licence-Free, Fee-Free, Two-Way Radio Service”, ISBN 978-1-895391-20-6, is not until October 1, 2009, and already I hear through channels that some things discussed in the book are controversial and might ruffle feathers of those in the radiocommunications industry.

It seems that some manufactures of two-way “business-exclusive” radios are pissed off how I compare their two-watt UHF handheld radios to the two-watt GMRS radios, effectively telling readers that instead of paying hundreds of dollars for one of these “business-exclusive” radios, that they can buy a pair of GMRS for around fifty dollars. Both types of radios perform the same and have essentially the same features. The only advantage “business-exclusive” radios have over GMRS radios is that the channels are not as accessible to the public. However, the big advantages GMRS have are many; purchasers do not need to licence the radios; they do not need to licence the frequencies; there are no rental fees, airtime fees, usage fees, monthly fees, or any other fees to operate GMRS radios. In fact, GMRS is TOTALLY licence and fee free. The ONLY thing you pay for with GMRS is the cost of the radios, which are usually sold in pairs and most pairs go for UNDER one hundred dollars.

With “business-exclusive” radios, you have to either buy each radio at one hundred fifty to three hundred dollars each, or pay a monthly rental fee for each radio. Then you have to pay a licence fee for each radio. Plus a licence fee for each frequency. Then you have to pay a fee to renew those licences. And like GMRS, you have to share the frequencies with other users. Therefore, “business-exclusive” is not that exclusive, especially in a large urban area.

And the ironic thing about this supposed controversy? The majority of manufactures who make “business-exclusive” radios also make GMRS radios. Now, as a consumer, if you wanted to buy a handheld UHF two-watt two-way radio, what’s more important to you; having access to frequencies that are being used by other “business-exclusive” users rather than the general public and paying hundreds of dollars per radio for that privilege, or having access to frequencies that are available to the general public, but with a pair of radios that cost around fifty dollars but with no access, monthly, or licencing fees, both types of radios providing the same performance and features?

General Mobile Radio Service radios are exceedingly more cost-effective given that they perform the same as “business-exclusive” radios. It would be in any company’s or business’s best interest to go with GMRS radios. But I can see dealers trying to steer purchases towards the higher-priced business radios. Don’t be fooled by the supposed “controversy” that I have mentioned. It’s your money. Spend it, or save it, wisely when buying handheld two-way radios.

“The Complete Guide to Canada’s General Mobile Radio Service: How to Get the Most Out of Our Nation’s Licence-Free, Fee-Free, Two-Way Radio Service”, ISBN 978-1-895391-20-6, is available from Cafepress.ca at $24.00 CDN or Cafepress.com at $19.95 US.

New Publication Date for GMRS Book

2009-08-12T12:13:00.002-04:00

To allow a longer marketing period, I am changing the publication date of my new GMRS book to October 1, 2009. This will allow me to send out more PDF review copies to media outlets and hopefully get the word out before the publication date hits. The book is still available for pre-publication purchase.

The Complete Guide to Canada's General Mobile Radio Service: How to Get the Most Out of Our Nation's Licence-Free, Fee-Free UHF Two-Way Radio Service, ISBN 978-1-895391-20-6. Please visit my website at http://phillipboucher.tripod.com for for more information on the book.

Order your pre-publication copy today from:

www.cafepress.com/phillipjboucher
www.cafepress.com
www.cafepress.ca

New GMRS Book is Available for Pre-publication Purchase

2009-07-06T18:44:00.003-04:00

A new GMRS book is available for pre-publication purchase. The Complete Guide to Canada's General Mobile Radio Service: How to Get the Most Out of Our Nation's Licence-Free, Fee-Free UHF Two-Way Radio Service, ISBN 978-1-895391-20-6, the only book about Canada's Family Radio and General Radio Mobile Services.

FRS and GMRS, now one combined service called GMRS, uses small UHF handheld radios to provide wireless two-way radio communications to friends and families, groups and organizations, and business, retail, construction, and anyone else who needs to communicate with others at a distance. GMRS radios have a maximum power output of two watts on twenty-two channels/frequencies with a maximum distance of eight to ten kilometres.

"A GMRS UHF radio signal at two watts of output power can have a range of about eight to ten kilometers over water. That range is reduced when used in a rural and urban setting. On average, the indoor range can cover approximately two hundred thousand square feet, or about twenty floors of a building, and very easily the average warehouse or job site. When used in a city setting, you can usually get reliable communications from two to eight city blocks depending on terrain and building architecture." (from the book)

You can use GMRS to keep in touch with friends and family at the mall, car-to-car, at a carnival or fair, and around the house. Use GMRS to coordinate parades, public events, trade shows, and provide security and emergency response. GMRS is perfect for construction and job sites, warehouses, traffic control, and trailer shunting. Retailers and service providers can use GMRS radios to improve customer service, productivity, profit, and reduce costs: this includes stores, restaurants, hotels, and hospitals.

Whatever reason you have for short-range wireless communications, GMRS can provide it with no licence fees, no per use charges, no monthly payments, and no other costs. Why pay cellular, data, paging, and other fees for short-range wireless calls? Why buy or rent those "business exclusive" two-way radios? Use GMRS instead.

The Complete Guide to Canada's General Mobile Radio Service is $19.95US and $24.00CDN, available from one of the three websites below. This book tells you all about the service and the equipment, how to buy the right radio for you, how to use the radio and service effectively, and gives examples of a wide range of uses. The Complete Guide to Canada's General Mobile Radio Service is the bible for users of Canada's licence and fee free "wireless walkie-talkie" service. If you have GMRS radios or are thinking of buying some, you need this book. It makes a great gift for any user of GMRS radios. Or how about giving a set of GMRS radios and the book as an extra-special gift?

Order your pre-publication copy today from:

www.cafepress.com/phillipjboucher
www.cafepress.com
www.cafepress.ca

(Yes I wrote the book and yes I am promoting it here on my blog.)

Works at the publishers

2009-07-05T14:38:00.003-04:00

Well, both Dragonstoen(TM) and Tattonville(TM) manuscripts are at publishers right now and hopefully the get picked up. My new book, The Complete Guide to Canada's General Mobile Radio Service is available for pre-publication purchase from the printer/distributor Cafepress.com for $19.95US and Cafepress.ca for $24.00CDN.

If you or anyone you know has FRS/GMRS radios, or has need for licence-free and fee-free UHF two-way radio communications in Canada, then you or they need this book. Visit my website at http://phillipboucher.tripod.com or the Cafepress websites for more information.

I am currently working on the political thriller/romance Sveta(TM), the second book in the Dragonstoen(TM) series, and the script to a TV series version of Tattonville(TM). Will I ever be able to retire....

Odd Death of David Carradine

2009-06-06T18:00:00.002-04:00

With the discovery of the body of actor David Carradine in his Thai hotel room brings two unique but quite common occurrences to the media forefront: the immediate assumption of suicide, and the eventual determination that the death was accidental. As with Heath Ledger, David was thought to have taken his own life. And why not? The man had talked about suicidal tendencies in the past. But that is by no means an assumption of the actual act. David was back on track in his acting career, kept himself away from drugs and alcohol, and embraced a more positive and calming spiritual atmosphere around himself. A man who has committed himself to several acting jobs in the coming months is not likely to just take his own life, especially if there is no suicide note found.

The facts so far indicate that David, in his own drive for orgasmic ecstasy, engaged in a very dangerous and potentially lethal action called auto erotic asphyxiation. This involves cutting off the blood supply to the brain to the point of near unconsciousness while simultaneously orgasming. This purportedly creates the most intense orgasm and feeling of euphoria one can experience. It also produces death in many cases. One of the mysteries of David's death is whether he was alone at the time of the sexual act. That may be determined in the next little while.

Unfortunately, this great actor, who will be remembered as Kung Fu's Kwai Chang Caine, and Kill Bill's Bill, will ultimately be remembered mostly by the circumstances of his death. That's really not the way anyone should be remembered.

No Intelligent Thought from Breeders

2009-01-11T05:10:00.004-05:00

Well, let's examine the lack of not only intelligent thought but also common sense and the consideration of others by those who choose or have accidentally thrust upon them the "joy" of children.

I won't address the usual things that Breeders seem to feel their little productions can do such as run around a store or, even more annoying, a restaurant, screaming at the top of their lungs, throwing things at or taking things from other patrons and customers, while mommy or daddy calmly whisper, "Jackyjohnmarybritneysuethingymajig, use your indoor voice. Come here and sit down. Please honey, come and sit down. Don't go over there. You'll get a time out. Come back, come back, come back", all the while sitting or standing there taking no action to actually reign in their little "darlings" in, like making any effort would interfere in the nothingness they are doing at that moment.

No, let's talk about, hmm, food courts. Yes. Shopping mall food courts. You are sitting at one table, eating your lunch that cost you over $7.00 at the not-s0-great fast food both. Beside you, are a mom and dad and two sweet little kiddies in diapers enjoying their meal. It's a great day! The kiddies are actually behaving and mom and dad aren't screaming at anyone. After the meal, mom or dad picks up and hold one of the precious children. Then, without any thought or consideration at all, sits the child down on the table. Yes! A pissy, shitty diaper sitting squarely on the spot that mom or day has just eaten from. And of course, they are bouncing the little one while the other spouse is preparing the other little one to go.

Once everyone has their coat on, the cute family leaves. But left on the table are the remnants of that shitty, pissy diaper that those Breeders had no consideration or even intention of cleaning the table. So there they sit...piss and shit germs just waiting for another person, which could be YOU, to sit and enjoy their meal. Umm, yummy.

Why do Breeders think that they can do whatever they want because they have kids? We need to put up signs in these places. "Keep your kid's ass off our table tops! Have some consideration for others!"

Naw, that won't work. Breeders will ignore them, because how dare you say something like that about their precious children? Evil childhaters! No. Evil, conceited, Breeders.

CBC Radio 2 a Total Bust

2008-09-03T10:40:00.002-04:00

Well, if you read the blog at CBC Radio 2's site, you will see that many of us loyal CBC listeners are absolutely appalled over the change to the daytime classical music line-up. As Canadians, CBC has always been a staple in our lives, and the classical music programs were a fresh alternative to the public radio classical stations we get from south of the border. It also seems that Tom Allen's program Music and Company was one of the most beloved and cherished of shows. His laid back approach, his humourous and entertaining tidbits of information about composers and compositions, and the wide variety of GOOD classical music made it a show not to miss. Now, the poor man seems almost strained to be excited by what he is doing, and the mix of music (some of which should not even be called music) is atroshis. You can hear it in Tom's voice. He doesn't have the same enthusiasm or interest as he did with Music and Company. Many people have noticed and the listeners have spoken!

But the new CBC management, like the old, refuses to listen to its listeners. And why should it? CBC Radio 2 is publically funded. Our tax dollars pay for the stations. So whether anyone listens or not, money still comes in and the management still gets paid. Too bad it wasn't a public station like in the States, where the listeners donate and foot the bill. Then we would have some power in getting CBC to revert Radio 2 back to what it should be. Some people who have posted comments on the Radio 2 site have, half jokingly, suggested that we should all get together and launch a class-action lawsuit against CBC. I like that idea. But whether the outcome would be a win or a loss, the CBC would simply tell us listners to bend over further and take it deeper. There is an old adage that goes, "If it isn't broken, don't fix it." CBC Radio 2 was as far from broken as you can get. It is quite unfortunate that the damn thing is in a shambles now.

Bus Beheading in Canada WATCHED by Passengers and Nobody Helps

2008-08-06T09:36:00.003-04:00

Just one person's opinion: All right, I've let this story alone for a few days to see what transpires on the news. The stories all ignore one thing...there were at least five to seven adult males on that bus and nobody did anything to help the poor victim. According to witnesses on the bus, the suspect stabbed the victim 5o to 6o times. I'm not a math wiz, but if you ask me, it would take some time to stab someone that many times. So that means that passengers actually watched and counted as the stabbing took place, refusing for whatever reason to intervene. Then, and this is the best part, they watched as the suspect decapitated the victim. Now, to cut someone's head off takes time with a knife and a pair of scissors, probably ten minutes or more at the very least. And the passengers only looked on. This alleged cowardice is disgusting and throws us Canadians into an international view of uncaring pieces of shit, of which the majority of us are not. The Canadian public should voice their horror at this uncaring attitude towards a fellow human suffering such awful agony and demand that the passengers on this bus defend their inaction and indifference to all fellow Canadians and the victim's family. Just as it is a criminal offence to refuse to provide first aid to a person who has been in an accident, is it not the same for refusing to help someone who is being murdered?

Death of Comedic Icon George Carlin

2008-06-23T07:50:00.003-04:00

And another thing that gives me a sad heart, is yesterday's death of comedian George Carlin. An iconic comic whose observational humour ran the gamut from painfully obvious to the perversely vulgar, was a man you either loved or hated. And I loved him. I grew up with Carlin, from his days on Ed Sullivan to his performance a couple of years ago at Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort theatre that my wife and I attended and enjoyed. The opportunity to see the man live in person was a thrill and an honour, especially since it was only a few months after his heart surgery.

Did he offend us? Yes, of course. A couple of routines were personally offensive, and he cracked two jokes that would be highly inappropriate even in the most hardened prison in the world. But you have to give the man credit. His routine, "Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television", was daring and as anti-establishment as it could be. But one of those words, piss, is now uttered on TV in various forms, a testament to the fact that someone, somewhere, wanted to prove him wrong.

In one interview I saw, Carlin stated that he wanted to watch the end of the world happen while snacking on chips and see it on CNN. That that would be the way to go out. Unfortnately, or fortunately, the man never got his wish. However, whether Carlin is with God, a dog, or just giving a performance in Stand-up Heaven, he will always be remembered for the laughter and good feelings he gave us all. Mr. Carlin, I hope that you have found the answers to all your questions, questions to the answers you thought you knew, and the venue to continue to observe and comment on the universe's vast stupidness that you so fondly embraced while alive. Take care, George. We will always love you.

Scientists Know Shit

2008-04-08T04:31:00.003-04:00

Scientists Know Shit

Kind of a harsh title, but it is so true. Scientists, those people who can include anyone from cancer researchers to archaeologists to rocket developers, are simply regurgitated, educated minions of scientists, who are the regurgitated, educated minions of their teachers. Scientists are trained in how things are perceived to be and that things cannot exist in another way. They learn the same things that generations of scientists learned before them, albeit also learning new discoveries. However, these discoveries upon themselves are simply revelations of training they already received.

And with this education and regurgitation, the eyes of scientists look down upon us peons over the ever-upturned nose, down upon the peasants and uneducated who have no access to the knowledge these god-like whitecoats possess. We are sheeple, to simply accept what they tell us. What they know. What they have been taught. And their minds, through all of this, are as closed as a door to a jail cell.

Let me give you a great example. In Mexico and Peru there have been discoveries of strange human-like skulls such as those at the end of this blog.Scientists insist, in fact they really demand that we agree, that such skulls are a total, absolute, and finite impossibility. These skulls can not possibly exist and no human or human-like creature ever existed to leave behind skulls such as these. These skulls are either gross deformities of regular old human beings, or are the result of binding the skull in infancy to create these “beautiful” heads in adulthood. Just because these skulls have been found does not mean they really, truly represent what they look like. “It is fact. We are scientists. We know.”

However, they want us to believe, without question, without thinking, without challenging them at all, that giant reptiles used to walk the earth. It must be true. They have the skulls of these creatures to prove it! “These giant reptiles were living breathing creatures that shook the very ground they walked on. They were real. They left behind their bones to prove it. It is fact. We are scientists. We know.”

What the fuck? Can they be any more hypocritical? Giant reptiles roaming the earth and eating each other can be an accepted fact while long-skulled humanoid creatures have to be just fantasy. With the same type of archaeological find. Skulls of a long dead creature. Giant reptilian animal, ok. Weird skulled human, not ok. Isn’t it wonderful how scientists can decide what is fact and what is fiction for us all. "It is fact. We are scientists. We know.” You guys know shit!

Here’s another one. Over one hundred years ago it was believed that cancer was caused by a virus. A viral infection. A buggly-wuggly that got in your system and zapped cells into reproducing quickly and unabated, taking over the host body (that’d be us) to the point that organ function couldn’t function any more and the host terminated. Died. Passed away. Ceased to be. Pining for the fjords. Yep. Croaked.

“Quacks and charlatans!” the scientists would shout from their ivory towers to those few fellow peers who dared, no, who evilly dared in secret pacts with the DEVIL, to even suggest, let alone research, the possibility that cancer was caused by a virus. So for the next hundred years research into the causes of cancer yielded, well, squat. Treatments abound from pumping the body with tons of chemicals or frying the body with radiation. Yet, no cause for cancer has been found.

Well, now, you see, in 2008 there was a discovery that certain viruses caused certain skin cancers. Really? No shit! Oh, and back in 2006 they found that the Human Papilloma Virus causes some cervical cancers. Really? No shit! And now some U.S. States are making it mandatory that every woman from like 11 to 25 get the HPV cervical cancer vaccine to help PREVENT them from getting cervical cancer. That will surely save many lives. One hundred years too late you shits!

Scientists! There are many more examples like this.

“Hey scientists! We caught this real weird looking fish the other day.”

“Weird looking, huh? Well here, do you see it in any of these pictures of trout, sharks, whales, dolphins, or every other fish on the planet?”

“No scientists, we don’t. But it looks like this drawing in this book on dinosaurs.”

“My fisherman friend. My poor, demented, mentally unstable fisherman friend. That fish has been extinct from this planet for over 65 million years! Silly fisherman. Get the fuck out of here.”

“But we have it in our truck. It’s big and weird!”

“Fine. Let us see it. Oh yes. It’s some kind of deformed wafflelikkee fish. Eat the thing and go away.”

“But-“

“Go away. We are scientists. We told you what the fish was and what it wasn’t. We are scientists. We know.”

No they don’t. Ever hear of the coelacanth? Yep that fish that supposedly HAS BEEN EXTINCT FOR OVER 65 MILLION YEARS is alive and well and doing fine living and reproducing happily in the earth’s oceans, thank you very much.

So, if cancer is now accepted as being caused by a virus, and an extinct fish can be alive today, then I think it’s pretty much a good bet that the Loch Ness monster is a living plesiosaur, Sasquatch/Bigfoot/Yeti is a living Neandertal, the anomalies found on Mars indicate it once held life, and the human race may just be a genetically manipulated species by alien visitors.

“That is totally and absolutely impossible, Phil. None of that is true. This is fact. We are scientists. We know.”

No. You scientists know nothing. You know shit.

Traditional EGM Problem Gambling Treatments Only a Bandage

2007-06-18T08:03:00.001-04:00

Traditional treatments for slot and video machine, VLT, and video poker/blackjack addiction concentrate on the psychological and physiological aspects of the addiction. They look at the person's family background and upbringing. They look at their current financial and economic situation. They try to get problem gamblers to leave their credit cards at home. There are even programs where problem gamblers can ban themselves from casinos.

All of which do help treat these people, but most of them end back being addicted again. Counselors and gaming venues need to understand that to effectively treat these people they need to educate them on how Electronic Gaming Machines are designed and operate. Counselors have to know all about EGMs to counsel their clients effectively. Gaming venues should have EGM educational displays right on the gaming floor where a trained employee can explain to patrons how slots are designed and operate, how to properly read a paytable, and how to manage their money. Until this happens, EGM addicts will simply pull of the bandage and continue to pick a the wound.

What is a slot machine expert?

2007-06-11T16:54:00.000-04:00

There are many people out there who call themselves slot machine experts, experts in electronic gaming machines, or gaming machine experts. Most of these people are simply players who have no idea how slots really work. Others are computer programmers who think they know how slots work. Others don't list any of their background or credentials, but claim to be experts anyway. Most are hawking wares such as methods to beat slots, books on how to beat slots, or software on how to beat slots or how slots work.

Well, how can they call themselves experts if they've never repaired a machine or even learned how it works down and dirty? Yes I'm hawking my book and my expertise and my consulting services. But I have the credentials behind me to back up what I say. I don't expound crap, I tell the truth. People can't handle the truth, they don't want to hear the truth, and apparently the truth cuts into their "expert" income. I don't care. I am, without sounding egotistical, an expert in electronic gaming machines. I have the experience, the education, the book, and the background to call myself an expert. And I am proud of that.

Move Completed

2007-06-07T08:31:00.000-04:00

Yes, the move to Sudbury has been completed and now the work begins of continuing to get work. First, I have to work on protecting myself from the black flies and mosquitoes.

Dragonstoen on the Mend

2007-05-29T12:22:00.000-04:00

I am trying to get the fantasy novel Dragonstoen finally polished up as the next publisher wants submissions of the entire manuscript. For those of you who know a bit about Addler Berrington, Nesra the dragon, Lady Alnya, Berger, and the rest of the people of the Kingdom of Husanta, don't fret. Once the manuscript for the first book is out, I will be continuing on with the first draft of the second book. I envision five novels in all to tell the whole story and reveal all the secrets.

The word Dragonstoen™, the title Dragonstoen™, and places, names, and characters of the Dragonstoen™ series of fantasy novels are all trademarks owned by Phillip J. Boucher.

CBC and Konami Jackpot Symbol Flash Story

2007-05-29T11:21:00.000-04:00

Ok, let's talk about the Konami games that in February the CBC said flashed winning jackpot symbols at players. The story centered around the concern that this may be a subliminal messaging tactic to get players to remain at the machine. Since then, the jurisdictions in Canada that have these machines have either changed the themes or investigated and placed them back in service.

There is nothing subliminal here and is strictly a software glitch. On video machines, the "reel spin", which in fact is only a simulation of moving graphic images, has to start with some image. The glitch? It starts on the jackpot symbols instead of randomly generated images. Nothing subliminal or intentional here at all. In fact, if CBC had have taped a physical reel machine, they would see that the jackpot symbols display once each reel spin. Would they have called that subliminal or suspicious? I highly doubt it.

This is simply another example of some people who do not know how slot machines and other gaming machines are actually designed and operate, trying to interpret what they see, and fueling the myths, misconceptions, and urban legends that keep driving players into slot addiction.