Businesses... Stop pestering your customers for charity donations!

Call me evil, I've been called that a lot lately but I'm getting a bit fed up with being hassled for donations at every business I visit.  It's bad enough I have to deal with the panhandlers outside the store so it's even more annoying to deal with it inside the store.

Look, I have no problem with businesses partnering with charitable causes and even having a collection bin but to use your employee's time to bark for the charity is a bit much.

I was at a Walgreens the other day picking up some discounted post Easter candy when the cashier asked if I'd like to donate to the charity red nose whatever.  I said not today and handed her some cash.  What annoyed me greatly was when she started to hand me my change, she held it back and asked if I'd like to donate the change.  Not acceptable.  No means no.  She pretty much was trying to guilt trip me into donating which makes me even less likely to donate.

When I do donate, it's something I want to do.  Many places like grocery stores have donation tags by the register.  It's bsically like a coupon with a barcode and you choose $1, $3 or $5 and you hand it to the cashier.  I like this type of donating much better than the cashier taking time away from their job to plug the charity.

Many restaurants do annual charity giveaways like Ben & Jerry's recently did.  In celebration of National Ice Cream Day, they gave away free cones, well, technically small scoops in a cup and each location teamed up with a local charity.  While there were ambassadors pitching the cause and buckets inside for donations, they weren't overly pushy so I'm cool with that.  It's not like they shamed anyone for not donating.  I didn't feel like I HAD to and I honestly didnt have anything to spare at the moment.  I was more concerned with the coneless ice cream cone.

Ultimately, my feeling with businesses and charities is that it should be transparent.  I honestly don't think the customers need to be hassled when they're already patronizing the store and under the assumption that the business donates goods, services or money to charitable causes.  It seems like overkill to ask your customers for more.

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Mount Roberts Tramway in Juneau

One of the top attractions in Juneau aside from the whale watching and the Mendenhall Glacier is the Mount Roberts Tramway.  It's also the closest and most accessible.  You'll find tickets very easily on the docks or through cruise ship companies or at the terminal at 490 S Franklin Street between the C and D dock.  Walk up tickets are $33 for an all day pass with discounts for children.  Trams are ADA accessible.

For the more adventurous, you can hike up and take the tram down for $10 or a receipt for $10 or more at the restaurant or gift shop.  The trailhead is located at 1001 Basin road, about a half mile from the docks.  The actual hike is about 2.5 miles to the tram.  It's fairly easy to moderate but can be slippery and muddy when rainy.  It's a nice hike up where you can have a drink or snack and ride the tram down.  

Once you're at the top, well, you're not at the top but at the tram station, there's a few trails you can take including to the peak as well as the popular Father Brown's Cross that overlooks the valley.  The Timberline Atop Mount Roberts is a full service restaurant and bar.  It's moderately priced which is nice since most places like this usually have sky high prices.  There's also a coffee and snack stand for people needing a quick bite.  There's also a gift shop for all your shopping needs.  

The Chilkat theater hosts frequent events like films and live performances.  Nearby the main building is the Nature Center which can help you identify the many animals and birds you may see on the mountain.  

The views are great... when the weather is nice.  If it's raining, foggy or cloudy, don't fret.  The weather changes quite often so spending an hour or two might lead to a break in the weather.  That's also the advantage of getting the full day pass as you can go back up later in the day or evening.  

I ended up hiking up.  It was rainy of course but was still a nice hike.  It took about two hours but I was going pretty slow.  I continued out to Father Brown's Cross and then headed to the main building.  After using the nice bathroom and chatting with some friendly staff, I had some beers and reindeer stew in the Timberline restaurant.  I showed my receipt and was able to ride down on the tram.  A very quick ride but still fun and better than hiking down. 

Although it's a tad pricey, it's definitely worth the trip up.  For more information, check out their website.  http://mountrobertstramway.com/ 

Mount Roberts Tramway in Juneau Alaska - Approaching docks

Mount Roberts Tramway in Juneau Alaska - Looking down at cruise ship docks

Mount Roberts Tramway in Juneau Alaska - Walkway between tram and restaurant

Mount Roberts Tramway in Juneau Alaska - Selfie looking down at bay

Mount Roberts Tramway in Juneau Alaska - Picnic site overlooking downtown

Mount Roberts Tramway in Juneau Alaska - Looking downtown at the docks

Mount Roberts Tramway in Juneau Alaska - Looking downtown at the docks

Mount Roberts Tramway in Juneau Alaska - Looking down at the bay

Mount Roberts Tramway in Juneau Alaska - Looking out towards Auke Bay

Mount Roberts Tramway in Juneau Alaska - View from hiking trail

Mount Roberts Tramway in Juneau Alaska - View from hiking trail

Mount Roberts Tramway in Juneau Alaska - Father Brown's Cross

Mount Roberts Tramway in Juneau Alaska - Father Brown's Cross

Mount Roberts Tramway in Juneau Alaska - Inside the tram

Mount Roberts Tramway in Juneau Alaska - Inside the tram

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Visit my and subscribe to my youtube channel!

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All photos taken by Paul Clough.  

© All Rights Reserved.  Please contact for permission to use photos.

Apps I use: Tunity (listen to audio on your smartphone from a TV you can't hear)

Have you ever been at a restaurant, bar or a waiting room with a silent TV but you wished you could hear the audio?  Well, with the Tunity app, you can!  I run into this situation a lot at sports bars.  They'll only have the audio on for the main game but I usually want to watch another game and have to settle for just the visuals rather than the full effect.  But with the Tunity app, I can scan the TV I'm watching and have the audio right on my phone.  This app can come in handy for many other situations as well.  You can watch TV in bed with your spouse without disturbing them, sitting in waiting rooms, hear what's going on when watching TV through windows from the sidewalk (if your a sports fan, you've done this) or hear the audio in noisy places like airports which is where I discovered this app.  Sitting in the gate area with CNN in the corner with the audio being drowned out every two minutes from a loud announcement, this app can bring calm during chaos.

You can download the app from the link below.  It's available for both Apple and Android platforms.
http://www.tunity.com/#download

Once you've installed the app, you'll be prompted register for free.  Open the app and you'll see the box below.  Make sure the TV is within the box and hit the tap the scan.

Using the Tunity App to scan a TV

For best results, you should fill the box with the TV image.  But the above image was sufficient. 

Screenshot of Tunity app tuned to a channel

Once you have the channel synced, you can use the backwards and forwards buttons to fine tune the sync.  You may have to play around with this as sometimes your audio feed might be a second or two behind what's on TV.

Troubleshooting:

The only time I've run into issues was with national broadcast networks like Fox, CBS etc or shows that were on multiple channels such as Presidential debates.  In those instances, it would sync to a different channel so the actual show was right but the commercials were not.  This of course is not a big deal as I'm not watching TV for the commercials (most of the time anyways).  

Most local affiliates won't be available but you can easily request support within the app.  No word on how often the requests are fulfilled.  Also, even with cable networks, the commercials will occasionally be out of sync due to local ad and national ads but the actual show will always be slotted the same.

All in all, it's a great app that's free with no ads!  Obviously, this app requires internet access as it's streaming audio. 

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Visit my and subscribe to my youtube channel!

https://www.youtube.com/user/justanotherlabrat

Visit my ETSY shop!

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All photos taken by Paul Clough.  

© All Rights Reserved.  Please contact for permission to use photos.

How to go up in the John Hancock building in Chicago for free!

If you’re in Chicago and want to get a fantastic view of the city and Lake Michigan, then there are two places to go, the Willis Tower and the John Hancock Center.  While I have no tips for the Willis Tower, I can tell you that you can go up the John Hancock Center for free, well, almost free.  The Signature Room on the 95^th floor and the Signature Lounge on the 96^th offer both free admissions.  The only catch is you have to order an entrée at the restaurant or order at least one drink in the lounge.  You won’t be able to access the observation deck but you’re only a few floors below that and still get the same spectacular view. 

As you can imagine, the prices are as high as the building but if you’re going to pay to get the view, you may as well get a drink with it!  I enjoy hanging out in the lounge in the early afternoon while sipping a fine whiskey on the rocks.  Just make sure it’s a clear day if you want to get some good pictures.  It does get crowded at night so try to get in late afternoon or early evening if you want to see the light of the city.  If you plan on eating in the restaurant, reservations are a must.  A limited bar menu is served in the lounge.  Think small appetizers and sandwiches but the quality is top notch. 

So the next time your in Chicago or if you need to impress your friends, take the free ride to the 95^th or 96^th and enjoy a fine meal or drink with your view. 

The entrance is on the south side of the building by the Chase Bank, not the observation entrance. 

This policy is fairly common at any observation tower with a restaurant and bar.  



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Visit my and subscribe to my youtube channel!

https://www.youtube.com/user/justanotherlabrat

Visit my ETSY shop!

https://www.etsy.com/shop/theTAILlor

All photos taken by Paul Clough.  

© All Rights Reserved.  Please contact for permission to use photos.