First day of Rome done with mimimum aches and surprisingly little bloodshed. After the last post, we promply passed our for four hours. Neither one of us got a lot of sleep on board of the planes. So it has been a long day, plus the heat shock of landing in Rome when it's about 35C. The four hours and a shower both did us the world of good.
We decided to take it fairly easy for the first day. No tours or death marches and we didn't stray that far away from home base. We have a room near the Colosseum, so we walked around the outside of that (we'll do a proper tour in a couple of days) and the surrounding grouns in the Palatino. We also went to the Tevere river, watched a wedding get out from a church ate some gelatto (the first of many, one suspects) and had some pretty decent pizza.
So I'd call that a pretty decent first day. We going to try and get to bed early this evening. We have to get up early tomorrow to see the pope, and you know how grumpy he gets when we're late.
More updates as interesting things happen.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Alive and in Rome
So we made it to Rome unscathed. And no, I didn't immediately run out and find an internet cafe...the place we're stayin at in Rome not only has free internet, it has computers you can use in your room. Spiffy. It's small, but clean, there is air conditioning and we're near the Colessium. So we're pretty happy.
Only one hiccup to speak of on our journey over. Despite our best efforts to avoid Air Canada, apparently the airline was not to be denied. Our flight to Newark was cancelled, meaning there was no way to make our connection. That meant we were now flying Air Canada to Frankfurt and Luthensia to Rome. Kind of annoying, but on the upside, we got airmiles and we didn't pay the silly money Air Canada was asking if we had booked with them from the start. Plus, we arrived in Rome about 4 hours earlier than planned. So as mistakes go, it was a pretty good one.
Currently sitting in room, relaxing. Will get shower soon and perhaps a quick nap before venturing forth into the city. A pretty good start so far...
Only one hiccup to speak of on our journey over. Despite our best efforts to avoid Air Canada, apparently the airline was not to be denied. Our flight to Newark was cancelled, meaning there was no way to make our connection. That meant we were now flying Air Canada to Frankfurt and Luthensia to Rome. Kind of annoying, but on the upside, we got airmiles and we didn't pay the silly money Air Canada was asking if we had booked with them from the start. Plus, we arrived in Rome about 4 hours earlier than planned. So as mistakes go, it was a pretty good one.
Currently sitting in room, relaxing. Will get shower soon and perhaps a quick nap before venturing forth into the city. A pretty good start so far...
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Quick update
We're in Petawawa visiting a friend. We're heading off to the airport in a few hours and then away to Italy. Not much really to update. Managed to catch Wanted on Friday night, which was big stupid fun, but surprisingly a lot more intelligent than I thought. A couple of nice twists and turns. Plus, is there anything more musical in the English language than hearing Morgan Freeman curse? I don't know why it works so well as it does, but it always brings a smile to my face. So there you go.
And the other big news, Boo managed to make it back to St. John's safe and sound with no lasting psychological damange. He was picked up at Cargo by Cathy's parents and carried on like nothing unusual had happened to him the past day or so. Which is good.
And now I'm away. Maybe an update from Rome.
And the other big news, Boo managed to make it back to St. John's safe and sound with no lasting psychological damange. He was picked up at Cargo by Cathy's parents and carried on like nothing unusual had happened to him the past day or so. Which is good.
And now I'm away. Maybe an update from Rome.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Gone
No matter how well prepared you think you are for the moring of a big trip, it never fails that things crop up. Work has been nuts, as I try to get things as cleared up as possible before I go. Cathy had a small crisis at work to deal with. We check in three hours early, just in case, only to have the airline tell us they already have two dogs checked in, which is their maximum, so there's no room for Boo.
Cathy straightened them out. She's a teacher on the edge of her vacation. Airlines do not have the strength of will to mess with such a force of nature.
And I just got screwed for more than $20 by Canada Post to get them to not deliver our mail for three week. Jesus Christ. "Hey, could you not deliver our mail for three weeks? Sure, that'll be $21."
What the fuck?
Anyway...
Right, so we're off into the wild blue yonder shortly. We're not taking a laptop with us this time, which means updates to this blog will be intermittent at best. Maybe something for Ottawa to let everyone know Boo made it back to St. John's safe and sound. And perhaps something from Italy if we can find an internet cafe. But that's about it.
So you all have a fun July, swing back on occasion to check for updates and we'll see you all on the other side of Italy...
Cathy straightened them out. She's a teacher on the edge of her vacation. Airlines do not have the strength of will to mess with such a force of nature.
And I just got screwed for more than $20 by Canada Post to get them to not deliver our mail for three week. Jesus Christ. "Hey, could you not deliver our mail for three weeks? Sure, that'll be $21."
What the fuck?
Anyway...
Right, so we're off into the wild blue yonder shortly. We're not taking a laptop with us this time, which means updates to this blog will be intermittent at best. Maybe something for Ottawa to let everyone know Boo made it back to St. John's safe and sound. And perhaps something from Italy if we can find an internet cafe. But that's about it.
So you all have a fun July, swing back on occasion to check for updates and we'll see you all on the other side of Italy...
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Movie malaise....
So, I'm having movie issues. Which I know gets me no sympathy at all from people in other parts of Nunavut who don't have a movie theatre. But I've been kind of frustrated the last couple of weeks. We got Iron Man quickly, which was good. But after that, a series of uninteresting movies (to me) and delays means I haven't seen a movie in ages. The latest Indiana Jones still hasn't opened in Iqaluit. The Incredible Hulk is opening tomorrow, which is a touch frustrating. I'd like to see it, but well, hard to complain about that when we're flying to Ottawa as a pitstop on our way to Italy.
And yes, I could see movies while in Ottawa this weekend, but we need to spend some time getting some last minute things, plus we're driving to Petawawa to see a friend. So the odds of me seeing anything while there is slim. And I'm glad that we're going to be doing fun stuff during our time in Ottawa, but it would be nice to see WALL-E and Wanted (which looks like tremendously stupid fun, or it did when I saw a seven minute preview in New York back in April), but it's not looking likely.
And when we come back, those movies will still be kicking around, plus Hellboy II and the new Batman will have opened. And the Batman flick is already getting tremendous advanced reviews, which is only making me more eager to see it. And hey, some of it is being shot in IMAX format and wouldn't you know it, Ottawa has an IMAX theatre....
I know, this is a touch whinny. But I love movies. After all, I used to review them in a previous life. And the chance to go to a nice theatre, with a big screen, good sound, nice treats....I miss those things. And Batman, WALL-E, Indiana Jones, Hellboy and the Hulk are all movies I've been looking forward to seeing. At best I'm likely to see them on the theatre screen here. Most likely I'll see it on DVD. That's nice and all, but a touch disappointing when compared to the alternative.
Listen to me, complaining about movies I might miss when I'm going to be spending time in Rome, Venice and Florence. I can always find something to bitch about. It's a gift, kids...
Last Five
1. My bionic eyes - Liz Phair
2. Doctor, my eyes - Jackson Browne*
3. Follow the arrows - Sean Panting
4. Tenth Avenue Freezeout - Bruce Springsteen
5. Blowin' in the wind - Me First and the Gimmie Gimmies
And yes, I could see movies while in Ottawa this weekend, but we need to spend some time getting some last minute things, plus we're driving to Petawawa to see a friend. So the odds of me seeing anything while there is slim. And I'm glad that we're going to be doing fun stuff during our time in Ottawa, but it would be nice to see WALL-E and Wanted (which looks like tremendously stupid fun, or it did when I saw a seven minute preview in New York back in April), but it's not looking likely.
And when we come back, those movies will still be kicking around, plus Hellboy II and the new Batman will have opened. And the Batman flick is already getting tremendous advanced reviews, which is only making me more eager to see it. And hey, some of it is being shot in IMAX format and wouldn't you know it, Ottawa has an IMAX theatre....
I know, this is a touch whinny. But I love movies. After all, I used to review them in a previous life. And the chance to go to a nice theatre, with a big screen, good sound, nice treats....I miss those things. And Batman, WALL-E, Indiana Jones, Hellboy and the Hulk are all movies I've been looking forward to seeing. At best I'm likely to see them on the theatre screen here. Most likely I'll see it on DVD. That's nice and all, but a touch disappointing when compared to the alternative.
Listen to me, complaining about movies I might miss when I'm going to be spending time in Rome, Venice and Florence. I can always find something to bitch about. It's a gift, kids...
Last Five
1. My bionic eyes - Liz Phair
2. Doctor, my eyes - Jackson Browne*
3. Follow the arrows - Sean Panting
4. Tenth Avenue Freezeout - Bruce Springsteen
5. Blowin' in the wind - Me First and the Gimmie Gimmies
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
1,000
A couple of weeks ago I mentioned I had two blog milestones coming up. One was my 100,000 unique visitor, which happened around mid-May. Now, a few weeks later I've managed to hit the other one. According to Blogger, this is the 1,000 post to this blog. So I think that's about it for my milestones for the blog for the foreseeable future. Unless I get my 1,000,000th unique visitor or manage to write 10,000 blog posts. And quite frankly, I don't see either happening anytime, well, ever.
This isn't me being humble...at the rate I'm going it would take about another 25 years to write enough blog posts to reach 10,000. And probably about 20 years to get a million unique visitors. If I'm still blogging in 20-25 years, someone seriously needs to shoot me.
Anyway, that's about all I have to say on that. It's cool, I'm happy to have made it to a milestone that a lot of bloggers don't manage. Not much more I can say.
Packing and prep work for Italy continues apace. It's an oddly much more relaxed prep than previous trips. Perhaps because we're travelling so light. And perhaps, weirdly enough, it doesn't feel like we're leaving on Friday. At least to me. Very odd.
Dups is also trying to persuade me to run for the Board of Regents. Deadline for that is Friday. So if I'm going to do it, that's one more thing on the list to get organized. I doubt my chances, but it could be fun to run a really weird campaign when I get back.
More later...
Last Five
1. 1999 - Prince
2. I wish I was the moon- Neko Case*
3. Mansard roof - Vampire Weekend
4. Look happy, it's the end of the world - Matthew Good Band
4. The bucket - Kings of Leon
This isn't me being humble...at the rate I'm going it would take about another 25 years to write enough blog posts to reach 10,000. And probably about 20 years to get a million unique visitors. If I'm still blogging in 20-25 years, someone seriously needs to shoot me.
Anyway, that's about all I have to say on that. It's cool, I'm happy to have made it to a milestone that a lot of bloggers don't manage. Not much more I can say.
Packing and prep work for Italy continues apace. It's an oddly much more relaxed prep than previous trips. Perhaps because we're travelling so light. And perhaps, weirdly enough, it doesn't feel like we're leaving on Friday. At least to me. Very odd.
Dups is also trying to persuade me to run for the Board of Regents. Deadline for that is Friday. So if I'm going to do it, that's one more thing on the list to get organized. I doubt my chances, but it could be fun to run a really weird campaign when I get back.
More later...
Last Five
1. 1999 - Prince
2. I wish I was the moon- Neko Case*
3. Mansard roof - Vampire Weekend
4. Look happy, it's the end of the world - Matthew Good Band
4. The bucket - Kings of Leon
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Your topic for this morning
With the trip now a few days away I've been debating a change. Specifically, a change in facial hair. I've had my goatee for about 13 years now. In fact, over the past 20 years there's been about five months where I haven't had facial hair. Alas, my university days saw me with a moustache, something I'm not really sure I ever pulled off successfully. But I've liked the goatee. Granted, I grew it when they were cool and all, but I've still liked how it looks on me.
So I'm contemplating shaving it off for the trip to Italy. Why? For a change. Because Cathy has certainly gently mocked me in recent months over the amount of gray that is showing up there. And perhaps as a reminder to me what my face looks like without hair.
On the downside, I like the goatee, it means more of my face I have to shave (I hate shaving) and, as Cathy will point out, I'm not the biggest fan of change in the world.
So, yay or nay on the shaving of the goatee? Let me know what you think.
And yes, I know I can grow the damn thing back. I can grow it back in about 10 days. I'm just low on things to write about today.
Last Five
1. In the morning - Norah Jones
2. Living well is the best revenge - REM*
3. Step right up - Tom Waits
4. Haunt you every day - Weezer
5. I am a rock - Me First and the Gimmie Gimmies
So I'm contemplating shaving it off for the trip to Italy. Why? For a change. Because Cathy has certainly gently mocked me in recent months over the amount of gray that is showing up there. And perhaps as a reminder to me what my face looks like without hair.
On the downside, I like the goatee, it means more of my face I have to shave (I hate shaving) and, as Cathy will point out, I'm not the biggest fan of change in the world.
So, yay or nay on the shaving of the goatee? Let me know what you think.
And yes, I know I can grow the damn thing back. I can grow it back in about 10 days. I'm just low on things to write about today.
Last Five
1. In the morning - Norah Jones
2. Living well is the best revenge - REM*
3. Step right up - Tom Waits
4. Haunt you every day - Weezer
5. I am a rock - Me First and the Gimmie Gimmies
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Arts festival
OK, first of all, please dear God don't let our vacation start off in the same way that Jackie's did. I think there would be some deep and serious losing of shit if that was happening to us. Then again, we're not trying to catch a cruise a few hours after arriving. The worse that happens to us if we arrive a few hours late in Rome is that we won't spend much of our first day doing anything as opposed to poking around.
Oh, I've also started to monitor the temperatures in Italy, seeing as how we're getting close. Warm, but not life destroying. Low 30s is certainly manageable. It's only when the temperatures start climbing above 40 that my brain starts to seriously shut down. If it stays in that range for the duration of our trip I should be all right.
As for our last weekend in Iqaluit for awhile, it was spent mostly trying to get the apartment in order (I will never understand how it gets cluttered and dirty so fast. I blame the dog) and doing some prep work for the trip. Starting to get excited about going now, which is cool.
We also did a few things with the Alianait festival. One of the main things was the Arts and Crafts sale and workshops. I picked up a couple of nice pieces there last years and was very much looking forward to see what I might find there this time around. However, it was kind of disappointing. Yes, there were some nice pieces there, but it didn't seem like there was as much there this time around as last time. Also, it was much more expensive. I'm not saying the pieces were over-priced. Most were well worth the money. It's just they were more than we could afford at this time.
Still, here are a few pics of some of the pieces that were available.
I like the last two in particular. Cathy wasn't as thrilled with the hunter, but fell deeply in love with that muskox. Alas, it was the most expensive piece we saw there, at around $3,400. It's beautiful work. For whatever reason, you don't see many nice muskox carvings. Besides, not only is the carving nice, but the polishing on it as top notch. It really is worth the money, we obviously just don't have that much right now.
There were carvers working outside on Saturday and the arts and crafts show is running until Tuesday. I might pop back before the show wraps up to see if anything new shows up. Or something a bit more affordable. The other nice thing about the show is that there are carvers from places like Rankin or Clyde River and you don't always get a chance to see their work in town.
Last Five
1. Unguided - The New Pornographers
2. We can run away now, they're all dead and gone - Snow Patrol
3. Killer queen - Queen
4. Picadilly sand farewell - Ron Hynes
5. Big wheel - Tori Amos
Oh, I've also started to monitor the temperatures in Italy, seeing as how we're getting close. Warm, but not life destroying. Low 30s is certainly manageable. It's only when the temperatures start climbing above 40 that my brain starts to seriously shut down. If it stays in that range for the duration of our trip I should be all right.
As for our last weekend in Iqaluit for awhile, it was spent mostly trying to get the apartment in order (I will never understand how it gets cluttered and dirty so fast. I blame the dog) and doing some prep work for the trip. Starting to get excited about going now, which is cool.
We also did a few things with the Alianait festival. One of the main things was the Arts and Crafts sale and workshops. I picked up a couple of nice pieces there last years and was very much looking forward to see what I might find there this time around. However, it was kind of disappointing. Yes, there were some nice pieces there, but it didn't seem like there was as much there this time around as last time. Also, it was much more expensive. I'm not saying the pieces were over-priced. Most were well worth the money. It's just they were more than we could afford at this time.
Still, here are a few pics of some of the pieces that were available.
I like the last two in particular. Cathy wasn't as thrilled with the hunter, but fell deeply in love with that muskox. Alas, it was the most expensive piece we saw there, at around $3,400. It's beautiful work. For whatever reason, you don't see many nice muskox carvings. Besides, not only is the carving nice, but the polishing on it as top notch. It really is worth the money, we obviously just don't have that much right now.
There were carvers working outside on Saturday and the arts and crafts show is running until Tuesday. I might pop back before the show wraps up to see if anything new shows up. Or something a bit more affordable. The other nice thing about the show is that there are carvers from places like Rankin or Clyde River and you don't always get a chance to see their work in town.
Last Five
1. Unguided - The New Pornographers
2. We can run away now, they're all dead and gone - Snow Patrol
3. Killer queen - Queen
4. Picadilly sand farewell - Ron Hynes
5. Big wheel - Tori Amos
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Next up
We're only a week away from the big trip now. I suspect most of this weekend will be prep work. I can mock Cathy's instance on lots of planning, but really, without her and all this advance planning, I'm certain the vacation would be a lot more chaotic. And we're looking forward to it. It's finally beginning to creep in around the edges that it's going to happen soon, which is cool.
Plus, Cathy could really use it. I had New York a couple of months ago. She hasn't been anywhere since Florida over Christmas(I know, poor us). Plus, she's been fighting a fairly vicious summer cold and could really use a break.
Of course, now that we're in the last stages of getting ready for this trip, I'm already beginning to look and see what else might be coming up. Australia will be next summer and we're booking that one on points shortly. But I am rattling around the idea of going back to Newfoundland later this year....solo.
No, there's nothing sinister about that, it's just the way things break sometimes. Cathy's vacation times are set in stone each year. However, just about everyone else in the world who is not a teacher has to discuss with their bosses when is the best time to go on vacation. Christmas and summer tend to be the high traffic periods, unsurprisingly. I can't get any more time off during the summer this year and I've already taken the last two Christmases off.
So if I want to go home, it has to be at "off-peak" time. And it would have to be by myself because Cathy obviously can't just disappear in the middle of the school year.
It seems I have slightly more vacation time that I originally thought. Also, while he's trying to hide it a bit, having spoken to my father a few times recently it's pretty clear that neither of my grandparents are doing all that well. I hate for that to be a reason to go home, but there are only so many more times I'm going to get to see them, I fear.
Plus, there are other things that merit a trip home. I'd like to talk to our financial advisor. I think it's time I did a serious deep purging of my comic collection (as in, gasp, throw useless crap into the garbage instead of praying for a collecting miracle of it magically becoming valuable) and then moving the collection into a storage facility. Last time I was home, dad was storing bottles of red wine on top of my comics.
It's his house and he's doing me a favour by letting me keep them there, so I can't really freak out at him. But clearly a move is in order.
And there are friends I would like to see - Barb, Pat and her demon hellspawn (hey, I'm sure she's called them that all by herself) out in Clarenville. And despite the times when it feels like everyone has left, I still do have a few friends in St. John's that would be nice to see, like Anne, Andrea, Suzy and Colette if she's back in town. Plus others.
So it sounds like a good plan, yes? Cathy's not completely enamoured with the idea of me going on vacation by myself twice in one year, and I'm a bit hesitant on that as well. But here's the big drawback. On a lark the other day I punched in travel times into a couple of websites to see how much tickets are going for.
Sweet, honourable Jesus. It's one thing to read about skyrocketing plane tickets. Quite another to see it in action. Thank God we got our Italy tickets before things started to go insane.
The most I've ever paid to travel from Iqaluit to St. John's was about $2,000 and even that nearly gave me a stroke. But a plane ticket from Iqaluit to Ottawa is now going for a little more than $1,800 return. A ticket from Ottawa to St. John's is around $1,000. So for around $2,800, taxes and fees included, I can go home for about 10 days.
Fuck me. I'm going to Italy for less than that.
So yeah, we'll see about going home in October. Depends on ticket prices (there's normally a seat sale by First Air or Canadian North in September), plus government elections and a national curling championship to organize in November. So a lot of "ands, ifs or buts" before this is locked in.
Last Five
1. Haiti - The Arcade Fire
2. Tire swing - Kimya Dawson
3. Brilliant mistake - Elvis Costello
4. The first five times - Stars
5. Surrender - U2*
Plus, Cathy could really use it. I had New York a couple of months ago. She hasn't been anywhere since Florida over Christmas(I know, poor us). Plus, she's been fighting a fairly vicious summer cold and could really use a break.
Of course, now that we're in the last stages of getting ready for this trip, I'm already beginning to look and see what else might be coming up. Australia will be next summer and we're booking that one on points shortly. But I am rattling around the idea of going back to Newfoundland later this year....solo.
No, there's nothing sinister about that, it's just the way things break sometimes. Cathy's vacation times are set in stone each year. However, just about everyone else in the world who is not a teacher has to discuss with their bosses when is the best time to go on vacation. Christmas and summer tend to be the high traffic periods, unsurprisingly. I can't get any more time off during the summer this year and I've already taken the last two Christmases off.
So if I want to go home, it has to be at "off-peak" time. And it would have to be by myself because Cathy obviously can't just disappear in the middle of the school year.
It seems I have slightly more vacation time that I originally thought. Also, while he's trying to hide it a bit, having spoken to my father a few times recently it's pretty clear that neither of my grandparents are doing all that well. I hate for that to be a reason to go home, but there are only so many more times I'm going to get to see them, I fear.
Plus, there are other things that merit a trip home. I'd like to talk to our financial advisor. I think it's time I did a serious deep purging of my comic collection (as in, gasp, throw useless crap into the garbage instead of praying for a collecting miracle of it magically becoming valuable) and then moving the collection into a storage facility. Last time I was home, dad was storing bottles of red wine on top of my comics.
It's his house and he's doing me a favour by letting me keep them there, so I can't really freak out at him. But clearly a move is in order.
And there are friends I would like to see - Barb, Pat and her demon hellspawn (hey, I'm sure she's called them that all by herself) out in Clarenville. And despite the times when it feels like everyone has left, I still do have a few friends in St. John's that would be nice to see, like Anne, Andrea, Suzy and Colette if she's back in town. Plus others.
So it sounds like a good plan, yes? Cathy's not completely enamoured with the idea of me going on vacation by myself twice in one year, and I'm a bit hesitant on that as well. But here's the big drawback. On a lark the other day I punched in travel times into a couple of websites to see how much tickets are going for.
Sweet, honourable Jesus. It's one thing to read about skyrocketing plane tickets. Quite another to see it in action. Thank God we got our Italy tickets before things started to go insane.
The most I've ever paid to travel from Iqaluit to St. John's was about $2,000 and even that nearly gave me a stroke. But a plane ticket from Iqaluit to Ottawa is now going for a little more than $1,800 return. A ticket from Ottawa to St. John's is around $1,000. So for around $2,800, taxes and fees included, I can go home for about 10 days.
Fuck me. I'm going to Italy for less than that.
So yeah, we'll see about going home in October. Depends on ticket prices (there's normally a seat sale by First Air or Canadian North in September), plus government elections and a national curling championship to organize in November. So a lot of "ands, ifs or buts" before this is locked in.
Last Five
1. Haiti - The Arcade Fire
2. Tire swing - Kimya Dawson
3. Brilliant mistake - Elvis Costello
4. The first five times - Stars
5. Surrender - U2*
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Will Smith's what?
This is one of these cases where you get the feeling that someone might have been fired on the construction crew.
So you're saying he's above average? Quite a bit above average, maybe?
Now, one the upside, it could have been worse. At least Smith doesn't demand that his name be in the possessive over his movies, like M Night Shyamalan. You know, M Night Shyamalan's The Village or M Night Shyamalan's Signs or M Night Shyamalan's latest piece of shit that ruthlessly takes advantage of the happy memories you have of how good the Sixth Sense was.
Because Will Smith's Cock well, that might play to a whole different audience than what they were originally shooting for. Then again, I'm not really sure how well Hancock is going to do. Yes, Will Smith's movies normally do pretty well, but he has been known to produce the odd stinker. I remember wanting to throw something at the screen when I saw WIld Wild West a few years ago. And I'm getting that same kind of vibe about Hancock. A super hero movie that isn't based on any established super hero property. We'll see how that works.
So come mid-July, when studio execs are taking a look at the box office results, they might come to the conclusion that movie based on Smith's cock might have had better....results.
Additional Note: Having just looked at Statcounter, I clearly forgot the kind of search engine results that I would now have tracking through my blog because of this post. Boy, a lot of people are interested in Big Willy, if you know what I mean...
Last Five
1. Let me live - Queen
2. Red red red - Fiona Apple
3. Baby can I hold you - Tracy Chapman
4. John Henry - Bruce Springsteen
5. Ruby Tuesday - Rolling Stones*
So you're saying he's above average? Quite a bit above average, maybe?
Now, one the upside, it could have been worse. At least Smith doesn't demand that his name be in the possessive over his movies, like M Night Shyamalan. You know, M Night Shyamalan's The Village or M Night Shyamalan's Signs or M Night Shyamalan's latest piece of shit that ruthlessly takes advantage of the happy memories you have of how good the Sixth Sense was.
Because Will Smith's Cock well, that might play to a whole different audience than what they were originally shooting for. Then again, I'm not really sure how well Hancock is going to do. Yes, Will Smith's movies normally do pretty well, but he has been known to produce the odd stinker. I remember wanting to throw something at the screen when I saw WIld Wild West a few years ago. And I'm getting that same kind of vibe about Hancock. A super hero movie that isn't based on any established super hero property. We'll see how that works.
So come mid-July, when studio execs are taking a look at the box office results, they might come to the conclusion that movie based on Smith's cock might have had better....results.
Additional Note: Having just looked at Statcounter, I clearly forgot the kind of search engine results that I would now have tracking through my blog because of this post. Boy, a lot of people are interested in Big Willy, if you know what I mean...
Last Five
1. Let me live - Queen
2. Red red red - Fiona Apple
3. Baby can I hold you - Tracy Chapman
4. John Henry - Bruce Springsteen
5. Ruby Tuesday - Rolling Stones*
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Random weather
I griped a week or so ago about the fact that it was June and we had snow down. In fact, I don't think I'm the only northern blogger who has complained about the snow still occasionally falling from the sky. And hell, a quick look out my window shows the ice in the bay is in no danger of disappearing anytime soon, although there are signs of it starting to break up.
But here's the thing...the place is at least safe. The only way the weather is going to kill me is if I'm spectacularly stupid or careless. I know better than to go outside in February wearing a leather jacket. Fuck no, I'm wearing the Big Fucking Coat and anything else that keeps me warm. I wouldn't dream of wandering too far outside of Iqaluit without having someone who knew his or her way around because I have no sense of direction with this geography.
But there are very few random, unpredictable ways for weather to kill you. Unlike, say, living in Iowa last week.
Now, I'll give the woman props. She grabbed her camera and got a picture. My first reaction would have been "Holy Fuck!" and to run screaming like a little girl. But no, she got the photo. Good on her. She's absolutely fucking insane, but hey, nice picture.
And that's the thing...I have family and friends in the mid-west right now. Cathy's brother spent a few days warily eying the water level near the new house he's renting in Indianopolis (one good thing about the mortgage crunch, apparently, is that you can rent really nice places very cheap these days). Lots of flooding around his place, although it never got really bad around where he was. Still, a bit of a scare.
And my friends in Omaha spent three or four nights last week hiding in their basement after the tornado sirens went off. Now, she was pretty blaise about it, having gone through this more than a few times in her life. Still, there's something a touch freaky about the possibility of a giant, swirling finger of death coming down from upon high, totally at random, and killing you and everyone around you. And being blaise about the possibility.
So yeah, snow in June....not so bad really. And hey, it even got up to 17C today, which is positively tropical for up here. Why would I want to go?
Last Five
1. My friend John - The Fratellis
2. She's walking out - The Stills
3. Get him back - Fiona Apple
4. Last living souls - Gorillaz
5. Welcome to the jungle - Guns 'N Roses
But here's the thing...the place is at least safe. The only way the weather is going to kill me is if I'm spectacularly stupid or careless. I know better than to go outside in February wearing a leather jacket. Fuck no, I'm wearing the Big Fucking Coat and anything else that keeps me warm. I wouldn't dream of wandering too far outside of Iqaluit without having someone who knew his or her way around because I have no sense of direction with this geography.
But there are very few random, unpredictable ways for weather to kill you. Unlike, say, living in Iowa last week.
Now, I'll give the woman props. She grabbed her camera and got a picture. My first reaction would have been "Holy Fuck!" and to run screaming like a little girl. But no, she got the photo. Good on her. She's absolutely fucking insane, but hey, nice picture.
And that's the thing...I have family and friends in the mid-west right now. Cathy's brother spent a few days warily eying the water level near the new house he's renting in Indianopolis (one good thing about the mortgage crunch, apparently, is that you can rent really nice places very cheap these days). Lots of flooding around his place, although it never got really bad around where he was. Still, a bit of a scare.
And my friends in Omaha spent three or four nights last week hiding in their basement after the tornado sirens went off. Now, she was pretty blaise about it, having gone through this more than a few times in her life. Still, there's something a touch freaky about the possibility of a giant, swirling finger of death coming down from upon high, totally at random, and killing you and everyone around you. And being blaise about the possibility.
So yeah, snow in June....not so bad really. And hey, it even got up to 17C today, which is positively tropical for up here. Why would I want to go?
Last Five
1. My friend John - The Fratellis
2. She's walking out - The Stills
3. Get him back - Fiona Apple
4. Last living souls - Gorillaz
5. Welcome to the jungle - Guns 'N Roses
Linked
I've been linked to many times, but this is the first time someone semi-famous has linked to my blog. Warren Ellis, who is one of my favourite writers, linked here after I sent him a note about the Obama button. He also very nicely spiked my stat numbers, since Ellis blog gets an order of magnitude more traffic than I do. As in, what I get in a year, he likely gets in a day or two.
I'm not going to say I can die happy now, or anything so retarded. But that is a nice way to wake up in the morning, I must say.
About the only regret I have about my recent New York trip and going to that con, was getting home and finding out a few weeks later that Ellis was making his only North American con appearance this year in Chicago. I really would like to meet him one day.
Ah well.
Anyway, something more coherent later in the day...
Last Five
1. Letter to god - Sheryl Crow
2. Sentimental guy - Ben Folds
3. Lust in the movies - The Long Blondes
4. Sign 'o the times - Prince
5. I'll be you - The Replacements*
I'm not going to say I can die happy now, or anything so retarded. But that is a nice way to wake up in the morning, I must say.
About the only regret I have about my recent New York trip and going to that con, was getting home and finding out a few weeks later that Ellis was making his only North American con appearance this year in Chicago. I really would like to meet him one day.
Ah well.
Anyway, something more coherent later in the day...
Last Five
1. Letter to god - Sheryl Crow
2. Sentimental guy - Ben Folds
3. Lust in the movies - The Long Blondes
4. Sign 'o the times - Prince
5. I'll be you - The Replacements*
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Buttons
It is, of course, absolutely wrong to judge a large group of people based on the behaviour of a small group of people. It's a lesson Canadians probably should remember a bit more often. There's been a lot of anti-Americanism in this country over the past five to six years. And yes, I understand intensely disliking President Bush and being frustrated that a majority of Americans wanted him as their leader. But is also important to remember that a very sizeable minority wanted nothing to do with him.
It's something I always try and remember whenever I see something that infuriates me. I mean, when you see something like this you just have to constantly remind yourself, "Not all Republicans are racist assholes. Not all Republicans are racist assholes."
I mean, I had to chant that for about five minutes before the urge to find a random Republican and throttle him or her passed. The people who sell these button and the ones who buy them and wear them proudly are not representative of all Republicans. They're not.
But the fact that there are people affiliated with that party who don't smack the crap out of people who wear them....that depresses me a bit.
And that this is only the beginning. It's only June. It will get worse, unfortunately. Well, best not to dwell on that whatsoever right now....
Last Five
1. Hammer to fall - Queen*
2. I'm so tired - The Beatles
3. Lonely sinking feeling - Cowboy Junkies
4. Please forgive me - David Gray
5. Beautiful - Elvis Costello
It's something I always try and remember whenever I see something that infuriates me. I mean, when you see something like this you just have to constantly remind yourself, "Not all Republicans are racist assholes. Not all Republicans are racist assholes."
I mean, I had to chant that for about five minutes before the urge to find a random Republican and throttle him or her passed. The people who sell these button and the ones who buy them and wear them proudly are not representative of all Republicans. They're not.
But the fact that there are people affiliated with that party who don't smack the crap out of people who wear them....that depresses me a bit.
And that this is only the beginning. It's only June. It will get worse, unfortunately. Well, best not to dwell on that whatsoever right now....
Last Five
1. Hammer to fall - Queen*
2. I'm so tired - The Beatles
3. Lonely sinking feeling - Cowboy Junkies
4. Please forgive me - David Gray
5. Beautiful - Elvis Costello
Without irony
I appreciate I'm kicking sand around in Megan's sandbox here since she normally has dibs on mocking Toronto-based media, but sometimes you just have to fire off the shot when it's standing there, begging to be taken.
In Lynn Crosbie's online column in the Globe and Mail today she ranted against Angelina Jolie. Ordinarily I couldn't care less, but she did offer up this gem of a line.
The woman has zero sense of irony, doesn't she?
Last Five
1. Innocent when you dream - Tom Waits*
2. Tired eyes - Hey Rosetta
3. The kids are alright - The Who
4. A boat like Gideon Brown (live) - Great Big Sea
5. The family and the fishing net (live) - Peter Gabriel
In Lynn Crosbie's online column in the Globe and Mail today she ranted against Angelina Jolie. Ordinarily I couldn't care less, but she did offer up this gem of a line.
"...if only because of her inexplicable persistence and imperviousness to how tiresome and often maddening her constant presence can be."
The woman has zero sense of irony, doesn't she?
Last Five
1. Innocent when you dream - Tom Waits*
2. Tired eyes - Hey Rosetta
3. The kids are alright - The Who
4. A boat like Gideon Brown (live) - Great Big Sea
5. The family and the fishing net (live) - Peter Gabriel
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Father's day
I've said this before, but it's probably worth reiterating again...I love father's day. I think it's a great day and worth celebrating. I probably don't talk to my dad enough, but that's always the way its been with us. We go a couple of weeks without talking...Cathy bugs me to give him a call. I say I'm waiting for him to call me. When I finally break down and do give him a shout, he inevitably says he's been meaning to give me a call the past week, but has kept forgetting. Then we'll talk for an hour.
This confuses Cathy, but hey, fathers and sons. We have our own way of doing things.
Things are going well with my father. He's turning 60 this year and is still working. He like his job. He could have retired years ago with a full and nice pension, but just won't do it. He was going to do it last year, then changed his mind. He was going to do it this year, and appears to have changed his mind again. He'll do it at some point. I keep telling him he should retire and start a dog breeding service. He loves dogs, wants to keep getting some exercise. I think breeding golden retrievers would give him plenty of exercise.
But hey, he'll do whatever he wants.
But the one thing that annoys me about father's day, and I've said this before, is how crappy the cards are. You can get all kinds of wonderful cards for mother's day. I normally go for the funny ones, but certainly if you're the type that goes for touching, there's no lacking of cards to tell you mom how wonderful she is. But for father's, the choices are golf jokes, handyman jokes and, of course, acres and acres of fart joke cards.
It's depressing as hell. Trying to find a funny father's day card that isn't half-disgusting is a long, hard search, let me tell you. And it's worse trying to find one up here. I ended up sending dad a card with some Cape Dorset artwork on it and put in a personal note. Maybe not the same, maybe not ideal, but certainly better than wasting money on a fart card, for the love of God.
So Hallmark and whatnot, try and do a better job, okay?
Last Five
1. Saving my face - KT Tunstall
2. Feign amnesia - They Might Be Giants
3. The bleeding heart show - The New Pornographers*
4. There is a reason (live) - Alison Krauss and Union Station
5. Arku-dantza/Arub-arin - The Chieftains
This confuses Cathy, but hey, fathers and sons. We have our own way of doing things.
Things are going well with my father. He's turning 60 this year and is still working. He like his job. He could have retired years ago with a full and nice pension, but just won't do it. He was going to do it last year, then changed his mind. He was going to do it this year, and appears to have changed his mind again. He'll do it at some point. I keep telling him he should retire and start a dog breeding service. He loves dogs, wants to keep getting some exercise. I think breeding golden retrievers would give him plenty of exercise.
But hey, he'll do whatever he wants.
But the one thing that annoys me about father's day, and I've said this before, is how crappy the cards are. You can get all kinds of wonderful cards for mother's day. I normally go for the funny ones, but certainly if you're the type that goes for touching, there's no lacking of cards to tell you mom how wonderful she is. But for father's, the choices are golf jokes, handyman jokes and, of course, acres and acres of fart joke cards.
It's depressing as hell. Trying to find a funny father's day card that isn't half-disgusting is a long, hard search, let me tell you. And it's worse trying to find one up here. I ended up sending dad a card with some Cape Dorset artwork on it and put in a personal note. Maybe not the same, maybe not ideal, but certainly better than wasting money on a fart card, for the love of God.
So Hallmark and whatnot, try and do a better job, okay?
Last Five
1. Saving my face - KT Tunstall
2. Feign amnesia - They Might Be Giants
3. The bleeding heart show - The New Pornographers*
4. There is a reason (live) - Alison Krauss and Union Station
5. Arku-dantza/Arub-arin - The Chieftains
Saturday, June 14, 2008
We come for your women...and Cool Ranch Doritos
This is my favourite story of the month so far. Let's say you're a very expensive scientific array and you're perpetually in need of funding. Your usual sources of government funding are beginning to dry up. What do you do?
Well, if you're EISCAT, you apparently go looking for advertisers. And since sticking logos on giant dishes really isn't going to do the trick, especially if you're located in the arctic, you do the next best thing...you offer to beam signals into space for a fee. And not just randomly into space, but at a relatively nearby solar system that scientists have said might have the right conditions to host alien life.
My only question is, why did they have to pick Doritos?
Yes, for an undisclosed some of money, Doritos beamed a signal to a solar system that might have alien critters. I got this originally from Warren Ellis and I really do agree with his assessment....on the off chance there is alien life out there in the universe (and I think there is), is a Doritos ad really the way we want to introduce ourselves? Yes, I know there's enough signal noise coming off the planet in the past 75 years or so that most of it is embarrassing. If aliens ever show up and want to meet Paris Hilton, I may kill myself, assuming they're not here to kill us all because of Paris Hilton.
But there's just something extra...tacky...about directing advertising at a specific solar system that might have an outside chance of hosting alien life.
There's also the matter that I hadn't dwelled on much before....which is do we really want anything that might be out there to notice us. Yes, I've seen Independence Day and a dozen other alien invasion flicks, but you never take the actual possibility all that seriously. However, when we've reached the point of beaming Doritos ads into space, maybe it's time to take it a bit more seriously. I enjoy that there is a San Marino scale assessing the risk of actively sending signals out to attract the attention an alien species. Right now SETI is just listening, but we're not doing much in the way of actively trying to attract attention. You know, other than launching Doritos ads into space.
Because you never know what might out there listening....and be hungry. And if it's in the mood for cheap snacks, well here's hoping they just come for the Doritos. But I kind of doubt they will.
Last Five
1. Roosterspur bridge - Tori Amos
2. Broken boy soldier - The Raconteurs
3. Harbour LeCou - Great Big Sea
4. Three little indians - Mark Bragg*
5. Pistol of fire - Kings of Leon
Well, if you're EISCAT, you apparently go looking for advertisers. And since sticking logos on giant dishes really isn't going to do the trick, especially if you're located in the arctic, you do the next best thing...you offer to beam signals into space for a fee. And not just randomly into space, but at a relatively nearby solar system that scientists have said might have the right conditions to host alien life.
My only question is, why did they have to pick Doritos?
Yes, for an undisclosed some of money, Doritos beamed a signal to a solar system that might have alien critters. I got this originally from Warren Ellis and I really do agree with his assessment....on the off chance there is alien life out there in the universe (and I think there is), is a Doritos ad really the way we want to introduce ourselves? Yes, I know there's enough signal noise coming off the planet in the past 75 years or so that most of it is embarrassing. If aliens ever show up and want to meet Paris Hilton, I may kill myself, assuming they're not here to kill us all because of Paris Hilton.
But there's just something extra...tacky...about directing advertising at a specific solar system that might have an outside chance of hosting alien life.
There's also the matter that I hadn't dwelled on much before....which is do we really want anything that might be out there to notice us. Yes, I've seen Independence Day and a dozen other alien invasion flicks, but you never take the actual possibility all that seriously. However, when we've reached the point of beaming Doritos ads into space, maybe it's time to take it a bit more seriously. I enjoy that there is a San Marino scale assessing the risk of actively sending signals out to attract the attention an alien species. Right now SETI is just listening, but we're not doing much in the way of actively trying to attract attention. You know, other than launching Doritos ads into space.
Because you never know what might out there listening....and be hungry. And if it's in the mood for cheap snacks, well here's hoping they just come for the Doritos. But I kind of doubt they will.
Last Five
1. Roosterspur bridge - Tori Amos
2. Broken boy soldier - The Raconteurs
3. Harbour LeCou - Great Big Sea
4. Three little indians - Mark Bragg*
5. Pistol of fire - Kings of Leon
Friday, June 13, 2008
Weird stories
One of my favourite comic book related blogs is Occasional Superheroine. I read several comic book related blogs on a regular basis, yet I like the ones written by women. They offer a different perspective on what is admittedly still a male dominated hobby (although that's changing).
Anyway, I read her blog today and found this post on what is your weirdest experience.
I don't know if this is my weirdest, but it's the first thing that came to mind. And considering it's been 11 years since it happened and I haven't thought about it for years, I suspect it must be up there. And since I'm looking for things to write about, this will do as well as any.
This happened when I was teaching English in South Korea. Now, vast swaths of my time in South Korea could be considered weird. But this is the one that stands out.
I loved trains in Korea. They were cheap and there are few better ways to see the country. So hopping on a train and spending a couple of hours riding around by myself was always a pleasure. I just made sure to bring my own snacks. Kimchee flavoured dried squid was not a taste sensation I wanted to repeat a second time.
If there was a problem riding the train is that it was hard to be left alone. I like my privacy. Maybe a bit too much sometimes, but there is something nice about just looking out a window and watching the country roll by. However, Koreans would inevitably see a white guy sitting by himself and would often sit down next to me and begin to chat. Part of it was, I'm sure, simple politeness. Poor guy sitting by himself, let's go over and keep him company. There's also something to be said about chatting with Koreans. You learn interesting things about people. I had conversations where I learned things about the countryside I was travelling through and about the country.
However, let's be honest. More than a few of them were taking the opportunity to get a free English lesson. They would sit next to you, chat in English and get some practice in. Which could be annoying when they were being really obvious about it. However, one of the weirdest things that has happened to me occurred in one of these chats.
I was sitting alone and this guy asked if he could sit next to me. Most of the carriage was empty and he was a younger guy, probably around 20. So this was clearly a "I need to practice my English" situation. I wasn't in a good mood, but didn't want to be impolite. So I told him he could sit. We're chatting a bit and I ask him why he's going to Busan. It's been 11 years, but I'm pretty sure it went something like this.
Me: So why are you going to Busan
Guy: I am going there to see my girlfriend. She's is not well.
Me. I am sorry. It is not serious I hope (I stopped using contractions in Korea. They tended to confuse people)
Guy: No. She has a broken leg.
Me. Ah, that is good that it is not serious. So, is your girlfriend beautiful?*
Guy: No, she is quite homely.
Me. Oh, ummmm
Guy: But sometimes we get drunk on soju and she lets me fool around with her.**
Me: Ah, well, ummm
Guy: I like soju. It helps being with my homely girlfriend.
The rest of the conversation after that was a blur. But that tops the weird conversations I had in that country. Even weirder than the one I had with one of my co-workers when she wanted to know if being 26 years old, still living at home and being a virgin would be considered weird in North America (Ummmm, a bit, yeah.)
Anyway, it was a surreal conversation. Then again, as much as I liked the country, South Korea could be a weird place.
So, do you have any weirdness to share?
* - It was a standard question that I would ask guys. Most like to proudly say how beautiful their girlfriend/wife was. And odds are they were telling the truth. I think the percentage of stunning women in Korea has to be among the highest in the world.
** - Which might not seem like a big deal, but back in the mid-90s, Korean men and women tended to not fool around much, especially if they were Christians. So for a Korean guy around 20 finding a girl who might "put out", I suspect that was a big deal.
Last Five
1. We used to be friends - The Dandy Warhols
2. Soft revolution - Stars
3. Tell me lies - Fleetwood Mac
4. Diamond Mine - Blue Rodeo
5. The scale - Interpol
Anyway, I read her blog today and found this post on what is your weirdest experience.
I don't know if this is my weirdest, but it's the first thing that came to mind. And considering it's been 11 years since it happened and I haven't thought about it for years, I suspect it must be up there. And since I'm looking for things to write about, this will do as well as any.
This happened when I was teaching English in South Korea. Now, vast swaths of my time in South Korea could be considered weird. But this is the one that stands out.
I loved trains in Korea. They were cheap and there are few better ways to see the country. So hopping on a train and spending a couple of hours riding around by myself was always a pleasure. I just made sure to bring my own snacks. Kimchee flavoured dried squid was not a taste sensation I wanted to repeat a second time.
If there was a problem riding the train is that it was hard to be left alone. I like my privacy. Maybe a bit too much sometimes, but there is something nice about just looking out a window and watching the country roll by. However, Koreans would inevitably see a white guy sitting by himself and would often sit down next to me and begin to chat. Part of it was, I'm sure, simple politeness. Poor guy sitting by himself, let's go over and keep him company. There's also something to be said about chatting with Koreans. You learn interesting things about people. I had conversations where I learned things about the countryside I was travelling through and about the country.
However, let's be honest. More than a few of them were taking the opportunity to get a free English lesson. They would sit next to you, chat in English and get some practice in. Which could be annoying when they were being really obvious about it. However, one of the weirdest things that has happened to me occurred in one of these chats.
I was sitting alone and this guy asked if he could sit next to me. Most of the carriage was empty and he was a younger guy, probably around 20. So this was clearly a "I need to practice my English" situation. I wasn't in a good mood, but didn't want to be impolite. So I told him he could sit. We're chatting a bit and I ask him why he's going to Busan. It's been 11 years, but I'm pretty sure it went something like this.
Me: So why are you going to Busan
Guy: I am going there to see my girlfriend. She's is not well.
Me. I am sorry. It is not serious I hope (I stopped using contractions in Korea. They tended to confuse people)
Guy: No. She has a broken leg.
Me. Ah, that is good that it is not serious. So, is your girlfriend beautiful?*
Guy: No, she is quite homely.
Me. Oh, ummmm
Guy: But sometimes we get drunk on soju and she lets me fool around with her.**
Me: Ah, well, ummm
Guy: I like soju. It helps being with my homely girlfriend.
The rest of the conversation after that was a blur. But that tops the weird conversations I had in that country. Even weirder than the one I had with one of my co-workers when she wanted to know if being 26 years old, still living at home and being a virgin would be considered weird in North America (Ummmm, a bit, yeah.)
Anyway, it was a surreal conversation. Then again, as much as I liked the country, South Korea could be a weird place.
So, do you have any weirdness to share?
* - It was a standard question that I would ask guys. Most like to proudly say how beautiful their girlfriend/wife was. And odds are they were telling the truth. I think the percentage of stunning women in Korea has to be among the highest in the world.
** - Which might not seem like a big deal, but back in the mid-90s, Korean men and women tended to not fool around much, especially if they were Christians. So for a Korean guy around 20 finding a girl who might "put out", I suspect that was a big deal.
Last Five
1. We used to be friends - The Dandy Warhols
2. Soft revolution - Stars
3. Tell me lies - Fleetwood Mac
4. Diamond Mine - Blue Rodeo
5. The scale - Interpol
Working on it.
I'm not dead, merely uninspired. Or blocked. Something like that. I knew that streak of about three weeks where I posted something every day couldn't last forever.
Something more pithy, or at least mildly interesting, later this evening. I promise.
Something more pithy, or at least mildly interesting, later this evening. I promise.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Trying to get it right
I had a lengthy blog post written this evening, talking about the testimony given by Elizabeth Matthews at the Cameron Inquiry. Let's just say it was an angry post and leave it at that.
However, it was that angry that I decided to take a rare step and send it to a few people at home before posting it. And they noted several flaws in my arguments. And this is a something I feel strongly about and want to make sure I get right. Lord knows there's enough ranting fools in Newfoundland. Turn on VOCM and you can hear plenty of them. I want to get this right and do a bit more digging first. So I'm holding off, possibly for a few days. It's annoying...I want to rant now, but this is a case where I want to get it right. I'm actually showing something called...restraint, I believe. How odd...
So for this evening, you're just going to have to do without. In lieu of that, a couple of articles on other subjects that caught my eye in recent days.
Are bars screwing over patrons pints to make a few extra dollars? There are certainly places of guilty in the US. Is it happening anywhere else? Anyone notice this happening in St. John's?
The fact that my dad isn't online baffles me. The man can work his hi-tech home entertainment system, but is afraid of computers. I mention this also because he's a huge Formula 1 fan and I think this article would fascinate him.
More tomorrow...
Last Five
1. srxt - Bloc Party
2. I wish I was in New Orleans - Tom Waits*
3. Miami - U2
4. Away - Jenny Gear and the Whiskey Kittens
5. White shadows - Coldplay
However, it was that angry that I decided to take a rare step and send it to a few people at home before posting it. And they noted several flaws in my arguments. And this is a something I feel strongly about and want to make sure I get right. Lord knows there's enough ranting fools in Newfoundland. Turn on VOCM and you can hear plenty of them. I want to get this right and do a bit more digging first. So I'm holding off, possibly for a few days. It's annoying...I want to rant now, but this is a case where I want to get it right. I'm actually showing something called...restraint, I believe. How odd...
So for this evening, you're just going to have to do without. In lieu of that, a couple of articles on other subjects that caught my eye in recent days.
Are bars screwing over patrons pints to make a few extra dollars? There are certainly places of guilty in the US. Is it happening anywhere else? Anyone notice this happening in St. John's?
The fact that my dad isn't online baffles me. The man can work his hi-tech home entertainment system, but is afraid of computers. I mention this also because he's a huge Formula 1 fan and I think this article would fascinate him.
More tomorrow...
Last Five
1. srxt - Bloc Party
2. I wish I was in New Orleans - Tom Waits*
3. Miami - U2
4. Away - Jenny Gear and the Whiskey Kittens
5. White shadows - Coldplay
Monday, June 09, 2008
Running for Alumni
Memorial University of Newfoundland has election every three years for six positions on its Board of Regents. These are positions that are available by election through Alumni Affairs. Basically, if you're an alumni of the university, you get to elect six people to represent you on the Board. And the Board of Regents is the big deal organization at the university. It makes all the important decisions.
And why would I want to be on it? Because they've made no end of decisions over the years that have pissed me off. The most recent was that hideous new logo and dropping "of Newfoundland" from most of the documents, clothing and anything to do with the university. I strongly disagree with that
It's only one vote. And even with six votes, the government appointed board members far outvote people who can be elected. So maybe it's a purely a symbolic vote. But it's something I'm interested in.
I tried running once before, back in 2005. I ran and so did Dups. He fared much better than I did. I think Dups finished 10th in the race. I finished 21st or something (out of 30). I was mildly annoyed. Not at where I finished, but that I was going to do a series of columns at the Express about how I was running and have some fun with it. However, it got vetoed at the last minute. Literally. I think I have the column somewhere with me announcing I as going to run. Which was annoying.
Anyway, there are new elections coming up. The deadline is the end of this month and I'm thinking of running again. This time, however, I don't have that problem. Granted, this blog has considerably less readership than my old paper, but fewer editors. So if I decide to run again, I can be as big a whore as I want here, and on Facebook, for that matter. I just have to decide if I'm going to run again. I have to check and see what the rules are for Board members who live outside of Newfoundland.
I have to see how it would work. Obvious not all that cheap to fly home for meetings several times a year.
Still, it's tempting. I'l let you all know when I decide in the next week or so.
Last Five
1. Classic cars - Bright Eyes
2. 1972 - John Rouse
3. My list - The Killers
4. Vox - Sarah McLachlan
5. She's gone - Hall and Oates*
And why would I want to be on it? Because they've made no end of decisions over the years that have pissed me off. The most recent was that hideous new logo and dropping "of Newfoundland" from most of the documents, clothing and anything to do with the university. I strongly disagree with that
It's only one vote. And even with six votes, the government appointed board members far outvote people who can be elected. So maybe it's a purely a symbolic vote. But it's something I'm interested in.
I tried running once before, back in 2005. I ran and so did Dups. He fared much better than I did. I think Dups finished 10th in the race. I finished 21st or something (out of 30). I was mildly annoyed. Not at where I finished, but that I was going to do a series of columns at the Express about how I was running and have some fun with it. However, it got vetoed at the last minute. Literally. I think I have the column somewhere with me announcing I as going to run. Which was annoying.
Anyway, there are new elections coming up. The deadline is the end of this month and I'm thinking of running again. This time, however, I don't have that problem. Granted, this blog has considerably less readership than my old paper, but fewer editors. So if I decide to run again, I can be as big a whore as I want here, and on Facebook, for that matter. I just have to decide if I'm going to run again. I have to check and see what the rules are for Board members who live outside of Newfoundland.
I have to see how it would work. Obvious not all that cheap to fly home for meetings several times a year.
Still, it's tempting. I'l let you all know when I decide in the next week or so.
Last Five
1. Classic cars - Bright Eyes
2. 1972 - John Rouse
3. My list - The Killers
4. Vox - Sarah McLachlan
5. She's gone - Hall and Oates*
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)