The Man in Black (and red)

I asked for and I received another picture of me, drawn by my daughter. Again, we have asymmetrical feet and even legs this time. I now have two-fingered claws on each hand with arms as disproportionately short as a Tyrannosaurus Rex :-) I like my rosy cheeks and my rose coloured glasses.

She has developed a new style of mouth, one that is off to the side and rendered in a cartoonish style. I really like that. The oddest thing is that she gave me a red belt. She said that she knows I wear a black belt (in truth, I don't generally wear belts), but she gave me a red one so it wouldn't look like I was wearing a suit.

A Barracuda plus Gorillas

I was once a top notch fisherboy. Here I am with the barracuda I caught in the Atlantic, just off the coast of Miami, Florida. It put up quite a fight, but I prevailed in the end.

OK, so on to gorillas. Wait...I have to run to a meeting now. I'll have to finish that story later. They were really dream gorillas, so it's probably not what you hoped for anyway.

Tagged

I was tagged back in June by Running42k (my old roommate from my undergrad days). Finally, I have answers. I am supposed to write about 8 facts about myself, then tag 8 others.

1. I hate unexpected loud noises. For example, if I plug in the vacuum cleaner and it fires up immediately - because the switch had been left on - I have to turn it off even if it means that I will turn it on again in a few seconds. I have to be ready. I need to know if anyone in earshot is going to turn on a blender or a food processor or hair dryer so I can be prepared. I also hate leaf blowers, but you already know that. If you have one, dump it and buy a rake. Better yet, mulch your leaves with your lawnmower (but warn me before you start up your mower) and then leave the leaves on your lawn all winter so that they make some nice fertilizer. That's why they are called leaves, after all.

2. I have a tendency to count stairs as I walk up or down them, even if I know how many there are.

3. I have only ever sent one text message on my cell phone. I just don't understand the appeal. Maybe that's because I am tethered to a computer for most of the day.

4. I like mayonnaise on my french fries. In fact, I am not a fan of ketchup or catsup or catchup. Speaking of condiments, I prefer to have my salad dressing on the side in restaurants because they always apply too much. Salads are usually soaking in the stuff, making most of them practically inedible.

5. I like my job. It's the best job I have ever had. I hated my last job. It was the worst job I have ever had.

6. I am a huge fan of dark chocolate (dairy-free, that is). If you have no idea what to get me for Christmas, please mail me some Lindt dark chocolate. My birthday is coming up too.

7. My favourite cuisine in Indian. I couldn't live without it. Aside from naan, it is virtually gluten-free, which makes it even more indispensable.

8. I'd like to go to Greece and the International Space Station.

I have no idea whom I should tag, so I will tag everybody.

Technorati Tags: memes, me

Chalked Up

Here's an action shot of my daughter drawing another painfully accurate picture of me, this time in chalk. The only problem is that she made my left foot preposterously large, rather than the right as in the previous effort. Notice, however, that I am still afflicted with three-fingered hands. I do like the sun and birds. Please note that I have no shirt or pants even approximating the colours suggested in this piece of sidewalk art.

Technorati Tags: me, daughter

Me


My daughter drew this remarkably accurate picture of me. It's uncanny, right down to the huge right foot and three-fingered hands.

Technorati Tags: me

Three Youthful Misconceptions

( 1 )

As a young child, I thought that royalty spent whole days sitting on their thrones. Oh, and this is not an oblique reference to the toilet. I imagined them sitting on large ornate jewel-encrusted chairs dispensing orders, wisdom, and armies, while receiving important visitors, taxes, and the heads of traitors. The thrones - I suppose in the throne room or thronery - were surrounded by pools of gold and silver and precious stones, just like many of us are surrounded by piles of laundry and dust.

I recall being stunned at the sight of Prince Philip in a suit, just like my dad's. Well, no that is not entirely true: Philip's suit had a nice cut and a modest tie, unlike the graphic mayhem on my dad's tie and his regrettable experimentation with the leisure suit. By the way, let's abolish the monarchy. It's a useless anachronism.

( 2 )

When I was ten years old, I felt that we had reached the end of war. Sure, there were a few local battles, mostly in the developing world, but the major western powers seemed to have overcome their war lust. I honestly remember thinking that there would be no more veterans, that the last would die off, and then it would all be a distant memory. I wondered how difficult it would be to rally any kind of support for Remembrance Day with no one left to describe the horrors to us. As a child, Vietnam was behind me too. Boy, was I optimistic.

( 3 )

I thought that my parents had good taste in music.

Listening to: Pete Namlook & Peter Prochir - Possible Gardens

Technorati Tags: youth, royalty, war

Five Things You Probably Don't Know About Me

Accepting Zenfo Pro's open tag:

( 1 ) My Grandfather died on my 17th Birthday

I am surprised he lasted that long. He wasted half of his life sitting in his smelly brown chair watching inane daytime television or reading Playboy magazine. Sure, he could walk to the bathroom, lower himself on the seat to relieve himself, and make it back to his safe chair before his lungs failed him. Years of smoking turned him into a yellowed, sarcastic, cynical, emphysemic, cranky, argumentative old man. I resisted the urge to give him a lesson in photosynthesis whenever he complained that the plants were stealing his oxygen. Eventually, he had them all removed and all that remained were plastic house plants that gathered dust while he sat in the chair enveloped by stale air until he died.

( 2 ) I haven't had a beer or pizza in 8 or 9 years

I have Celiac Disease, a condition that can only be managed by a gluten-free diet. That means, no wheat, rye, barley, oats, or derivatives, even if present in trace amounts. Many food additives, like excipients, binders, fillers, natural flavours, and modified starches contain gluten. It also rules out anything deep-fried in the same oil that was used for breaded items. The good news is that I love red wine and cider.

( 3 ) I have a tattoo

Who doesn't?

( 4 ) When I was a teenager, I thought Bruce Springsteen was God

Many people think that Todd is God but, for me, it was Bruce. Keith & I bought scalped tickets and drove to Toronto to see him in concert in 1985. We were as far back at the Ex as you could get, and Bruce looked to be about the size of an ant. I have an enormous Springsteen vinyl collection dating back to that time. After years of not listening to him, I have put a couple of things back into rotation, but this may be more of a nostalgia thing. I think his first two albums are still really good, and I have heard the Seeger Sessions and Devils and Dust which are OK. I honestly believe that Born in the U.S.A. stinks. It is his worst album.

(5) I have played pool with Mary Margaret O'Hara

I have also met and spoken with: Billy Bragg, Graeme Gibson, Margaret Atwood, Douglas Coupland, Timothy Findley, P.D. James, Wayne Johnston, Henry Winkler, M.G. Vassanji, Nino Ricci, Al Purdy, Patrick Lane, Catherine Bush, Kate Bush (OK, so I saw her in person, but did not speak to her), Lorna Crozier, Kerri Sakamoto, Robertson Davies, Jack Layton, Michael Winter, Al Moritz, Paul Quarrington, Tim Vesely, Dave Bidini, Martin Tielli, John Ralston Saul, Richard B. Wright, George Elliot Clarke, Kristen Hersh, Chuck Cleaver, Stephen Page, and Nick Valentino. I am missing a few, I am sure.

Oh, and if you like this meme, do it yourself.

Technorati Tags: memes, me

Jobs

I went back to that Imagination Prompt Generator and was asked:

"List the jobs you've had during your life."

1) Window cleaner, for three days, age 9ish
2) Lawn cutter, for an ancient, asthmatic man, age 12, or so
3) General helper for a family friend and pedophile at a community centre, age 13
4) Farm labourer (bailing hay, straw, driving a tractor), age 16, 17, & 18ish
5) Tree planter
6) Bartender, waiter, bellhop, busboy, dishwasher, cashier, short-order cook etc, at a hotel, age 21, 22
7) Credit investigator, credit analyst
8) Teaching assistant
9) Research assistant
10) Curator
11) Computer Lab Advisor
12) Library assistant
13) Information Specialist
14) Librarian

And, here are the jobs I would like to do before I die:

1) Movie star
2) Billionaire
3) Elvis impersonator
4) Astronaut
5) Talk Show Host
6) Radio DJ
7) VJ on MTV or Much Music

Technorati Tags: jobs, me

Recently

Running 42K hates pizza-folders. It's hilarious, but probably a bit obsessive-compulsive, if you ask me :-) Notice that I added a nice emoticon after that statement, so as not to be misinterpreted. My recent comment on this post was misinterpreted as being sarcastic. I am not sure why anyone would assume that I am sarcastic. I'm not sarcastic - not at all. Never have been; never will be. Sarcasm and me are antithetical. Trust me. I hate sarcasm.

Anyway, Ann May Won't thought I was sarcastic and it spread through blogland like a wild fire. Soon, Hemlock posted that I chose "to poo-poo the optimistic projection for Sagittarius in 2007." Never would I do that! After all, Sagittarians are the most optimistic of the signs. We are insanely optimistic. In fact, most of us believe that we will never die, that we will encounter good luck and good fortune our whole lives through, and that we will always have a steady supply of chocolate and red wine. We should be called Optimisticarians.

On the downside, Britney Spears is a Sag and, what's worse, she shares my birthday. Of all the celebrities to share a birthday with, I get Britney Spears. If I had to choose a celebrity to share a birthday with, it would be David Schwimmer. There's no question about that.

Technorati Tags: sarcasm

Me

Yup, this is me. My sister snapped this photo with a Kodak EK-2, better known as The Handle. It was a Polaroid clone, and was soon off the market when Kodak lost a lawsuit. The photo has faded over time, and I had to do quite a lot of reconstruction to get it to look as good as it does. Of course, having me in the photo really improves the scenery :-) Please note the bell bottoms pants. They were once de rigueur.

According to Bizarre News, January 24 is Eskimo Pie Patent Day! Yesterday was national (I am assuming in the USA only) National Handwriting Day, National Pie Day, and Measure Your Feet Day.

I did none of the above. My handwriting is so bad, I can barely read it. I have had to ask people to try to figure out what I wrote. The other problem is that I am far too cryptic. Just recently I wrote "blog - fruit." Clearly, this was an idea for a blog post, but I have no idea what I meant.

Technorati Tags: me, Zydeco Fish, handwriting

Finally, More Answers (and It's Delurking Week)

Toryssa asked:

How old are you? And how old are your kids? And what's the last book you read?

1) How old am I? That is highly confidential. I think the Official Secrets Act prevents me from revealing that data. Wait, wasn't the name of the act changed to The Security of Information Act? In any case, my lips are sealed.

2) 5.5 years & 20 months. Both are far cuter than I am.

3) Shite's Unoriginal Miscellany. Hey, it's funny and educational. Of course, many would argue that it is a lame and unsuccessful parody of Schott's Original Miscellany, and I think they would be correct. Still, I did laugh a few times.

Update: I just read that it is delurking week. So, all of you lurkers, please delurk.

Technorati Tags: questions, answers

Self Portrait #7
(Self Portrait #6)

That's me.

Technorati Tags: self-portraits, zydeco fish

I Won and other Stuff

I must be seriously ambivalent about blogging, for I let this blog's 3rd anniversary pass without comment. Right now, it's too hot to blog. A while ago, I was too busy. Today - despite the heat - I am blogging, but without any kind of enthusiasm. But, here's a post anyway.

The other day, I was reflecting on the fact that many of the really cool inventions recently were my idea, I just never had the money or the technical expertise to make them happen. For example, I had the idea for the Blackberry about 13 years ago while sitting in a Research Methods class. I thought that it would be really cool to have a small device that I could use to send an email message to a person sitting across from me. Of course, I didn't call it a Blackberry: I referred to it as a "Pocket Email Device", or PED, for short.

I had the idea for MP3s and MP3 players long before the technology was "invented." I never liked Walkmen (or is it Walkmans?). Carrying around all of those cassettes was really awful. Same goes for the CD Walkman. I had a huge CD collection, and I thought, wouldn't it be great to carry around all of my music, if I could someone compress it and put it on a tiny computer. Of course, I didn't think of the term MP3: I referred to it as a "Pocket Music Device", or PMD, for short.

I also had the idea for laptop or notebook computers. I thought it was ridiculous to always have to use the computer in one place. Wouldn't it be better if you could carry your computer with you, if it could be made smaller, like the size of a binder? Of course, I didn't think of the terms laptop or notebook: I referred to it as a "Mobile Computing Device", or MCD, for short.

I had lots of other ideas that were usurped too, like the cellular phone (Portable Talking Device, or PTD, for short), the Digital Camera, Compact Discs, DVDs, Digital Camcorders, Goldfish Crackers, Soy Milk, and the Mullet.

Here's a new idea, and one I hope someone will get on with. I really hate power cords. I hate batteries more, but power cords are so restricting. Let me ask you this: wouldn't it be great to be able to place your appliance (fridge, stove, stereo, personal massager, etc) where ever you want, without having to be concerned about outlets and plugging it in? I am talking about wireless electricity. The power is delivered to your house by cables, but then power outlets are replaced by new power distributors that send the electricity through the air to any device requiring power. One outlet per room should be able to power all devices in a typical room. I call it Wireless Electricity, or WIEL, for short.

In other news, I found out a couple of weeks ago that I won an award from Johns Hopkins press for the best article appearing in one of the Johns Hopkins Press journals. I get a plaque, a nice letter, and $500 US. Congratulations to me.

Technorati Tags: blogging, inventions, mp3s, Blackberry, computers, electricity, awards

all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy

Technorati Tags: all work and no play makes zydeco fish a dull boy

Answers, Part 3

Kyahgirl has a few questions. I will tackle two in this post:

Have you met any blogger buddies in real life?

Why, yes I have. I know a handful of bloggers in real life, but only two that are listed in my blogroll. I have known Running42k, proprietor of Musings of Middle Age, for many years. We were roommates in our first year of University and we were next door neighbours the year after in the same residence. Here is a picture of him from back-in-the-day.

As it happens, in the second year, I was the only person on our floor - aside from the House Advisor - not to get an "Incident Report." I believe Running42K's came when he threw some heavy object out of his window and nearly hit the Hall Advisor. Talk about bad aim. If I am not mistaken, that was the same night that I put R42k's phone in his freezer, but I am not really sure why. It just seemed to fit. I could go on and on about residence life, but that is probably enough for now. By the way, there was an incident or two that probably deserved an Incident Report, but I was smart enough to keep out of harm's way.

The other person I know is Katherine, from Wabisabi, which is in many ways a blog about knitting, but also more. She and I went through the Master of Library Science program at a large North American University. I have certain opinions about that program. She is also my ex-girlfriend (I hope she doesn't mind me saying that so publicly). She was the first urban cyclist I met, and I soon decided that cycling in Toronto was a good idea.

Have you been out West?

Yes. I went to Edmonton in February several years ago. I was flown out for a job interview. I was not entirely taken with Edmonton, but it was February and something like minus 55 degrees. The sky was very blue, however. I spent some time on Whyte Avenue, and that was cool.

I went to Vancouver about 6 years ago, where I presented a paper at a conference with a co-worker. I loved Vancouver, even though I mistakenly walked right through Junkieville. That was interesting.

If I keep answering questions, I'll never have to think of an original idea again for this blog.

Technorati Tags: bloggers, friends, residence, Edmonton, Vancouver

Answers, Part 2

Next, Super Happy Jen of Super Happy Jen's Super Happy Blog, asks a complicated question. I should really ask her why she is so happy. I mean, what's that all about? She lives in some sort of super happy world. Everything about her is happy. It's all happy, happy, happy. If you want a happy little blogging diversion, visit Super Happy Jen for a little happiness. She says, "Most people think I am the most hilarious girl in the world - even when I'm trying to be serious!" I can't believe that she is both hilarious and happy.

So, here is her question:

So you know those Klingon warriors from Star Trek? Not the Original Series.

Yes (so far, so good).

I'm talking full bumpy forehead, crooked yellow teeth, armor, bat'leth, lots of cleavage.

I am secretly wondering why she knows how to spell bat'leth.

Anyway (we are getting close to the question), say you were hanging out in the 24th century and one of them asked you out on a date. What would your response be and why?

I think my answer would be, what the fuck am I doing in the 24th century? And, perhaps more importantly, why am I in a fictional 24th century? This would presuppose that I have either gone completely insane or that time travel is real and that one could move into fictional universes. So, I can't see any way that I would ever be in such a situation, without the influence of something like hallucinogenic drugs or complete mental collapse. OK, I know that this is a scenario question, so I will play along.

If a male Klingon asked me on a date, I would say no: I'm not gay, not even for Klingons (not that there's anything wrong with that). Now, supposing a female Klingon asked me on a date, I would say no as well. I'd be worried that she would accidentally kill me. Now if a green woman asked me out...

Does that answer your question?

Technorati Tags: answers, Star Trek, Super Happy Jen

Answers, Part 1

Liz, from Library Tavern asks: "If you were a nut, what kind would you be?"

Well, that's a tough one. If you had asked me what my favourite nut is, I would probably have said the almond. You know, if you split in half just right with your teeth, you will notice that they are delightfully smooth on the tongue. I am also a fan of almond butter, despite the hefty price. What kind of nut would I be is a far more difficult question.

I like cashews, but they are not nuts: they are seeds, although some people persist in arguing that they are nuts. Anyway, I don't think I would like that kidney shape. I can rule out the coconut - not a true nut either - and the peanut, for it is far too common (not to mention that it is not a true nut either). Walnuts are over-rated and bitter and the Brazil nut is far too much work to get into.

I considered the filbert and the hazelnut (close nut relatives). In the end, I would have to choose the pistachio.

Why? Well, just read this sentence from the Wikipedia entry: "When the fruit ripens, the shells split open partially. This happens with an audible pop, and legend has it that lovers who stand under a pistachio tree at night and hear the nuts popping open will have good luck."

That is cool.

By the way, if you want to ask me a question, do it here.

Technorati Tags: answers, nuts, pistachios

On Enthusiasm, Muscles, and Shirts

My interest in blogging comes and goes. That is, it fades and then reappears. I think I am in a relatively unenthusiastic mode at present. It's hard to say why. It could be the change of seasons, the alignment of the planets, or the amount of work I have. I have a lot of competing interests, and it is sometimes difficult to make time to post entries and to visit other blogs.

I recently started a photoblog, and that has diverted some of my attention away from this blog. I have other online projects, which all require some time.

Today, I wore a nice shirt. It's a favourite, but it is barely long enough to cover my midriff. If I have to reach up, I will expose parts of my stomach, which is ok, because I have a well-formed abdomen. This reminds me of my high school days. I used to do 500 sit ups and 500 pushups per day (Currently, I only find the time to cycle to work and back, which is roughly 11 KMs round trip). In high school, I would ask people to punch me in the stomach as hard as they could. I borrowed that from another guy - Craig - who gained some sort of popularity from the act. If your stomach muscles are strong enough, all manner of fists will just bounce off.

So, this shirt is a little short, but not too short. It's just a tad shorter than I would like. I'll spend the rest of the day doing the Picard maneuver.

Technorati Tags: blogging, exercise, muscles, shirts, feats of strength, photography

Because I Can't Think of Anything Else to Write About Today

- I have 28 cameras.

- I hate Fabricland. I hate everything about it, from just being in the store, to the acres of unappealing fabric. I feel nauseous and weak, especially in that one at Yonge & Bloor in the basement with the low ceilings and bright fluorescent lighting.

- I make tons of typos. In fact, let me just type a coupld of sentences to demionstrate how many typiose I make. It;s beacause I never learned how to tyupe properly in schoo.. I guiess IO figured that I;d never need to know how to type, so I didnlt take the couirse. Thanks heavens for spellc heckers. I think I typs with six fingers and I use the thumbs f rthe space bar, like verybody else. even fater I run evertthing through the spell checker first, I find errors. It's ok to let me know if you see one.

- Here is a picture of my bike.



Technorati Tags: Fabricland, typos, cameras, bicylces

Self Portrait #6
(self portrait #5)

One day - I am not sure when - I will post a real photo with no distortion. I promise.

Technorati tags: self portraits, photography