Snowing?

I am looking out the window of my office, and I think it might be snowing. Really. This is bad news. I prefer summer. Although, when I was a kid, I could hardly wait for the snow to come. One year, my brother and I cheered when we saw the first flakes coming down. I was four, I think. We convinced my mother to dress us in our snowsuits, and then we headed out, hoping to go tobogganing or build a snowman. After a few minutes, we realized that we would have to wait for a lot more snow to come.

Later, I became a cross country skier, until I realized that downhill was much better. I experimented with snowshoeing. Oddly, I haven't strapped on a pair of skis in years. Maybe I should take up skiing again so that winter won't seem so bad. In truth, I'd rather be filthy rich so that I could escape winter altogether.

Technorati tags: winter

I got back yesterday from four days off. It takes a while to get back into the routine. In the midst of the time off was a birthday party, my Grandmother's 85th birthday party. It was very good timing, as I have been researching my family tree. My great uncle was there, still spry and alert at age 90. I've learned that my family is long lived on all sides. My family tree has now expanded to 1300 names. I have found relatives in BC, Calgary, Detroit, Nevada, Florida, etc. I spoke with an aunt as well. The funny thing is that I have a newspaper clipping of her marriage announcement from the 60s. I expected her to look like that, but she was much older, of course.

I also spent some time doing research for a new article. My last one will be out in January. This one delves into new territory and should be quite interesting, I hope. For a few hours, I considered applying for a Ph.D., but then reality hit me and I reconsidered. I am not sure that I have the energy for that. Although, it would be a good way to use my sabbatical, since the part time program requires an eight month residency. Hmmm, maybe, maybe not. Maybe I should just do another masters degree. Is three too many?

At last, the first three seasons of Seinfeld are out today on DVD.

Marginalized is stuck in my head and I can't get it out. It's the best song on the latest Rheostatics CD.

Technorati tags: genealogy

Rheostatics @ the Horseshoe Tavern

Today feels like Friday, 'cause I am taking Thursday and Friday off this week. I am operating on very little sleep.

I didn't get to bed until 3:00 am, after having been to a Rheostatics concert at the Horseshoe Tavern. If you were there, I was one of the guys taking donations at the door (for the Alpha School and Huron Playschool). I was the slightly taller of the two guys at the door. And, if you are the rather drunk middle-aged school teacher who tried to kiss me, I hope you have a major headache today. I turned my head just in time so you missed my lips. Of course, that was hard, given that you grabbed my head with both hands. Does that count as sexual assault? I think it might, but who really knows.

So, the evening was bizarre. I cycled home at 2:30ish, and crashed at 3:00ish. I couldn't get to sleep, which usually happens after an evening of live music.

Tags: Rheostatics

Every time someone really devout dies, like the Pope or even a Hamas suicide bomber, I have to wonder what they have found on the other side, if, in fact, there is an other side. I imagine lots of utterances like "d'oh!", or "oh crap."

We rented a car on last weekend. I have mixed feelings about that. I love driving, especially new cars, but I feel like I am always being ripped off. I am thankful for my gold card (speaking of religion), 'cause the insurance part of renting has got to be a scam. The person beside me opted for the so-called peace of mind package at $23.00 per day! They have to be kidding. These cars have to be insured anyway, so what is this? It's a scam. Anyway, I was upgraded. That is both good and bad. I like the bigger car, but then you have to face the gas mileage issues. Anyway, the Impala is a smooth drive. It's not cool in any conceivable way, mind you, but smooth. Oh, and the sound system is pretty good too.

The Impala has that radio volume system I hate. When you accelerate, the volume increases. It decreases when you brake. I hate it with a capital hate. I would never buy a car that had that feature, unless I could disable it. It doesn't really work properly anyway.

It was a weekend of visiting relatives. The less I see them, the more I can't believe that I hail from the same genes. Maybe it's just the rural-urban divide. If I have learned anything one thing, it is that once you have lived in Toronto, you can't go back to the country. Well, it might be ok to go back if you planned to die within a few months. Any longer than that and you'd die of boredom anyway.

Tags: death, driving, relatives

So, Paul Cellucci thinks that Canada's proposed pot law will worsen relations with the United States. This is the same man who complained bitterly that Canada would not blindly follow George Bush in his illegal war in Iraq, which has since turned into a quagmire. Time has proven that our decision to stay out was the right one, even though half of America, for some bizarre reason, appear to agree with Bush.

We should remind Cellucci that he is a visitor here and that it is in very bad form to interfere with the internal affairs of the country to which one is an ambassador. Why haven't we sent him home? He is meddling. As I have said before, the war on drugs is ludicrous. What a waste of money. And, what's with this attention to pot. It's just a plant. Alcohol is far more refined and probably far more dangerous, and yet we have no problem with it. Pot is not a gateway drug. I have smoked pot and I am not a crackhead and I don't snort coke or inject heroin.

I think Cellucci is resigning soon, so hopefully we will get a more respectful ambassador.

Tags: Paul Cellucci, marijuana

I am passing, once again, on the offer of a free flu shot. The flu vaccine contains, among other things, formaldehyde, aluminum and mercury. It is not guaranteed to work. I won't give you a run down on all of the possible side effects (any Google search can bring up a plethora of real and imagined ones). I do know someone who is now off work permanently because of a bad reaction. My dissent really comes from the marketing campaign.

Ontario, as far as I know, is the only jurisdiction in the world that hands out free flu shots. There is no good reason for this. The campaign is based on guilting you into getting the shot. I worked in the largest Canadian teaching hospital for six years, and during that time, only the elderly, or those with respiratory or kidney problems, were encouraged to get the shot. I hate those ads that try to force me to get the shot, because I might get someone else sick. If someone is so fragile that they could die from the flu THEY should get the shot, not me.

Some health agencies in the USA recommend that children ages 6 months and older get the shot. You have to ask why US agencies would promote a substance that contains mercury to children after the federal government had legislated out mercury from all other vaccines.

The other troubling thing is that no one has bothered to conduct an epidemiological study in Ontario. We are giving out the vaccine willy nilly, but is anyone compiling statistics? Is there any way to even obtain meaningful data on the efficacy of this intervention? The fact is that very few people really get the flu. Often, it is just a bad cold. I don't deny that a flu pandemic would be a horrible thing. I am just not sure that pushing the flu vaccine, which may undermine one's natural immunity, is the best way to go.

Tags: flu shot, public health

I guess it's time to review the new Leonard Cohen CD, Dear Heather. The first thing I should say is that I am happy that there is another album and I am happy that I didn't have to wait five years for it to come out. I like this album, but not as much as his others.

Dear Heather has made me appreciate Ten New Songs, an album I had mixed feelings about. I think Ten New Songs is a better album than Dear Heather, mostly because I fear that some of the songs on the new one verge on Adult Contemporary. The production on the last two records is the problem: there really isn't any. But, Leonard Cohen at his weakest is light years ahead of most other artists. It's a treat simply to hear his voice and listen to the words. I hope we get to hear more from him in the years to come. This can't be the last album.

I have had a day of research. Some carefully-chosen music aided me in my chore. Jon Spencer Blues Explosion really helped me to get up the energy for reading several articles. Later, I resorted to The League of Gentlemen when my energy started to wane. There is just something so cool about Inductive Resonance (the live version , from Thrang Thrang Gozinbulx).

The other day, I spoke with someone who thought that I signed out books all day. She honestly believed that librarians spend their days checking out books. I have to say that I have always been bugged by the librarian stereotype and the general lack of knowledge about what it is that we do. Maybe we need to market more. The trouble is that there is a broad range of tasks that we do. Maybe we need new names. But, I have been an Information Specialist, and that was even worse. Public librarians and school librarians do vastly different things from Academic librarians (like me). But, we all have at least one Masters degree. That is not a very well-known fact. Maybe no one cares?

Tags: Leonard Cohen, Librarians

I have to say that I am disappointed with the results of the US Presidential election. It's a good thing that I don't live in the US, or I'd have to pack up and move to Canada. I just cannot understand why Americans would re-elect Bush. The war in Iraq, if you ask me, has exacerbated the terrorist threat. It is clear that the disarray in that country has given more freedom and encouragement to those seeking to attack the USA. Not only that, Bush seems to have given up on Afghanistan, and the fear is that the same people are slowly coming back to power. Not only that, the US missed a glorious opportunity to gain some ground in the misguided war on drugs. Instead, Afghanistan remains a huge producer of opium.

One house on our street gave out a Bic pen and a small pad of Postit Notes for Hallowe'en. What's up with that?

Tags: elections, United States, Iraq

Post Hallowe'en, Pre-Election

I'm back after a brief posting vacation. Let's hope John Kerry wins the US election. If Bush wins, it will be like Hallowe'en had never ended.

My horoscope was dead wrong. I thought that I was in for some expenses but, instead, money fell from the sky. Not a huge amount, but some.

I watched the re-broadcast of the pilot episode of Lost. I have a few questions. Why was the jet engine still working after the crash? The plane was ripped into thousands of pieces and yet the fuel lines were still connected? How is that possible? I have read something about plane crashes, and let me tell you, bodies do not look like that after a crash. In fact, investigators often have to put huge chunks of gunk (fused body parts) into vats and boil it so that they can separate the parts for DNA identification. It is unusual for bodies to be found intact like that. How did 48 people survive such a horrific crash anyway?

I'd make this a longer post, but I have to run...

Tags: TV, Lost

This is why I read the newspaper. Just yesterday's, I read that 65 million guinea pigs are consumed annually in Peru. Not only that, some Peruvian Scientists have bred a super guinea pig that weighs twice as much (and that means they only weigh one pound). They hope that other nations will accept these furry creatures as a new dish. I figure if you eat meat (and I do, after several years as a vegetarian) then anything goes. I really can't see stuffed guinea pig on any menus in Toronto anytime soon. You never know, they could be tasty little guys.

I am not sure what happened, but I have received a flood of Rolex spam. This is no exaggeration: I have received between five and six Rolex ads in my email box every day for the past week, and they are all from different addresses. If I really wanted a Rolex, I think I would buy from a reputable dealer. And, anyway, even if I were fabulously wealthy, I would never buy a Rolex.

Today is the day that the new Leonard Cohen CD comes out. I'll have to run out an get it at lunch.

I have no plans to attend any Hallowe'en parties. I never know what to wear. I guess I have yet to find my perfect costume. I have tried, over the years, a pirate (complete with puffy shirt), dracula, etc. Nothing seems to work. I am happy to entertain suggestions.

Tags: guinea pigs, spam

It's Friday. I'm at my desk listening to the Rheostatics. It's the Double Live album from '97. I got a free copy from Dave Bidini a few years back. It's even autographed and inscribed to me. I really like this band. The folks over at the All Music Guide write: "If anyone can lay claim to the title of "Most Canadian Band Ever", the Rheostatics certainly can make a compelling case..." Right on.

Oops, I hyperlinked to another site. Could that get me into trouble? Recently, some people have said that this could be a problem, that there will be litigation on this. I have to say that I do not believe it. There has been no litigation because nobody cares. I think that this might be a make-work scenario devised by lawyers who are under-employed.

To argue that you cannot link to other sites undermines the purpose of the web. What Tim Berners-Lee had in mind was a collection of hyperlinked documents. Now, it is being suggested that we should seek permission. That is crazy. There are millions of links out there.

A link is simply a reference. If you ask me, it's no different than a footnote or a reading suggestion. You do not need permission to add something to a reading list, even if that something is a website. Can you imagine a newspaper seeking permission to include a URL in a story? A link is a reference. Such a law would also put search engines out of business. My theory is, if you put up a web site, expect that someone might link to it.

Update . 8 march 2005

I just visited BoingBoing and I noticed that they have a very concise and humorous linking policy.

Tags: Rheostatics, linking policies

Did you hear about that law student who got his boss's traffic ticket annulled because the no left turn sign was not in both official languages? I think this stinks. If the person who got the ticket was a French-speaking Canadian, I might agree, but then I might not. I saw her on the news, and she speaks English as well as anyone I know.

Anyway, there was a graphic that indicated no left turn. She has a law degree, and must have passed the LSAT. You never know. There are 160 languages spoken in Toronto. In fact, French is not among the top 25 languages! I support the official languages act, but I think that, in this case, it is ridiculous to insist that French be added to signs when what we really need is Cantonese, Italian, Portuguese, Polish, Spanish, French, German, Greek, Tagalog, Punjabi, Ukrainian -- all of which are more common here than French.

If our taxes go up to pay for adding French to signs all over Toronto, I am going to be really pissed. Air Canada must have read my last post. They sent me an email that says:

"You and I were meant to fly

That’s right, ladies and gentlemen. Canada’s very own superstar diva, Celine Dion, has a new song on the airwaves, and I’ve been humming it all day: “… you and I were meant to fly.” The toe tapping is contagious and this new tune is just one part of Air Canada’s exciting new campaign.

Keep an eye out for our revamped aircraft livery: our Maple Leaf, on the tail of our aircraft, is getting a vibrant makeover.

Call it the evolution of Air Canada. And expect it to energize all aspects of our products and services, from seatback inflight entertainment systems, new seats and redesigned aircraft interiors to innovations at the airport, enhanced Internet services and more choices in fares and services.

Air Canada: a fresh new look, more innovative, world-class products and services."

Imagine, a song that is a big advertisement for Air Canada, being played to unsuspecting people all over the world. This is a little more obvious than subliminal advertising. Let's face it, she has a face like a horse and a voice that only the masochistic would like. But, as my dad says, "everyone likes Celine Dion." In his world maybe.

Tags: Official Languages Act, Air Canada, Celine Dion

Even more shocking

Celine Dion is the "new face of Air Canada." I may never fly again. Or, I may have to investigate JetsGo (sounds like a 4 year old came up with that name). Robert Milton has said "there is no more successful Canadian symbol...than Celine." What about the beaver? I think that is the most successful Canadian symbol, ever, and it should have made the CBC top ten list of greatest Canadians.

Why would any company choose someone with such a pugnacious face as its new face. It makes no sense to me. Besides that, I am not a fan of her music. And, anyway, wasn't she flogging the Bay not so long ago?

Tags: Celine Dion, Air Canada

You gotta be kidding!

The CBC's The Greatest Canadian top ten list has just been announced. I can't believe it. Don Cherry is on the list. Say what? The CBC fired him a while back. How is it possible that a list that included Pierre Trudeau, Frederick Banting, Tommy Douglas, Lester Pearson, John A. Macdonald could also have Don Cherry. Apparently, 140,000 Canadians voted for him. I have to say that this is bizarre and disturbing voting behaviour, Canada.

What is he know for? The answer: Ugly shirts and a loud mouth.

Tags: Greatest Canadian

Last weekend, we watched The Manchurian Candidate (the 1962 version with Frank Sinatra, et al.). Wow, what a conspiracy theory. This film has some remarkable cinematography. There are some really fabulous shots and scenes. The most amazing thing to me is that Angela Lansbury, at the tender age of 37, looked like she was 57. Boy, how she must have felt short-changed in life. It didn't stop her from pursing an acting career as a person who kept falling over dead people wherever she went. I never understood why people would hang around. Let me tell you, if I saw her coming, I'd run away.

I am enjoying the new Tom waits album, despite the review the album got in NOW. Tim Perlich has never been so wrong. I'd write a letter, but someone already did. Others have reviewed the album more favourably. My favourite Waits album is Bone Machine. It's awesome and it still holds up.

I have been tracing my genealogy. I managed to get back to 1535 (with help from a distant cousin) on one line. The others are proving to be a bit more problematic. I have over 600 names in my database. Why am I doing this you ask? I really have no idea.

Tags: movies, Manchurian Candidate, music

I saw Napoleon Dynamite. I wondered about the name, but then there was an article in the National Post that said that Elvis Costello referred to himself as Napoleon Dynamite on the credits of one of his albums. I am not sure if that's true, and I am too lazy to search the web for confirmation. So, if you know, let me know.

Anyway, I enjoyed the film. It's funny. It's sort of a cross between a bizarro world Pretty in Pink and Election, with a bit of Rushmore thrown in. It may be a sleeper hit. How's that for a minimal review? If you wanted a review, you'd go elsewhere, so I don't feel bad about that. You can just be thankful that I did not disclose the plot and ending.

For some reason, a recent conversation caused me to recall Divine (October 1945 to March 7, 1988.). You know, Native Beat, and some others. A club I used to hang out in spun his or her discs. The music is really almost disco, but, at the time, it enjoyed an alternative popularity. And, when I say alternative, I mean alternative in the 80s sense, and not the co-opted "alternative" guitar rock thing we have now. What's that an alternative to?

Tags: movies, Napoleon Dynamite, Divine

I start to panic as I approach the very strange crossing guard who inhabits a corner on my cycling route in to work. I start to panic because my brain will likely become infected by the horrible music emanating from her tinny boom box. Leading the pedestrians across her streets or reclining in her lawn chair, she listens to the music that is infecting the air, clearly believing that all passersby will appreciate her tastes. I do not. I pray for noisy to block out the music.

Today it was Huey Lewis and the News. Let me say, the heart of rock and roll was never beating for that group, despite Huey's assertions. Other days, I have had to endure KC and the Sunshine Band, and even the Bee Gees. I pray that the light will go my way, that I won't have to hang out too long at the intersection. It is almost an invitation to run the red light.

A little further on, I saw a very well-dressed man standing at a bus stop with an equally well-dressed woman. They looked like they were headed for joint job interviews or even a wedding. Who knows, maybe it was their wedding day and they had an early appointment to see the JP. The strange part is that they were toking. I got a good whiff of the stuff as I passed. Another cyclist said: "that smells good," I thought it was a bit early, but who am I to say?

Tags: music, cycling

I can't say that I look forward to visiting the dentist, but, on the other hand, I don't hate it. Well, I think I can say with some confidence that I do not like the drill. That definitely sucks. Anyway, my visit this morning was uneventful. The hygienist tried to sell me a $100 electric toothbrush. Se had two models, both $100. I am not sure. Maybe I should buy one. Maybe not.

Have you ever received anything via email that was not meant for your eyes? I mean something that was sent to you in error? It happened to me today. I received a message that was a tangle of attachments and forwarded messages. The result is that I found myself reading a draft confidential review of my performance written by a colleague for a promotions committee. Let this be a lesson to those with less that adequate technology skills: you could end up with a slander suit on your hands.

Right, I have to get some food now.

Tags: dentist, email

I am not a fan of the Toronto Star, but I have to admit that it prints (unintentionally, I think) one of the funniest columns you will ever see. Check out Saturday's New Homes section (well, I think it's Saturday: it might be Sunday). There is a bizarre column in which readers' creative ideas for useless objects are printed along with time-saving or money-saving tips. The winning tip gets a (gasp) $25 prize. If you have ever wanted to know what to do with all of those hockey pucks around your house or used pantyhose, this is the place to look.

I think many of the people who submit ideas must consider themselves to be minor MacGyvers. Speaking of which, I have never seen that show.

I watched Arrested Development for the first time. It's funny, really.

The real news today is that SpaceShipOne has won the $10 million Ansari X Prize.

Tags: Toronto Star

Friday Ramble

I think my brain has reached its limit. I am not that old, trust me. I can only accommodate more information if I purge something. The trouble is, I am not always sure what to expunge. Writing it down seems like a good method, but I find that notes to myself don't always make sense any more when I review them later. It's not a good means of preserving important information unless I append long descriptions. I'd like to get rid of lots of stuff from my childhood, but that seems to stick. I can't remember what I had for dinner two nights ago, but I can tell you my girlfriend's phone number from when I was in grade 8. That makes no sense.

Yikes, I have to make revisions to my article. It's already 35 pages and has 85 footnotes, but the editor has asked for a few changes. I'll end up with 90 footnotes or more. I think they are making me over-cite. I feel strongly that you can have too many footnotes. It's citation madness out there.

Friday has turned out to be a wonderful day. I can't believe that we are having such a nice fall. The sun is shining; it's warm; it has been a pleasant day at work despite the onerous task of sourcing several things that I had put out of my brain.

Have a nice weekend.

Tags: memory, writing