tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45561811756840062602012-01-29T12:09:23.516-05:00I used to wear my heart on my sleeve. Now I wear it on the internet.terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.comBlogger1341100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-32745258484810644872012-01-29T12:09:00.000-05:002012-01-29T12:09:07.234-05:00

Als das Kind Kind war,war es die Zeit der folgenden Fragen:Warum bin ich ich und warum nicht du?Warum bin ich hier und warum nicht dort?Wann begann die Zeit und wo endet der Raum?Ist das Leben unter der Sonne nicht bloß ein Traum? Wings of Desire (der Himmel über Berlin) 

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-13431643123978015732012-01-28T10:32:00.002-05:002012-01-28T10:32:36.359-05:00

The fewer the people at the market, the more awkward their choices of standing place and the more unpredictable their movements.

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-36514106869661814232012-01-26T11:29:00.000-05:002012-01-26T11:29:56.930-05:00

This morning on my Twitter, the top 3 hashtag trends included a grammatical error (highlighted), a redundant phrase and (I suspect) racism (intentionally left out). Good work, Canada.

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-13690843917427587882012-01-23T20:37:00.001-05:002012-01-23T20:37:59.050-05:00

I know this TED talk is aimed at "youth," but I can think of some adults who might benefit from this message. And I'm sure the rest of us could use a reminder every now and then. Enjoy!

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-57455175937993372202012-01-17T10:17:00.003-05:002012-01-17T10:18:54.952-05:00

In light of all the news about the apparent selfish douchebagery of the captain of the Costa Concordia, I would like to highlight this piece I read in the Star a few weeks back about a very different kind of reaction to a not-disimilar problem: The Case for Virtue.

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-78661089189828040672012-01-16T21:47:00.000-05:002012-01-16T21:47:22.970-05:00

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-62682393093521088742012-01-16T08:11:00.002-05:002012-01-16T08:11:31.386-05:00

The [Ford] brothers are encouraging Toronto residents to join in, and have challenged Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi to do the same. Because comparing our mayor to their mayor seems to be in Ford’s best interest. -- Jess Davidson, TORONTOIST

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-42329139943139933572012-01-10T20:30:00.000-05:002012-01-10T20:30:34.209-05:00

Me: Hi, I'd like to get my [garment] dry cleaned. Dry Cleaner: Okay, when do you want it back? Me: Uh, when will it be done? DC: What's today? [Monday]? [Wednesday]. Me: Okay, then I want it back on [Wednesday]. Why do they even ask?

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-66752772599202953922011-12-12T14:55:00.000-05:002011-12-12T15:09:28.479-05:00

There's no such thing as a self-made (wo)man. You couldn't possibly do any of the things you do "from scratch." You are a cell in a complex organism. You have to play nice with the rest of the cells. Because you know what we call a cell that doesn't get along with the rest of the cells in an organism? Cancer.

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-83345091719280699522011-08-22T13:36:00.002-04:002011-08-22T13:38:57.017-04:00

"My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we'll change the world." - Jack Layton

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-91672886435669105222011-08-09T15:32:00.004-04:002011-08-09T15:37:29.510-04:00

From craigslist London:

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-90154819103788941792011-08-03T12:37:00.003-04:002011-08-03T12:50:14.727-04:00

After last week's core service "review" pandemonium, the city continues to come apart at the seams as buildings and raised highways fall apart in sympathy with the administrative dismantling of our once great (or at least Good) city. Admittedly, ours is not the only city which threatens to crush its citizens, but then again, who *wouldn't* want to crush Montreal drivers.

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-70169719565641910602011-07-13T07:57:00.005-04:002011-07-13T08:24:37.215-04:00

I originally typed this out in an email response to a friend who sent me this link:Woman Faces Jail Time For Growing Veggies In Front YardI have to say this is pretty deplorable. The idea that the only thing you should grow in your front yard is water-insatiable grass is so wrong-minded. I'm glad that people are making a big stink about this, because codes should not keep people from growing food

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-46754806287989729582011-07-01T10:04:00.001-04:002011-07-01T10:05:30.893-04:00

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-55803738337494652152011-06-28T15:03:00.003-04:002011-06-28T15:08:11.350-04:00

I tried to view a webpage called "30 Creative 404 Error Pages" and got this:Yes. I know. It's not a 404 error page. But, y'know. Still funny, I think.

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-50385199452785089802011-06-24T08:08:00.004-04:002011-06-24T08:34:50.690-04:00

There are a lot of headlines in the news right now asking why His Corpulence will not be attending the Gay Pride Parade. But I think this question misses the point entirely. The real question is: how could the people of the largest city in a country built on acceptance and tolerance, with an enormous and thriving gay community have elected a mayor who would shun the biggest gay event of the year

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-35702288186758171772011-06-23T11:10:00.003-04:002011-06-23T11:16:48.364-04:00

And in the category of "don't quitcher day job", I would like to point out that I also write occasionally for the wonderful food blog Vivre Pour Manger. I'm sure I've mentioned it before, but plugging it every now and again doesn't hurt. Everyone who writes for Vivre Pour Manger is an amateur food lover and cook and all around great person, including Tiffany, with whom I once took a cooking

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-26524914587792749272011-06-22T09:14:00.008-04:002011-06-22T10:47:05.455-04:00

I got some engaging feedback yesterday from a mysterious commenter who goes only by MZ*. One thing MZ said that caught my attention was "I'm not sure it's the electorate to blame."I feel like I need to explain a little bit where I'm coming from.I am a lazy, selfish man. Like most men, I suspect. And I think the adjectives apply equally well to women and people of whatever other gendered noun they

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-49387287016263099932011-06-21T15:37:00.003-04:002011-06-21T15:49:59.237-04:00

Get used to it. Maybe get an umbrella. A really strong one. Parts of a major expressway in downtown Toronto started falling on the street below this week. Initial reactions by officials were that everything is fine. Which, of course, it is not. It may not be a big structural issue for the Gardiner to have its superficial outer layer flaking off, but it sure is a big health issue for anyone

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-61820719984450296202011-06-17T10:00:00.002-04:002011-06-17T10:03:41.969-04:00

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-17921319181019212622011-06-08T22:38:00.004-04:002011-06-08T22:46:26.521-04:00

Pronunciation: /ˈspiːʃəs/Of language, statements, etc.: Fair, attractive, or plausible, but wanting in genuineness or sincerity.This article: http://www.wheels.ca/columns/article/797968

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-23387754823416060562011-06-08T08:05:00.004-04:002011-06-08T08:13:31.571-04:00

My favourite thing about technology is how easy it makes bad parenting.From the Toronto Star:Also, does anyone really think that a kid who can download a full Bluray quality movie in 8 seconds is going to be spending any time at all in the park?

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-45197872486521522252011-05-30T11:58:00.005-04:002011-05-30T12:10:00.207-04:00

For the record, I don't actually think this is the best graph ever. But I do think it does an adequate job of answering one of the questions I asked in a previous post. Or at least, one of the subquestions. In any event, I think the point is quite clear: compensation is not correlated with performance. But who cares if they're doing the job they're being paid lavishly for, at least the gains are

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-53355310149316660562011-05-25T11:42:00.004-04:002011-05-25T12:04:00.655-04:00

Do Canada's top paid executives really work hundreds of times harder than you do? Why does an MP deserve to be in the top 2% of earners in the country? If there are over 1,400,000 Canadians looking for work, why doesn't everyone just work 7.7% less hard? Couldn't you use an extra 3 hours of leisure a week?

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-87455514349620802722011-04-12T11:42:00.004-04:002011-04-12T11:47:08.269-04:00

Original image.

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-73389896609648896822011-03-31T15:00:00.004-04:002011-03-31T15:24:16.310-04:00

Pronunciation: /ˈfɔːtnaɪt/ A night on which I build a fortress out of the couch cushions. Synonyms: weeknight.

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-14579596038386825632011-03-29T09:48:00.004-04:002011-03-31T12:35:49.645-04:00

The Seattle Stranger's Slog asks, "Is Utopia here?"Having read Saint Sir Thomas More's Utopia some time ago, I can tell you that an "artificial leaf" isn't going to cut it. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it. It's a short read and has a lot of interesting things to say.Okay, onto the meat of the post. I would first like to object to the nomenclature being used here. This is not really

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-7933592677547577862011-03-22T12:52:00.003-04:002011-03-22T13:00:14.082-04:00

This is probably not going to be very helpful for the vast majority of my modest readership. But, I would like to put it out there on the internewts so that it can help some academics overcome a rather annoying problem with a literature search tool. Scopus doesn't export to BibTeX very well. And then when I try to keep my bibliography straight by using a tool called BibDesk, it explodes with

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-69519439239029649252011-03-08T13:30:00.005-05:002011-03-08T13:46:30.771-05:00

Some food for thought, on the subject of why social security nets are for everyone, not just the poor. (See also: Filthy Lucre [which has an unfortunate subtitle, but is worth reading even if you think you love capitalism])Paul Krugman, in his post about the decreasing value of higher education:but remember, the Luddites weren’t the poorest of the poor, they were skilled artisans whose skills

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-53427719831276904232011-03-05T14:01:00.004-05:002011-03-05T14:10:06.042-05:00

I'm enjoying a little self-satisfaction today; Torontoist picked up my Ford Nation passport cover last night. So as a result, I'm being a little vain – checking my flickr stats, hit count on the Torontoist page and google analytics on the blog. It's nice; the numbers aren't big, but they're big for me.One thing I still find funny is that, according to google analytics, people still arrive here by

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-54585912927344965092011-03-04T09:42:00.008-05:002011-03-04T13:41:41.941-05:00

It would appear that some of my previous posts have raised the hackles of some Lt. Colonel in the Ford Nation armed forces. Well, tough. I think the second you run for public office, you open yourself to all manner of criticism, lampooning, etc. So I don't ever feel bad for criticising a politician. You might say his weight has nothing to do with his official position and is therefore not fair

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-57063620622714929692011-03-03T15:54:00.005-05:002011-03-05T10:44:42.364-05:00

Inspired by top user comment on this Toronto Star article. Thanks to everyone in the lab who helped, especially Andrew.Ford Nation Passport Cover by CJ Lee is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License.

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-21582151743665761792011-03-02T10:37:00.004-05:002011-03-02T11:05:17.195-05:00

According to Wikipedia, most municipal leaders in Canada are called "mayor". Some small areas villages and rural areas still use the term "reeve". There is one exception to this. Niagara-on-the-Lake gets a "lord mayor" instead or a mayor or reeve. This is apparently in recognition of the fact that Niagara-on-the-Lake was once the capital of Upper Canada.Mayors in Canada are styled "Worship", as

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-72778727928623732242011-02-17T13:24:00.003-05:002011-02-17T13:39:08.079-05:00

I'm a little surprised that nobody has yet tried to combine this with this.

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-49784334645513887352011-02-03T15:50:00.004-05:002011-02-03T16:01:33.470-05:00

Locations of PIES in the Gulf of Mexico. Scanned from this week's EOS, Transactions of the American Geophysical Union (Vol. 92, No. 3, 18 January 2011).

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-86977870644808180552011-01-21T12:14:00.005-05:002011-01-21T12:25:37.939-05:00

Toronto has issued an "extreme cold weather alert" for this weekend. Because the temperature is supposed to get down to -18ºC. Seriously? There are cities in Canada that would kill for -18ºC right now (all below -18ºC at time of posting). I think what's really going on here is this: "Alerts are issued to step up support services for homeless people..." Which I think is important. Minus 18º

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-67946191626494073552011-01-18T18:30:00.005-05:002011-01-18T18:46:26.482-05:00

A facebox friend of mine, an old coworker, asked today "remember acid rain?" As an air quality researcher, I do, in fact, remember acid rain. It comes up fairly regularly in my work and in discussions with other people at the university. But the point he was trying to make was that acid rain was a big, big deal for a long time. I remember the news and the people talking at my grade school. But

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-77252937361680034942010-11-16T09:20:00.004-05:002010-11-16T10:55:32.599-05:00

Last week was the 35th Anniversary of Quirks and Quarks, Canada's national science radio program. While I would recommend you listen to it every week, I am going to specifically charge you with listening to a clip from the 35th anniversary special. If you are not feeling inclined to listen to the whole thing (which I strongly recommend), you can download part 2 and skip to the interview with Dr

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-88824188545587975752010-11-03T22:42:00.002-04:002010-11-03T22:47:03.382-04:00

Classical music played on non-traditional instruments. In this case, guitar. Enjoy!

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-54877490459049828592010-11-01T10:43:00.004-04:002010-11-01T10:46:29.845-04:00

I made miniature KFC Double Downs in my kitchen!

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-70519579349449633222010-10-14T07:27:00.008-04:002010-10-14T08:26:27.192-04:00

The Toronto Star is trying a new tactic in its war on informed democracy today.Up until now, opinion polling numbers have been reported as fraction of decided voters. So, for example, when they said that Ford had 39% of voter support, what they meant is that 39% of the 64% of the people polled said they would vote for Ford. Which actually means that 24% of the people polled said they would vote

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-8425661374713231352010-10-07T09:39:00.006-04:002010-10-07T10:02:26.672-04:00

Yesterday a long-time supporter of Joe Pantalone flopped and is now officially endorsing Smitherman for mayor. Let's forget, for a moment, that the opinion polling numbers are biased, meaningless and poorly reported and just remember that voting "strategically" is a good way to get a bad mayor while feeling really clever and self-satisfied. I think that saying "I think Joe Pantalone would be the

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-28421943035055620522010-09-22T07:55:00.003-04:002010-09-22T08:14:19.268-04:00

I would like to rewrite the old adage, "if you look after the pennies, the dollars will look after themselves."How about something like:"If you spend enough time bitching about a $4 million gun registry, everyone will forget the $1,000 million 2-day summit , the $10,000 million in unneeded prisons and the $16,000 million on fighter jets you just spent."The people of Toronto seem to have this

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-60956570152091863752010-08-26T12:15:00.002-04:002010-08-26T12:34:29.005-04:00

This article about companies that are thriving despite a bad economy is not improving my outlook on humanity. Company number 4 is Snuggie. I think we have a smoking gun here: the economy collapsed because the education system in the US is so bad that people no longer know how to use a blanket by the time they reach adulthood.

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-43710778951071591012010-08-16T09:18:00.005-04:002010-08-16T09:26:47.311-04:00

As discovered on This American Life's Georgia Rambler episode.I think I have a bacon problem...

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-3585069557837287562010-08-13T12:14:00.002-04:002010-08-13T12:17:50.407-04:00

Good news, everybody! You can now pay me for my ramblings! Flattr, who provides that little button next to all my post titles, is now open to everyone. It's pretty easy if you have a paypal account. So go and register and start Flatrring!

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-57526455533874328502010-08-11T10:32:00.008-04:002010-08-11T11:35:56.808-04:00

I frequently pay in cash. I closed my curtains on the way out of the house this morning*. Turns out I must be a terrorist. Terrorism is a problem. But the solution to that is not racial intolerance and kangaroo courts for teenaged soldiers recruited by extremists. I mean, if someone is willing to kill themselves in order to do something, how much of a deterrent will any sort of punishment be?The

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-36935605242441734412010-08-10T16:19:00.004-04:002010-08-10T16:22:31.589-04:00

Two links for your inner child. The first is Tiny Art Directory, where an artist does commissions for his bossy daughter. The second is Axe Cop, a hilarious comic strip written by a now-6-year-old boy and illustrated by his 29-year-old brother. Does using these kids this way constitute child labour? I don't know. But it definitely constitutes funny! Enjoy!

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-61384287546721108892010-08-06T14:28:00.005-04:002010-08-06T15:05:21.181-04:00

I have a theory that our Prime Minister is a dangerous control freak. This is mostly based on anecdotal evidence, but it seems recent events fit that pattern. I think that after 4 years of a minority government, he is casting about for anything he can do without Parliament. These orders are completely in keeping with the Conservative ethos, but it's funny that we've gone for a while without any

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-5701672714994881282010-08-05T12:19:00.007-04:002010-08-05T12:28:01.783-04:00

Canada has two seasons: winter and construction. Well, it's not winter right now. This made me chuckle yesterday as my mind completely misread the company name on the shipping container on Kings College Rd.Related link.

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-69121824419170353172010-08-04T12:19:00.004-04:002010-08-04T12:32:22.049-04:00

Our official government position is currently that we need to save money, as a country. This is why we spent $1b on police officers for the G20. This is why we spent $16 billion on new fighter jets. This is why we have to spend at extra $30 million for a census which is, for all intents and purposes, worthless. This is why we have to spend $10 billion on building new jails for people who have

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-41913617767435450802010-07-23T10:10:00.004-04:002010-07-23T10:23:36.761-04:00

Two posts in one day, I know, unheard of. But I just couldn't not share this.I used to be into woodworking, when I lived in Waterloo and had a lot of space. There is a store in Cambridge called A&M Wood Specialty. For some reason, they thought it would be a good idea to register the domain ForLoversOfWood.com. It used to be the banner on the website. They've since replaced that with pictures of

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-33249594547730663372010-07-23T08:36:00.005-04:002010-07-23T09:14:00.546-04:00

For those of you not following, presumably because you live in some other country than Canada, our government has done something supremely stupid.Statistics Canada, or statscan, is a world renouned stats collecting body. One of the reasons for this reputation is the mandatory cenus – all Canadians are required by law to fill out the census. As well, one quarter of Canadians are required by law to

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-17980125195928426602010-07-15T13:55:00.006-04:002010-07-15T14:25:48.762-04:00

This is the best frequently asked question (and response) I have ever come upon (from the groupon FAQ):One of your write-ups stated that "hummingbirds come from cocoons"... I'm not sure that's correct.Thank you for your suggestion, but it is correct.And if you don't know, Groupon is a neat service which uses "collective buying power" to get rippin' good deals. The trick is that they offer

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-36899202633147579302010-07-05T20:20:00.008-04:002010-07-05T20:56:41.791-04:00

Our desks in the lab have hutches whose tops are just the right height that they are good storage space for anything which doesn't get accessed frequently. A project I was doing last year required me to collect pop cans for a few months, so I kept them there. The projecte ended up being a no-go, but the pop cans stayed – perhaps two-dozen in all. Eventually I was compelled to throw them out

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-53023701447377647022010-06-16T07:46:00.005-04:002010-06-16T08:00:12.578-04:00

You know those horrible ads for "#1 tip of a flat belly"? Those drive me nuts. If it's a flat belly, how can it have a tip? Or is it that the flat belly is giving you a tip? I wish someone would rewrite those ads. Anyway, I also have a tip for you. I got it from Rob Carrick's Personal Finance Readers a couple of weeks ago. His semiweekly blog is always entertaining, if not always entirely

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-88381380608912380672010-06-07T22:20:00.003-04:002010-06-07T22:29:24.821-04:00

I live in a country that doesn't even rank enough to have received an iPhone 4G release date today. In order to remedy this, our government has decided to throw a $1-billion, 3-day long party for a handful of old, rich men.I pointed out to my friend A that to pay for this you would have to go around to every single man, woman, child and other person in Canada and ask for $10 a day for 3 days."

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-20152505929652869342010-06-02T10:01:00.006-04:002010-06-02T10:52:42.152-04:00

A leaked audio feed showed up on Youtube recently. It depicts a Canadian couple, apparently from Mississauga trying to enter the United States for a shopping trip. Listen to the whole thing and listen carefully.I was going to simply repost but I feel that this situation is complex enough to warrant some discussion. I have known many people in law enforcement and worked for the Canada Customs and

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-27989330334504325182010-05-22T10:03:00.007-04:002010-05-22T14:38:42.827-04:00

Two days ago scientists from the J. Craig Venter Institute reported in ScienceXpress that they have managed to create a viable cell whose genetic material was entirely produced by humans. The AP has posted an interview with the namesake of the Institute (and the final author of the 24 on the paper) to their youtube channel.I especially like all the Science going on in the background. People

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-59897843666970552632010-05-12T16:00:00.005-04:002010-05-12T16:16:53.086-04:00

I'm home sick today which means drinking lots of fluids, taking frequent naps, babbling nonsensically and reading the internets. Which is how I came across this: This is how the invasion will come, people. First they will fire ziplines from one highrise building to the next. Then, the goats will carry their monkey assassins to their targets. You can never be too vigilant. Next time someone gets

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-27710733387527818522010-05-09T22:45:00.007-04:002010-05-10T07:27:58.556-04:00

Disclaimer: I am not a food critic. I did, however, grow up on extremely good food. I have worked in kitchens. I also have a food theory course taught by a Food Network celebrity under my belt as well. So everything I say is perhaps amateurish, but not entirely ungrounded.I had my second meal ever at Tati Bistro tonight. The first time was when I treated L for her birthday. We had a lot of (very

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-87599968936348091482010-05-06T20:40:00.006-04:002010-05-06T20:46:48.822-04:00

Overheard today at the Publications checkout counter at Service Ontario: "Do you have any publications about discrimination?"Imagined response: "Not for people like you."

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-15040699163244947032010-05-05T18:49:00.005-04:002010-05-05T19:02:07.003-04:00

We all of us have our vices, not least of all me. Being aware, however, that I am subject to various shortcomings, I try to plan in advance for them; to trick my future self, if you will, into doing the right thing.I would like you to, just for a moment, open your mind to the possibility that it (your mind) plays tricks on you. It's easy to admit that other peoples' minds play tricks on them, but

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-17842032194620393422010-04-28T18:53:00.009-04:002010-05-12T13:42:34.246-04:00

I had a strange experience today at my community garden plot. I was digging a hole which, while for asparagus, was suspiciously about the size and shape of hole one might dig for disposing of, say, a human body. But never mind that.The important thing is that I had a shovel. The other important thing is that my plot is very near the children's playground at my community centre. As I was digging,

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-41887924777315363042010-01-30T09:12:00.006-05:002010-01-30T09:43:47.678-05:00

I have started working out regularly, again. It's nice. I waited a couple of weeks for the "New Years Resolutionistas" (as I saw a friend call them about a month ago on the facebox) to give up and go back to sleeping in. Another friend who continued right through the New Years rush saw a guy who brought his laptop and an instructional video during that period. It would've taken all my willpower

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-18525960068800398952009-11-24T11:04:00.006-05:002009-11-24T11:22:49.751-05:00

Bonus points to anyone who gets the title. Dust? Anybody? Dust? High in fat? Low in fat?It's my birthday today! I am now officially 2 years older than the age I thought I would live to. When I pointed this out to a friend recently, he reminded me that I also thought I'd have, like, 6 children by now."Well, yeah," I replied, "I figured I'd need pallbearers."To celebrate my birthday, after the doom

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-15107333005598385942009-11-17T21:53:00.009-05:002009-11-24T11:23:47.814-05:00

I have never been more disappointed in my species than at this moment, or at least my country.The Globe and Mail has brought to my attention a non-profit organization called the Friends of Science. I don't have time to go over the entire website, nor to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of knowledge of the Earth's climate and the effects of anthropogenic emissions of

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-46081599624129015922009-11-11T23:33:00.006-05:002009-11-12T07:17:48.335-05:00

I've had a weird last few days.I got my flu shot. Swine flu that is. The ol' H1N1. It hurt more than any flu shot I've ever had. Like, mobility limiting in my left arm. Also, I think I've determined that I have some kind of repetetive strain problem in my wrists, since those hurt the most. I had the shot Thursday afternoon. Each day after that I woke up in more pain than the day before. Then,

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-2721010659525706662009-10-27T09:39:00.003-04:002009-10-27T09:45:15.713-04:00

This made me smile on the way into work this morning. Or school. I'm never sure what to call it. It's both. Anyway, without further ado, here is a van which does not appear to be advertising anything:

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-90550327094869526592009-09-16T22:12:00.005-04:002009-09-16T22:46:52.092-04:00

In academia, no matter what your field, there are two things you spend a lot of time doing: reading and writing. I have always read quite a lot and over a wide range, so I had a pretty good feel for what sounded good and what didn't, but not much of a toolbox for identifying why something sounded good or bad or how to deal with my own bad writing. To that end, I took a technical writing class

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-71049262649956831242009-06-10T20:29:00.004-04:002009-06-10T20:41:56.423-04:00

There's all sorts of stuff I could write about: I just got back from Halifax; I've been to two scientific conferences in the last 2 weeks; the gardens (there are two this year) are in and growing; there are countless other things in my head right now.But there's something that's been bugging me for a while, and the way the markets are behaving right now has reminded me. It's like, deep down

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-11955419257467449282009-05-15T11:23:00.004-04:002009-05-15T11:34:29.814-04:00

Yay! Green things finally come from Ontario again! Not many; just asparagus and baby spinach, really. It's early in the growing season yet. In any case, in our ongoing effort to try to eat more locally, L and I had this for dinner last night. L had hers without the tomatoe sauce. It was de-freakin-licious, I highly recommend it.And since I can't miss an opportunity to get up on my soap box, this

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-87528104081208636052009-05-07T22:50:00.005-04:002009-05-07T23:12:52.861-04:00

I haven't been writing here as much as I'd like lately. There are a number of reasons for that. First off, I'm hellabusy being a born-again student; grad school is exactly like I remember my older friends/colleagues describing it. Secondly, a lot of my creative thinking drifts very quickly in the rant category these days and I'd like to spare my readers too much of that. And finally, sometimes I

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-80700850354962752852009-05-04T13:00:00.006-04:002009-05-04T13:35:34.308-04:00

In the last few years I have learned a lot about nutrition. My first foray into that controversial cesspool of knowledge was a book called The Longevity Diet. The idea goes something like this:In the 30s, an Italian researcher needed dwarf mice for an experiment. So he starved them and sure enough they were tiny. However, a strange thing happened: they lived 50 to 60% longer than normal lab mice.

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-60391776901826899702009-04-22T20:03:00.007-04:002009-04-22T21:50:35.673-04:00

I got a very strange email the other day. The subject line was: [Reminder] 10,000 days alive @ Sat Apr 11, 2009. After racking my brains and asking a few friends if anyone had hacked my google calendar, I eventually concluded that I set this reminder myself. I used to work with a lot of time data and it would have been a trivial task to write a little computer program to tell me the date of my

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-29661105000364725672009-04-14T09:32:00.009-04:002009-04-14T10:45:04.264-04:00

I came up with a plan, last week, to solve both the economic crisis and the climate change crisis. Climate change is caused by an imbalance between the energy coming into the earth-atmosphere system and the energy exiting that same system. Almost all of the energy coming into the system is in the form of light from the sun. Almost all of the energy exiting the system is radiation, the amount of

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-32969130301766264932009-03-31T20:51:00.003-04:002009-03-31T21:37:17.217-04:00

A lot of my computer gaming came, unfortunately, before there were very many cool computer games and before I could afford the few cool computer games that existed. As a result of this, as a teenager, I played a lot of hearts in Windows 98.Hearts is scored like golf: lower is better. Each heart you hold at the end of a hand is a point against you. The goal of the game is to wind up with as few

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-20322159080998860852009-03-26T10:21:00.006-04:002009-03-26T14:47:33.205-04:00

When you get down to a very small level, sometimes refered to as the quantum level, the universe becomes a strange place, at least to our human sized preconcieved notions of How Things Work. Radioactive decay is an example of this sort of weirdness: we can never tell when a particular atom is going to decay, but if we have a big pile of them, we can say how long it will take for half of them to

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-13648548915062041372009-03-01T10:10:00.005-05:002009-03-01T11:08:23.425-05:00

When I posted a while ago about our new cat, I was contacted by my friend J, who is studying to be Prosthetic-Orthotic Technician at George Brown College. She knows someone who does prostheses for dogs (and thus might have some insight into working with cats) and thought she might be able to make a project out of it. So yesterday, we crammed Carmen into her cage and hauled her up to PawsAbility,

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-12118221674992909562009-02-27T08:50:00.003-05:002009-02-27T08:54:48.797-05:00

I came across a very well written article in the Globe and Mail today. Not only is it enjoyable to read but it espouses some viewpoints very close to my own. I have often said that when I am king, the CRTC people will be the first against the wall.According to their website, the CRTC's job is "regulating and supervising the broadcasting and telecommunications systems in Canada." This means that

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-43406264169751909322009-02-08T23:09:00.004-05:002009-02-08T23:28:29.417-05:00

Apparently photos recently surfaced of Olympic hero Michael Phelps smoking pot. In light of this, Kellogg has decided to stop sponsoring him. That's right, Kellogg, the people who make cereal.One article I read called this "poor judgement" on Phelps' part, but I think it was poor judgement on Kellogg's part. I mean, seriously, could you alienate a more lucrative market segment than potheads when

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-84790514855198288332009-02-03T10:06:00.004-05:002009-02-03T10:20:01.331-05:00

Can anybody explain to me why we need to create jobs*? It seems to me that there's enough stuff that needs doing to keep everyone busy and that's before you factor in (now fanciful but once standard) things like "everyone gets a new car ever 2 years."The United States has started their protectionist sabre rattling. The US began yesterday debating a nearly $900b "stimulus" package which includes a

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-5578921010426747622009-01-29T13:45:00.004-05:002009-01-29T16:50:10.528-05:00

Sometimes, men try to grow facial hair when, really, they just shouldn't. Like when my brother wore mutton chops. No es bueno. I've heard these people told, near the beginning of their ill-advised foray into the world of bearded men, "you've got something on your chin. I have a cat that could lick that off for you.". . .I woke up this morning at 6 AM. This was because my hands were above the

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-39545600880268327262009-01-21T23:14:00.005-05:002009-01-21T23:25:54.849-05:00

I'm TAing Nuclear Engineering this semester. I was kind of worried about it because I don't actually know all that much about nuclear physics or engineering. Well, it turns out that the undergrads know basically nothing about it, so I didn't have anything to worry about.Right now we're in the section on dosing. I was reading through a textbook almost as old as me. My supervisor loaned it to me,

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-11109135572597167502009-01-20T16:16:00.008-05:002009-01-20T16:48:40.296-05:00

I watched Obama's inauguration speech today. He's a hell of a speaker. I was quite relieved, also, as I had been worried that the speech would go something like this: "Your old government was bad. The new government is good. Now sit back and relax while we fix everything." Y'know, the standard peddling easy answers schtick.Luckily, that was not the case. I hope the speach will motivate everyone,

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-37052176433461952482009-01-13T20:45:00.001-05:002009-01-14T08:07:20.518-05:00

Since we moved into the new house in September, L has been saying she wants a cat. I continued to say no on the grounds that if she got a cat, I was pretty sure I'd wind up doing all the feeding and litter cleaning and vet taking and so forth. Well, this Christmas I relented.Meet Carmen!On Christmas morning, L got only one box from me. Which I had smuggled to her parents' house by her father, so

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-92751648736711882008-12-15T18:24:00.004-05:002008-12-15T19:02:24.669-05:00

I wrote my first closed-book exam in a very long time today. It was... strange. I'm not sure how I did. L wrote an exam at the same time, although in a very different class. I remember now, though, how exhausting sitting and thinking and remembering and writing for two-and-a-half hours can be.Afterwards, it was decided that we would have boiled celery for with dinner. This probably sounds weird

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-60487642942785303942008-12-08T11:47:00.004-05:002008-12-08T12:07:33.125-05:00

I am a determinist. To me, this means that I believe that, given a perfect snapshot of the position and momentum of every particle and subparticle in the entire universe, and also given infinite computing power and infinite time, it would be possible to extrapolate the history of the universe from start to finish. The problem with this, of course, is that you can't ever know the position and

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-20203241686309180632008-11-26T22:18:00.007-05:002008-11-26T23:14:32.211-05:00

So I borrowed some glassware.I borrowed some glassware because I am involved in the Human Powered Vehicle†* project. Some people on another HPV team suggested that we use butyl acetate for fusing sheets of styrofoam together. Unfortunately, buying butyl acetate is difficult. So the professor for whom I TAed this semester suggested I synthesize it. For this purpose, he loaned me some

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-12605269885780773532008-11-25T18:58:00.007-05:002008-11-26T23:13:52.637-05:00

I have, as my friend ~L* says, the November blahs. ~L is also a grad student. My classes are weighing very heavily right now. For one class I have a final presentation, a final report and a final exam all in the next two weeks. For another class I have a final project due just before Christmas. For the last class, I have a final report and a final exam. Plus, I'm expected to be making progress on

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-22668444129964354432008-11-21T00:33:00.005-05:002008-11-21T00:45:22.096-05:00

Today, I had to tell my students that they will be getting a new TA next semester, that I will no longer be assisting them in CHE204. That was kinda sad for me and some of them even seemed genuinely sad to see me go. Even though I probably marked harder than any of the other TAs, I think that, at least for some of them, they will remember me as one of the TAs they actually liked.Later, L and I

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-10625235844841580592008-11-11T10:21:00.001-05:002008-11-11T10:21:40.987-05:00

So it turns out I was partly right about going to grad school. I figured I would have a lot more time for things like sleep because, said I, "my thesis won't be calling me at 4 in the morning." Only this last part has turned out to be true — my sleep now comes, typically, in contiguous chunks, however, they are not very long chunks. Turns out I grossly underestimated the workload and took on an

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-75087225176355513622008-11-04T21:16:00.006-05:002008-11-04T22:20:06.051-05:00

It is election day in the US. We had ours in Canada a couple of weeks ago. On that day, I was working for Elections Canada as a Registration Officer. It was my job to fill out the forms of people who had not received voter cards in the mail. By hand. For 12 hours.One thing I noticed at the end of the democratic process is that my writing hand really hurt. Now, I am all for the paper voting

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-17276944735754198402008-10-28T10:12:00.000-04:002008-10-28T10:10:39.593-04:00

I grew up in the land of consequences. When I was about 8 years old, my grandmother was taking drink orders for us kids at Christmas dinner. Being my smart-ass, 8 year old self, I asked for rye and water. So she brought me a (very small) glass of rye and water. I told her I was only joking, but she refused to bring me anything else until I finished it. And so I learned two very valuable lessons:

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-84585237499854540972008-05-02T00:24:00.004-04:002008-05-02T00:41:59.882-04:00

I'm going on vacation. I need one pretty badly. I'm going to explore LA, which will be fun. I love visiting new places. The problem is that traveling really stresses me out. Right up until the plane is off the ground, I live with a constant fear that some horrible bureaucratic mess is going to keep me from getting to my destination (or home, if it's the homeward leg). One day I will probably

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-87904651107143103622008-03-25T19:52:00.005-04:002008-12-10T08:59:48.973-05:00

I think I have a problem.The other night I felt like I was having an unproductive evening because I'd only managed to clean my fish tank, plant my seeds in preparation for the end of the frost and make home made ice cream between work and bedtime.I have too many hobbies. My girlfriend L suggested that perhaps I should start a hobby rotation plan. I pointed out that this would result in most

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-14852854785242276552008-01-28T22:05:00.000-05:002008-01-28T22:59:40.855-05:00

So the other day I was sitting at my desk at work and my cell phone rang. It showed up on the call display as a local number which I didn't recognize. After answering, there was a brief pause, followed by a greeting in a very thick accent. It was Fido, wanting to know how my cell phone service is. Fido is my mobile phone service provider. They used to be a cute little upstart with good usage

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-67457339219927702362008-01-05T22:31:00.000-05:002008-01-05T23:08:40.346-05:00

I visited the Fallsview Casino in Niagara Falls over the holiday. I played roulette. I love roulette. It's all shiny and spinny. It's one of the few games that can keep hold of my attention for at least as long as my money lasts.I always love hearing people talk about odds and things when I go to a casino. I actually overheard someone say, "ooh, bet on black, it hasn't come up in a while." If you

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-89765209872342007512007-12-25T14:57:00.000-05:002007-12-25T16:57:23.064-05:00

It's that time of year again, for feasting and visiting and so forth. At one party, I commented that the sound of screaming children always puts me in mind of Christmas."Or water parks," someone else noted."Yeah, but those remind me of Christmas, too. My family was cruel and cheap."My family's normal Christmas ritual is to go to my grandparents', about a 2 hour drive away, and have dinner with my

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4556181175684006260.post-24772785182450442552007-11-14T21:40:00.000-05:002007-11-14T21:50:13.141-05:00

So lately I've been looking for a new job. There are lots of great things about the place I work right now, but there are some pretty glaring omissions from the list of Things I Need At My Job. I think for a lot of people, "it's the thought that counts" are just words. But for me, I really mean it. I would much rather a gift worth $5, or even nothing, if a lot of thought or hard work went into it

terriblenewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13223467921290405417noreply@blogger.com2