Thursday, March 30, 2006
at
2:25 p.m.
|
 Lost has become a never-ending addiction to finding out the truth behind the island, the most important cast member of this show. Last night's episode had Locke and the mysterious Henry Gale trapped inside the Dharma Initiative hatch called "The Swan." A crackle of radio static, then an ominous countdown, and all of a sudden all blast doors came down and trapped the men inside.
The exciting part came after the lights flickered out and a black light came on, revealing to Locke a huge map of the island and where other Dharma secrets might be kept. It was only on the screen for a second, but even I sat up to take notice.
Others went to work. Deciphering French, Latin, numbers, and crude scribbles, this map has largely been decoded, but it asks more questions then it answers.
I can't wait for next week.
The map, attached above, should fill in the rest of you on what you saw but didn't see. Click on it to see a full sized version.
Television speculation should always be this much fun!
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
at
11:00 a.m.
|
 This is a true story.
Well, it's a true story of a dream I had last night that Nathan insists is a lie. He thinks I had to have been stoned or drunk, but no, I'm weird enough to come up with this on my own:
I got pulled over by a cop who wanted to know why I was running from a couple who were trying to steal my van (I don't actually own a van). I had a copy of The 40 Year Old Virgin in the DVD player, which they were trying to steal. I don't know why they wanted it, but I was freaked out.
As we talked, suddenly the van was gone and two of the people climbed this stone pillar/perch where there were purple eggs. One of the eggs fell off but the cop grabbed it. It started to crack and pop open, and for some reason we knew it was a VELOCIRAPTOR egg!
Despite being in an egg, this was terrifying as THIS kind of velociraptor would be able to kill us right away. Another egg fell down and I grabbed this one, which also started to hatch. Then, we realized the ground we were on was part of a field of eggs laid out flat like a plastic kitchen floor and each panel was an egg that was about to hatch!
We all started to run away over this field of eggs, leaving a slush trail behind us whereever we stepped and listening as they all started to crack open. The good news was that you could slide quite quickly along the ground. I saw the van, and it had torn a strip out of the field in its wake as it moved towards me.
I jumped into the moving van (actually, it was a cool flip) that the others were in and as we got to the metal gate exit of this purple egg park, overhead we saw a half man/half bug with whispy wings that looked to be part torn fabric, part dragonfly.
We tried to get the van to hop up and splatter it on the windshield, but before we could we realized that it was OSAMA BIN LADEN. Just then, there was choir-like music thundering around us like something out of the matrix repeating over and over... OSAMA! OSAMA! (See the photo illustration I made with photoshop and too much spare time for a glimpse of the terror that I endured)
We got through the gate and he was flapping after us, realizing what we had done to his egg farm. It was quite scary. We thought we lost him only to see him flying in the distance. Just then, we crashed into one of his henchmen in a bright red suit who stopped the van short immediately. Then...
I woke up.
Thursday, March 23, 2006
at
3:52 p.m.
|
It's funny, but for a place that I hate working at so much, there are a lot of amusing bits that come out of it.
Yesterday, for instance, had this gem:
We've been dealing a bit with that ridiculous Nigerian email scam, except our members try to lure other members (quite successfully) into this scam. I laugh at the people who complain because they're quite clearly idiots who will believe anything.
At any rate, one co-worker decided she was going to fight the threat head on. She wanted to send out an email to the tens of thousands of people using our system warning them of the problem. She'd been doing some research on fraud and came across one website that had a handy slogan for detecting and avoiding the problem.
"I really like this slogan," she said.
The rest of us blink and kind of ignore her. "Brian," she asks, do you think it'd be a big deal if we used this? Would it be a problem?"
"I'm sure it would be," I said.
"You think it's a big deal to steal this?" she asked.
"So let me get this straight," I said. "Your solution to fighting fraud is to commit plagiarism?"
Co-worker, take a bow.
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
at
9:14 a.m.
|
“A woman came home to find her husband in the kitchen, shaking frantically with what looked like a wire running from his waist toward the electric kettle. Intending to jolt him away from the deadly current, she whacked him with a handy plank of wood, breaking his arm in two places. Until that moment, he had been happily listening to his Walkman.”
—Associated Press
The moral? Pain is funny. Cause someone some pain today, either real, or imagined.
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
at
11:19 a.m.
|
 The latest and greatest from the absurd world that is my job, one of the call centre women, a lovely older Indian woman whom Nathan and I tease constantly, came back to ask about one of our insane customers. This woman always has a kind smile and even gave me a birthday present.
She was quite excited as she's going to see the stage version of Lord of the Rings. Catherine and I went to see this stinker of a play last month (though it may have improved since then) and I've had nothing but negative things to say about it. Horrible acting, far too long, and the fact that it stops being a musical halfway through the first act.
So, being a jerk, I burst her bubble a little.
"I thought it was awful. It was just not good. It may have gotten better, however, as I only saw the previews."
"Maybe it's better now," she said.
"I hope so."
"I've heard it's good," she said.
"From who?" I asked. "Someone you know?"
"No," she said. "But I've heard it from caucasians (she pronounced it cauc-A-SEE-Ns)."
Sandy and Nathan started laughing. I commented that it was the most bizarrely racist comment I've ever heard. Then we tried to get her to pronounce it properly. She said she got complaints in the call centre all the time from people calling in to complain that they aren't caucasian at all, but white.
"What's the difference?" she asked.
"Caucasians are off-white," I replied.
Just insane.
Other news: I went back to Guelph this weekend, and though the whole city is my home, I was surprised at how dreary the place felt. It's kind of like moving out of your family home, then coming back for a visit once a new family lives there. It's the same house, but nothing is the way you remember it.
Saw V for Vendetta. Quite a good flick and not an action-oriented film at all. I was quite impressed.
Rented the first season of Battlestar Galactica. Just an AMAZING show. Must-watch TV with a few Firefly insprired space-camera work. Jer, you can borrow discs from me as I finish them. It's due back this Sunday.
Thursday, March 16, 2006
at
11:37 a.m.
|
 My quest to lose weight has been ongoing now for just under three months. I've been going to karate at least three or four times a week, walking excessively, and monitoring my diet. I haven't lost tons of weight, but it's pleasing to see the waistline slowly going down.
It's a bit disheartening though to go to karate and have a little kid mess it all up. You see, last night, I helped a new student for a little, then went to get changed. I come dressed in my uniform and have only to put on my socks, conveniently placed upon my shoes.
Some little shit of a six year old stole my sock.
I was left with one sock, and the option of another, different colored sock that would fit a small child. To add insult to injury, one of my socks had two holes in the heel, and that was the one he left.
GIVE ME BACK MY SOCK! Stupid kids.
It makes me want to give up on losing weight.
Catherine and I are still prepping for China. We've bought our backpacks and I'm getting my passport stuff ready. Catherine conned her parents into paying for hers for her birthday, which is still a month away. Go, Catherine!
Here's a bizarre news story from Hong Kong:
Several cafes in Hong Kong now lend their dining guests dogs and cats to pet during their visits. This temporary affection, according to a January Der Spiegel dispatch, is popular because Hong Kong residents find it so inconvenient to own pets in such a densely populated city. Also in January, the owner of the Augsburg, Germany, restaurant La Boheme confirmed that while customers are welcome to bring their own dogs with them when they dine, "small children" are not allowed in the evenings. "After a hard day's work, (diners) want some peace," he told Agence France-Presse.
Yes, waiter, I'll have the soup with the hairball that cat just coughed up.
Um, NO.
Friday, March 10, 2006
at
9:50 a.m.
|
 Though it's an oldie, Nate sent me this story earlier today and it tickled me. Not much else is going on except that it's Friday and I already need to take a nap. I just haven't been sleeping well this week. Oh well, it's the weekend now. Maybe Josh will buy Mario Kart and we can hook up our Gamecubes for an insane amount of fun.
From the Sydney Morning Herald, Monday June 15th, 1999:
An employee of Ansett Australia (who happened to have the last name of Gay) got on a plane recently using one of his company's "Free Flight" programs. However, when Mr. Gay tried to take his seat, he found it being occupied by a paying passenger. So not to make a fuss, he simply chose another seat.
Unknown to Mr. Gay, another Ansett Australia flight at the airport experienced mechanical problems. The passengers of this other flight were being re-routed to various airplanes. A few were put on Mr. Gay's flight and anyone who was holding a "free" ticket was being "bumped".
Ansett officials, armed with a list of these "freebee" ticket holders boarded the plane to remove the free ticket holders. Of course, our Mr. Gay was not sitting in his assigned seat as you may remember.
So when the Ticket Agent approached the seat where Mr. Gay was supposed to be sitting, she asked a startled customer "Are you Gay?".
The man, shyly nodded that he was, at which point she demanded: "Well, I'm afraid you'll have to leave the aircraft".
Mr. Gay, overhearing what the Ticket Agent had said, tried to clear up the situation: "Excuse me, you've got the wrong man - I'm Gay!".
This caused an angry third passenger to yell "Hell, I'm gay too! They can't kick us all off!"
Confusion reigned as more and more passengers began complaining that Ansett Australia had no right to remove gays from their flights.
(Ansett have refused to comment on the incident)
Thursday, March 09, 2006
at
11:20 a.m.
|
 By now, you should all know that I love my TiVo. It is a brilliant invention and those of you who do not have one would do well to get one.
Every night, because nothing else is on, TiVo tapes two episodes of Angel for me, because it knows that I like the show. It arranges everything nicely, lets me burn my programs, and yes, it even comforts me if I'm feeling lonely or just need a good hug.
It's a very warm machine... and a good friend.
Oh, and Catherine and Truffle are around as well.
I run into Tivo references with alarming regularity now. It's in the newspapers, my Ultimate Spider-Man comics (seriously, it's a recurring theme, one issue had a group of thugs trying to fence them), and is even referenced in my favorite TV shows, such as Veronica Mars.
It's an invasion of the mind. I stare without blinking into a future of TV goodness.
Speaking of Tivo, some late breaking news from Catherine reveals that the company will no longer be offering lifetime subscriptions to the service, as of the end of next week. It costs about $12 US a month to use the box, unless you pay a smaller fee for the year, or outright purchase a lifetime subscription for $299 US. Tivo offers a discount when you buy through the store that halves that cost right off the bat. Well worth the effort.
I'm pleased Catherine and I have the lifetime service fee, good for as long as our unit survives, but I can imagine many others will be frustrated by this who don't yet have the units, and for Canadians in general who are just preparing to get the box in stores.
Jamie should make a run for the border... before it's too late!
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
at
10:53 a.m.
|
 In four months, Catherine and I will get on a plane and head to the Orient. This is an exciting and daunting proposition, but one that I find myself increasingly excited about as the date gets closer.
It'll be a great trip, but I'm also looking forward to seeing Catherine's brother, David, just as much as the trip itself. Even though I have a brother of my own, David also fits the bill as well.
I haven't posted anything since my 'One Year Later' lament, but you'll be pleased to find out that the past week has been miserable (only at work) and that my computer crashes and average of three times each day. Yesterday, just as I packed up my lunch and containers my boss walked over to me. Not a big deal, but I still had half an hour left and was watching television on my monitor. He didn't say anything, but dammit, that ALWAYS happens to me. The ONE minute it could look bad, someone is watching.
Speaking of looking bad, today is my co-worker's birthday. Sandy and I work hand-in-hand on these awful ads each day and then bitch about them on the way home. Just as we did for Nathan, we made some horrible photos of her, two of which I'll post lower in the blog. One in particular will make a great many of you angry with me.
In other news, the new X-Men 3 trailer is out at Apple.com and looks much cooler than the first. Now I'm jazzed to see the flick.
In still other news, I figured I'd share some of my work misery by posting a few select ads that I've come across. Be warned, these people are messed in the head:
WANNA CHAT?
34 yrs old. amitious, lonely, but fun i hope, somewhat naive, grew up in religious cult so i struggle to make fast friends but i’m told i’m likeable... have acqiured much wisdom over the years. Ad#1
NICE, SUCCESSFUL GUY
21 yrs old. SW confused gentleman looking for a very young secret companion to wander deep into the forest with, no need to worry I brought a shovel. Ad#:2
WHY NOT PICK ME?
54 yrs old. I am available immediately, but fat, ugl,y and have a poor self-esteem. No body likes me, everybody hates me. Ad#:3
DISCIPLINED HEART
56 yrs old. In our daily choices,large and small, we contribute on one side or another in a continual struggle between good and evil, forgiveness and revenge, mercy and ruthless power. A true relationship is difficult at most. I am an optimist and feel there are wonderful ladies who will someday cross my path. Ad#:4
MISS HONESTY
49 yrs old. This meat market is absurd. Building hope in vain. If you would like to know more, call me. Ad#:5
Believe it or not, THOSE ARE REAL ADS.
And now, for the Sandy pictures!
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
at
1:49 p.m.
|
Today marks the one year anniversary since I started working here. I wish I could say this with a lot of happiness and pride, but you all know this isn't a place that I intended to stay at for long.
My initial contract was six months. I didn't think I could do it, but I wanted the experience. Four months in, my co-worker, Colleen, quit and I was left in charge. They offered me more money which was good as I was going to walk. Now it's six months after that day and I've one more month until I find out about teacher's college.
I may hate my job, but I have to be thankful for the freedom and standard of living that it's helped to give Catherine, Truffle, and myself. That, and it's given me a few new friends like Nathan.
I've been doing my best to keep going in a positive direction. Teacher's college is one thing, my first published Marvel work has been another, as well as my freelance writing and my karate. I've been keeping busy and my overall happiness has gone up.
Still, I can't wait to be done here. In four months, I'll be done and going to China for three weeks, then hopefully back here for teacher's college. It's not a guaranteed thing yet, but I'm optimistic.
One year later... I still can't believe it. So much has happened. Aaron moved out of Toronto, Catherine and I celebrated six years of our relationship, David went to China, Nicole and Jamie are having a kid, Josh moved to Toronto, Paul and Vicky moved in together, Jer... did something... uh.. bought an Xbox (and did well at school).
That's just the tip of the iceberg. So yes, I hate my job, but when all is said and done... I've got a pretty great life.
The photos here were taken today by Nathan. My job DOES suck and is evidenced by the fact that my comp crashed on me twice and I became quite angry the second time. I lost half an hour of work, and then found out another ad I'd made before that one had been cancelled. In essence, I wasted an hour of my day.
The angry red symbol on my computer was a nice touch. Nathan tried to make things better by taking pictures while I was irate. He laughed the whole time, but that's because he's an ass.
I think I'll spend the rest of the afternoon watching TV or a movie... Enterprise or Serenity... I'll see how the mood strikes me.
At least OYL, I'm good enough at my job to waste time so effectively on a slow day.
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
at
4:32 p.m.
|
 So, as promised, I'll talk briefly about my experience with the Ultimate Avengers DVD. It's not the worst cartoon I've ever seen, but the early trailers made it look like a direct copy of the amazing comic series, The Ultimates, by Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch. Aaron and Jer have read this and would no doubt agree with me.
This is not that movie.
It's passable, but many of the scenes shown in the trailer disappeared from the movie. This makes them dirty lying bastards.
Anyway, the whole review (and it's long) that I wrote is up at Comixfan. Honestly, it's fun enough to watch, but only a sucker like myself pays $15 for it.
Serves me right for having faith in Marvel.
Now to figure out that black suit Spider-Man is wearing in the next movie...
GEEK TALK DONE!
Monday, February 27, 2006
at
12:01 p.m.
|
 I don't normally condone this sort of nonsense, but I don't feel like writing up my Ultimate Avengers impressions just yet. I'll post images and a link tomorrow to a full review I wrote, but for now, just trust me that it isn't the worst thing I've ever seen, but it doesn't deliver on much of its early promise.
Aaron and Jer both did this nonsense list, and normally I avoid such things, but I may as well participate.
Four jobs I've had
Production artist
Movie extra
Hotel maid
supply teacher
(for fun... also paper route, office cleaner, gas station attendent, shopper's drug mart grunt, canadian tire grunt, home hardware cashier, fabric dome maker, imperial tobacco grunt, flea market grunt, changing lamps in office buildings, camp counsellor, L.I.T. co-oridnator, reporter, writer, business editor, art director, tutor, karate instructor, psychiatrist assistant, eBay listings writer, Christmas theme store worker, hotel porter, and I'm sure much, much more).
Four movies I can watch over and over
Shawshank Redemption
Stand By Me
Star Wars
The Princess Bride
Four places I have lived
Jasper, Alberta
Guelph, Ontario
Bolton, Ontario
Toronto, Ontario
Four TV shows I like to watch
Lost
Survivor
Alias
Dead Like Me
Four foods that I like
Cheeseburger
Chicken parm
Popcorn
Bruschetta
Four websites I visit daily
Whedonesque
Action-Figure.com
Newsarama
Coming Soon
Four things I want to do before I die
Sky diving
Publish a written Marvel story (not just a Marvel comic, which I can't believe I've done)
Publish a novel
Make Catherine & Truffle happy
Four places I would rather be right now
Work! (Just kidding, bash my brains in please)
Um... hrm. Home, NYC, Guelph, at Teacher's College
Is that it? Is that good enough? Wow, I sure hope so. Looking at that list makes me feel like a geek with my own little world of geekery. Not that it's a BAD thing, though!
In other news, I went up a level in karate over the weekend. Then, to celebrate, I helped supervise a tournament for little kids, hung out with Molly Johnson, and cleaned the apartment.
Nothing else happened. At all.
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
at
9:55 a.m.
|
I made this wallpaper at work today because I was bored and didn't have much to do (for once). It's made up of 17 separate images and took the better part of my non-working day. This is a day that gave me a minute to call my mom, who wasn't home, for her birthday (Happy Birthday), and Nathan and I enough time to go to Best Buy so that I could buy the Ultimate Avengers DVD. More on that tomorrow.
So, that's my wallpaper. I like it. I needed a change. If anyone wants it, let me know what size and I'll send it to you. I don't expect to hear from anyone, as you're all jerks and likely making fun of me this very instant.
Good lord, I want to go home already.
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
at
11:26 a.m.
|
 Because I'm bored, I was doing a job search at Jeff Gaulin's handy job site, and took a look at a posting made for an online writer for a media publication. Opening the job revealed that the position was at Brunico, and therefore of no interest to me (being the home of Kidscreen magazine and nest of self-important vipers) and saw this line in particular:
"If you have interned and written for a school publication, while we wish you the best of luck, this job is not for you, so please do not apply. We are looking for someone who can quickly become an expert in this field, and network successfully within this complex business sector in order to help develop a growing niche business brand."
What a bunch of f***ing hypocrits. This is one of Humber College's main sources of internships for their students and Brunico is essentially slapping them in the face and saying they aren't worth hiring. I mean, if they didn't offer internships in the first place, I wouldn't be so annoyed, but come ON... how can you devalue something you participate in?
Note to Humber: STOP SENDING PEOPLE HERE.
The more time away from school, the more convinced I become that while worthwhile to build skills and give a bit of experience, it really isn't going to do squat as Toronto is populated by companies like Brunico.
To call it frustrating is an understatement.
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
at
11:18 a.m.
|
 WHO WAS ST. VALENTINE?
No one knows for certain, but the leading candidate is a third-century Roman priest named Valentine. After Claudius II decreed that his soldiers were not allowed to marry, the romantic Valentine defied the emperor and performed secret wedding ceremonies—for which he was caught and imprisoned. Valentine was enamored of the jailer’s daughter and, shortly before his execution, left her a love note that was signed “From Your Valentine.” He was beheaded on February 14, 269.
I thought I should put something romantic up for Valentine's Day. There's romance for those of you in love, and a bit of gore for those of you waiting in the wings.
Events have been busy of late, but I have not posted about anything. I think it's because I hate February. It's just a very useless month in the grand scheme of things. There are some interesting days, such as Groundhog Day, Valentine's Day, and my mom's birthday, but on the whole, it's just a bland, pointless month. I'm pleased it's the shortest. I just need a good long weekend.
Speaking of weekends, last week I had my interview at York University for Teacher's College. According to one sweaty guy who looked about ready to faint, York gets more than 7000 applicants a year, interviews about 2200, and takes about a 1000 total.
I had everything prepared to the gills. If I don't get in, it won't be because I didn't do my best. In that, at least, I'm pleased.
During my interview, I was asked to prepare five minutes beforehand about what inspired me to become a teacher. One of the two people present gestured at me to begin, so I took a breath, stood up, and gave my talk.
The rest of the interview went well, and at the end, they both commented on how I was the only person they interviewed who stood up. They said it was effective and impressive. These are VERY good things to hear after an interview like this. I'm liking my chances now more than ever, but I refuse to get my hopes up. And for those of you smart-asses out there, no, I didn't mention a blow-up doll.
I was one of four guys waiting for an interview. One was the nervous guy, another was a Hell's Angel reject, and one guy, decked out in a tweed jacket and jeans, looked like he was expecting a job as a professor. The rest of the waiting room had more than twenty women waiting for an interview. Crazy.
That off my back, I can finally relax. Other amazing news is that Catherine had her review at work, and they told her that she was basically perfect (something I already knew) and gave her a hefty raise for being so great. I couldn't be more pleased, and tonight we're doing a Valentine's Day/raise/end of teacher's college prep celebration to pat ourselves on the back. It will include eating and then likely passing out from exhaustion.
I really should be working, so I'll go now.
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
at
2:43 p.m.
|
 The graduate with a science degree asks 'Why does it work?'
The graduate with an engineering degree asks 'How does it do that?'
The graduate with an accounting degree asks 'How much does it cost?'
The graduate with the Arts degree asks 'Do you want fries with that?'
So far this has been a terrible week for no concrete reason. Just one of those times when you wake up and feel awful. Mine is directly stress related. My interview for teacher's college is coming up this week (Saturday) and though I've been doing my best to prep, it feels as though all of my efforts will be for nothing. I can't seem to concentrate or retain what it is I'm looking at.
It's a horrible feeling. Catherine assures me I'll do fine (so long as I don't mention the blow-up doll) and I'm sure she's right, but I also have to prepare a five minute talk on a classroom teaching experience that made me realize why I want to be a teacher.
I can talk a lot (practiced last night), but I REALLY want to get this right. It might be my only shot.
That's a lot of pressure.
Thursday, February 02, 2006
at
9:19 a.m.
|
 Stumbled across this site which is too funny. www.chucknorrisfacts.com
1. Chuck Norris' tears cure cancer. Too bad he has never cried. Ever.
2. Chuck Norris does not sleep. He waits.
3. Chuck Norris is currently suing NBC, claiming Law and Order are trademarked names for his left and right legs.
4. The chief export of Chuck Norris is pain.
5. If you can see Chuck Norris, he can see you. If you can't see Chuck Norris, you may be only seconds away from death.
6. Chuck Norris has counted to infinity. Twice.
7. Chuck Norris does not hunt because the word hunting implies the probability of failure. Chuck Norris goes killing.
8. Chuck Norris' blood type is AK+. Ass-Kicking Positive. It is compatible only with heavy construction equipment, tanks, and fighter jets.
9. Chuck Norris is 1/8th Cherokee. This has nothing to do with ancestry, the man ate a fucking Indian.
10. In fine print on the last page of the Guinness Book of World Records it notes that all world records are held by Chuck Norris, and those listed in the book are simply the closest anyone else has ever gotten.
11. There is no chin behind Chuck Norris' beard. There is only another fist.
Ahh, Chuck... what humour and insight you've brought into my life as of late. Thanks to Walker, Texas Ranger clips shown on Conan, I'll always think of your bizarre show.
"Walker says I have AIDS."
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
at
2:10 p.m.
|
 There are days and weeks when nothing seems to happen, then all of a sudden you find yourself inspired for not one entry, but two or three. Instead, I'll put them all together. None will be included in order of importance, but of the happenstance of random keystrokes.
The first is my little degu, Truffle. As some of you may know, shortly before Christmas Catherine noticed that one of her eyes had turned blood red, so we quickly took her to the vet. The vet passed us on to an eye specialist who told us Truffle had a detached retina, causing the eye to fill up with blood.
What does this mean? According to the vet, not much. Truffle is already blind thanks to cataracts, though you'd never know it to watch her run around on the floor. She's been known to follow Catherine and I around as we go about our business, and sneak into the bedroom if we open the door.
The vet gave us some drops, told us that Truffle didn't even know her eye was off and felt no pain. Y'okay, I guess.
Well, last Thursday, before we headed out to Jamie and Nicole's (for Nic's surprise birthday party that wasn't much of a surprise when it came to our arrival), Truffle's eye turned red again. Not as red as last time, but enough to be noticable. I tried to get the antibiotic drops, but no luck as the eye guy was closed on Fridays. Not very helpful.
So I went and got them on Monday. I was told that since we weren't scheduling another appointment that would cost us more than $300, that these were the last drops we would be given. I assumed they were free, but got charged $40 for a 5ml bottle. I wanted to ask the vet a question, and was told he'd call me the next day.
He did.
"Is this kind of bleeding going to be normal for a detached retina?" I asked.
"I don't know," he replied.
I waited. Rephrased slightly.
"I'm not sure. You'll probably wind up knowing more about degu retinal detachment than I do," he said.
WTF? He's an EYE SPECIALIST and can't tell me if this is common, in degus or in any other creature! Well worth the initial fees, I'm sure. Good lord.
Event the second: we went to see Jamie and Nicole again, as well as their basset hound, Morgan. Cute dog that Catherine seemed to like a great deal, but then again, she has a soft spot for dogs. It was good to see Jamie and Nic (who is now pregnant and an old, OLD, 28 years). Jer, Paul, Vicky, Catherine and I made the trip down.
It was supposed to be a surprise, but Nic's mom, reaching her secrecy limit, spilled the beans with only a couple hours to spare. D'oh well. Still lots of fun, games, chips, and more. We should do it again soon.
Event the third: I got a letter from York University yesterday. This was to let me know that I'd been selected for an interview to determine if they want me in their teacher's college program. This would be exceptional news if I got in, and is a solid indicator that I'm being considered. I imagine many applicants won't get an offer for an interview at all. So long as I don't mention a blow-up doll, I figure I'm solid. Or at least at this point I know I've got a fighting chance.
And that makes me happy.
PS. Tivo is still my master. Catherine actually said at one point "I don't feel like doing anything this weekend. I just want to spend time with Tivo."
I've been replaced.
Thursday, January 26, 2006
at
11:40 a.m.
|
 There seems to be a surprising amount of occurences in my life lately revolving around animal love. I have no idea why it keeps popping up, or why I make note of it, but today brought about an excellent example.
Earlier this week, I was watching an old SNL clip involving the guest host at a pirate convention. Peter Saarsgaard (Garden State) was brought in because of the 'aars' in his name, and the pirates kept asking him questions that would lead to similar sounding answers. I forget what the correct answer for the pirates was, but Horatio Sanz asked him for the name of a popular website featuring barnyard animal love.
Saargaard answered "I don't know, animalloveclub.com?" Sanz gives the correct answer, then brings out a notepad and says "Er, what be the name of the other one?"
Then the goat joke came up again. I can't remember the context, but I'm sure it was funny. That joke never gets old.
Today, however, the Metro horoscope section decided to make it personal. Most of my horoscope was fine, but the last line was "Visit with friends and their pets for a fun time after dark."
...
Um, NO.
...
Well, maybe.
Friday, January 20, 2006
at
9:59 a.m.
|
 Up until recently, the box that alters the way people watch television was restricted to use in the United States only. Tivo is a DVR (digital video recorder) and though it would be easy to pass it off as a new-age VCR, there is so much more to it.
I picked up an 80hr Humax Tivo DVD Recorder through the States (read below to see the complicated process that is worth the effort). In addition to storing up to 80hrs of television programming, I can also burn and play DVDs of my favorite shows and movies. This frees up the hard drive and also makes for a tidy collection. My connection is simple: just a standard cable set up, but the package is so thorough that it contains a huge amount of telephone cord, a coaxial cable, a/v cables, a telephone cable splitter box, and cable to connect a satellite dish or cable box if you have one (I don't). This thing would work off an antenna.
 Tivo also features some of the following: pause and rewind live TV, create a "wishlist" of shows you'd like the Tivo to record and it will do so across channels. If you like the Simpson's, simply ask the Tivo to record any and all instances of the show. There goes that 80hrs quickly. If you want a show that hasn't been on in quite some time, ask Tivo to look for it and even if it's two years later and the show comes on, Tivo will record it.
Forget to program it before you left home? EMAIL the thing, and it will tape your show. It also offers full TV Guide program listings, can be connected to your home computer, play MP3s, display your pictures, and walk your dog. For any channel you're viewing, it stores up to half an hour in its memory so if you walk away and missed a scene, forgetting to pause the Tivo, just rewind. Many people will wait until 20 minutes into an hour long show before they sit down to watch it so they can skip commericals.
As for recording, you can record one channel and watch another, or watch a recorded show while taping another. It's pretty darn convenient. The Tivo remote is fully compatible with everything else nearby, so you can set it up to do everything at once.
Canada has it's own DVRs offered through Shaw and Rogers, but these are typically tied directly in to your cable bills and subscriptions and if you're like me and feel that Rogers controls too much of the free world, it feels nice to have a non-affiliated box to save your favorite programs with. Also, at this stage, Rogers does not have a DVR capable of playing and burning DVDs as well.
 While Tivo recently announced that it now offers Canadian service, that doesn't mean that you should head to Future Shop to try and buy one. The process is still complicated, though Jamie says that an article in the Windsor Star indicates that they will soon be sold here in Canada.
At this point, Tivo is only sold in the United States, and many retailers do not ship across the border. There are a couple, such as Weaknees.com, who will, but for those who have a US connection, this is what you should do:
1. Use MasterCard over Visa if you can. People have had trouble with the latter and I had no issues with MasterCard. Call them and get them to add a US address as a second BILLING address. Make sure you state billing, not shipping. Having someone to send it to is crucial, otherwise a stranger will get your Tivo.
The reason for this is that while Tivo supports Canadian users, their online store is not set up for Canadian credit card addresses. I recommend Tivo.com over US versions of Walmart or Best Buy, because Tivo has the best deals. You get a year-long subscription and $150 off the recorder straight away. If you just want a 40hr Tivo, you can get one with a year subscription for about $50 US.
2. Calling Tivo. It's a waste of time, because their service reps can't use your Canadian card data either. Also, the 1-800 isn't available to call from most areas in the GTA. I could do it at work through our telecom system, or if you really want to call, use a free web service like SKYPE.COM to call for you. Get the billing address changed, then just use that on their website. I had no issues with this, and it took about 5 business days for it to arrive at my shipping address.
3. The set-up: I went through this last night and it's LARGELY a painless process. There are a few hiccups that I didn't see on helpful forums such as TIVOCANADA.COM or http://forums.tivo.com.
When activating your Tivo online, you have to enter your address differently. It says how on the site, so I won't get into it, but your address will partly read LEO, WY, 82327. This is the default for Canada at the present.
 During guided set-up with your Tivo, you'll hit a snag. It asks for your area code, give it and it identifies your city, but it asks for your zip code, and you enter 82327 and it lists Wyoming. When it asks for your local cable provider, it also reads a local Wyoming station which you should select, but it WILL MESS UP your listings.
Here's what you do:
- Go through the guided setup selecting 82327 as the ZIP code
- Enter in your area code, then select the appropriate call in number that isn't long distance for you
- Tivo connects via telephone for a small program update
- Select the default Wyoming cable provider and channels it finds
- The guided setup states it's done and the update will take 4-8 hours to complete. You can watch TV only through the Tivo but don't stress it's not done yet.
- Navigate to http://research.tivo.com/72priority/ then enter your 15 digit Tivo service number. This should tell Tivo to download the latest software to your Tivo asap
- (I have not yet received my update, but the site says it can be up to 3 days)
- Now click your Tivo button, select settings, then "restart your Tivo", and select "restart guided setup".
- When you get to the ZIP code entry screen push the "enter" button on your Tivo remote, enter your postal code on the next screen
- Now select the local cable service provider
- Tivo connects, downloads your local program updates and you're done!
 So, it's a bit of a pain, but I'm guessing it will become much easier once they're available in Canada. If you want one, I suggest you head to tivo.com in the near future and buy it from them. Total cost for me, once I had the recorder and a lifetime service agreement (you don't have to pay anything again, otherwise after the year of service it's about $13 US a month), was a bit over $500 CND. Bye-bye Christmas money.
This thing is heavy as well. About 18 lbs. total. There are a/v inputs on the front and back of the machine, so if you so desire, you can hook up your Nintendo, Xbox, VCR, whatever into it. Handy, huh?
But that's it. A few steps, yes, but nothing too extreme. Hope it helps to any of you reading this who are interested. If you're not and I just did all this for nothing, then I hate you all.
|
MARVEL and SPIDER-MAN: TM & 2007 Marvel Characters, Inc. Motion Picture © 2007 Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 2007 Sony Pictures Digital Inc. All rights reserved. blogger template by blog forum |
Lost has become a never-ending addiction to finding out the truth behind the island, the most important cast member of this show. Last night's episode had Locke and the mysterious Henry Gale trapped inside the Dharma Initiative hatch called "The Swan." A crackle of radio static, then an ominous countdown, and all of a sudden all blast doors came down and trapped the men inside.
