World Of Warcraft News
Quote of the Night: 'One's down! Two's down! I'm down!!! WTF!?!'
Saturday, July 29, 2006
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Things That Piss Me Off:
The City of Saskatoon and their parking meters have earned my wrath.
I had to go downtown today for a doctor's appointment. It is something I'm beginning to dread because it seems to cause me parking grief every time. I park near the office building I need, about 3/4 of a block down. I found a spot, which given my experience from yesterday, seems incredible.
Like a good citizen I put my dollar in the meter. Plunk, it goes. Nothing registers on the display. WTF!?! Maybe its broken. I put my quarter in. Plunk it goes, and up comes 0:15 on the display. WTF!?!
The damn machine ate my dollar. Now I can't put another dollar in, because I only brought just enough coin to plug one meter, for exactly as long as I planned to stay. So I'm effectively screwed. I have to walk away and accept that I'm getting a parking ticket.
Does this not seem wrong? I would like to complain to someone because I did put my dollar in, they are going to collect it, and I shouldn't have a ticket. Of course this is a complete waste of my time and I'll just pay the ticket and go on with my life. But doesn't something like this violate the law of karmic goodness or something?
The City of Saskatoon and their parking meters have earned my wrath.
I had to go downtown today for a doctor's appointment. It is something I'm beginning to dread because it seems to cause me parking grief every time. I park near the office building I need, about 3/4 of a block down. I found a spot, which given my experience from yesterday, seems incredible.
Like a good citizen I put my dollar in the meter. Plunk, it goes. Nothing registers on the display. WTF!?! Maybe its broken. I put my quarter in. Plunk it goes, and up comes 0:15 on the display. WTF!?!
The damn machine ate my dollar. Now I can't put another dollar in, because I only brought just enough coin to plug one meter, for exactly as long as I planned to stay. So I'm effectively screwed. I have to walk away and accept that I'm getting a parking ticket.
Does this not seem wrong? I would like to complain to someone because I did put my dollar in, they are going to collect it, and I shouldn't have a ticket. Of course this is a complete waste of my time and I'll just pay the ticket and go on with my life. But doesn't something like this violate the law of karmic goodness or something?
Monday, July 24, 2006
Sunday, July 23, 2006
The management of the Saskatchewan Roughriders football team should be ashamed of themselves.
At the end of the first half of yesterday's football game, the quarterback for the Toronto Argonauts got absolutely rocked. He was hit so hard that his helmet flew off, and rolled five yards away. At the conclusion of the play, he lay on the field, unwilling to get up.
The quarter was over and the teams headed off to their dressing rooms for halftime. Toronto's quarterback, Spergon Wynn, did not accompany his teammates. He remained immobile on the turf. The training staff huddled around him, attempting to attend to his injury. A few people become a lot of people, as considerable concern was placed on what had happened to him.
Meanwhile, the half time show amassed on the field, ready to spring into action and perform their routine. Yesterday's event was supposed to be a couple of hundred little girls, who had attended a cheerleading camp, performing a choreographed sequence.
Now I get that this is perhaps the only chance these girls will ever have to appear on the field at a pro sports event. I appreciate this is a big deal for them. However, this Toronto player appeared to be seriously injured. Not broken leg and couldn't walk injured, but stretcher, back-board and ambulance injured. The Toronto quarterback was being treated as if he had a major injury.
After a brief pause, they let these little cheerleaders onto the field to do their dance. It was the most classless thing I have ever seen. Little girls and their Trailblazer captains, are running, and dancing on the field while this football player is being loaded onto a back-board, for transport on a stretcher. These girls are cavorting and playing around group of medical people, huddled over an immobile football player on the field. These stupid patterns they are trying to perform are disrupted by the ambulance that comes onto the field to pick up the injured football player. It was surreal in its lunacy how they would carry out the ultimately pointless half-time show, when a player had suffered what appeared to be potentially devasting injury.
I, for one, thought that continuing with the half-time show, when a Toronto player was down with a serious injury, was both disrespectful and inappropriate. Show some class and get the player off the field before you provide entertainment.
At the end of the first half of yesterday's football game, the quarterback for the Toronto Argonauts got absolutely rocked. He was hit so hard that his helmet flew off, and rolled five yards away. At the conclusion of the play, he lay on the field, unwilling to get up.
The quarter was over and the teams headed off to their dressing rooms for halftime. Toronto's quarterback, Spergon Wynn, did not accompany his teammates. He remained immobile on the turf. The training staff huddled around him, attempting to attend to his injury. A few people become a lot of people, as considerable concern was placed on what had happened to him.
Meanwhile, the half time show amassed on the field, ready to spring into action and perform their routine. Yesterday's event was supposed to be a couple of hundred little girls, who had attended a cheerleading camp, performing a choreographed sequence.
Now I get that this is perhaps the only chance these girls will ever have to appear on the field at a pro sports event. I appreciate this is a big deal for them. However, this Toronto player appeared to be seriously injured. Not broken leg and couldn't walk injured, but stretcher, back-board and ambulance injured. The Toronto quarterback was being treated as if he had a major injury.
After a brief pause, they let these little cheerleaders onto the field to do their dance. It was the most classless thing I have ever seen. Little girls and their Trailblazer captains, are running, and dancing on the field while this football player is being loaded onto a back-board, for transport on a stretcher. These girls are cavorting and playing around group of medical people, huddled over an immobile football player on the field. These stupid patterns they are trying to perform are disrupted by the ambulance that comes onto the field to pick up the injured football player. It was surreal in its lunacy how they would carry out the ultimately pointless half-time show, when a player had suffered what appeared to be potentially devasting injury.
I, for one, thought that continuing with the half-time show, when a Toronto player was down with a serious injury, was both disrespectful and inappropriate. Show some class and get the player off the field before you provide entertainment.
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
I bought gas today.
Why aren't we rising up in protest about this? I spent $82 to fill my tank today. Granted it was almost empty but that kind of bill seems like a touch much. Isn't this the type of thing that other people around the world would riot about? Why is there no mass assemblage in the streets about how we are being systematically sodomized at the pumps?
I'd pay $1.159 a liter for gas if I was getting something for my money. If I knew I was going to drive on perfect roads, because I was paying this much for gas, then okay. I drive around this province and its damn near required that you have the ground clearance of a 4x4. If my tank was being filled with gasoline compiled half of ethanol, then I'd be okay with the price. If it was the cost of progress, and the move from a non-renewable, to a renewable resource then okay, I'll pay the luxury tax.
But one dollar and sixteen cents per LITER so some Arab, or Albertan producer, or worse and American processor, can get fat and lazy because he has a a precious commodity, that just sticks in my throat. Or more well said, I would like it to get stuck in my pocketbook. Canada is one of the world's leading producers of petroleum, and I still wait nine months for surgery, watch our military helicopters crash into the ocean, and pay more per capita for income tax than anyone short of Holland. And at least they have legal drugs and prostitution.
At $1.159 a liter, I want to know, what's in it for me?
Why aren't we rising up in protest about this? I spent $82 to fill my tank today. Granted it was almost empty but that kind of bill seems like a touch much. Isn't this the type of thing that other people around the world would riot about? Why is there no mass assemblage in the streets about how we are being systematically sodomized at the pumps?
I'd pay $1.159 a liter for gas if I was getting something for my money. If I knew I was going to drive on perfect roads, because I was paying this much for gas, then okay. I drive around this province and its damn near required that you have the ground clearance of a 4x4. If my tank was being filled with gasoline compiled half of ethanol, then I'd be okay with the price. If it was the cost of progress, and the move from a non-renewable, to a renewable resource then okay, I'll pay the luxury tax.
But one dollar and sixteen cents per LITER so some Arab, or Albertan producer, or worse and American processor, can get fat and lazy because he has a a precious commodity, that just sticks in my throat. Or more well said, I would like it to get stuck in my pocketbook. Canada is one of the world's leading producers of petroleum, and I still wait nine months for surgery, watch our military helicopters crash into the ocean, and pay more per capita for income tax than anyone short of Holland. And at least they have legal drugs and prostitution.
At $1.159 a liter, I want to know, what's in it for me?
Sunday, July 16, 2006
I just noticed something.
There is a direct parallel between the two Quentin Tarantino films, Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill. (I group both Kill Bill films together because they are, in essence, one film) One of the heroes in each film, who are actually villians, if you stopped to think about it, have a revelation, and recant their ways. At one specific, precise moment in time, their lives change, and they trade their villianous ways for a path that is more virtuous.
In Pulp Fiction, Jules and Vincent are shot at by a crazy kid with a hand cannon. He fires off every round he has, from close range, and doesn't hit them a single time. After this event, Jules decides to abandon his so-called evil ways, and walk the earth. This is in apparent reference to the David Carradine TV show, Kung Fu. David Carradine is one of the stars of . . .
Kill Bill, where the heroine of the movie, Beatrix Kiddo has her own epiphany, 7/8 of the way through the second movie, where she realizes she is pregnant. As she later explains in the flashback that presents this event, this was the moment that she realized that she couldn't be a killer, and a mother, in the same breath. So, like Jules, she abandons her evil ways. She doesn't go back to Bill, let him think she is dead, and tries to start a new life as someone's wife, and a mother, and a simple music store clerk. And if you've seen the movie, you know how that works out.
Its also curious that in both movies, the reformed villian, has a moment where they are tested in their resolve on this new path. In Pulp Fiction Jules has to talk Ringo and Funny Bunny out of pushing him to kill them. Guns are in people's faces, and its very tense, but he manages to escape the situation without busting a cap in their asses, as he so succinctly puts it. Likewise, in Kill Bill, Beatrix has to talk another assassin out of making her kill her, at the moment of her revelation. Beatrix could easily have dispatched her so-called dispatcher. But instead she finds a way out of the situation that does not involve bloodshed.
Now I don't know if these parallels were intended, or they just kind of happened. Nevertheless, it is interesting to note them. Or maybe it just seems so because its 1:30 in the morning.
There is a direct parallel between the two Quentin Tarantino films, Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill. (I group both Kill Bill films together because they are, in essence, one film) One of the heroes in each film, who are actually villians, if you stopped to think about it, have a revelation, and recant their ways. At one specific, precise moment in time, their lives change, and they trade their villianous ways for a path that is more virtuous.
In Pulp Fiction, Jules and Vincent are shot at by a crazy kid with a hand cannon. He fires off every round he has, from close range, and doesn't hit them a single time. After this event, Jules decides to abandon his so-called evil ways, and walk the earth. This is in apparent reference to the David Carradine TV show, Kung Fu. David Carradine is one of the stars of . . .
Kill Bill, where the heroine of the movie, Beatrix Kiddo has her own epiphany, 7/8 of the way through the second movie, where she realizes she is pregnant. As she later explains in the flashback that presents this event, this was the moment that she realized that she couldn't be a killer, and a mother, in the same breath. So, like Jules, she abandons her evil ways. She doesn't go back to Bill, let him think she is dead, and tries to start a new life as someone's wife, and a mother, and a simple music store clerk. And if you've seen the movie, you know how that works out.
Its also curious that in both movies, the reformed villian, has a moment where they are tested in their resolve on this new path. In Pulp Fiction Jules has to talk Ringo and Funny Bunny out of pushing him to kill them. Guns are in people's faces, and its very tense, but he manages to escape the situation without busting a cap in their asses, as he so succinctly puts it. Likewise, in Kill Bill, Beatrix has to talk another assassin out of making her kill her, at the moment of her revelation. Beatrix could easily have dispatched her so-called dispatcher. But instead she finds a way out of the situation that does not involve bloodshed.
Now I don't know if these parallels were intended, or they just kind of happened. Nevertheless, it is interesting to note them. Or maybe it just seems so because its 1:30 in the morning.
Saturday, July 15, 2006
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Grant's House Of Style
You can not wear flip flops with jeans.
I don't really think you can wear flip flops any time. They are about the most useless piece of footwear I have ever seen. I have serious issues with anyone that wears them as normal footwear. The flip flop was never intended to be worn as a shoe for daily use. It has, as its only practical application, the walk to the pool or the beach from your hotel room. Or, if you happen to be someone luxurious enough to have a lush backyard, then you can wear it for trips through the foliage.
But you can't wear them with jeans.
The very concept of wearing flip flops with a pair of jeans creates a ludicrous contradiction. What are you? Are you dressed for rugged outdoor-ness? Are you casually strolling through the garden? It is an unresolvable dichotomy. On one hand you have your jeans on, and you're dressed for polite society or a day of work. Then I look at your feet and their basically naked. Oh, except you have this pad of plastic cork attached to your foot with a flimsy plastic cord. You look like a moron. You look like an ass. As politically incorrect as it is to say, you look like a homo.
Just don't do it. Spare yourself the ridicule of being stared at and pointed towards. Spare us the indignation of having to get upset by such an asinine choice of footwear.
Just get some regular sandals. It amounts to the same thing, but doesn't look as gay.
P.S. Don't wear socks with your sandals.
You can not wear flip flops with jeans.
I don't really think you can wear flip flops any time. They are about the most useless piece of footwear I have ever seen. I have serious issues with anyone that wears them as normal footwear. The flip flop was never intended to be worn as a shoe for daily use. It has, as its only practical application, the walk to the pool or the beach from your hotel room. Or, if you happen to be someone luxurious enough to have a lush backyard, then you can wear it for trips through the foliage.
But you can't wear them with jeans.
The very concept of wearing flip flops with a pair of jeans creates a ludicrous contradiction. What are you? Are you dressed for rugged outdoor-ness? Are you casually strolling through the garden? It is an unresolvable dichotomy. On one hand you have your jeans on, and you're dressed for polite society or a day of work. Then I look at your feet and their basically naked. Oh, except you have this pad of plastic cork attached to your foot with a flimsy plastic cord. You look like a moron. You look like an ass. As politically incorrect as it is to say, you look like a homo.
Just don't do it. Spare yourself the ridicule of being stared at and pointed towards. Spare us the indignation of having to get upset by such an asinine choice of footwear.
Just get some regular sandals. It amounts to the same thing, but doesn't look as gay.
P.S. Don't wear socks with your sandals.
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Monday, July 10, 2006
Sunday, July 09, 2006
Friday, July 07, 2006
Leave it to Future Shop to be a complete gong show.
I go to that accursed store to get myself a Sirius satellite radio. I'm driving to Watson and back by myself tomorrow and that's a lot of boredom to handle at one time. So I thought I'd get myself a radio and listen to something while I travelled the highways.
The buying was not such a big deal. I found what I wanted and it was $20 cheaper than I'd expected so it worked out really well. The portable electronics guy rang up my purchase and all I had to do was get my products swiped for de-magnetization and I was ready to go home.
Future Shop had ONE clerk manning the front.
What the hell is that? Sure, its only Friday night and they're not that busy, but just one clerk? There were ten people lined up to pay and/or clear the magnetic gateway. And they have one poor schmuck that's supposed to handle all of this. Some retarded floor manager is just rocking on her heels over by customer service but ringing people through the till is not HER responsibility. So the typical wait for service at the Future Shop front counter remains ten deep, even though its Friday night and not a busy time in the store.
Can someone please explain to me why, like lemmings, we continue to frequent these non-customer friendly establishments?
I go to that accursed store to get myself a Sirius satellite radio. I'm driving to Watson and back by myself tomorrow and that's a lot of boredom to handle at one time. So I thought I'd get myself a radio and listen to something while I travelled the highways.
The buying was not such a big deal. I found what I wanted and it was $20 cheaper than I'd expected so it worked out really well. The portable electronics guy rang up my purchase and all I had to do was get my products swiped for de-magnetization and I was ready to go home.
Future Shop had ONE clerk manning the front.
What the hell is that? Sure, its only Friday night and they're not that busy, but just one clerk? There were ten people lined up to pay and/or clear the magnetic gateway. And they have one poor schmuck that's supposed to handle all of this. Some retarded floor manager is just rocking on her heels over by customer service but ringing people through the till is not HER responsibility. So the typical wait for service at the Future Shop front counter remains ten deep, even though its Friday night and not a busy time in the store.
Can someone please explain to me why, like lemmings, we continue to frequent these non-customer friendly establishments?
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
I need an opportunity to vent. This is nothing I have any hope of affecting any kind of positive change on. The only hope I have for a sense of improved emotion is to speak out about it, loudly.
I just got screwed out of $1330.
I think we all know about credit card promotions. If you sign up with X card they'll give you Y number of Air Miles, or some other commodity the scale of which is absurdly small, relative to what you've spent to get it. I, with my MasterCard, had something called FirstHome Dollars. What this plan did was, for every X number of dollars I spent with my MasterCard, the credit card company would chip in some almost infinitessimally small amount towards a down payment on a house.
Normally this would be a good arrangement for the credit card company. Who waits long enough to buy a house to accumulate any meaningful amount of credit in their account? What worked against MasterCard in this instance is, I've had this card, and this plan since the day it was issued to be, back when I was 18. That's a long time and a lot of purchases on which to accumulate FirstHome Dollars. So it stands to reason that I'd amass quite a few.
As you all know, I'm buying a home now. So by the obvious extension, I want my FirstHome Dollars. So I phone up the good people at MasterCard and ask them to forward my money. At first the guy didn't know what I was talking about but a couple of prods and he got the point. He was happy to fulfill my request and told me he had to close out my account. I didn't care as I'm only buying one FirstHome.
So the statement comes in the mail today. I was all excited as this was half my downpayment. I open the letter and it says $2500 on it. What the hell is this!?! That's only 2/3 of my money! Where's MY MONEY!!!
I fretted about it for about an hour and I couldn't take it anymore. I had to know what the story about this was. So I called up MasterCard and asked them what the hell was the deal with this? The guy again didn't know what I was talking about but he went off the line for a couple of minutes and got the scoop for me.
Apparently you are only allowed to withdraw a maximum of $2500 from your FirstHome Dollars account at any one time.
What the HELL is up with that!?! Under what logic would you ever buy two FirstHome's?
The explanation I got was, you could transfer the remaining balance to a close family member, like a son or daughter. Now explain to me, how would I have a child that could use this, if I'm getting my FirstHome now?
Idiots! So now I'm out $1300 and I don't feel particularly good about it. If any of you want to switch from MasterCard to VISA in protest, feel free to join me.
I just got screwed out of $1330.
I think we all know about credit card promotions. If you sign up with X card they'll give you Y number of Air Miles, or some other commodity the scale of which is absurdly small, relative to what you've spent to get it. I, with my MasterCard, had something called FirstHome Dollars. What this plan did was, for every X number of dollars I spent with my MasterCard, the credit card company would chip in some almost infinitessimally small amount towards a down payment on a house.
Normally this would be a good arrangement for the credit card company. Who waits long enough to buy a house to accumulate any meaningful amount of credit in their account? What worked against MasterCard in this instance is, I've had this card, and this plan since the day it was issued to be, back when I was 18. That's a long time and a lot of purchases on which to accumulate FirstHome Dollars. So it stands to reason that I'd amass quite a few.
As you all know, I'm buying a home now. So by the obvious extension, I want my FirstHome Dollars. So I phone up the good people at MasterCard and ask them to forward my money. At first the guy didn't know what I was talking about but a couple of prods and he got the point. He was happy to fulfill my request and told me he had to close out my account. I didn't care as I'm only buying one FirstHome.
So the statement comes in the mail today. I was all excited as this was half my downpayment. I open the letter and it says $2500 on it. What the hell is this!?! That's only 2/3 of my money! Where's MY MONEY!!!
I fretted about it for about an hour and I couldn't take it anymore. I had to know what the story about this was. So I called up MasterCard and asked them what the hell was the deal with this? The guy again didn't know what I was talking about but he went off the line for a couple of minutes and got the scoop for me.
Apparently you are only allowed to withdraw a maximum of $2500 from your FirstHome Dollars account at any one time.
What the HELL is up with that!?! Under what logic would you ever buy two FirstHome's?
The explanation I got was, you could transfer the remaining balance to a close family member, like a son or daughter. Now explain to me, how would I have a child that could use this, if I'm getting my FirstHome now?
Idiots! So now I'm out $1300 and I don't feel particularly good about it. If any of you want to switch from MasterCard to VISA in protest, feel free to join me.
Thursday, June 29, 2006
I had perhaps one of the most annoying moments of my life this morning.
Earlier I told the story of how I went to the medical clinic and they gave me grief about how I didn't have a current health services card. If you look at your card you'll see there's a number on the back you can call, about updates to your information and getting a new card.
So I called the number.
This is how pathetic things have gotten with these phone-in procedures. They want you to call in but you don't even get an actual, live person. They make you leave a series of messages, based on pre-recorded questions.
What's your name, including correct spelling?
What is your address?
What is your home and work phone number?
After each question is a repetition of the same, three option menu. Do you want to hear the options again? Do you want to re-record your answer? Do you want to continue? The whole ordeal makes you feel like a trained circus seal. Which might not be so bad but it makes you feel like an autistic trained circus seal.
Saskatchewan Health should be shot, stabbed, pissed on, scraped up and deposited in a hole full of feces for foisting such an abomination on us. If I wanted to feel any more neglected, abused and taken for granted, I'd probably actually use the Saskatchewan health services system.
All around, I give the experience a fat ZERO.
Earlier I told the story of how I went to the medical clinic and they gave me grief about how I didn't have a current health services card. If you look at your card you'll see there's a number on the back you can call, about updates to your information and getting a new card.
So I called the number.
This is how pathetic things have gotten with these phone-in procedures. They want you to call in but you don't even get an actual, live person. They make you leave a series of messages, based on pre-recorded questions.
What's your name, including correct spelling?
What is your address?
What is your home and work phone number?
After each question is a repetition of the same, three option menu. Do you want to hear the options again? Do you want to re-record your answer? Do you want to continue? The whole ordeal makes you feel like a trained circus seal. Which might not be so bad but it makes you feel like an autistic trained circus seal.
Saskatchewan Health should be shot, stabbed, pissed on, scraped up and deposited in a hole full of feces for foisting such an abomination on us. If I wanted to feel any more neglected, abused and taken for granted, I'd probably actually use the Saskatchewan health services system.
All around, I give the experience a fat ZERO.
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Monday, June 26, 2006
Sunday, June 25, 2006
Things That Piss Me Off:
I haven't really teed off on anyone lately but I think the time has come.
I went to the medical clinic this afternoon. I've had these blood tests outstanding for quite some time and it occurred to me that if I went right after lunch, I could satisfy the condition of going 12-16 hours after my last ingestion of medication.
I go in there and she asks for my Saskatchewan Health Services card. I'm used to it because they ask for any card before they'll help you out these days. She looks at the card and says, "oh, your health services card has expired."
The only response I could muster to that was, "so?"
"Well, we're not supposed provide services when your card has expired."
Just take my blood already! God, christ, like I'm supposed to know my stupid health services card has expired. I haven't used the stupid thing in a year and a half! And I'm supposed to notice that the idiotic sticker has expired!?!
The health services card is the most idiotic implementation that has ever taken place in the history of the Saskatchewan government. The land of free health care and oh, now you have to show a card to get free services. But if you don't have a card, they don't really care! You still get free health care. So what's the point of the stupid card? Apparently its for the purpose of annoying me. And providing an opportunity for sanctimonious office staff to give me grief when I'm not really in the mood to be getting my blood taken in the first place.
P.S. Future Shop sucks goat balls. They advertise games for $19.99 and then don't have any of the games in question, in stock in the store.
I haven't really teed off on anyone lately but I think the time has come.
I went to the medical clinic this afternoon. I've had these blood tests outstanding for quite some time and it occurred to me that if I went right after lunch, I could satisfy the condition of going 12-16 hours after my last ingestion of medication.
I go in there and she asks for my Saskatchewan Health Services card. I'm used to it because they ask for any card before they'll help you out these days. She looks at the card and says, "oh, your health services card has expired."
The only response I could muster to that was, "so?"
"Well, we're not supposed provide services when your card has expired."
Just take my blood already! God, christ, like I'm supposed to know my stupid health services card has expired. I haven't used the stupid thing in a year and a half! And I'm supposed to notice that the idiotic sticker has expired!?!
The health services card is the most idiotic implementation that has ever taken place in the history of the Saskatchewan government. The land of free health care and oh, now you have to show a card to get free services. But if you don't have a card, they don't really care! You still get free health care. So what's the point of the stupid card? Apparently its for the purpose of annoying me. And providing an opportunity for sanctimonious office staff to give me grief when I'm not really in the mood to be getting my blood taken in the first place.
P.S. Future Shop sucks goat balls. They advertise games for $19.99 and then don't have any of the games in question, in stock in the store.
Friday, June 23, 2006
Monday, June 19, 2006
Well that was a game!
The Oilers made a liar out of me. When they lost their goalie in game one I figured they were done. When they went down 3-1 in the series I thought they were done. But they kept coming back.
Two teams showed up for a hockey game tonight. Both teams brought their best game. Tonight it was apparent that one teams best game was a lot better than the others.
The Oilers made a liar out of me. When they lost their goalie in game one I figured they were done. When they went down 3-1 in the series I thought they were done. But they kept coming back.
Two teams showed up for a hockey game tonight. Both teams brought their best game. Tonight it was apparent that one teams best game was a lot better than the others.
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Can someone tell me what the deal is with the parking lot on the north end of Confederation Park Mall? I tried to get into the mall from the north side this evening and the experience was nearly enough to make me homicidal.
First of all I couldn't hit the entrance to the stupid mall. They put the damn 'Welcome' sign between these two paved stretches. One in, one out, wouldn't you think? No, one's for the stupid buses. So I had to make a loop through the bus park and back onto the street.
Next I look for a place to park. The bloody lot is all twisted up into little clumps of parking spots. I drive up to the place that is near the door I want. I can see lots of spots available here. But can I get to them in a convenient manner? NO! The only place into this clump is well back from the door so I have to drive past the place I want to be, turn around in a full part of the lot (again a clump of parking spots) and go back to the entry.
Then, when I'm leaving the lot I have to stop for a STOP sign. But the sign is about a hundred feet back from the actual intersection. So I go through my stop sign, and get to the intersection, and this guy coming from the other direction thinks I'm trying to cut him off.
Once again the Confederation Park Mall proves to be an unholy blight on this city. I'd tell you to write your councillor about it but we all know that no one in Saskatoon cares about Confederation Park Mall.
First of all I couldn't hit the entrance to the stupid mall. They put the damn 'Welcome' sign between these two paved stretches. One in, one out, wouldn't you think? No, one's for the stupid buses. So I had to make a loop through the bus park and back onto the street.
Next I look for a place to park. The bloody lot is all twisted up into little clumps of parking spots. I drive up to the place that is near the door I want. I can see lots of spots available here. But can I get to them in a convenient manner? NO! The only place into this clump is well back from the door so I have to drive past the place I want to be, turn around in a full part of the lot (again a clump of parking spots) and go back to the entry.
Then, when I'm leaving the lot I have to stop for a STOP sign. But the sign is about a hundred feet back from the actual intersection. So I go through my stop sign, and get to the intersection, and this guy coming from the other direction thinks I'm trying to cut him off.
Once again the Confederation Park Mall proves to be an unholy blight on this city. I'd tell you to write your councillor about it but we all know that no one in Saskatoon cares about Confederation Park Mall.
Saturday, June 10, 2006
The funniest thing happened on the golf course today.
We were waiting on the 18th tee box at Moon Lake. I should clarify this by saying we were playing the Moors as our back nine, since they have 27 golf holes at Moon Lake. The ninth hole of the Moors set has as its final hole, a par 5 that goes along the shore of the actual Moon Lake.
There was a backlog of people waiting to tee off so we had time to kill at the tee box. Since we were at the lakes edge, a couple of the guys thought they'd spend the time practicing their drives. To accomplish this they were hitting range balls they had in their bags, into the lake. The goal of their efforts was to drive one all the way across the lake to the shore on the other side.
To end the suspense I'll tell you that no one was able to make it across the lake. Based on the success of the others, I suspect I might have been able to. I do not, however, have any excess balls in my golf bag that I was willing to sacrifice to the attempt.
With his last spare ball, one guy teed up and reared back for a titantic swing at his golf ball. He intended to really tie into this ball. It was, however, not a great day for golf today. It rained all day, and everything was slick and wet. The guy followed through on his attempt but the slippery situation caught up to him. His driver tomahawked out of his grip and went flying through the air. Like a boomerang it whuw-whuw-whuw-ed through the hair, before splashing down into the lake about 10 yards out.
Its not nice to laugh but damn was that funny!
We were waiting on the 18th tee box at Moon Lake. I should clarify this by saying we were playing the Moors as our back nine, since they have 27 golf holes at Moon Lake. The ninth hole of the Moors set has as its final hole, a par 5 that goes along the shore of the actual Moon Lake.
There was a backlog of people waiting to tee off so we had time to kill at the tee box. Since we were at the lakes edge, a couple of the guys thought they'd spend the time practicing their drives. To accomplish this they were hitting range balls they had in their bags, into the lake. The goal of their efforts was to drive one all the way across the lake to the shore on the other side.
To end the suspense I'll tell you that no one was able to make it across the lake. Based on the success of the others, I suspect I might have been able to. I do not, however, have any excess balls in my golf bag that I was willing to sacrifice to the attempt.
With his last spare ball, one guy teed up and reared back for a titantic swing at his golf ball. He intended to really tie into this ball. It was, however, not a great day for golf today. It rained all day, and everything was slick and wet. The guy followed through on his attempt but the slippery situation caught up to him. His driver tomahawked out of his grip and went flying through the air. Like a boomerang it whuw-whuw-whuw-ed through the hair, before splashing down into the lake about 10 yards out.
Its not nice to laugh but damn was that funny!
Monday, June 05, 2006
Well, that was an exciting game!
I do, however, think the Oilers gave that one away. My opinion was that after two periods they had it all but wrapped up. A good solid effort in the third effort and they lead the Stanley Cup series by one game.
They didn't put in a solid effort.
But to their credit, they made a comeback. And the tying goal was spectacular. I recall using an expletive when I saw it.
But disaster struck. Not once but twice.
I mean no disrespect to the Oilers. I really hope they can prevail in this Stanley Cup series. However, based on what Coach McTavish said in the press conference, I think the safe money is on Carolina.
I do, however, think the Oilers gave that one away. My opinion was that after two periods they had it all but wrapped up. A good solid effort in the third effort and they lead the Stanley Cup series by one game.
They didn't put in a solid effort.
But to their credit, they made a comeback. And the tying goal was spectacular. I recall using an expletive when I saw it.
But disaster struck. Not once but twice.
I mean no disrespect to the Oilers. I really hope they can prevail in this Stanley Cup series. However, based on what Coach McTavish said in the press conference, I think the safe money is on Carolina.
Sunday, June 04, 2006
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Things That Piss Me Off:
Do you know what I hate? Websites that proport to have a 'picture of the day' but then the picture never changes. Or, it changes once a month, thus negating the concept of the 'picture of the day'. Or even more infuriating, at least for me because I still check the damn site every day, the 'picture of the day' is a revolving series of just 5 pictures. So, while the picture does change from day to day, if you've seen the whole series, there's not a hell of a lot to be gained by checking anymore.
And yet, like the eternal optimist, I still look, just in case they've decided to stop pissing me off. It hasn't happened yet.
Do you know what I hate? Websites that proport to have a 'picture of the day' but then the picture never changes. Or, it changes once a month, thus negating the concept of the 'picture of the day'. Or even more infuriating, at least for me because I still check the damn site every day, the 'picture of the day' is a revolving series of just 5 pictures. So, while the picture does change from day to day, if you've seen the whole series, there's not a hell of a lot to be gained by checking anymore.
And yet, like the eternal optimist, I still look, just in case they've decided to stop pissing me off. It hasn't happened yet.
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Things That Piss Me Off:
Traffic in Saskatoon sucks. I had to go somewhere this afternoon. From Delco, in the north end, to the university, which is more or less in the center of the city. There is no reason this should take any more than 10 or at worse 15 minutes. I gave myself half an hour. Can you believe it wasn't enough!?!
Traffic in Saskatoon sucks. I had to go somewhere this afternoon. From Delco, in the north end, to the university, which is more or less in the center of the city. There is no reason this should take any more than 10 or at worse 15 minutes. I gave myself half an hour. Can you believe it wasn't enough!?!
Sunday, May 28, 2006
Things That Piss Me Off:
Do you know what pisses me off? People can be so damn stupid in the name of speed.
I'm working at this rock concert tonight. There's two items that are served: draft beer and bottled vodka coolers. Now draft beer is easy. Open the tap and pour the beer into a glass. You can't do that any other way but fast. But coolers are another thing. Having to open the bottle and then pour the liquid into a glass takes some time. Certainly longer than pouring a draft beer. And its more cumbersome because there are multiple steps.
Now the first problem with this is, most girls are wimps. Not all of them mind you, but a healthy majority of them don't like to twist the cap off. Its not a purely female thing either, as there's a minority of guys that are children about protecting their hands from the slight burn of twisting off bottle caps. So they have to resort to a bottle opener. This adds a further complication to an already labor intensive activity.
This is where it gets stupid. And its not just the bottle opener people, but they are the worst culprits of this. They go to open the bottle and they just let the cap fly wherever. I have a problem with this. First of all, you wouldn't do this in your own house. How many people, especially girls, would let the table or the floor become littered with bottle caps? Why is this then okay to do in a public space? Second of all, how much time are you really saving by not catching the cap and throwing it in the garbage? I mean really! Eventually you have to pick up all the bottle caps. And the haphazard manner in which you let them fly means you end up having to grovel on the floor to get a lot of them. WOuldn't it be more expedient to use the half a damn second it takes to catch the cap and throw it away when you open the bottle!?!
Do you know what pisses me off? People can be so damn stupid in the name of speed.
I'm working at this rock concert tonight. There's two items that are served: draft beer and bottled vodka coolers. Now draft beer is easy. Open the tap and pour the beer into a glass. You can't do that any other way but fast. But coolers are another thing. Having to open the bottle and then pour the liquid into a glass takes some time. Certainly longer than pouring a draft beer. And its more cumbersome because there are multiple steps.
Now the first problem with this is, most girls are wimps. Not all of them mind you, but a healthy majority of them don't like to twist the cap off. Its not a purely female thing either, as there's a minority of guys that are children about protecting their hands from the slight burn of twisting off bottle caps. So they have to resort to a bottle opener. This adds a further complication to an already labor intensive activity.
This is where it gets stupid. And its not just the bottle opener people, but they are the worst culprits of this. They go to open the bottle and they just let the cap fly wherever. I have a problem with this. First of all, you wouldn't do this in your own house. How many people, especially girls, would let the table or the floor become littered with bottle caps? Why is this then okay to do in a public space? Second of all, how much time are you really saving by not catching the cap and throwing it in the garbage? I mean really! Eventually you have to pick up all the bottle caps. And the haphazard manner in which you let them fly means you end up having to grovel on the floor to get a lot of them. WOuldn't it be more expedient to use the half a damn second it takes to catch the cap and throw it away when you open the bottle!?!
Friday, May 26, 2006
I have to tell you this story. I have to tell you this story because its just so . . . damn . . . sad.
I bought an air conditioner last spring. It was a big 10,000 BTU bastard, complete with a remote. It was going to make my house frigid. But just about the same time I got this great idea I should buy a house, and stop paying rent all the time. Which seemed like a good idea at the time but has since proven to be untrue. But I digress . . .
So now its a year later and I don't want it anymore. I have no house to install it in, and when I do buy a house, its damn well going to have central air conditioning, because I don't do this, swelter for the character of it thing. I've got lots enough character from all the other burdens I carry. But I digress . . .
What to do with the air conditioner? Well, I bought it at Wal-Mart. Let's see if I can return it. So we drive off to Wal-Mart to see if they'll take it back.
Not being stupid, I go up to customer service with my reciept first, because I'm not carrying this heavy bastard into the store, only to find out they won't take it back. That would be stupid. So we enter into negotiations with the well meaning, but otherwise inept girl at the customer service desk. I know they try but they've obviously been imbued with NO authority, so it makes you wonder why they have to man the counter that needs a decision to be made, in almost all cases. But I digress. . .
It took calling some managers but they concede that yes, if everything is on the level, they can probably take it back and refund my money. Oh goodie! So I go get the air conditioner from the truck and haul it in to be inspected. One of the stipulations was that it had to be as I said, unopened and unused.
This is where it gets stupid.
To verify that the air conditioner is unused, they have to open the crate. Keep in mind that the box is obviously untainted from when I picked it up in the store. The original tape remains on the seams. The UPC sticker is still in place. The damn thing is virgin. But her manager has told this girl that she is supposed to open the box and make sure everything is intact.
So she does.
What does she find in the box? Manual is still its plastic sheath. The remote still has the plastic sticker on the buttons. The free batteries for the remote are still shrink-wrapped. The styrofoam packing has not been disturbed and clings tenaciously to the air conditioner itself. After much discussion with another, equally clueless Wal-Mart employee, they agree that they have to take the actual air conditioner OUT of the box to inspect it. Keep in mind that everything up to this point has been absolutely VIRGIN in the box. So these two girls struggle and fuss, because this unit has never been out of the box and is stuck to the tightly packed styrofoam. So finally its out and they set it on the counter.
We're not done yet.
Having gone through that entire ordeal, they now concur that to follow their managers orders, they need to get a second air conditioner off the shelf, open it, and verify that everything in the box off the shelf, is identical to what they've just opened in the box I brought in. So the entire ordeal is repeated a SECOND time, complete with fussing with styrofoam, and two woman trying to manhandle a very heavy, unwieldy electrical device.
Conclusion? The two air conditioners are identical. I get my refund.
So what was accomplished? As I see it, only one purpose was truly served by this idiotic procession. Some $9.00 a hour Wal-Mart night manager has proceeded to make damaged stock out of what were otherwise completely factory perfect air conditioner packages. All this Captain Wizard would have needed to do was wheel my box out onto the floor and put it next to the other air conditioners. The next time it was 30 C it would have disappeared from the shelf with no one the wiser for its 1 year vacation in Watson.
I bought an air conditioner last spring. It was a big 10,000 BTU bastard, complete with a remote. It was going to make my house frigid. But just about the same time I got this great idea I should buy a house, and stop paying rent all the time. Which seemed like a good idea at the time but has since proven to be untrue. But I digress . . .
So now its a year later and I don't want it anymore. I have no house to install it in, and when I do buy a house, its damn well going to have central air conditioning, because I don't do this, swelter for the character of it thing. I've got lots enough character from all the other burdens I carry. But I digress . . .
What to do with the air conditioner? Well, I bought it at Wal-Mart. Let's see if I can return it. So we drive off to Wal-Mart to see if they'll take it back.
Not being stupid, I go up to customer service with my reciept first, because I'm not carrying this heavy bastard into the store, only to find out they won't take it back. That would be stupid. So we enter into negotiations with the well meaning, but otherwise inept girl at the customer service desk. I know they try but they've obviously been imbued with NO authority, so it makes you wonder why they have to man the counter that needs a decision to be made, in almost all cases. But I digress. . .
It took calling some managers but they concede that yes, if everything is on the level, they can probably take it back and refund my money. Oh goodie! So I go get the air conditioner from the truck and haul it in to be inspected. One of the stipulations was that it had to be as I said, unopened and unused.
This is where it gets stupid.
To verify that the air conditioner is unused, they have to open the crate. Keep in mind that the box is obviously untainted from when I picked it up in the store. The original tape remains on the seams. The UPC sticker is still in place. The damn thing is virgin. But her manager has told this girl that she is supposed to open the box and make sure everything is intact.
So she does.
What does she find in the box? Manual is still its plastic sheath. The remote still has the plastic sticker on the buttons. The free batteries for the remote are still shrink-wrapped. The styrofoam packing has not been disturbed and clings tenaciously to the air conditioner itself. After much discussion with another, equally clueless Wal-Mart employee, they agree that they have to take the actual air conditioner OUT of the box to inspect it. Keep in mind that everything up to this point has been absolutely VIRGIN in the box. So these two girls struggle and fuss, because this unit has never been out of the box and is stuck to the tightly packed styrofoam. So finally its out and they set it on the counter.
We're not done yet.
Having gone through that entire ordeal, they now concur that to follow their managers orders, they need to get a second air conditioner off the shelf, open it, and verify that everything in the box off the shelf, is identical to what they've just opened in the box I brought in. So the entire ordeal is repeated a SECOND time, complete with fussing with styrofoam, and two woman trying to manhandle a very heavy, unwieldy electrical device.
Conclusion? The two air conditioners are identical. I get my refund.
So what was accomplished? As I see it, only one purpose was truly served by this idiotic procession. Some $9.00 a hour Wal-Mart night manager has proceeded to make damaged stock out of what were otherwise completely factory perfect air conditioner packages. All this Captain Wizard would have needed to do was wheel my box out onto the floor and put it next to the other air conditioners. The next time it was 30 C it would have disappeared from the shelf with no one the wiser for its 1 year vacation in Watson.
Sunday, May 21, 2006
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Monday, May 15, 2006
Friday, May 12, 2006
A few random thoughts for a Friday night:
Go Oilers!!!
Chad Michael Murray has gotta be the luckiest guy on the planet. He's starred in movies with Lindsay Lohan, Hilary Duff and Elisha Cuthbert. I think the devil lost out on that deal.
Does anyone want to buy a house in Watson, Sask.?
Does anyone know where to get a non-offensive calendar, but no puppy dogs or flowers or such boring crap?
Did I mention, go Oilers?
Go Oilers!!!
Chad Michael Murray has gotta be the luckiest guy on the planet. He's starred in movies with Lindsay Lohan, Hilary Duff and Elisha Cuthbert. I think the devil lost out on that deal.
Does anyone want to buy a house in Watson, Sask.?
Does anyone know where to get a non-offensive calendar, but no puppy dogs or flowers or such boring crap?
Did I mention, go Oilers?
Saturday, May 06, 2006
Friday, May 05, 2006
Things That Piss Me Off
Some idiot gave me a parking ticket today. And the annoying thing about that is, it wasn't for having an expired meter. This model citizen took it upon himself to write me up for having expired tags on my license plate. I guess he hadn't been able to tag anyone for a real parking ticket that hour, so to make his quota he had to write me up on a trumped up charge. Granted, somewhere along the line my sticker for Nov 06 fell off, but still I think its awfully chicken-hearted to go outside of his duly appointed duty just to mess up my day. Yes, its probably within his discretion to write the ticket but let's be real. He's supposed to be writing parking tickets not fleecing the masses for any indescretion he might realize. Is this the same jerk that's going to flag me down for a jaywalking ticket.
People are idiots.
Some idiot gave me a parking ticket today. And the annoying thing about that is, it wasn't for having an expired meter. This model citizen took it upon himself to write me up for having expired tags on my license plate. I guess he hadn't been able to tag anyone for a real parking ticket that hour, so to make his quota he had to write me up on a trumped up charge. Granted, somewhere along the line my sticker for Nov 06 fell off, but still I think its awfully chicken-hearted to go outside of his duly appointed duty just to mess up my day. Yes, its probably within his discretion to write the ticket but let's be real. He's supposed to be writing parking tickets not fleecing the masses for any indescretion he might realize. Is this the same jerk that's going to flag me down for a jaywalking ticket.
People are idiots.
Monday, May 01, 2006
I have a question.
Why have all the essential PC utilities gotten so incredibly bloated? I was on a new computer today and needed to open a PDF file. I went online to get Acrobat Reader. Its a freakin' 21 MB download! What the hell is that? I just want to read a PDF. What the hell was wrong with the simple, basic package that let me do that?
This has gotten out of control. Stop plugging up the software with useless crap! Leave it simple and basic so it doesn't take an hour to download. Geesh!
Why have all the essential PC utilities gotten so incredibly bloated? I was on a new computer today and needed to open a PDF file. I went online to get Acrobat Reader. Its a freakin' 21 MB download! What the hell is that? I just want to read a PDF. What the hell was wrong with the simple, basic package that let me do that?
This has gotten out of control. Stop plugging up the software with useless crap! Leave it simple and basic so it doesn't take an hour to download. Geesh!
Friday, April 28, 2006
Thursday, April 27, 2006
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
I've had this movie quote in my head all day. Its not really applicable to my situation as the actual quote is about love, relationships and sexual orientation and the ambiguity that goes along with it. If you've seen the movie, you'll recognize the emotion that was portrayed in the moment it was said. And the last half of the last sentence really sums up, for me, how my life has changed in the last day.
So if Kevin Smith will forgive me, I'd like to quote 'Chasing Amy' for you now:
Oh, it's that simple? You fall in
love with me and want a romantic
relationship, nothing changes for you
with the exception of feeling hunky-
dorey all the time. But what about-
me? It's not that simple, is it? I
can't just get into a relationship
with you without throwing my whole
fucking world into upheaval!
So if Kevin Smith will forgive me, I'd like to quote 'Chasing Amy' for you now:
Oh, it's that simple? You fall in
love with me and want a romantic
relationship, nothing changes for you
with the exception of feeling hunky-
dorey all the time. But what about-
me? It's not that simple, is it? I
can't just get into a relationship
with you without throwing my whole
fucking world into upheaval!
Monday, April 24, 2006
Friday, April 21, 2006
I know they mean well, but don't you hate it when the kid that's pumping your gas cleans the windows, and does a really piss-poor job of it?
I was in the country today. That means, dirt roads, bugs, and all that goes with being off the highway grid. Consequently my truck was (and still is) a mess. I pulled into Wynyard and decided to stop for some gas. I didn't think anything of it when I left the kid at the Co-op to fill the tank. I was thirsty and needed to decide on what I wanted to drink.
Witness my consternation when I come back out and get in the truck after paying 113.9 cents a liter for my gas, and the front window is a smeared mess of bug gut remnants. I know he was just doing his job, and he certainly meant well by cleaning my windows. But if you're gonna do the job, can't you take the extra two seconds it takes to make sure that the job you do, is actually a good one. Driving right into the sun I did not need a smeared up mess of bug guts on the screen in front of me.
I was in the country today. That means, dirt roads, bugs, and all that goes with being off the highway grid. Consequently my truck was (and still is) a mess. I pulled into Wynyard and decided to stop for some gas. I didn't think anything of it when I left the kid at the Co-op to fill the tank. I was thirsty and needed to decide on what I wanted to drink.
Witness my consternation when I come back out and get in the truck after paying 113.9 cents a liter for my gas, and the front window is a smeared mess of bug gut remnants. I know he was just doing his job, and he certainly meant well by cleaning my windows. But if you're gonna do the job, can't you take the extra two seconds it takes to make sure that the job you do, is actually a good one. Driving right into the sun I did not need a smeared up mess of bug guts on the screen in front of me.
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Monday, April 17, 2006
Thursday, April 13, 2006
I'm sure this is probably getting old but I need something explained to me.
Why does the world care so much about the nature of Katie Holmes upcoming childbirth? Since when did stuff like this matter to us? So what if she wants to pay heed to the idiotic rituals of a half-baked excuse for a religion! This shouldn't be something with which we occupy our time, or our print media.
Yes, the concept of 'silent birth' is asinine. Or 'quiet birth' as the media has been forced to re-christen it, as their initial ravings on the subject were countered by proponents of Scientology. Is the 'religon' of Scientology stupid and moronic? Yes it is. But unless I'm mistaken we all agreed to leave persecution on the basis of religion behind us. It is unevolved to make fun of someone's pursuit of faith. Even if we think the faith is puerile and baseless.
Leave it alone. We shouldn't care if Katie Holmes wants to be duped. She's happy and I'm sure the child will be loved and well cared. If they want to foolhardily try and hold the passage in solemn reflection that's there business. Maybe it'll pay off and the baby won't cry as much when its small. Who are we to say it won't work?
Why does the world care so much about the nature of Katie Holmes upcoming childbirth? Since when did stuff like this matter to us? So what if she wants to pay heed to the idiotic rituals of a half-baked excuse for a religion! This shouldn't be something with which we occupy our time, or our print media.
Yes, the concept of 'silent birth' is asinine. Or 'quiet birth' as the media has been forced to re-christen it, as their initial ravings on the subject were countered by proponents of Scientology. Is the 'religon' of Scientology stupid and moronic? Yes it is. But unless I'm mistaken we all agreed to leave persecution on the basis of religion behind us. It is unevolved to make fun of someone's pursuit of faith. Even if we think the faith is puerile and baseless.
Leave it alone. We shouldn't care if Katie Holmes wants to be duped. She's happy and I'm sure the child will be loved and well cared. If they want to foolhardily try and hold the passage in solemn reflection that's there business. Maybe it'll pay off and the baby won't cry as much when its small. Who are we to say it won't work?
I need something explained to me.
Why is it important that everything get shredded? I don't understand this. You give someone a shredder by their desk and every piece of paper they don't want anymore has to be shredded. Why!?! Can you not put it in a recycle bin and maybe use it as scrap paper? Or just leave it a refuse piece of paper? What's really accomplished by shredding it into little strips? I don't understand this.
Why is it important that everything get shredded? I don't understand this. You give someone a shredder by their desk and every piece of paper they don't want anymore has to be shredded. Why!?! Can you not put it in a recycle bin and maybe use it as scrap paper? Or just leave it a refuse piece of paper? What's really accomplished by shredding it into little strips? I don't understand this.
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Monday, April 10, 2006
Saturday, April 08, 2006
I was sitting in my living room yesterday at lunch looking for something to watch on TV. I don't get many channels at the current time because my satellite dish is improperly aligned. One channel I do get is WGN from Chicago. They were playing the Cubs season opener at Wrigley Field. This brought to mind for me the question, who should my MLB team be, now the the Expos have been cruelly excised.
Should I adopt the Chicago Cubs as MY team?
Should I adopt the Chicago Cubs as MY team?
Friday, April 07, 2006
I want to alert all of my blog readers to a culinary classic that for the most part remains hidden in obscurity, long from the lights of celebrity. And this which I speak of is the Quiznos beef deep sandwich. While an unassuming name, trust me friends when I tell you that the delight to the pallete is not to be overlooked. It is sheer delight to the senses. Quiznos has been strong on chicken sandwiches, and I've taken to their savory delights on many an occasion. Now the masters at Quiznos have trained their skills on the beef line of sandwiches. And their attempts have been an unqualified home run. I look forward to my next meal and the chance to sample another beef sandwich sure to thrill the senses, a prime rib sandwich.
That's all from me. Now its back to the kitchen for more scrumptiousness.
That's all from me. Now its back to the kitchen for more scrumptiousness.
Thursday, April 06, 2006
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
I had a strange dream last night.
I was driving ATV's around Warman. I met my cousin Bruce for lunch at a Subway. Then afterwards I was just driving around Warman looking for the computer store he was supposed to be working in. But he took the afternoon to go golfing, so he wasn't there. The computer store turned out to be in the back of a drug store on a side street.
After that I ended up chasing these people on other ATV's that were devil worshippers. I was something like a police officer, but only for capturing satanists. I partied up with some other people and eventually we caught enough of them that we could have a softball game.
I'm not sure why we wanted to have a softball game but we did. We played on a field that was too small so everyone was hitting towering shots deep into the outfield. The 'home run' line was putting it over the railway track that was in the outfield.
The team I was on should have been the winner but we ended up way behind and needed 18 runs in the last two innings to force a tie. There were several people from my childhood on the team I was playing on. We were just coming up to bat in the second to last inning when I woke up.
I was driving ATV's around Warman. I met my cousin Bruce for lunch at a Subway. Then afterwards I was just driving around Warman looking for the computer store he was supposed to be working in. But he took the afternoon to go golfing, so he wasn't there. The computer store turned out to be in the back of a drug store on a side street.
After that I ended up chasing these people on other ATV's that were devil worshippers. I was something like a police officer, but only for capturing satanists. I partied up with some other people and eventually we caught enough of them that we could have a softball game.
I'm not sure why we wanted to have a softball game but we did. We played on a field that was too small so everyone was hitting towering shots deep into the outfield. The 'home run' line was putting it over the railway track that was in the outfield.
The team I was on should have been the winner but we ended up way behind and needed 18 runs in the last two innings to force a tie. There were several people from my childhood on the team I was playing on. We were just coming up to bat in the second to last inning when I woke up.
Monday, April 03, 2006
Friday, March 31, 2006
I spent 20 minutes trying to get to Credit Union Centre. What the hell is up with that? How is it that they make the right decision, and build the arena in the north end and then completely bollux the traffic routing into the facility? I don't get it. It was a playoff hockey game. Yes, there was nearly 8000 people at the game. But come on! I shouldn't need 20 minutes to get into the parking lot. That's just crazy.
Color me unimpressed.
P.S. The Blades sucks.
Color me unimpressed.
P.S. The Blades sucks.
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Today was a red letter day!
I finished the last of my contractor improvements to my house. Well actually, I didn't do anything to reach this point, but I shepherded things to this point. The plumbers were in today to move the water lines for my washing machine to the back of the house where I intend to do laundry from now on. By lunch everything was hooked up and the final puzzle piece was in place.
I monkeyed around with some stuff after work tonight. Since the garage addition is finished, for the most part, I put some stuff back there. And of course I moved the laundry equipment to its final spot.
Its good to be done!
I finished the last of my contractor improvements to my house. Well actually, I didn't do anything to reach this point, but I shepherded things to this point. The plumbers were in today to move the water lines for my washing machine to the back of the house where I intend to do laundry from now on. By lunch everything was hooked up and the final puzzle piece was in place.
I monkeyed around with some stuff after work tonight. Since the garage addition is finished, for the most part, I put some stuff back there. And of course I moved the laundry equipment to its final spot.
Its good to be done!
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Monday, March 27, 2006
Saturday, March 25, 2006
Who picked the size of the perforations on a roll of toilet paper? Did you ever take a look at how small one square of toilet paper is? I had some time to contemplate this question this evening. I looked into it. One square of toilet paper is approximately the size of a Post-It note. A Post-It note!!! How can you get any business done with that much paper?
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
Things That Piss Me Off:
I really hate when you watch curling and they say 'Good shot' after every throw. Some of the shots are absolutely abysmal. Don't say 'good shot' when they've totally carped it! You don't have to call them a loser, but at least spare me the damn 'good shot' comment when you've given up a steal of three.
I really hate when you watch curling and they say 'Good shot' after every throw. Some of the shots are absolutely abysmal. Don't say 'good shot' when they've totally carped it! You don't have to call them a loser, but at least spare me the damn 'good shot' comment when you've given up a steal of three.
I've made a decision.
The Ottawa Renegades need me.
The CFL can't afford to have the Ottawa franchise disappear from the landscape again. And there's absolutely no reason why it should. There is nothing about the Ottawa situation that makes it especially prone to losing vast sums of money. I place the blame for their woeful situation squarely on the owners. If you piss away millions of dollars then of course you're going to have monumental losses. Its all about careful planning.
I love the CFL. Call it bush league but I think the brand of football is exciting, and I've always rooted for its underdog nature. Now I want to be a part. I'm not a millionaire, or someone that can root out millions of dollars from the woodwork to cover vast losses. I'm just a guy that loves the CFL, is a prudent fiscal planner, and truly believes in his product. So why not me? Give me the team and let me see if I can't make this work. Everything is there for a successful franchise. Let's give it a shot.
The Ottawa Renegades need me.
The CFL can't afford to have the Ottawa franchise disappear from the landscape again. And there's absolutely no reason why it should. There is nothing about the Ottawa situation that makes it especially prone to losing vast sums of money. I place the blame for their woeful situation squarely on the owners. If you piss away millions of dollars then of course you're going to have monumental losses. Its all about careful planning.
I love the CFL. Call it bush league but I think the brand of football is exciting, and I've always rooted for its underdog nature. Now I want to be a part. I'm not a millionaire, or someone that can root out millions of dollars from the woodwork to cover vast losses. I'm just a guy that loves the CFL, is a prudent fiscal planner, and truly believes in his product. So why not me? Give me the team and let me see if I can't make this work. Everything is there for a successful franchise. Let's give it a shot.
Sunday, March 19, 2006
Saturday, March 18, 2006
Friday, March 17, 2006
Okay, I am officially pissed off now.
I went to a lot of effort, and even more expense, to get myself an attached garage to my house. There was considerable anguish that went into the decision to do this, and then to try and realize the dream. But I did do it, and now it sits in my yard.
And I can't get into it.
I spent nearly an hour this evening, trying to get my truck into the garage. It was to no avail. There is absolutely no way I'm getting in there any time soon. Its all this damn snow! And compounding that is a huge dip in what should be the driveway of my yard. The snow is slippery and I can't get any traction. Then I slide into the dip in the driveway and I can't keep going towards the garage. So I go back, and try again. Over and over its the same thing. Too much slipping and sliding to make it through the small portal that lets me into salvation.
So the damn thing sits in my yard, unused. And thus I'm pissed off.
If you need me, I'll be cursing at the heavens.
I went to a lot of effort, and even more expense, to get myself an attached garage to my house. There was considerable anguish that went into the decision to do this, and then to try and realize the dream. But I did do it, and now it sits in my yard.
And I can't get into it.
I spent nearly an hour this evening, trying to get my truck into the garage. It was to no avail. There is absolutely no way I'm getting in there any time soon. Its all this damn snow! And compounding that is a huge dip in what should be the driveway of my yard. The snow is slippery and I can't get any traction. Then I slide into the dip in the driveway and I can't keep going towards the garage. So I go back, and try again. Over and over its the same thing. Too much slipping and sliding to make it through the small portal that lets me into salvation.
So the damn thing sits in my yard, unused. And thus I'm pissed off.
If you need me, I'll be cursing at the heavens.
Thursday, March 16, 2006
They really don't make it easy on a guy to stay fit and in shape. Its a sporting event on television and its nearly non-stop food commercials.
Tasty looking chicken sandwiches tantalize you from the screen.
Mouth watering pizza's taunt you during 30 second teases.
Hamburgers the likes of which you'll never see in a fast food place, call to you with seductive voices.
Popcorn shrimp dance in your eyes.
Its all too much. How can I work on my diet and fitness level when all of these food commercials inundate me from the TV screen!?! I'm losing my grip!!!
By the way, I think I'll buy a new Gillette Fusion.
Tasty looking chicken sandwiches tantalize you from the screen.
Mouth watering pizza's taunt you during 30 second teases.
Hamburgers the likes of which you'll never see in a fast food place, call to you with seductive voices.
Popcorn shrimp dance in your eyes.
Its all too much. How can I work on my diet and fitness level when all of these food commercials inundate me from the TV screen!?! I'm losing my grip!!!
By the way, I think I'll buy a new Gillette Fusion.
Saskatoon drivers SUCK!!!
I had no less than four driving adventures as I came into the city this morning. For those that know Saskatoon, the places named will make sense. For any others, bear with me, as the stupidity knows no geographic bounds.
As I always do, I came in from in the east on College Avenue. I needed to be in the north end, so I had to get onto Circle Drive. To accomplish this there is a merge lane that takes you from College Drive going east-west, to Circle Drive which at that point is going north-south. So I get behind someone on the merge lane. And they come to a complete STOP on the merge lane. WHY!?! There was room to get into traffic. The flow was light. There was no reason to stop, for criminy sake. Nevertheless they did, as I cursed a mean blue streak.
Then I continue around on Circle Drive, as I approach the bridge over the South Saskatchewan River. Some moron comes flying up off the Attridge Drive merge lane. There is a cargo truck ahead in that lane. So with barely a nickel's width of room, this idiot goes Mario Andretti and cuts up into my lane, ahead of me, necessitating brakes and more cursing.
I managed to make it several blocks before another Captain Wizard showed himself. I stop for a light at the Quiznos on Circle Drive and our latest genius pulls a U-turn at the turning of the light, right in the face of oncoming traffic. It was a beat-up looking van so I guess he has nothing else to live for.
Our final act of moronic behaviour followed quickly on the heels of the previous one. The light at Circle and Northridge was clearly red but someone in a red Blazer had a desperate need to be somewhere. So after a hesitation (thus marking this as a conscious decision) the jackass drives through the intersection. Compounding the idiocy, they also made a lane change as they passed through the intersection. The final definition of this ridiculous behaviour is evidenced as I happened to pass Colonel Impatient a block later, as their pushy behaviour put them behind a large truck at the next light, which was not able to get going quickly on the snow covered streets. Just another example of why patience often does win the day.
Suffice it to say, I was glad to reach my destination and stop driving. I didn't think so much stupidity could show itself in one 10 minute period.
I had no less than four driving adventures as I came into the city this morning. For those that know Saskatoon, the places named will make sense. For any others, bear with me, as the stupidity knows no geographic bounds.
As I always do, I came in from in the east on College Avenue. I needed to be in the north end, so I had to get onto Circle Drive. To accomplish this there is a merge lane that takes you from College Drive going east-west, to Circle Drive which at that point is going north-south. So I get behind someone on the merge lane. And they come to a complete STOP on the merge lane. WHY!?! There was room to get into traffic. The flow was light. There was no reason to stop, for criminy sake. Nevertheless they did, as I cursed a mean blue streak.
Then I continue around on Circle Drive, as I approach the bridge over the South Saskatchewan River. Some moron comes flying up off the Attridge Drive merge lane. There is a cargo truck ahead in that lane. So with barely a nickel's width of room, this idiot goes Mario Andretti and cuts up into my lane, ahead of me, necessitating brakes and more cursing.
I managed to make it several blocks before another Captain Wizard showed himself. I stop for a light at the Quiznos on Circle Drive and our latest genius pulls a U-turn at the turning of the light, right in the face of oncoming traffic. It was a beat-up looking van so I guess he has nothing else to live for.
Our final act of moronic behaviour followed quickly on the heels of the previous one. The light at Circle and Northridge was clearly red but someone in a red Blazer had a desperate need to be somewhere. So after a hesitation (thus marking this as a conscious decision) the jackass drives through the intersection. Compounding the idiocy, they also made a lane change as they passed through the intersection. The final definition of this ridiculous behaviour is evidenced as I happened to pass Colonel Impatient a block later, as their pushy behaviour put them behind a large truck at the next light, which was not able to get going quickly on the snow covered streets. Just another example of why patience often does win the day.
Suffice it to say, I was glad to reach my destination and stop driving. I didn't think so much stupidity could show itself in one 10 minute period.
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
What's the deal with this newest trend in spam advertising? Why is every second email I get an offer for a free gift card to something? And its always American chain stores that are 'supposedly' offering me a free gift card. And if you read the fine print (which I sometimes do just because I'm bored) you'll note that its limited to US citizens only. So why spam the whole world with this crap? The least you could do, as a halfway reasonable human being, is buy a damn mailing list that contained only US mailing addresses. But no, these annoying emails have to go out to the whole world.
Does anyone actually GET a free gift card? Or is the whole thing just another pointless internet scam? I get so tired of the crap that gets perpetuated on the internet. At least with the email jokes that go around, you get a chuckle or a funny picture. But spam just annoys you.
If no one really gets anything, and everyone gets annoyed with the emails, what's the point?
Does anyone actually GET a free gift card? Or is the whole thing just another pointless internet scam? I get so tired of the crap that gets perpetuated on the internet. At least with the email jokes that go around, you get a chuckle or a funny picture. But spam just annoys you.
If no one really gets anything, and everyone gets annoyed with the emails, what's the point?
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
I have to tell this story about my trip to Mexico. . .
We had possibly the worst flight times ever. Our flight back to Canada was scheduled for 3:50 in the morning. Our ride to the airport was listed to pick us up at 1:00 in the morning. This is a full half day after the check-out time for the hotel, which is pegged at 12:00 (noon).
Obviously we were unenthusiastic about being 'homeless' for half a day. So we inquired about whether it would be possible to keep a room for a few hours, so we could shower, change, and basically have a home base as we finished our last few hours in the tropical paradise that is Puerto Vallarta. Our multiple inquiries, with multiple suggestions were all met with the response they were 'too busy' and couldn't spare a room. The one concession we got was that we could have a 'hospitality room' at the end of the day to clean up, and get ready to wait out the evening. Reluctantly we leave our rooms at noon. I abandoned the home I'd had in good ol' room 6103.
So the afternoon ends and we're sweaty, hot, and probably a little smelly, from being by the pool, swimming, drinking, and enjoying our last few hours. We inquire about this hospitality room we'd been promised. Our request is met with blank stares. Finally we got across the point that they'd PROMISED us facilities to get cleaned up in, so we wouldn't have to travel looking and feeling like homeless people. After more confusion we manage to get a key to a room so we could shower, change, and so on.
The key they give us is to room 6103. It had been empty all along.
We had possibly the worst flight times ever. Our flight back to Canada was scheduled for 3:50 in the morning. Our ride to the airport was listed to pick us up at 1:00 in the morning. This is a full half day after the check-out time for the hotel, which is pegged at 12:00 (noon).
Obviously we were unenthusiastic about being 'homeless' for half a day. So we inquired about whether it would be possible to keep a room for a few hours, so we could shower, change, and basically have a home base as we finished our last few hours in the tropical paradise that is Puerto Vallarta. Our multiple inquiries, with multiple suggestions were all met with the response they were 'too busy' and couldn't spare a room. The one concession we got was that we could have a 'hospitality room' at the end of the day to clean up, and get ready to wait out the evening. Reluctantly we leave our rooms at noon. I abandoned the home I'd had in good ol' room 6103.
So the afternoon ends and we're sweaty, hot, and probably a little smelly, from being by the pool, swimming, drinking, and enjoying our last few hours. We inquire about this hospitality room we'd been promised. Our request is met with blank stares. Finally we got across the point that they'd PROMISED us facilities to get cleaned up in, so we wouldn't have to travel looking and feeling like homeless people. After more confusion we manage to get a key to a room so we could shower, change, and so on.
The key they give us is to room 6103. It had been empty all along.
Friday, February 24, 2006
Thursday, February 23, 2006
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
I gotta say something. . .
What the hell is wrong with technology? Why is it that we can't find a way to seamlessly move from one state of existence into another? How is it that we have to leave backdoors and deadends to everything as we move forward?
I have a problem. The 'computer' that controls my pilot unit can only store approximately 45 days worth of performance data before it needs to be downloaded. To get the data off the controller, I need to connect it to a regular computer, like a laptop. But do they make that easy?
HELL NO!!!
To connect to this controller I need a 25 pin serial connection. Do you know how hard it is to find a computer with a serial port on it? Its damn near impossible! First of all, anything portable, like a laptop, does NOT have a serial port on it. If you want a laptop with a serial port on it, it has to be old. OOOOOLD!!! Next of all you have to be able to communicate via the serial connection. Does Windows want to communicate over a serial port?
HELL NO!!!
So I waste 6 hours and another 8 on driving there and back . . twice. And in the end I don't have my data. Plus I'll probably LOSE some of it because it doesn't look like I'll have this problem solved before the 45th day.
Technology pisses me off.
What the hell is wrong with technology? Why is it that we can't find a way to seamlessly move from one state of existence into another? How is it that we have to leave backdoors and deadends to everything as we move forward?
I have a problem. The 'computer' that controls my pilot unit can only store approximately 45 days worth of performance data before it needs to be downloaded. To get the data off the controller, I need to connect it to a regular computer, like a laptop. But do they make that easy?
HELL NO!!!
To connect to this controller I need a 25 pin serial connection. Do you know how hard it is to find a computer with a serial port on it? Its damn near impossible! First of all, anything portable, like a laptop, does NOT have a serial port on it. If you want a laptop with a serial port on it, it has to be old. OOOOOLD!!! Next of all you have to be able to communicate via the serial connection. Does Windows want to communicate over a serial port?
HELL NO!!!
So I waste 6 hours and another 8 on driving there and back . . twice. And in the end I don't have my data. Plus I'll probably LOSE some of it because it doesn't look like I'll have this problem solved before the 45th day.
Technology pisses me off.