lundi, décembre 06, 2004
samedi, novembre 27, 2004
Voting: Free versus Slave States
Voting: Free versus Slave States paints a funny picture.
Why am I not surprised?
Incidentally, yes, I am aware I haven't posted here in, like, forever. I will remedy that shortly.
Why am I not surprised?
Incidentally, yes, I am aware I haven't posted here in, like, forever. I will remedy that shortly.
lundi, novembre 22, 2004
dimanche, novembre 21, 2004
The bill's come and it's due now
After helping him win the election, the Right are showing W the bill, and he needs to pony up.
mercredi, novembre 10, 2004
Northern lights
I just saw an amazing display of northern lights, right outside my home. Gigantic, greenish-white waves of light streaking through the skies, filling about half the starry globe with a ghostly, evanescent glow. And then, nothing. Just a starry, inky void.
I'm turning into a poet. Better go to bed now, before it gets worse.
I'm turning into a poet. Better go to bed now, before it gets worse.
Holy shit! This is getting ridiculous!
According to USA Today (where we take real news and make them into easy-to-understand pie charts!), some Texaspharmacist refuses to give out The Pill to his patient and gets away with it.
This is fucking crazy. Says the woman who missed a pill because of the fucktard: "Their job is not to regulate what people take or do. It's just to fill the prescription that was ordered by my physician."
The article keeps on: "Some pharmacists, however, disagree and refuse on moral grounds to fill prescriptions for contraceptives. And states from Rhode Island to Washington have proposed laws that would protect such decisions", it says.
Ri-god-damned-diculous.
And it gets better: some asshat in Madison, WI, not only refused to fill the prescription (which is stupid as it is - do these people think they're doctors?), but "did not transfer it to another pharmacist or return it to the woman."
Wow. I'm speechless.
This is fucking crazy. Says the woman who missed a pill because of the fucktard: "Their job is not to regulate what people take or do. It's just to fill the prescription that was ordered by my physician."
The article keeps on: "Some pharmacists, however, disagree and refuse on moral grounds to fill prescriptions for contraceptives. And states from Rhode Island to Washington have proposed laws that would protect such decisions", it says.
Ri-god-damned-diculous.
And it gets better: some asshat in Madison, WI, not only refused to fill the prescription (which is stupid as it is - do these people think they're doctors?), but "did not transfer it to another pharmacist or return it to the woman."
Wow. I'm speechless.
samedi, novembre 06, 2004
mercredi, novembre 03, 2004
If I was your friend, I'd say "I'm very disappointed in you."
Really. If I was your mom, I'd be all "Wait 'till your father gets home!"If I was your girlfriend, I'd go "How could you do this to me?" If I was your priest, I'd be yelling "Repent!"
But I'm not. I'm just the entire world, looking at you with shame, America.
Shame, shame, shame on you.
(at least turnout was almost good)
But I'm not. I'm just the entire world, looking at you with shame, America.
Shame, shame, shame on you.
(at least turnout was almost good)
Election night in the States - Addendum
Well, call me a wuss, but it's past 2AM and I'm going to bed.
CNN's calling Ohio "Too close to call", giving us a tally of GWB-249, JFK-211.
CBS was rather aggressive with their calling states earlier, but have calmed down now. They're giving 249-221, calling Minnesota for Kerry, something CNN hasn't done yet.
NBC gives Ohio to Bush, and still refuses to give either Minnesota or New Hampshire to Kerry, meaning they say it's 269-207.
FOX News says it's 269-221. Well, it's Fox, so, you know.. it doesn't really matter.
Seeya tomorrow!
CNN's calling Ohio "Too close to call", giving us a tally of GWB-249, JFK-211.
CBS was rather aggressive with their calling states earlier, but have calmed down now. They're giving 249-221, calling Minnesota for Kerry, something CNN hasn't done yet.
NBC gives Ohio to Bush, and still refuses to give either Minnesota or New Hampshire to Kerry, meaning they say it's 269-207.
FOX News says it's 269-221. Well, it's Fox, so, you know.. it doesn't really matter.
Seeya tomorrow!
mardi, novembre 02, 2004
Election night in the States
Tonight, I'll be watching the Election 2004 coverage, mostly on CNN.
I'll be taking a short break, however, between 10PM and 11PM - that's when Jon Stewart comes out with his Election Night 2004: Prelude to a Recall special. That'll be amazing.
If you didn't go vote, shame on you. If you did, then good.
If you did, and you voted Democrat, then double-plus-good.
I'll be taking a short break, however, between 10PM and 11PM - that's when Jon Stewart comes out with his Election Night 2004: Prelude to a Recall special. That'll be amazing.
If you didn't go vote, shame on you. If you did, then good.
If you did, and you voted Democrat, then double-plus-good.
Bush Pre-senile Dementia?
This video shows President (or Soon-to-be-former President, depending on which side you're on) over a period of 10 years, and makes a diagnosis of Pre-senile Dementia Video.
vendredi, octobre 29, 2004
Update! It seems I live in Sodom and/or Gomorrah
According to the Daily News Tribune, the Montreal spring break trip is also a "dangerous, unsanctioned and unsupervised sex and booze trip to Canada", filled with "drunken rowdiness" and, two years ago, "a group was kicked out of a hotel after teens threw beer bottles and televisions off the hotel balconies". Kids come back with "frightening stories from nightclubs and strip clubs".
I don't know about the ones in Massachusetts, but our strip clubs aren't scary at all...
I don't know about the ones in Massachusetts, but our strip clubs aren't scary at all...
I live in Babylon
Fears over drinking put end to high school trip, says the Boston Globe.
So parents are preventing their kids from coming to Montreal, cause they might be drinking? Ha!
I can barely spend a weekend in Montreal when there's a long holiday weekend in Vermont, Massachusetts or New York. Suddenly, the city gets filled with drunken teens, flashing their American money around like we're Cuba or Somalia and it somehow made us respect them more, and it often ends up in small group fights in the streets. Our police doesn't even pretend to care anymore.
Seriously, what do you think the kids do, when they're 19 years old and can't drink? They come to Montreal, where they can, starting at 18.
"We've heard rumors of prostitution, and lax marijuana policy means it's more accessible", said one Boston principal, after getting called by a Montreal journalist. Indeed, those things are true. And that's why your kids come here.
Plus, we've got strippers.
So parents are preventing their kids from coming to Montreal, cause they might be drinking? Ha!
I can barely spend a weekend in Montreal when there's a long holiday weekend in Vermont, Massachusetts or New York. Suddenly, the city gets filled with drunken teens, flashing their American money around like we're Cuba or Somalia and it somehow made us respect them more, and it often ends up in small group fights in the streets. Our police doesn't even pretend to care anymore.
Seriously, what do you think the kids do, when they're 19 years old and can't drink? They come to Montreal, where they can, starting at 18.
"We've heard rumors of prostitution, and lax marijuana policy means it's more accessible", said one Boston principal, after getting called by a Montreal journalist. Indeed, those things are true. And that's why your kids come here.
Plus, we've got strippers.
I haven't been posting much here lately
I haven't been posting much here, lately, and it's not for lack of things to say.
Frankly, I haven't had a minute to myself in the last two weeks or so. Between work, midterm, correcting my girlfriend's Master's Thesis, translating medical documents for my mom and sleeping a bit, there's not much time.
Midterms went well. I'm already at the 25-book mark on my list, and that's good. In order to complete the basic requirements, I only need five more between now and December. Score!
I'll try and update more frequently from now on.
Frankly, I haven't had a minute to myself in the last two weeks or so. Between work, midterm, correcting my girlfriend's Master's Thesis, translating medical documents for my mom and sleeping a bit, there's not much time.
Midterms went well. I'm already at the 25-book mark on my list, and that's good. In order to complete the basic requirements, I only need five more between now and December. Score!
I'll try and update more frequently from now on.
mardi, octobre 19, 2004
New camera!
Finally, I got myself a brand spankin' new, digital camera.
Hooray, w00t, and all that stuff.
It's the Konica Minolta Z3, and I'm pretty happy about it.
You will now be subjected, every day, right here, to a crapload of bad pictures of me, my cat and the asphalt in front of my house.
Or not.
Hooray, w00t, and all that stuff.
It's the Konica Minolta Z3, and I'm pretty happy about it.
You will now be subjected, every day, right here, to a crapload of bad pictures of me, my cat and the asphalt in front of my house.
Or not.
dimanche, octobre 17, 2004
mercredi, octobre 13, 2004
mardi, octobre 12, 2004
Pulling Back the Curtain
In Pulling Back the Curtain: What a Top Reporter in Baghdad Really Thinks About the War, we get a glimpse of how reporters actually feel about working in Iraq, under those conditions.
Metajournalism at its finest.
Metajournalism at its finest.
lundi, octobre 11, 2004
Bush's Debate Notes
The Talent Show has the exclusive scribblings we all saw Bush jot down during the debate, this week.
Hey. It's easy. But it's fun.
Hey. It's easy. But it's fun.
A Quick Fix
To put it country simple, Earth has a lot of things other folks might want...
Like the whole planet.
And maybe these folks would like a few changes made...
Like more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere...
And room for their way of life.
We've seen this happen before, right in these United States.
Your way of life destroyed the Indian's way of life.
You gave them reservations, didn't you?
But my own position is ticklish:
I'm with the invaders, no use trying to hide that.
And at the same, I disagree with some of the things they are doing.
Oh, we're not united anymore than you are.
Oh, we're not united anymore than you are.
Conservative faction is set on nuclear war as the solution to the, uh,
"personnel problem"; others disagree.
Others disagree.
Others disagree.
I don't claim that my motives are one hundred percent humane.
But I do say, if we can't think up anything quieter and tidier than that...
We aren't all that much better than you Earthlings.
There is no place else to go
The theater is closed
There is no place else to go
The theater is closed
Cut word lines
Cut music lines
Smash the control images
Smash the control machine.
William Burroughs. Pertinent, as always.
jeudi, octobre 07, 2004
This is ridiculously obscenely disgusting
I'm fairly certain I've never seen something quite as horrible as this.
This is the kind of shit that makes me want to puke, for real.
Big time.
This is the kind of shit that makes me want to puke, for real.
Big time.
mercredi, octobre 06, 2004
A book
Right now, I'm studying, in midst of a captivating book. And it's not a normal book, too.
It's got a story, it's got an author, it's got all that a book should contain. It's La disparition, and it is an uncommon book. Distinct, unusual, dissimilar, all apply to it.
But a thing's missing. Do you know what? If you look smartly at this post, you might just find it out. But only if you look hard, or think hard.
I don't think it I'm highlighting it as obviously as I could. But as soon as you find it, you will look at this post in a dissimilar light, mayhaps.
It's in my list of books, for school. In my curriculum, if you want. I'm up to 18 out of 80, and I should go rapidly if I want to avoid having a lot of catching up to do in my final month of my annum.
First to post on this, wins a gmail invitation from yours truly! (grins)
(Still figuring it out?)
(whoa! this was hard writing! i didn't think i'd go through that much until I'd fully go crazy!)
It's got a story, it's got an author, it's got all that a book should contain. It's La disparition, and it is an uncommon book. Distinct, unusual, dissimilar, all apply to it.
But a thing's missing. Do you know what? If you look smartly at this post, you might just find it out. But only if you look hard, or think hard.
I don't think it I'm highlighting it as obviously as I could. But as soon as you find it, you will look at this post in a dissimilar light, mayhaps.
It's in my list of books, for school. In my curriculum, if you want. I'm up to 18 out of 80, and I should go rapidly if I want to avoid having a lot of catching up to do in my final month of my annum.
First to post on this, wins a gmail invitation from yours truly! (grins)
(Still figuring it out?)
(whoa! this was hard writing! i didn't think i'd go through that much until I'd fully go crazy!)
vendredi, octobre 01, 2004
Interesting political hair-splitting.
Windbag Surfing - On Kerry's flip-flops, Bush is framing the guilty is a very interesting article on the way the campaign is being handled by the GOP in this year's election, and why the Dems can't seem to fight back.
Google Local Find Weird Things
Google Local is a new product (in Canada) by Google - you search for stuff and specify which city you're in - it gives you addresses and a map to locate the stores / businesses / other you found.
Except, I decided to have a little fun, and find the limits of Google Local.
So, having the twisted mind that I have, look for "contraband", "marijuana" and "hookers", in Montreal, and find nothing funnier than the fact that the Hotel Lord Berri rooms have "computer hookers and coffee machines".
But "hooker" gave something semi-funny, at least, so I tried "prostitutes".
Number 4 result, in Montreal, for "prostitutes"? Dawson College.
Fun-nay.
Except, I decided to have a little fun, and find the limits of Google Local.
So, having the twisted mind that I have, look for "contraband", "marijuana" and "hookers", in Montreal, and find nothing funnier than the fact that the Hotel Lord Berri rooms have "computer hookers and coffee machines".
But "hooker" gave something semi-funny, at least, so I tried "prostitutes".
Number 4 result, in Montreal, for "prostitutes"? Dawson College.
Fun-nay.
jeudi, septembre 30, 2004
My list is complete!
Ladies and gentlemen, my 48-book list has finally been approved. And here it is:
If you're wondering what my full reading list looks like, you can check out the other 32 right here.
- Homère – L'Odyssée (fragments) (fin VIIIè av. JC)
- Platon – La République (fragments) (-576)
- Sophocle – Œdipe Roi (-430)
- Rutebeuf – Poèmes de l’infortune (XIIIè s.)
- Dante Alighieri – La Divine Comédie (only L'enfer) (1472)
- Niccólo Machiavelli – Le Prince (1513)
- William Shakespeare – Hamlet (1603)
- Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais – Le mariage de Figaro (1784)
- Denis Diderot – Jacques le fataliste et son maître (1796)
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe – Faust (1808)
- Alphonse Lamartine – Méditations poétiques (1820)
- Stendhal – Le rouge et le noir (1830)
- Edgar Allan Poe – Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque (1839)
- Charles Baudelaire – Les Paradis Artificiels (1860)
- Paul Verlaine – Poèmes saturniens (1866)
- Comte de Lautréamont – Les Chants de Malodor (1868)
- Alphonse Daudet –Les lettres de mon moulin (1869)
- Arthur Rimbaud – Une Saison en Enfer (1873)
- Victor Hugo – Quatrevingt-treize (1874)
- Gustave Flaubert – Trois Contes (1877)
- Robert Louis Stevenson – L'étrange cas du Dr. Jekyll et Mr. Hyde (1886)
- Oscar Wilde – The Picture of Dorian Gray(1890)
- Edmond Rostand – Cyrano de Bergerac (1897)
- James Joyce – Ulysses (fragments) (1922)
- André Breton – Manifestes du Surréalisme (1924)
- André Gide – Les faux-monnayeurs (1925)
- Louis-Ferdinand Céline – Voyage au bout de la nuit (1932)
- Jean Cocteau – La machine infernale (1934)
- Hector de St-Denys Garneau – Regards et jeux dans l'espace (1937)
- Jean-Paul Sartre – La Nausée (1938)
- Albert Camus – L'étranger (1942)
- Albert Camus – Caligula (1944)
- Jean-Paul Sartre – L'existentialisme est un humanisme (1945)
- Boris Vian – L'écume des jours (1947)
- Paul-Émile Borduas – Refus Global (1948)
- Gratien Gélinas – Tit-coq (1948)
- Raymond Queneau – Petite cosmogonie portative (1950)
- Samuel Beckett – En Attendant Godot (1952)
- Jack Kerouac – On The Road (in English) (1957)
- Raymond Queneau – Zazie dans le Métro (1959)
- Eugène Ionesco – Rhinocéros (1960)
- Réjean Ducharme – Ines Pérée et Inat Tendu (1968)
- Georges Perec – La Disparition (1969)
- Pierre Vallières – Nègres Blancs d'Amérique (1969)
- Alfred Jarry – Ubu Roi (1978)
- Philippe Sollers – Portrait du joueur (1984)
- Jean Tardieu – La comédie du langage (1987)
- Christian Mistral – Vamp (1988) (ou Vautour (1990))
If you're wondering what my full reading list looks like, you can check out the other 32 right here.
I saw one of my teachers today.
I met with one of my teachers today. I was taking his class last semester, and it was about experimental novels, a concept I had no idea about before taking that class.
It was also a fourth-semester course. Which means people who take it usually have gone through the 80 books already, and have passed a slew of other classes.
Not my case. I was a second-semester student, not even in the French Lit program. In fact, I had just spent almost eight years out of school, completely.
And I was sure the teacher knew that. But he didn't. I told him today, in passing, and his eyes got big. "You mean you're not a third-year student now?" Hell, no. "Well, I guess you'll have no problems going through the first year! I always thought you were at the same stage as the rest of the class, a second-year student..."
Makes me feel pretty kick-ass. Especially since I got an A- in that class.
Would've gotten more, but I didn't give punch or wine glasses to the students... (inside joke - don't worry about it)
It was also a fourth-semester course. Which means people who take it usually have gone through the 80 books already, and have passed a slew of other classes.
Not my case. I was a second-semester student, not even in the French Lit program. In fact, I had just spent almost eight years out of school, completely.
And I was sure the teacher knew that. But he didn't. I told him today, in passing, and his eyes got big. "You mean you're not a third-year student now?" Hell, no. "Well, I guess you'll have no problems going through the first year! I always thought you were at the same stage as the rest of the class, a second-year student..."
Makes me feel pretty kick-ass. Especially since I got an A- in that class.
Would've gotten more, but I didn't give punch or wine glasses to the students... (inside joke - don't worry about it)
mardi, septembre 28, 2004
Doctors prepared to do face transplant
Doctors prepared to do face transplant
ACK!
EDIT - Another one of those fallen-through-the-cracks posts. Still freaks me the fuck out, too.
ACK!
EDIT - Another one of those fallen-through-the-cracks posts. Still freaks me the fuck out, too.
Photographing the photographers at the Athens Olympics
Like he says - when you've got that many $20 000 cameras, you have no excuse for not getting the shot.
Edit - I had posted this around August 25th, but oddly enough it had never gone through. Here it is, again. I thought the picture was worth it.
Edit - I had posted this around August 25th, but oddly enough it had never gone through. Here it is, again. I thought the picture was worth it.
Yarr?
I feel bad - I missed this year's Talk Like A Pirate Day. It was on September 19th, and it completely fell unnoticed.
It fills me with shame. So, I decided to find out what my pirate name would be. Oddly enough, it's "Black Tom Vane". Here's what the fine folks at fidius.org think I'm like:
It fills me with shame. So, I decided to find out what my pirate name would be. Oddly enough, it's "Black Tom Vane". Here's what the fine folks at fidius.org think I'm like:
Like anyone confronted with the harshness of robbery on the high seas, you can be pessimistic at times. You tend to blend into the background occaisionally, but that's okay, because it's much easier to sneak up on people and disembowel them that way. Arr!
lundi, septembre 27, 2004
I love Jon Stewart
Jon Stewart talks about talking points, and how they drive a point home in the current American election campaign.
Then, he brings in a Republican to demonstrate.
Very, very effective.
Then, he brings in a Republican to demonstrate.
Very, very effective.
dimanche, septembre 26, 2004
Wicked Access
Wicked Access is the best cover band on Earth. Period.
Every God damned show I see, they blow me the fuck away.
Every time. If it isn't because they cover Britney Spears tracks, it's because the awesome singer manage to hit the notes in I Believe In A Thing Called Love or because they play a 10-minute-plus medley of Metallica songs - and nail the solos like it's nothing.
Oh, and Mike, the drummer? Best ever. He plays the drums like there's no tomorrow. You know, that Queens of the Stone Age song? Well, they play it - and Mike plays the drum part exactedly like Dave Grohl, except he uses only one hand.
Ridiculously good band, a jam-packed Baloo's, makes for a fun Saturday evening. They're coming back November 27th, and I'll be there. Show starts at 11PM, ends around 3AM. Yeah.
Every God damned show I see, they blow me the fuck away.
Every time. If it isn't because they cover Britney Spears tracks, it's because the awesome singer manage to hit the notes in I Believe In A Thing Called Love or because they play a 10-minute-plus medley of Metallica songs - and nail the solos like it's nothing.
Oh, and Mike, the drummer? Best ever. He plays the drums like there's no tomorrow. You know, that Queens of the Stone Age song? Well, they play it - and Mike plays the drum part exactedly like Dave Grohl, except he uses only one hand.
Ridiculously good band, a jam-packed Baloo's, makes for a fun Saturday evening. They're coming back November 27th, and I'll be there. Show starts at 11PM, ends around 3AM. Yeah.
samedi, septembre 25, 2004
Reise Reise
Hoo-ha. The best (presumably, only) representatives of operatic teuton heavy rock are back.
Reise reise is their latest release. And it's not bad, not bad at all.
I sometimes wonder why there are so little foreign-language bands who get airplay in America. In fact, Rammstein seem to be the only ones - aside from some marginal hispanic bands/singers who catch on in New Mexico and Florida, that is.
In fact, if it hadn't been for Lost Highway and its amazing soundtrack, we probably would've never heard of them. Makes me wonder. What else are we missing out on?
Reise reise is their latest release. And it's not bad, not bad at all.
I sometimes wonder why there are so little foreign-language bands who get airplay in America. In fact, Rammstein seem to be the only ones - aside from some marginal hispanic bands/singers who catch on in New Mexico and Florida, that is.
In fact, if it hadn't been for Lost Highway and its amazing soundtrack, we probably would've never heard of them. Makes me wonder. What else are we missing out on?
vendredi, septembre 24, 2004
Misc.
I was asked today if I wrote, at all, and I spontaneously answered 'no'. I quickly modulated my answer by saying that I did, indeed, have a blog, but no-one reads it; so it doesn't really matter, does it?
Does this count as writing? Does anything count as writing, when no-one reads? I feel like the proverbial tree-falling-in-the-forest: if no one hears me, do I still whine?
I'm still listening to Green Day non-stop. Fo' shizzle. It's still kicking my arse.
I'm not entirely sure I can keep up doing 12,5 hour days like that. 2 classes, plus work till 9. I get home completely beat.
... and if I hear more talk about attributes, complements and pronouns anytime soon, I swear I'll go mad.
Funnily enough, I never mentioned my famous Guide to Customer Service as "writing". Although acclaimed by everyone who read it, it was never actually made public, and I'm not sure it can actually interest, much less entertain anyone else.
Basically, while employed at Compucentre, I spent much time doing jack shit, so to pass the time I decided to write a spoof of the whoppingly ineffective Customer Service Manual the head-office supplied. A few pages turned into about twenty, each more sarcastic, dry-witted and irreverent than the next. My boss even wrote an appendix, mostly about how to deal with less-than-perfect employees.
Email me if you want in - I'll send you the PDF. There's no way for me to host it, unfortunately, so it's going to have to be email only. For now.
Does this count as writing? Does anything count as writing, when no-one reads? I feel like the proverbial tree-falling-in-the-forest: if no one hears me, do I still whine?
I'm still listening to Green Day non-stop. Fo' shizzle. It's still kicking my arse.
I'm not entirely sure I can keep up doing 12,5 hour days like that. 2 classes, plus work till 9. I get home completely beat.
... and if I hear more talk about attributes, complements and pronouns anytime soon, I swear I'll go mad.
Funnily enough, I never mentioned my famous Guide to Customer Service as "writing". Although acclaimed by everyone who read it, it was never actually made public, and I'm not sure it can actually interest, much less entertain anyone else.
Basically, while employed at Compucentre, I spent much time doing jack shit, so to pass the time I decided to write a spoof of the whoppingly ineffective Customer Service Manual the head-office supplied. A few pages turned into about twenty, each more sarcastic, dry-witted and irreverent than the next. My boss even wrote an appendix, mostly about how to deal with less-than-perfect employees.
Email me if you want in - I'll send you the PDF. There's no way for me to host it, unfortunately, so it's going to have to be email only. For now.
mercredi, septembre 22, 2004
Green Day Propaganda
... oh and Green Day also have a player that might interest you. It's got music, and stuff.
I just bought the best album of the year.
... and maybe of the last two or three years.
For real. Green Day's American Idiot kicks my ass from here to California, and back.
First, it's a mother fucking punk rock opera. How long's it been since the last rock opera? I don't know, decades?
And, most important of all, it's actually very, very, fucking good.
Good, as in I'm broke, I had downloaded it, and I still went and bought the Limited Edition. Good, as in I haven't listened to anything else since I got it. Good, as in go buy it, now.
And I didn't even use to like Green Day.
For real. Green Day's American Idiot kicks my ass from here to California, and back.
First, it's a mother fucking punk rock opera. How long's it been since the last rock opera? I don't know, decades?
And, most important of all, it's actually very, very, fucking good.
Good, as in I'm broke, I had downloaded it, and I still went and bought the Limited Edition. Good, as in I haven't listened to anything else since I got it. Good, as in go buy it, now.
And I didn't even use to like Green Day.
mardi, septembre 21, 2004
dimanche, septembre 19, 2004
Dude - did you see that guy's name?
Unfortunately, I have absolutely nothing to back me up on this one, so you'll have to trust me.
We got this customer, today, who came to pick up a roll of film. His name was:
Tieu Luong Kuoc.
That's right. And it's (presumably, as thought by pretty much everyone I asked) pronounced exactly like you'd think: Too, Long, Cock.
Poor guy. <slur>And he's Asian, too, so it really can't be true...</slur> Just kidding.
But, really. I really hope that's not how he actually pronounces it.
We got this customer, today, who came to pick up a roll of film. His name was:
Tieu Luong Kuoc.
That's right. And it's (presumably, as thought by pretty much everyone I asked) pronounced exactly like you'd think: Too, Long, Cock.
Poor guy. <slur>And he's Asian, too, so it really can't be true...</slur> Just kidding.
But, really. I really hope that's not how he actually pronounces it.
vendredi, septembre 17, 2004
The World's Best Browser Just Got Better
Firefox 1.0 Preview Release is available for your perusal.
Great things are afoot. Except, you'll have to make sure your extensions and themes can handle the 1.0 goodness.
Great things are afoot. Except, you'll have to make sure your extensions and themes can handle the 1.0 goodness.
I never saw it that way before
BoxJam's Doodle Comics
I never saw it that way before, but I'll be damned if this comic doesn't make more sense than the ads we see on TV.
I never saw it that way before, but I'll be damned if this comic doesn't make more sense than the ads we see on TV.
mardi, septembre 07, 2004
Books I need to read.
Well, as you (might) know, I'm in French Lit at the University, and that means I've got 80 books to read between September and end of May.
I'm putting my list here, as a reminder as much as anything else. I'll be greying out what I've read as I go along. Follow my progress, cheer me on, whatever.
These are the 32 books that have been decided by my teacher. The other 48, I'll pick and choose later.
I'm putting my list here, as a reminder as much as anything else. I'll be greying out what I've read as I go along. Follow my progress, cheer me on, whatever.
These are the 32 books that have been decided by my teacher. The other 48, I'll pick and choose later.
- François Villon, Oeuvres poétiques (1456)
- La Farce de Maistre Pathelin (1486)
- François Rabelais, Pantagruel (1532)
- Louise Labé, Oeuvres poétiques (1555)
- Corneille, Le Cid (1636)
- Jean de La Fontaine, Fables (1668)
- Molière, Le Tartuffe (1669)
- Racine, Phèdre (1677)
- Mme de la Fayette, La Princesse de Clèves (1678)
- Marivaux, Le Jeu de l'amour et du hasard (1730)
- Voltaire, Candide ou l'optimisme (1759)
- Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Les Rêveries du promeneur solitaire (1782)
- Marquis de Sade, La Philosophie dans le boudoir (1795)
- Honoré de Balzac, Le Père Goriot (1834)
- Alfred de Musset, Lorenzaccio (1834)
- Gérard de Nerval, Aurélia (1855)
- Charles Baudelaire, Les Fleurs du Mal (1857)
- Stéphane Mallarmé, Poésies (1887)
- Guy de Maupassant, Le Horla (1887)
- Émile Nelligan, Poésies complètes (1896)
- Marcel Proust, Du côté de chez Swann (1913)
- Guillaume Apollinaire, Calligrammes (1918)
- Francis Ponge, Le Parti pris des choses (1942)
- Jean Anouilh, Antigone (1944)
- Jean-Paul Sartre, Huis Clos (1944)
- Gabrielle Roy, Bonheur d'occasion (1945)
- Anne Hébert, Poèmes (1960)
- Hubert Aquin, Prochain épisode (1965)
- Gaston Miron, L'Homme rapaillé (1970)
- Michel Tremblay, Albertine, en cinq temps (1984)
- Édouard Glissant, Introduction à une Poétique du Divers (1994)
- Normand Chaurette, Le Passage de L'Indiana (1996)
- Charles Baudelaire, Le Spleen de Paris - Petits poèmes en prose
- Anthologie de la poésie française du XXè siècle - Tome 1
- Alfred Jarry, Ubu roi
- André Gide, Les faux-monnayeurs (1925)
- Jean-Paul Sartre, La nausée (1938)
- André Breton, Manifeste du surréalisme (1924)
404 Not Found
Well, maybe you've noticed that there's no picture on the right, where it should be.
Thanks to someone (no names, this isn't about bitching or moaning) who deleted it, I have no more web space to host menial things like 5kb pictures and that sort of stuff. So until I find a host that allows image hotlinking and doesn't charge me an arm, a leg and a half, it'll stay that way.
EDIT: I found Flickr, and it was good. Expect to be subjected to various, entirely uninteresting pictures of me when I get my digital camera.
Thanks to someone (no names, this isn't about bitching or moaning) who deleted it, I have no more web space to host menial things like 5kb pictures and that sort of stuff. So until I find a host that allows image hotlinking and doesn't charge me an arm, a leg and a half, it'll stay that way.
EDIT: I found Flickr, and it was good. Expect to be subjected to various, entirely uninteresting pictures of me when I get my digital camera.
samedi, septembre 04, 2004
Meet my new friend, insomnia.
Ugh. Couldn't sleep until at least 5:30AM. That's the last time I saw on my alarm clock.
Some mornings I have to wake up 15 minutes past that. I hate feeling like that.
Well, off to work, now. On like 3 hours sleep.
Some mornings I have to wake up 15 minutes past that. I hate feeling like that.
Well, off to work, now. On like 3 hours sleep.
lundi, août 30, 2004
Quentin Tarantino's (possible) Blog
Well, people who've known me for a while know two things about me and The Quentin:
Now, I'm entirely undecided - is it really him, or isn't it? The bets are on. Frankly, if he answers my question correctly, I'll know it's him. And I'll say so. And if he flunks it, I'll know, too. It's a fairly obvious thing for him to know, and one 99,9% of fans will not know at all. How do I know?
Well, I'll give "Quentin" a week, give or take. I'll say after that. It's nothing earth-shattering. But knowledge of this has, unless I'm mistaken, not spread over a couple thousand people, tops.
- I don't care much for his films, and pretty much think he's a hack who uses unnecessary gimmicks to fuck up otherwise possibly interesting films, and
- People say I look like him, and that annoys me.
Now, I'm entirely undecided - is it really him, or isn't it? The bets are on. Frankly, if he answers my question correctly, I'll know it's him. And I'll say so. And if he flunks it, I'll know, too. It's a fairly obvious thing for him to know, and one 99,9% of fans will not know at all. How do I know?
Well, I'll give "Quentin" a week, give or take. I'll say after that. It's nothing earth-shattering. But knowledge of this has, unless I'm mistaken, not spread over a couple thousand people, tops.
samedi, août 28, 2004
I forgot
Oh, and I wanted to say HI! to the Palestinian guy (or girl) who visited this site, Friday.
Drop me a mail, whoever you are - I wanna know what the hell you're doing reading this!
(For those who doubt, I've got the stats to prove this: according to my StatCounter thingy, at 16:08, on Friday the 27th of August, someone coming from "Palestinian Territory, Occupied", using IE 6.0 on Windows XP with a 1024x768 screen resolution visited the front page, and left. His IP was 213.244.83.##.)
Drop me a mail, whoever you are - I wanna know what the hell you're doing reading this!
(For those who doubt, I've got the stats to prove this: according to my StatCounter thingy, at 16:08, on Friday the 27th of August, someone coming from "Palestinian Territory, Occupied", using IE 6.0 on Windows XP with a 1024x768 screen resolution visited the front page, and left. His IP was 213.244.83.##.)
vendredi, août 27, 2004
Farenheit 9/11
Well, I finally got off my arse and went to see Farenheit 9/11.
To me, it basically feels as if this film is a waste of time and money on everyone's part. Not that it's a bad movie, or that it's not something I agree with - don't get me wrong. I'm behind every God Damned peacenik or Bush-hater there is.
It's just that no self-respecting Republican is gonna change his mind over something like this. It's not that the film isn't convincing. The point is that if you actually, firmly believe that going to Iraq and doing what you think needs to be done there is really a good idea, no influx of "facts" or "reasoning" is going to get through to you. Just as, I might add, no amount of pro-war facts or reasoning is ever going to make me change my mind.
Add that to the fact that a whole lot of stigmata has been added to this movie and its director - no self-respecting Republican will want to believe a filthy Left-wing nut over someone as, well, Right as, say, Limbaugh.
So, basically, for people who think that Bush needs to get the fuck out of the Oval Office, it's a film that firmly reinforces their bias - but they didn't really need it, didn't they. And, for people who will vote for him again, next October, either they won't go see it (which is entirely probable), they'll walk away after the first eight minutes (which means they'll have seen a ratio of 2 minutes of previews to 1 of film) or they'll walk out after the two hours thinking that this Moore character sure knows how to make a Good American Kid look bad, and he should be shot for Un-American Behavior.
To me, it basically feels as if this film is a waste of time and money on everyone's part. Not that it's a bad movie, or that it's not something I agree with - don't get me wrong. I'm behind every God Damned peacenik or Bush-hater there is.
It's just that no self-respecting Republican is gonna change his mind over something like this. It's not that the film isn't convincing. The point is that if you actually, firmly believe that going to Iraq and doing what you think needs to be done there is really a good idea, no influx of "facts" or "reasoning" is going to get through to you. Just as, I might add, no amount of pro-war facts or reasoning is ever going to make me change my mind.
Add that to the fact that a whole lot of stigmata has been added to this movie and its director - no self-respecting Republican will want to believe a filthy Left-wing nut over someone as, well, Right as, say, Limbaugh.
So, basically, for people who think that Bush needs to get the fuck out of the Oval Office, it's a film that firmly reinforces their bias - but they didn't really need it, didn't they. And, for people who will vote for him again, next October, either they won't go see it (which is entirely probable), they'll walk away after the first eight minutes (which means they'll have seen a ratio of 2 minutes of previews to 1 of film) or they'll walk out after the two hours thinking that this Moore character sure knows how to make a Good American Kid look bad, and he should be shot for Un-American Behavior.
jeudi, août 26, 2004
Today on FOX - when hicks get hitched
Jesus Christ people can be dumb.
Nowhere else, but in Idaho. Come on, it had to happen someday.
Bonus link - with pictures!
Nowhere else, but in Idaho. Come on, it had to happen someday.
Bonus link - with pictures!
mercredi, août 25, 2004
I'm a filthy, filthy whore.
Yes I am.
You see, if you look below that little links list, you'll see Google ads. Now, this is the first, last and only time I'll mention them, mostly because I'm not supposed to. Really.
If I tell you to click on them, bang, I'm out. So I won't. Really. But I do promise that I'll fix the colors. They look like arse right now.
Also, just a quick thing, that little envelope with an arrow in it means that you can send this post via email to someone. Why you'd want to do that is beyond me, but it's a feature, so I put it on there.
Ta-taa.
You see, if you look below that little links list, you'll see Google ads. Now, this is the first, last and only time I'll mention them, mostly because I'm not supposed to. Really.
If I tell you to click on them, bang, I'm out. So I won't. Really. But I do promise that I'll fix the colors. They look like arse right now.
Also, just a quick thing, that little envelope with an arrow in it means that you can send this post via email to someone. Why you'd want to do that is beyond me, but it's a feature, so I put it on there.
Ta-taa.
mardi, août 24, 2004
This is hilarious.
Once again, Something Awful makes TEH FUNNIAZ. Really. That picture had me laugh out loud.
Firefox wants me!
Imagine my surprise - I check my email and what do I see?
An e-mail from Asa Dotzler ("community quality advocate extraordinaire" for the Mozilla Foundation that went like this:
Well, here it is, Asa:
It'll also have a rather prominent place in the right sidebar. I just need to figure out where I want to put it.
But, nevertheless, it's quite cool to have someone write me, especially since most of the hits I get are from people who look for the Rammstein video or the GWB nose job pics...
Nevertheless, Firefox rocks(z0rz) your socks(0rz). If you're not running it, you're a God Damned Synchronized Diver. Allright?
An e-mail from Asa Dotzler ("community quality advocate extraordinaire" for the Mozilla Foundation that went like this:
We noticed and appreciate your recommending Firefox as an anti-terrorism measure ;-) at your weblog (), and we were hoping that you would further help get the word out by adding a small Firefox button to your blog. The image is hosted at mozilla.org and the code to add it is some very simple HTML.
We depend on word of mouth (or of blog) and we appreciate your helping to spread the word with positive blog posts. If you're interested in helping with this effort, you can find the buttons at http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/buttons.html. .
Well, here it is, Asa:
It'll also have a rather prominent place in the right sidebar. I just need to figure out where I want to put it.
But, nevertheless, it's quite cool to have someone write me, especially since most of the hits I get are from people who look for the Rammstein video or the GWB nose job pics...
Nevertheless, Firefox rocks(z0rz) your socks(0rz). If you're not running it, you're a God Damned Synchronized Diver. Allright?
lundi, août 16, 2004
480-Pound Woman Dies After Six Years On Couch
My God, how do you let yourself go that bad? Seriously!
That's what you get for driving a f'kin SUV
Seriously.
Even though enough people have been told that SUVs were probably the worst kind of car you could buy, they still get them. Why? So they can be assholes on the road?
And second, to quote a BlogWars guy - "This is evolution in action. Those who choose not to wear a simple safety device can't complain when their carcass slides across the freeway, or worse."
Amen.
Even though enough people have been told that SUVs were probably the worst kind of car you could buy, they still get them. Why? So they can be assholes on the road?
And second, to quote a BlogWars guy - "This is evolution in action. Those who choose not to wear a simple safety device can't complain when their carcass slides across the freeway, or worse."
Amen.
jeudi, août 05, 2004
This is one of the stupidest photos I've ever seen.
If you're going to be getting pictures taken, why the fuck do you walk around looking confused by an ear of corn?
I swear to God.
I swear to God.
mardi, août 03, 2004
A nice take on the elections in the US
A nice take on the elections in the US. I've always enjoyed Something Positive's outlook on life: offend as many people as possible, in the shortest amount of time.
mercredi, juillet 28, 2004
lundi, juillet 26, 2004
GEORGE W. BUSH NOSE JOB?
GEORGE W. BUSH NOSE JOB?
Yup - good ol' GWB got his nose replaced. Maybe it was too brown from sucking up to his Halliburton buddies?
Sorry if it's old news. Just thought it'd be fun to share.
Yup - good ol' GWB got his nose replaced. Maybe it was too brown from sucking up to his Halliburton buddies?
Sorry if it's old news. Just thought it'd be fun to share.
mardi, juillet 20, 2004
My job
Well it's been a few days now that I've switched over to L.L.Lozeau as far as money-making is concerned. And I love it.
Consider this - Mrs. Lozeau (Daughter of Léo Laurent Lozeau, founder) is still at the helm, with her husband. She actually came down and met us (all 7 of us in training) and spoke with us, being all nice and friendly, and said that she hoped we had fun there. And she really meant it, too. She asked each of us where we worked before, and when I said "C.A. Barbier Photo, in Lachine" she instantly said "Oh, with Mr. Giroux! Then you must know Francis (he's the guy who worked there after I left) - he's at the Camera counter..." She actually remembered, 2 days later, when she introduced our bunch to her husband, and said "this is Eric, he used to work at Barbier with Giroux." And her husband answered "Oh, Pierre! How is he, I haven't seen him in a while! Surely you know Francis! He worked there, too."
I've never seen more hands-on management, from up-high. And it looks like it works, too. You can clearly see that they care, that they show up every single day and walk around on the floor, and actually help you out when there's a lineup.
Even better - we have specifically been instructed to take our time with customers. If one guy talks to you for 2 hours about his cat pictures, and wants to know how he could perhaps make them better, or even if he just wants to talk about his cat, take the God Damned Two Hours it takes. The customer'll be happy. We have been officially promised by the Photofinish Manager that he will never, ever ask us to "move it" or "clear the customer, we've got a line-up". Ever. And if another customer bitches that he waited in line for an hour while we were explaining things to another customer, we have been told to say that "if you ever need to have us spend two hours with you to make sure your order is correct and you're happy, we'll take all the time we need, and then some". And that's official Lozeau policy.
It also feels nice to work in the largest photo store in Canada. You see, everywhere I used to work, anytime we didn't do some thing we'd just go and say "Oh, we don't do this, go to Lozeau". Well, guess what - I'm gonna have to get used to saying yes quite a bit.
And being the largest means also that I'll be handling only the photofinish counter. That's right, we're going to be eight behind the mother fucking counter, taking films and handing people their pictures. All day, non-stop. I swear to God, there's always a line-up. Sometimes, it stretches to the entrance of the store. And it's a big store.
I'm also getting cost+10% (same old, same old) on pretty much all products in the store - including my next baby. Oh yeah.
It's nice to work some place I actually like again.
Consider this - Mrs. Lozeau (Daughter of Léo Laurent Lozeau, founder) is still at the helm, with her husband. She actually came down and met us (all 7 of us in training) and spoke with us, being all nice and friendly, and said that she hoped we had fun there. And she really meant it, too. She asked each of us where we worked before, and when I said "C.A. Barbier Photo, in Lachine" she instantly said "Oh, with Mr. Giroux! Then you must know Francis (he's the guy who worked there after I left) - he's at the Camera counter..." She actually remembered, 2 days later, when she introduced our bunch to her husband, and said "this is Eric, he used to work at Barbier with Giroux." And her husband answered "Oh, Pierre! How is he, I haven't seen him in a while! Surely you know Francis! He worked there, too."
I've never seen more hands-on management, from up-high. And it looks like it works, too. You can clearly see that they care, that they show up every single day and walk around on the floor, and actually help you out when there's a lineup.
Even better - we have specifically been instructed to take our time with customers. If one guy talks to you for 2 hours about his cat pictures, and wants to know how he could perhaps make them better, or even if he just wants to talk about his cat, take the God Damned Two Hours it takes. The customer'll be happy. We have been officially promised by the Photofinish Manager that he will never, ever ask us to "move it" or "clear the customer, we've got a line-up". Ever. And if another customer bitches that he waited in line for an hour while we were explaining things to another customer, we have been told to say that "if you ever need to have us spend two hours with you to make sure your order is correct and you're happy, we'll take all the time we need, and then some". And that's official Lozeau policy.
It also feels nice to work in the largest photo store in Canada. You see, everywhere I used to work, anytime we didn't do some thing we'd just go and say "Oh, we don't do this, go to Lozeau". Well, guess what - I'm gonna have to get used to saying yes quite a bit.
And being the largest means also that I'll be handling only the photofinish counter. That's right, we're going to be eight behind the mother fucking counter, taking films and handing people their pictures. All day, non-stop. I swear to God, there's always a line-up. Sometimes, it stretches to the entrance of the store. And it's a big store.
I'm also getting cost+10% (same old, same old) on pretty much all products in the store - including my next baby. Oh yeah.
It's nice to work some place I actually like again.
lundi, juillet 19, 2004
Police Arrest Cheese-Covered Naked Man
WESH.com - News - Police Arrest Cheese-Covered Naked Man: "Maryville police say they arrested a 23-year-old man wearing nothing but cheese early Sunday."
Um, yeah. Cheese.
Um, yeah. Cheese.
Dihydrogen Monoxide Conspiracy
Dihydrogen Monoxide Conspiracy
There's a major government coverup concerning this dangerous chemical. Read up, find out about it, and you'll know what's up.
There's a major government coverup concerning this dangerous chemical. Read up, find out about it, and you'll know what's up.
mercredi, juillet 14, 2004
And there was much rejoicing
It's been ages, but I'd ordered new shirts on ThinkGeek, and they've arrived.
(For the curious, I got myself one of these shirts.)
Yay me. I also got my girlfriend one of the the Common Cold Plush Microbes. It's actually quite big, I'm surprised. I was expecting something tennis-ball size, while it's actually about softball-ball size (if my recollections of what a softball-ball look like are correct).
All in all, I'm happy. I've been waiting for a PA shirt for ages, and now I actually got 2. Yay.
(For the curious, I got myself one of these shirts.)
Yay me. I also got my girlfriend one of the the Common Cold Plush Microbes. It's actually quite big, I'm surprised. I was expecting something tennis-ball size, while it's actually about softball-ball size (if my recollections of what a softball-ball look like are correct).
All in all, I'm happy. I've been waiting for a PA shirt for ages, and now I actually got 2. Yay.
lundi, juillet 12, 2004
Mein Teil
Wow. Just watched the new Rammstein video (ed2k link). Whoa. That is messed-up, but it kicks the usual ass that Rammstein kick whenever they show up.
If you have the opportunity to see them live, I strongly suggest you show up. They don't charge much (by big-ticket-band standards) and put on what is most certainly one of my top-3 shows ever. (The other two, if you're interested, are Pink Floyd's 1994 'Division Bell' tour, and Cowboys Fringants' Bell Center show.)
New single = new album = new tour. I'm giddy already.
If you have the opportunity to see them live, I strongly suggest you show up. They don't charge much (by big-ticket-band standards) and put on what is most certainly one of my top-3 shows ever. (The other two, if you're interested, are Pink Floyd's 1994 'Division Bell' tour, and Cowboys Fringants' Bell Center show.)
New single = new album = new tour. I'm giddy already.
New job
Well, I start at Lozeau tomorrow morning.
Good news all around. Téléperformance can suck it.
I'm going to get paid $9,50 to stand behind the photo counter, have people bring me their films to get developped, and give them their pictures back once it's done.
Keep in mind, $9,50 is what I was getting paid LAST at Compucentre, after 4 years and being Assistant-Manager. So, same pay, none of the responsibilities. Schweet.
But I always feel awkward saying 'I quit'. I always feel bad about it, even if I'm working for a big corporation that really couldn't care less about me. Today isn't going to be fun.
Good news all around. Téléperformance can suck it.
I'm going to get paid $9,50 to stand behind the photo counter, have people bring me their films to get developped, and give them their pictures back once it's done.
Keep in mind, $9,50 is what I was getting paid LAST at Compucentre, after 4 years and being Assistant-Manager. So, same pay, none of the responsibilities. Schweet.
But I always feel awkward saying 'I quit'. I always feel bad about it, even if I'm working for a big corporation that really couldn't care less about me. Today isn't going to be fun.
mercredi, juillet 07, 2004
New syndication options.
You will notice two new links in the 'Links' section.
One has replaced Blogspot's own Atom XML feed, Feedburner's being much more standard-friendly.
The one right below that says 'Add this blog to My Yahoo!' and means just that. Click on it, and Shazam! Not quite exactly is now part of your My Yahoo page.
Ain't it nice?
One has replaced Blogspot's own Atom XML feed, Feedburner's being much more standard-friendly.
The one right below that says 'Add this blog to My Yahoo!' and means just that. Click on it, and Shazam! Not quite exactly is now part of your My Yahoo page.
Ain't it nice?
Gmail
My new email address is as follows:
redlion (at) gmail dot com
Please update accordingly.
Yes, I will probably soon have invites. Yes, I'll let you guys know.
redlion (at) gmail dot com
Please update accordingly.
Yes, I will probably soon have invites. Yes, I'll let you guys know.
mardi, juillet 06, 2004
gmailswap is the shiz
I gots da mad G-mail skillz, yo.
Or, I will just as soon as Mr. Joshua Turner, from Kansas, MO, send me the invite.
All that e-mailly goodness for what? A Halo figurine. Master Chief. Red.
The one I tried to sell on eBay a while back, got $10 for it, and the guy
a) never got around to actually sending me money, and
b) Left me bad feedback on eBay about the whole mess.
I'm quite happy to get rid of it, and I'm also quite happy about getting Gmail.
All in all, I'm quite happy about things. Except now is the time I should be going to work. That, I'm not ecstatic about.
Or, I will just as soon as Mr. Joshua Turner, from Kansas, MO, send me the invite.
All that e-mailly goodness for what? A Halo figurine. Master Chief. Red.
The one I tried to sell on eBay a while back, got $10 for it, and the guy
a) never got around to actually sending me money, and
b) Left me bad feedback on eBay about the whole mess.
I'm quite happy to get rid of it, and I'm also quite happy about getting Gmail.
All in all, I'm quite happy about things. Except now is the time I should be going to work. That, I'm not ecstatic about.
Just what I said before, only now it's official.
I've always said this.
Now it's true.
How do I know? Quizilla told me.
You are a GRAMMAR GOD!
If your mission in life is not already to
preserve the English tongue, it should be.
Congratulations and thank you!
How grammatically sound are you?
brought to you by Quizilla
And when Quizilla tells you something:
a) it stays told, and
b) it's true.
So there.
Now it's true.
How do I know? Quizilla told me.
You are a GRAMMAR GOD!
If your mission in life is not already to
preserve the English tongue, it should be.
Congratulations and thank you!
How grammatically sound are you?
brought to you by Quizilla
And when Quizilla tells you something:
a) it stays told, and
b) it's true.
So there.
samedi, juillet 03, 2004
Download Firefox now, or the terrorists will have won
From Yahoo News: 'The Department of Homeland Security's U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team touched off a storm this week when it recommended for security reasons using browsers other than Microsoft's Internet Explorer.'
US-CERT actually released a Vulnerability Note:
All in all, you really should use Firefox.
US-CERT actually released a Vulnerability Note:
There are a number of significant vulnerabilities in technologies relating to the IE domain/zone security model, the DHTML object model, MIME type determination, and ActiveX. It is possible to reduce exposure to these vulnerabilities by using a different web browser, especially when browsing untrusted sites. Such a decision may, however, reduce the functionality of sites that require IE-specific features such as DHTML, VBScript, and ActiveX. Note that using a different web browser will not remove IE from a Windows system, and other programs may invoke IE, the WebBrowser ActiveX control, or the HTML rendering engine (MSHTML).
All in all, you really should use Firefox.
vendredi, juillet 02, 2004
I like this quote
I just started reading Goats (a comic strip, in case you didn't know).
It's actually pretty funny, and I'm only up to February 1998 in the archives. But I know what I like, and I like this quote: "There's a fine line between excessive sarcasm and permanent bitterness."
I guess you've got to read the strip to get it, maybe.
Anyways, off to work I go in about an hour.
It's actually pretty funny, and I'm only up to February 1998 in the archives. But I know what I like, and I like this quote: "There's a fine line between excessive sarcasm and permanent bitterness."
I guess you've got to read the strip to get it, maybe.
Anyways, off to work I go in about an hour.
Oh, and just like Matt...
Athena
?? Which Of The Greek Gods Are You ??
brought to you by Quizilla
The text is unreadable, I know. It's because the image breaks my blog under IE - it makes it look all screwy. What it says is this: You are like the Greek God Athena, of Education. You're seen as sophisticated, smart and a really down to earth person. easy to get along with, Easy to understand - and with great prospects. You do well in what you enjoy, and often excel in most things academix (sic)
Weapons are not your thing. You would prefer to
pummel your opponent to death with your fists
and feet. You show a lot of Honor but some
power still eludes you. I can give you this
power, I can make you stronger, join me.
How would you Murder?
brought to you by Quizilla
Back to work
Back to work tomorrow.
It feels weird - I have Wednesdays and Thursdays off. Plus, last Saturday I was, well, um... what was it already? Oh yeah! sick! <wink wink nudge nudge> So that means we had St-Jean Baptiste, then I worked last Friday, got a day "off", worked 3 days (one of which we finished early, because the whole company moved to a new building - I ended up working 5-9h30), get two more days off, and now it's over. 5 days a week.
I feel like I was out on bail, and I'm thrown back in.
It's not that it's a bad job. I don't mind it that much. It's the schedule.
Working 5PM to 11:30PM is a killer. You never get to eat dinner with people. You get home, everyone's asleep. You can't "do stuff" after work. And I'm still in the mindset that doing stuff before going to work means getting up crazy-early. Plus, I seem to be the only one of my "team" (read: the-people-I-was-in-training-with) on that schedule, so I always have my breaks alone.
Add to that the propension to stay up until ungodly hours in the morning, and you have a lifestyle completely at odds with everyone elses', including, but not limited to, my girlfriend's. You see, she's of the school of 'at midnight, it's time to start going to bed' - and I fully understand that, seeing as how she used to stay up super-late and wake up at noon, and when she quit doing that, she lost like 20 pounds and didn't feel so sick all the time anymore. I really don't want to pull her back into that schedule.
The only good part of starting work at 5PM is that you never, ever, have to worry about getting up late, setting your alarm, etc. In fact, you can basically stay in bed late every single day.
But that's it, really. Anyone know of a non-telemarketing job that pays semi-well (read: above minimum wage) and that is on a more "regular" schedule?
It feels weird - I have Wednesdays and Thursdays off. Plus, last Saturday I was, well, um... what was it already? Oh yeah! sick! <wink wink nudge nudge> So that means we had St-Jean Baptiste, then I worked last Friday, got a day "off", worked 3 days (one of which we finished early, because the whole company moved to a new building - I ended up working 5-9h30), get two more days off, and now it's over. 5 days a week.
I feel like I was out on bail, and I'm thrown back in.
It's not that it's a bad job. I don't mind it that much. It's the schedule.
Working 5PM to 11:30PM is a killer. You never get to eat dinner with people. You get home, everyone's asleep. You can't "do stuff" after work. And I'm still in the mindset that doing stuff before going to work means getting up crazy-early. Plus, I seem to be the only one of my "team" (read: the-people-I-was-in-training-with) on that schedule, so I always have my breaks alone.
Add to that the propension to stay up until ungodly hours in the morning, and you have a lifestyle completely at odds with everyone elses', including, but not limited to, my girlfriend's. You see, she's of the school of 'at midnight, it's time to start going to bed' - and I fully understand that, seeing as how she used to stay up super-late and wake up at noon, and when she quit doing that, she lost like 20 pounds and didn't feel so sick all the time anymore. I really don't want to pull her back into that schedule.
The only good part of starting work at 5PM is that you never, ever, have to worry about getting up late, setting your alarm, etc. In fact, you can basically stay in bed late every single day.
But that's it, really. Anyone know of a non-telemarketing job that pays semi-well (read: above minimum wage) and that is on a more "regular" schedule?
jeudi, juillet 01, 2004
IMDB's top 100 movies of all time.
IMDB's Top 100 Best Movies of All Time
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I've written as 'started it' the ones I saw part of in one of my Cinema classes.
(edit: moved down - took too much space up there)
askthetechgirl.com
askthetechgirl.com
AAAAAARGH!!!! This is so, so, so wrong on so many levels.
It's actually one of the saddest things I've seen, bar none.
It's basically the bastard child of a phone-sex service and a tech-support line.
Select quotes:
Uggghh...
AAAAAARGH!!!! This is so, so, so wrong on so many levels.
It's actually one of the saddest things I've seen, bar none.
It's basically the bastard child of a phone-sex service and a tech-support line.
Select quotes:
I'm not your average computer geek - I'm also a professional wrestler and actress. (Maria)
Some things that really make me hot are Macromedia Dreamweaver, Homesite, various FTP apps, Windows, Microsoft Office, Outlook, Outlook Express, JASC Paint Shop Pro, Microsoft Image Composer, HTML and Java Scripting."
If none of that grabs you (and you want to be grabbed, don't you?), we can talk about the upcoming 3rd movie in the Star Wars trilogy, Sandman comics, Simpson's trivia or the new Cure album, among other, less G-rated things. (Tara)
Uggghh...
Jon's irritated.
Although my long-assed rant might have been seen as 'pestering' or 'pressuring' to you, that was certainly not my intention, and if it appeared so, I apologize muchly.
This is going to sound harsh, but although I consider you a very nice person (perhaps 'friend' would be too strong a word, but bear with me here), I most emphatically do not think that "sticking to your guns" or however you want to call what you're doing (conviction, ...) is "strenght of character". I pride my character on having an open mind, and leaving my options open.
You know me, I've got some very strong opinions. The thing is, I'm always open to discussing them, and you can actually end up convincing me.
I certainly wouldn't want you doing something you don't like just to "shut everyone up". That would be wrong.
I'm just trying to put forward ideas, and exchange views.
I understand if you're tired of it, and I'll stop.
This is going to sound harsh, but although I consider you a very nice person (perhaps 'friend' would be too strong a word, but bear with me here), I most emphatically do not think that "sticking to your guns" or however you want to call what you're doing (conviction, ...) is "strenght of character". I pride my character on having an open mind, and leaving my options open.
You know me, I've got some very strong opinions. The thing is, I'm always open to discussing them, and you can actually end up convincing me.
I certainly wouldn't want you doing something you don't like just to "shut everyone up". That would be wrong.
I'm just trying to put forward ideas, and exchange views.
I understand if you're tired of it, and I'll stop.
mercredi, juin 30, 2004
Results have come out...
Elections Canada released the final tally, and Martine lost by 427 votes.
Too bad.
She still got 16366 votes, though. Mighty impressive.
Too bad.
She still got 16366 votes, though. Mighty impressive.
mardi, juin 29, 2004
What a night.
Well, there was Election Night in Canada.
The Liberals won. Well, better them than Harper's Bizarre. (terribly sorry for the pun)
I was working until 11:30PM, and I was following 4 things:
Last election, the Libs won by 12000 votes or so. This time, I was watching closely. Early in the evening, Pettigrew was winning by 300 votes. Then, by 40. Then he started losing. By 10 votes. Then by 200. Then by 800. Then by 1200. (I thouroughly apologize to the lady who had problems installing her USB drivers for her modem at this time - I really wasn't paying attention.) Then I left work.
Fuck this, I'm going to Martine's office. It's at Jarry metro. Luckily, I had a friend with me.
We get there, she's losing by 150 votes. Then by 1400. Then, by 200 again.
Then the votes stop coming out.
No one knows which polls are still to come. It's 50-50.
Drama ensues: it seems one of the poll-persons was pregnant, and was rushed to the hospital to, of all things, have a baby, on election night. Couldn't it wait? Then, another person, in the same office, got a fucking heart attack. Right before opening the damned box.
At this point, she's losing by 334 votes.
Turns out there are two possibilities. Either all boxes have actually been opened, and the result stands, even though Elections Canada's web site says 180/182 boxes open (that's according to the directeur du scrutin, from what I heard). Or, there are 2 boxes still uncounted, and they won't be until tomorrow morning.
Whichever it is, I spent a great evening. Tension, drama (and yes, Jon, even one beer)...
I'm really pround of Martine, and I'm proud of all 16270 people who voted for her. She's a great girl, and she really worked her ass off during the last month. And to think only a few months ago I was helping her with our Canada-Québec Politics class...
Now, to bed. I'm working tomorrow.
The Liberals won. Well, better them than Harper's Bizarre. (terribly sorry for the pun)
I was working until 11:30PM, and I was following 4 things:
- Obviously, the nationwide results (Liberal, minority, good)
- Also obviously, the Quebec results (Bloc, 54 seats, very good)
- Less obviously, the Outremont results (I wanted Lapierre to lose, he didn't, the bastard)
- Also not very obvious, the Papineau results
Last election, the Libs won by 12000 votes or so. This time, I was watching closely. Early in the evening, Pettigrew was winning by 300 votes. Then, by 40. Then he started losing. By 10 votes. Then by 200. Then by 800. Then by 1200. (I thouroughly apologize to the lady who had problems installing her USB drivers for her modem at this time - I really wasn't paying attention.) Then I left work.
Fuck this, I'm going to Martine's office. It's at Jarry metro. Luckily, I had a friend with me.
We get there, she's losing by 150 votes. Then by 1400. Then, by 200 again.
Then the votes stop coming out.
No one knows which polls are still to come. It's 50-50.
Drama ensues: it seems one of the poll-persons was pregnant, and was rushed to the hospital to, of all things, have a baby, on election night. Couldn't it wait? Then, another person, in the same office, got a fucking heart attack. Right before opening the damned box.
At this point, she's losing by 334 votes.
Turns out there are two possibilities. Either all boxes have actually been opened, and the result stands, even though Elections Canada's web site says 180/182 boxes open (that's according to the directeur du scrutin, from what I heard). Or, there are 2 boxes still uncounted, and they won't be until tomorrow morning.
Whichever it is, I spent a great evening. Tension, drama (and yes, Jon, even one beer)...
I'm really pround of Martine, and I'm proud of all 16270 people who voted for her. She's a great girl, and she really worked her ass off during the last month. And to think only a few months ago I was helping her with our Canada-Québec Politics class...
Now, to bed. I'm working tomorrow.
lundi, juin 28, 2004
Today is the day...
All you Canadians here...
GO VOTE!
It takes 2 minutes, and it's the one time in 4-5 years that you actually have your say in governing your country.
Think Paul Martin's a dumb fuck? Throw him out! Think Stephen Harper is worse than Bush? Vote against him! Think there's not enough mustaches in Ottawa? Vote Layton!
I don't care who you vote for. Just go. Do it.
GO VOTE!
It takes 2 minutes, and it's the one time in 4-5 years that you actually have your say in governing your country.
Think Paul Martin's a dumb fuck? Throw him out! Think Stephen Harper is worse than Bush? Vote against him! Think there's not enough mustaches in Ottawa? Vote Layton!
I don't care who you vote for. Just go. Do it.
Elections Canada's FAQs are dumb
There is something ridiculous in this country. The second question in Elections Canada's FAQ about the vote is this:
Is someone allowed to eat a ballot?
What. The. Hell.
If that is frequently asked, I take back what I said. Canada's stupider than the US. No contest.
Is someone allowed to eat a ballot?
What. The. Hell.
If that is frequently asked, I take back what I said. Canada's stupider than the US. No contest.
Outside The Asylum
In the spirit of Wonko The Sane, here's a quote I have found in my 'Cubicle Hell' desktop calendar:
An actual tip from page 16 of the HP "Environmental Health Safety Handbook for Employees": Blink your eyelids periodically to lubricate your eyes.For more information on Wonko The Sane and where The Asylum is, I suggest reading The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy's fifth book in the trilogy, Mostly Harmless, or you can also read the instructions on a packet of toothpicks.
Substance abuse, Xenoman style
For those who didn't know, Xenoman is one of my old ex-coworkers, from back in the good ol' days when we used to get paid to play Worms and listen to music.
He's always (well, since I knew him, at least) held a very specific and, frankly a bit unsettling, view of what he refers to as "substances": alcohol, tobacco, and drugs in general.
He doesn't approve of them. Not only does he not use them, but he honestly disapproves of anyone getting drunk, smoking or doing drugs.
Which, to me, is odd, because he was genuinely set back by all this "substance-taking" that was going on. Why would anyone want to do that to himself?! Doesn't the smoker care about his body, about his health?! But, you know, at the same time, why not eat McDonalds for breakfast and lunch 4 days a week... No biggie.
But that's neither here nor there. He's entitled to his opinions, and I'll be damned if I'm going to take them away from him. We are, after all, not in America.
What really irks me about all this is, how does he fucking know? How do you get that God Damned opinion in there, if you have absolutely no clue what you're up against?
Maybe alcohol, I understand, he had a traumatic experience, with all that's entailed by being the only sober person in a gigantic gathering of young piss-ass-drunk high school partiers. Seeing people puke over each other is not quite what they put in beer ads, you know?
Smoking, I guess. I mean, it's easy to be anti-smoking these days. No one's making it hard for anyone to hate smokers, and no one seems to mind that they're confined to -40C temperatures, outside in the winter. It's become like that. So be it.
Drugs? Well, they're illegal, aren't they? I'm sure that's for a reason, right?
Well, you know what? I call bullshit.
There is no way you can lead a full life, in my opinion, if you deny yourself such pleasures. Of course, you're not going to find me saying that smoking's actually good for you, or that the Breakfast of Champions includes Mushrooms and Budweiser. But, come on.
All that "high on life" shit - how about a nice glass of wine with a big juicy steak? Or a glass of beer, once in a while? That's certainly not going to kill you, (and in fact wine is actually good for you) but, really, must you deny yourself that? Are you trying to make a point? Set an example?
Let me tell you who that reminds me of.
I know a girl. Let's call her, oh, I don't know, Diane.
Diane is now, I believe, 26 or so. Maybe 27. Anyways. Not important.
What's important is this: she's a virgin. Not a born-again virgin or anything like that. No. She's a true, real-life, hardcore, virgin. And you know what? She very well intends to stay that way. Forever. She has said, on a few occasions, "I really want to die a virgin". Now, never mind the reasons.
What's your take? You've probably already had sex, or else you should really go, it's past your bedtime. Is it bad? Would you give it up, forever? Remember before you had sex, the first time. Before you were even interested in girls. You didn't care, it wasn't important... If you were inclined to be very introspective, you might have even thought you could go all your life without ever having any sexual relations with any member of the opposite (or same, whichever) sex. But now - would you still do it? How do you picture it, being 40 years without sex?
Now - you can feel a few different ways about Diane. You can laugh and ask why she's not joining a convent. You can wonder why she chooses that. You can pity her because she doesn't know what she's missing. But the core of the business is this: she's forgoing something quite good, that she has absolutely no interest in, most probably because she does not know how good it is.
Now I know you're all expecting me to try to bridge together the concepts of "having sex" and "smoking a joint". Well, it's not going to happen. I'm sure you can draw your own conclusions. And if I'm being unclear, just ask me.
I promise I won't be drunk nor high when I answer.
He's always (well, since I knew him, at least) held a very specific and, frankly a bit unsettling, view of what he refers to as "substances": alcohol, tobacco, and drugs in general.
He doesn't approve of them. Not only does he not use them, but he honestly disapproves of anyone getting drunk, smoking or doing drugs.
Which, to me, is odd, because he was genuinely set back by all this "substance-taking" that was going on. Why would anyone want to do that to himself?! Doesn't the smoker care about his body, about his health?! But, you know, at the same time, why not eat McDonalds for breakfast and lunch 4 days a week... No biggie.
But that's neither here nor there. He's entitled to his opinions, and I'll be damned if I'm going to take them away from him. We are, after all, not in America.
What really irks me about all this is, how does he fucking know? How do you get that God Damned opinion in there, if you have absolutely no clue what you're up against?
Maybe alcohol, I understand, he had a traumatic experience, with all that's entailed by being the only sober person in a gigantic gathering of young piss-ass-drunk high school partiers. Seeing people puke over each other is not quite what they put in beer ads, you know?
Smoking, I guess. I mean, it's easy to be anti-smoking these days. No one's making it hard for anyone to hate smokers, and no one seems to mind that they're confined to -40C temperatures, outside in the winter. It's become like that. So be it.
Drugs? Well, they're illegal, aren't they? I'm sure that's for a reason, right?
Well, you know what? I call bullshit.
There is no way you can lead a full life, in my opinion, if you deny yourself such pleasures. Of course, you're not going to find me saying that smoking's actually good for you, or that the Breakfast of Champions includes Mushrooms and Budweiser. But, come on.
All that "high on life" shit - how about a nice glass of wine with a big juicy steak? Or a glass of beer, once in a while? That's certainly not going to kill you, (and in fact wine is actually good for you) but, really, must you deny yourself that? Are you trying to make a point? Set an example?
Let me tell you who that reminds me of.
I know a girl. Let's call her, oh, I don't know, Diane.
Diane is now, I believe, 26 or so. Maybe 27. Anyways. Not important.
What's important is this: she's a virgin. Not a born-again virgin or anything like that. No. She's a true, real-life, hardcore, virgin. And you know what? She very well intends to stay that way. Forever. She has said, on a few occasions, "I really want to die a virgin". Now, never mind the reasons.
What's your take? You've probably already had sex, or else you should really go, it's past your bedtime. Is it bad? Would you give it up, forever? Remember before you had sex, the first time. Before you were even interested in girls. You didn't care, it wasn't important... If you were inclined to be very introspective, you might have even thought you could go all your life without ever having any sexual relations with any member of the opposite (or same, whichever) sex. But now - would you still do it? How do you picture it, being 40 years without sex?
Now - you can feel a few different ways about Diane. You can laugh and ask why she's not joining a convent. You can wonder why she chooses that. You can pity her because she doesn't know what she's missing. But the core of the business is this: she's forgoing something quite good, that she has absolutely no interest in, most probably because she does not know how good it is.
Now I know you're all expecting me to try to bridge together the concepts of "having sex" and "smoking a joint". Well, it's not going to happen. I'm sure you can draw your own conclusions. And if I'm being unclear, just ask me.
I promise I won't be drunk nor high when I answer.
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