-An absolutely beautiful day today, it didn’t even feel cold at all. I was walking around with my jacket open for the better part of an hour. Hopefully this is a sign of Nithum’s prediction coming true/
-The mid-term today went well. If I had known what to expect I probably wouldn’t have studied at all.
-I have had a bit of a sore throat today.
-I have posted another video on YouTube. This one is of my younger sister adding Mentos to Diet Coke.
[Embedded Video]
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
A Few Quick Notes 67
-Another not so cold winter’s day in Montreal. Once again as soon as I walked out of my building I realized that I had forgotten my sunglasses yet again. This was particularly problematic as I was walking across the reservoir on my way to Thomson House.
It is Nithum’s belief that we are on our way out of winter in Montreal. I am hoping the same just so that I can ride my bike and unicycle again.
-I am now pretty convinced that my beard needs to go. I am having a hard time recognizing myself in pictures or the mirror. The problem is that it is much easier to keep my beard than to remove it. Additionally, once it is gone that will mean a return to at least semi-regular shaving, something that I have never been very good at.
-The Oscar party went well last night, though I had to duck out before any of the big awards. I am pretty sure that I surprised a few of my classmates with my baking. For some reason they didn’t seem to expect that I could. I was also able to demonstrate that it is possible to whip cream by hand; something that not many people in attendance seemed to have ever done.
-I have a mid-term tomorrow. Hopefully it will go well.
-We have really come up short on blog posts this month. Maybe we will be able to do a bit better next month. Certainly in the summer when all I have to do is work I should be able to crank out this junk everyday, maybe even a few times a day.
-As I was studying for my mid-term I came across the term ‘capitalist.’ Once again this was used in what I perceive to be an inaccurate fashion. As is frequently the case, this term was used to refer to what I would call an industrialist or, in more Marxist terms, the owner of the means of production.
It seems that as capitalism is an ideology and not a status, this usage is somewhat problematic. In this framework it seems that it would be impossible for a non-industrialist to be a capitalist, and an industrialist not to be a capitalist. If we look at the analogous situation for socialism does this mean that only those who avail of social programs are socialists? Does this make it impossible to be a socialist with a social safety net?
I don’t think too many people would agree with this use of the term ‘socialist,’ so why do we allow such sloppy usage for the term ‘capitalist.’ It doesn’t help either side of the debate to have such possibly confusing terminology.
-For some reason that I don’t understand, the number of people that have viewed my YouTube clip of a train entering Mont Royal Metro station is now 180. In the past few days I have had surprisingly large amounts of interest in this clip, probably about 20 views today. This is particularly surprising as the clip is pretty boring, as are all of my other YouTube videos. Why has this one ‘taken off’?
It is Nithum’s belief that we are on our way out of winter in Montreal. I am hoping the same just so that I can ride my bike and unicycle again.
-I am now pretty convinced that my beard needs to go. I am having a hard time recognizing myself in pictures or the mirror. The problem is that it is much easier to keep my beard than to remove it. Additionally, once it is gone that will mean a return to at least semi-regular shaving, something that I have never been very good at.
-The Oscar party went well last night, though I had to duck out before any of the big awards. I am pretty sure that I surprised a few of my classmates with my baking. For some reason they didn’t seem to expect that I could. I was also able to demonstrate that it is possible to whip cream by hand; something that not many people in attendance seemed to have ever done.
-I have a mid-term tomorrow. Hopefully it will go well.
-We have really come up short on blog posts this month. Maybe we will be able to do a bit better next month. Certainly in the summer when all I have to do is work I should be able to crank out this junk everyday, maybe even a few times a day.
-As I was studying for my mid-term I came across the term ‘capitalist.’ Once again this was used in what I perceive to be an inaccurate fashion. As is frequently the case, this term was used to refer to what I would call an industrialist or, in more Marxist terms, the owner of the means of production.
It seems that as capitalism is an ideology and not a status, this usage is somewhat problematic. In this framework it seems that it would be impossible for a non-industrialist to be a capitalist, and an industrialist not to be a capitalist. If we look at the analogous situation for socialism does this mean that only those who avail of social programs are socialists? Does this make it impossible to be a socialist with a social safety net?
I don’t think too many people would agree with this use of the term ‘socialist,’ so why do we allow such sloppy usage for the term ‘capitalist.’ It doesn’t help either side of the debate to have such possibly confusing terminology.
-For some reason that I don’t understand, the number of people that have viewed my YouTube clip of a train entering Mont Royal Metro station is now 180. In the past few days I have had surprisingly large amounts of interest in this clip, probably about 20 views today. This is particularly surprising as the clip is pretty boring, as are all of my other YouTube videos. Why has this one ‘taken off’?
Sunday, February 25, 2007
A Few Quick Notes 66
-Today is not quite clear and not quite overcast. All in all it is not that bad. Maybe I am getting used to winter, but it really doesn’t seem all that cold outside. We still don’t seem to have any major snowfalls on the horizon, a trend very different from St. John’s were they seem to be having blizzards almost every week.
-The pigeons are back and seem to have adapted to the change in their habitat. Instead of meeting on the chimney like pedestal they are currently on the newly constructed roof section. I am still amazed that they are so consist in their behaviour. Until my repeated viewings, I would never have imagined that pigeons had such predictable and consistent lives.
-My gingerbread for an event this evening is currently in the oven, providing a recognizable odor to the apartment. Hopefully this isn’t upsetting Nithum.
The cake is for an Oscar party tonight. As some of you may have guessed, this will be my first Oscar party, as Hollywood movies haven’t really been my thing for the past few years. The up side of the party is that it is also a potluck, which is why I am baking.
The dishes are supposed to relate to one of the nominated movies or actors in some way. My gingerbread meets this requirements by being silent when consumed, something that is reminiscent of Dwayne’s vow of silence in Little Miss Sunshine. Additionally, it will be served with whipped cream, something that is similar to something being served a la mode, or at least that is what I keep telling myself.
I will also be bringing a few other, smaller, non-homemade food items that relate to other Oscar nominated movies.
-Reading week will come to an abrupt end tomorrow. Hopefully I will be able to do a bit more studying this afternoon and evening. As of tomorrow I will have to start finding ways to dedicated significantly larger amounts of energy to school work.
-To coincide with the end of Reading week, assignment season starts tomorrow.
-Last night I dealt myself a few games of solitaire. Even without the benefit of auto-dealing it was a pretty addictive experience.
-The pigeons are back and seem to have adapted to the change in their habitat. Instead of meeting on the chimney like pedestal they are currently on the newly constructed roof section. I am still amazed that they are so consist in their behaviour. Until my repeated viewings, I would never have imagined that pigeons had such predictable and consistent lives.
-My gingerbread for an event this evening is currently in the oven, providing a recognizable odor to the apartment. Hopefully this isn’t upsetting Nithum.
The cake is for an Oscar party tonight. As some of you may have guessed, this will be my first Oscar party, as Hollywood movies haven’t really been my thing for the past few years. The up side of the party is that it is also a potluck, which is why I am baking.
The dishes are supposed to relate to one of the nominated movies or actors in some way. My gingerbread meets this requirements by being silent when consumed, something that is reminiscent of Dwayne’s vow of silence in Little Miss Sunshine. Additionally, it will be served with whipped cream, something that is similar to something being served a la mode, or at least that is what I keep telling myself.
I will also be bringing a few other, smaller, non-homemade food items that relate to other Oscar nominated movies.
-Reading week will come to an abrupt end tomorrow. Hopefully I will be able to do a bit more studying this afternoon and evening. As of tomorrow I will have to start finding ways to dedicated significantly larger amounts of energy to school work.
-To coincide with the end of Reading week, assignment season starts tomorrow.
-Last night I dealt myself a few games of solitaire. Even without the benefit of auto-dealing it was a pretty addictive experience.
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Laundry woes
Yesterday, after a good number of days I finally got around to doing some laundry. Because of the long period of time since my last trip and because I had some towel and sheet dirtying guests I had a slightly larger batch than normal.
Fortunately, none of the washers were in use when I arrived in the laundry room. I quickly loaded my coins and laundry detergent in all three. As they were filling I started some sorting. In just a few minutes all was taken care of and I was off to get a paper and a coffee.
With my coffee in hand I separated all of my non-dryables (mainly just my socks) and began the process of transferring my laundry to the driers. I immediately noticed that someone had left their laundry in my favourite drier. I was then forced to use the inferior driers. I got over my disgust pretty quickly.
With both available driers going I returned to my apartment to drink my coffee and ready my newspaper. When I felt that about an hour had elapsed I returned to the laundry room to learn that only about 50 minutes had elapsed and that one of the drier doors had popped open, causing the drier to shut off, though not having the same affect on the timer.
I quickly closed the open drier door and proceeded to become quite frustrated, mainly because my work shirts were both in the load that did not dry properly. I then remembered that they drier also goes through a 3 minute cool down period at the end of the cycle, something that wasn’t really needed with my cool damp clothing.
When the few minutes of drying did end I was able to see that it hadn’t done much. It seemed that my clothing was just about as wet as when I had put it in an hour before. I quickly slipped the wet clothing in my bag and proceeded to fold the sheets in the other drier load.
Upon returning to my apartment I quickly proceeded to spread my wet clothing all over. I had some boxers and napkins hanging from kitchen chairs, a dish towel hanging from a lamp, a towel on a radiator, some shirts in my bedroom closet, some shirts in the coat closet, and pretty broad selection of things hanging on the shower curtain rod in the bathroom. This last set had a fan trained on them to speed up the process.
My main concern was whether or not my shirt would be dry in time for work. Changing kegs is unpleasant enough as it is, I don’t even want to imagine doing it in a wet shirt. Fortunately, with the assistance the fan, my shirt was dry in time for work and my day was saved.
Another ten days and I will have to go through this all again.
Fortunately, none of the washers were in use when I arrived in the laundry room. I quickly loaded my coins and laundry detergent in all three. As they were filling I started some sorting. In just a few minutes all was taken care of and I was off to get a paper and a coffee.
With my coffee in hand I separated all of my non-dryables (mainly just my socks) and began the process of transferring my laundry to the driers. I immediately noticed that someone had left their laundry in my favourite drier. I was then forced to use the inferior driers. I got over my disgust pretty quickly.
With both available driers going I returned to my apartment to drink my coffee and ready my newspaper. When I felt that about an hour had elapsed I returned to the laundry room to learn that only about 50 minutes had elapsed and that one of the drier doors had popped open, causing the drier to shut off, though not having the same affect on the timer.
I quickly closed the open drier door and proceeded to become quite frustrated, mainly because my work shirts were both in the load that did not dry properly. I then remembered that they drier also goes through a 3 minute cool down period at the end of the cycle, something that wasn’t really needed with my cool damp clothing.
When the few minutes of drying did end I was able to see that it hadn’t done much. It seemed that my clothing was just about as wet as when I had put it in an hour before. I quickly slipped the wet clothing in my bag and proceeded to fold the sheets in the other drier load.
Upon returning to my apartment I quickly proceeded to spread my wet clothing all over. I had some boxers and napkins hanging from kitchen chairs, a dish towel hanging from a lamp, a towel on a radiator, some shirts in my bedroom closet, some shirts in the coat closet, and pretty broad selection of things hanging on the shower curtain rod in the bathroom. This last set had a fan trained on them to speed up the process.
My main concern was whether or not my shirt would be dry in time for work. Changing kegs is unpleasant enough as it is, I don’t even want to imagine doing it in a wet shirt. Fortunately, with the assistance the fan, my shirt was dry in time for work and my day was saved.
Another ten days and I will have to go through this all again.
Thursday, February 22, 2007
A Few Quick Notes 65
-Another winter’s day in Montreal. While it was only about -8 today it seemed a bit cooler than that at time. The forecast suggested that we might be in for some flurries though these did not arrive.
-In the distance I can hear what I presume to be fireworks. On several occasions I have heard distant explosions, reminding me of an aerial bombardment, only to find out that it is a fireworks display.
-Tomorrow night is another work night. I am not really sure what to expect, as it is the last night of reading week. Hopefully tomorrow night will be pretty busy, at least significantly busier than Monday and Tuesday.
-Yesterday Neil returned to Halifax. It seems that his trip was without incident and that he is safely back in Halifax.
-On Tuesday evening my cousin Julia drove up from Providence, Rhode Island. I was really pleased that she as able to make the trip. Aside from a wedding this summer I hadn’t seen her since about 1998. She departed this afternoon and should be arriving just about now.
-Reading week is winding down and I certainly did not accomplish as much as I had hoped. Though in some ways I accomplished about as much as I expected.
-An election was called in Quebec yesterday. It seems that the vote will be on March 26. Hopefully I will be able to take some time to go to Thomson House to watch the count.
-My beard is definitely getting longer. I had been thinking about ditching it
a few weeks ago but I now realize that I don’t have the energy for such a project at the moment. Something else that has come to mind is that if I shave my beard I will also then have to shave on a regular basis, something that has never been my forte.
-In the distance I can hear what I presume to be fireworks. On several occasions I have heard distant explosions, reminding me of an aerial bombardment, only to find out that it is a fireworks display.
-Tomorrow night is another work night. I am not really sure what to expect, as it is the last night of reading week. Hopefully tomorrow night will be pretty busy, at least significantly busier than Monday and Tuesday.
-Yesterday Neil returned to Halifax. It seems that his trip was without incident and that he is safely back in Halifax.
-On Tuesday evening my cousin Julia drove up from Providence, Rhode Island. I was really pleased that she as able to make the trip. Aside from a wedding this summer I hadn’t seen her since about 1998. She departed this afternoon and should be arriving just about now.
-Reading week is winding down and I certainly did not accomplish as much as I had hoped. Though in some ways I accomplished about as much as I expected.
-An election was called in Quebec yesterday. It seems that the vote will be on March 26. Hopefully I will be able to take some time to go to Thomson House to watch the count.
-My beard is definitely getting longer. I had been thinking about ditching it
a few weeks ago but I now realize that I don’t have the energy for such a project at the moment. Something else that has come to mind is that if I shave my beard I will also then have to shave on a regular basis, something that has never been my forte.
Saturday, February 17, 2007
A Few Quick Notes 64
-Today was a pretty nice winter’s day, not to cold and not so hot that I was sweating as I walked around. The only downside of today is that the sidewalks were a bit slush covered, a bit of a remnant of the snowfall earlier this week.
-Neil arrived safely, though about an hour and a half late, on Thursday night. Fortunately his bags came off of the plane quickly and we were able to take a taxi directly to Thomson House, where we had a few drinks and some good conversation.
-Today, after we woke up, we went out for some shopping/touring. On foot, we visited many of the major streets and shopping districts, as well as a few that weren’t quite so famous or well known. I think that we started of our day in the dollar store arena and then proceeded to visit all kinds of other stores. At one point we visited a discount tool store where they were selling the largest wrenches I have ever seen. Though we did not buy that much or any big ticket items we were able to each pick up a few things. My most significant buy was a plunger for about $1.29.
-As we were just about done with our shopping expedition Neil and I both noticed someone walking out of the music building that looked somewhat familiar. We both immediately thought that it looked like Ed Squires, but that it couldn’t possibly be him, even though this person was carrying a drum. As we continued walking we started to talk about the striking resemblances, and the fact that both people were percussionists.
After a few feet of this person walking behind us he called out, which I thought he was doing because I kept staring at him. It turns out that he recognized us and that we had recognized him, though just not really expected to see him in Montreal.
As it turns out, we were basically heading in the same direction and we were able to make sure that he found his way to his bus, I even hooked him up with a bus ticket so that he wouldn’t have to pay full fare.
-In honour of Neil’s trip I decided that I would cook a rabbit. I mentioned this to my classmate, Nicole, a few days ago and she indicated that she was interested in trying my rabbit.
So last night I made my first roast, stuffed rabbit. It was pretty tasty and easy. It turns out that it only takes about an hour to cook a rabbit, there isn’t too much meat on them. I was pleasantly surprised at how moist and tender the meat was. If they weren’t so expensive, about 17$ a kilo, I would consider buying them more frequently.
Post-rabbit we went over to Thomson House. All in all, the evening was very enjoyable.
-Neil arrived safely, though about an hour and a half late, on Thursday night. Fortunately his bags came off of the plane quickly and we were able to take a taxi directly to Thomson House, where we had a few drinks and some good conversation.
-Today, after we woke up, we went out for some shopping/touring. On foot, we visited many of the major streets and shopping districts, as well as a few that weren’t quite so famous or well known. I think that we started of our day in the dollar store arena and then proceeded to visit all kinds of other stores. At one point we visited a discount tool store where they were selling the largest wrenches I have ever seen. Though we did not buy that much or any big ticket items we were able to each pick up a few things. My most significant buy was a plunger for about $1.29.
-As we were just about done with our shopping expedition Neil and I both noticed someone walking out of the music building that looked somewhat familiar. We both immediately thought that it looked like Ed Squires, but that it couldn’t possibly be him, even though this person was carrying a drum. As we continued walking we started to talk about the striking resemblances, and the fact that both people were percussionists.
After a few feet of this person walking behind us he called out, which I thought he was doing because I kept staring at him. It turns out that he recognized us and that we had recognized him, though just not really expected to see him in Montreal.
As it turns out, we were basically heading in the same direction and we were able to make sure that he found his way to his bus, I even hooked him up with a bus ticket so that he wouldn’t have to pay full fare.
-In honour of Neil’s trip I decided that I would cook a rabbit. I mentioned this to my classmate, Nicole, a few days ago and she indicated that she was interested in trying my rabbit.
So last night I made my first roast, stuffed rabbit. It was pretty tasty and easy. It turns out that it only takes about an hour to cook a rabbit, there isn’t too much meat on them. I was pleasantly surprised at how moist and tender the meat was. If they weren’t so expensive, about 17$ a kilo, I would consider buying them more frequently.
Post-rabbit we went over to Thomson House. All in all, the evening was very enjoyable.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
A Few Quick Notes 63
-The so-called snowstorm did not really materialize, instead we had a pretty standard issue snow fall. If we had the slightly stronger winds of today and snowfall rate of about 9:00 PM last night we might have been able to get something going, but alas, Quebec weather let me down again. So far today has been a pretty standard winter day, clear skies, a bit of wind, and about -15.
-On my way to school today I turned the corner from Lorne onto Milton and almost walked into a paddy-wagon like vehicle. I then noticed some police tape as well as a few other cop cars. Immediately I tried to figure out what had happened. The police tape was a good indication of the location of the incident, though it was not immediately clear exactly what had happened. As I got closer, I noticed that there was a piece of yellow plastic on the ground, held down by various household objects. Around the sheet of plastic there appeared to be red splotches in the snow.
When I arrived in class it turned out that a classmate of mine had walked by a few minutes after me. By the time that she walked past the plastic sheet had been removed, but the vehicles were still present.
After class, when I walked by again it seemed that most of the scene was back to normal, except the red splotches in the snow.
-A news reader on CBC just talked about “explosive experts” being called into deal with a bomb threat in Quebec City. This doesn’t seem like a good idea to me. If you think that there are explosives present why would you bring in even more.
-I love that North Korea was able to negotiate its way out of the Axis of Evil, I always thought that the list had more integrity than that.
-As you may have already been aware, Neil should be here in a few hours.
-I need to work on my assignment.
-On my way to school today I turned the corner from Lorne onto Milton and almost walked into a paddy-wagon like vehicle. I then noticed some police tape as well as a few other cop cars. Immediately I tried to figure out what had happened. The police tape was a good indication of the location of the incident, though it was not immediately clear exactly what had happened. As I got closer, I noticed that there was a piece of yellow plastic on the ground, held down by various household objects. Around the sheet of plastic there appeared to be red splotches in the snow.
When I arrived in class it turned out that a classmate of mine had walked by a few minutes after me. By the time that she walked past the plastic sheet had been removed, but the vehicles were still present.
After class, when I walked by again it seemed that most of the scene was back to normal, except the red splotches in the snow.
-A news reader on CBC just talked about “explosive experts” being called into deal with a bomb threat in Quebec City. This doesn’t seem like a good idea to me. If you think that there are explosives present why would you bring in even more.
-I love that North Korea was able to negotiate its way out of the Axis of Evil, I always thought that the list had more integrity than that.
-As you may have already been aware, Neil should be here in a few hours.
-I need to work on my assignment.
Travel day
Just a quick post. My plane for Montreal leaves in less than 7 hours now. I stayed up late last night finishing things off and packing. I'm taking two bags, but I would only be taking one if it weren't for the blank CDs, Crispix and TP that I'm taking Cameron. I don't have much left to do in Halifax now other than dinner and a trip to the bank.
Last night I had both sauteed mushrooms and then sauteed onions for dinner. They were both tasty, but the mushrooms were a bit past their prime. The wind was howling last night, and the power was flickering. Last night when I went to see Rebecca, I took the stairs up to be safe (16 flights). I also took my hand-powered flashlight/radio. While I was gone the wind drove water through my bedroom window, but fortunately my roommate had the same problem then checked in my room for me. The wind also ruined the Tyvek-esque plastic on the building underconstruction next door. Last night there were police cars in the area which I presume to be because of debris from the building. This morning when I looked at the building it looked like a Godzilla sized cat had used it as a scratching post, whereas yesterday it looked like a freshly made bed.
I don't think I have told the internet yet, but I now subscribe to the Chronicle Herald, a Halifax daily newspaper. I'm a sucker for deals, coupons, delivery and puzzles. In early January when a guy came to my door and offered me a discount rate on a newspaper that was promised to be delivered by 5 am and a sign-up gift of coupons, I said yes. Today I got up at about 7 and I thought I would check on the 5 am guarantee. I was let down, no paper. It's probably because of the weather yesterday, but needless to say I'm not pleased. Hopefully it will be there when I go home (I'm at school now).
I also have a curling update for you. Gushue is going to the Brier, as is Kehoe (the 3rd favorite) from NS. Also, the junior women's team from NL won the national championship, and will go to the worlds.
So maybe this wasn't so short.
Last night I had both sauteed mushrooms and then sauteed onions for dinner. They were both tasty, but the mushrooms were a bit past their prime. The wind was howling last night, and the power was flickering. Last night when I went to see Rebecca, I took the stairs up to be safe (16 flights). I also took my hand-powered flashlight/radio. While I was gone the wind drove water through my bedroom window, but fortunately my roommate had the same problem then checked in my room for me. The wind also ruined the Tyvek-esque plastic on the building underconstruction next door. Last night there were police cars in the area which I presume to be because of debris from the building. This morning when I looked at the building it looked like a Godzilla sized cat had used it as a scratching post, whereas yesterday it looked like a freshly made bed.
I don't think I have told the internet yet, but I now subscribe to the Chronicle Herald, a Halifax daily newspaper. I'm a sucker for deals, coupons, delivery and puzzles. In early January when a guy came to my door and offered me a discount rate on a newspaper that was promised to be delivered by 5 am and a sign-up gift of coupons, I said yes. Today I got up at about 7 and I thought I would check on the 5 am guarantee. I was let down, no paper. It's probably because of the weather yesterday, but needless to say I'm not pleased. Hopefully it will be there when I go home (I'm at school now).
I also have a curling update for you. Gushue is going to the Brier, as is Kehoe (the 3rd favorite) from NS. Also, the junior women's team from NL won the national championship, and will go to the worlds.
So maybe this wasn't so short.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
A Few Quick Notes 62
-Another winter’s day, though this one is supposed to be marked by a snowstorm. As of yet there have only been a few snowflakes and not much sign of a storm. On the other hand, when I looked at some RADAR and satellite imagery a few minutes ago it appeared that there was a storm just to the west of Montreal. I am really hoping for a snow day, but I am running out of time (all kinds of flights are already cancelled).
-Tonight is the 25th anniversary of the loss of the Ocean Ranger. CBC just had a segment about this tragedy. One of the participants is the son of one of the lost men, though his father died before he was born (making him about a month older than me). They finished off the segment by playing the Ron Hynes’ song Atlantic Blue.
-A few days ago I learned that there is a Lutheran church in my neighborhood that offers a weekly service in German. While I am not normally a churchgoer, this does seem somewhat tempting.
-I keep waffling on whether or not I keep my beard. It was originally to be just a Christmas addition, to be removed immediately upon my return to Montreal. As it turned out, that did not happen and it is still in place. A few days ago my mind was set on its removal, but now I am not so sure. I know that it is not the world’s nicest beard, but I have always wanted a substantial beard and this is as near as I have ever come to that goal.
-A project on ‘leadership’ has been taking up a fair bit of my time these past few days. I have to come up with a few examples of ‘good leaders’ as well as a few examples of times that I have acted as a ‘leader.’ It has been taking me a huge amount of time to come up with these examples. The use of the word ‘good’ was particularly problematic as it implies some kind of value judgment. One is likely more willing to say that wider ranges of people are ‘effective leaders’ than are ‘good leaders.’
On top of that, I had a very hard time coming up with a few examples in which I have acted as a leader. I can think of a few times I have tried, but they usually end in failure.
-Neil will be arriving tomorrow, a few hours after Nithum departs.
-Tonight is the 25th anniversary of the loss of the Ocean Ranger. CBC just had a segment about this tragedy. One of the participants is the son of one of the lost men, though his father died before he was born (making him about a month older than me). They finished off the segment by playing the Ron Hynes’ song Atlantic Blue.
-A few days ago I learned that there is a Lutheran church in my neighborhood that offers a weekly service in German. While I am not normally a churchgoer, this does seem somewhat tempting.
-I keep waffling on whether or not I keep my beard. It was originally to be just a Christmas addition, to be removed immediately upon my return to Montreal. As it turned out, that did not happen and it is still in place. A few days ago my mind was set on its removal, but now I am not so sure. I know that it is not the world’s nicest beard, but I have always wanted a substantial beard and this is as near as I have ever come to that goal.
-A project on ‘leadership’ has been taking up a fair bit of my time these past few days. I have to come up with a few examples of ‘good leaders’ as well as a few examples of times that I have acted as a ‘leader.’ It has been taking me a huge amount of time to come up with these examples. The use of the word ‘good’ was particularly problematic as it implies some kind of value judgment. One is likely more willing to say that wider ranges of people are ‘effective leaders’ than are ‘good leaders.’
On top of that, I had a very hard time coming up with a few examples in which I have acted as a leader. I can think of a few times I have tried, but they usually end in failure.
-Neil will be arriving tomorrow, a few hours after Nithum departs.
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Cleaning and Classic Rock
After an exciting evening at the library I decided that I would head home.
Upon returning home I was struck by the dirt that had been tracked into my apartment because of the winter conditions. I had had enough, this black gravel and dried melted slush would have to go.
Within a few minutes of returning home I had cracked out the mop and was busily cleaning the front hall (or more accurately the huge wasted part of my apartment).
Shortly after starting, or maybe before I started, I decided to crack open a cold Hek and throw on some tunes. For the occasion I thought that I might like to listen to some classic rock (the Rolling Stones, the Doors, Jefferson Airplane, Hendrix, etc.). I quickly whipped up an iTunes playlist and was ready to go.
With my beer within reach and tunes in the background I have mopped the halls, bathroom, kitchen and my bedroom. Additionally, I have done some organizing in my bedroom (or more accurately, picking up old newspapers from the floor and putting them with the newspapers that have to be taken down to the recycling bin).
I guess I must be about forty minutes in to my project and I feel completely exhausted, though this may have something to do with the time of day (it is almost 1:30 AM).
Maybe I will be able to get through another few songs and beers, during which time I will put my room back together. The dusting may have to wait for another day, or night.
Upon returning home I was struck by the dirt that had been tracked into my apartment because of the winter conditions. I had had enough, this black gravel and dried melted slush would have to go.
Within a few minutes of returning home I had cracked out the mop and was busily cleaning the front hall (or more accurately the huge wasted part of my apartment).
Shortly after starting, or maybe before I started, I decided to crack open a cold Hek and throw on some tunes. For the occasion I thought that I might like to listen to some classic rock (the Rolling Stones, the Doors, Jefferson Airplane, Hendrix, etc.). I quickly whipped up an iTunes playlist and was ready to go.
With my beer within reach and tunes in the background I have mopped the halls, bathroom, kitchen and my bedroom. Additionally, I have done some organizing in my bedroom (or more accurately, picking up old newspapers from the floor and putting them with the newspapers that have to be taken down to the recycling bin).
I guess I must be about forty minutes in to my project and I feel completely exhausted, though this may have something to do with the time of day (it is almost 1:30 AM).
Maybe I will be able to get through another few songs and beers, during which time I will put my room back together. The dusting may have to wait for another day, or night.
Saturday, February 10, 2007
A Few Quick Notes 61
-It was not a particularly cold day today, though it was at least a few degrees below freezing all day. This has been the weather status for the past few days, nothing really all that extreme in either direction.
-I have not been posting much in the past few days because of a hectic work schedule and failed attempts to get some work done. Basically being at work until close three nights in a row is good for my pay cheque but not so good for my productivity.
-Neil will be arriving on Thursday. Unfortunately, I haven’t done as much planning for his trip as I should have, nor has he told me what he wants to see. Even though we don’t have many plans I am pretty sure that the time will fly by.
Amazingly, a cousin is planning on driving up on the 20th, and a friend of mine is scheduled to arrive next Monday on business. It will be a busy few days.
-I have been falling down on my paper reading recently. Each day I get a paper but don’t have time to give it much attention, the most I have been able to do is skim the obituaries.
-Hopefully I will be able to gather the energy to head to the library tonight. If I do this I might actually be able to get some work done. It is important that I remember to head to the store first to pick up some beer, as I won’t be able to buy any once I get back from the library.
-On Thursday night before work I was finally able to make it to Chinatown. For a few weeks now I have wanted to pick up some ginseng there. It turns out that they sell it all over the place there and I don’t really know that much about it. I ended up just taking was recommended to me by the clerk. It seems to be what I want and she cut a dollar from the sticker price, I guess I am a hard bargainer.
Maybe in a few years I will be courageous and knowledgeable enough to try to buy the whole root and try to make some kind of concoction myself.
-I don’t really know where I will be this summer or what I will be doing. If anyone has any great ideas please let me know. So far my main possibilities seem to be staying in Montreal, heading back to St. John’s or going to Calgary.
-I have not been posting much in the past few days because of a hectic work schedule and failed attempts to get some work done. Basically being at work until close three nights in a row is good for my pay cheque but not so good for my productivity.
-Neil will be arriving on Thursday. Unfortunately, I haven’t done as much planning for his trip as I should have, nor has he told me what he wants to see. Even though we don’t have many plans I am pretty sure that the time will fly by.
Amazingly, a cousin is planning on driving up on the 20th, and a friend of mine is scheduled to arrive next Monday on business. It will be a busy few days.
-I have been falling down on my paper reading recently. Each day I get a paper but don’t have time to give it much attention, the most I have been able to do is skim the obituaries.
-Hopefully I will be able to gather the energy to head to the library tonight. If I do this I might actually be able to get some work done. It is important that I remember to head to the store first to pick up some beer, as I won’t be able to buy any once I get back from the library.
-On Thursday night before work I was finally able to make it to Chinatown. For a few weeks now I have wanted to pick up some ginseng there. It turns out that they sell it all over the place there and I don’t really know that much about it. I ended up just taking was recommended to me by the clerk. It seems to be what I want and she cut a dollar from the sticker price, I guess I am a hard bargainer.
Maybe in a few years I will be courageous and knowledgeable enough to try to buy the whole root and try to make some kind of concoction myself.
-I don’t really know where I will be this summer or what I will be doing. If anyone has any great ideas please let me know. So far my main possibilities seem to be staying in Montreal, heading back to St. John’s or going to Calgary.
Friday, February 09, 2007
Men's provincial curling tankards
Ongoing in Newfoundland and Labrador, as well as Nova Scotia are the Labatt's and Keith's Tankards, respectively. The winners of these tournament go on to play at the Brier.
I've been following and rooting for Gushue in NL, and I believe he's 6-0 currently, with only one close game. He shouldn't have much of a problem.
In Nova Scotia I don't really have a favourite, but I've been watching Adams and Dacey. The format of the tournament is very different in NS compared to NL, where they have a round-robin tournament to start. The NS provincial finals are being held at the Halifax Curling Club which is just 2-3 blocks from where I live. Tonight Rebecca and I went down to check it out. We went late, but got there before the 5th end break. We saw Dacey and Adams play, and Colleen Jones showed up as a spectator. The club is significantly smaller than "the curling club" back home. We didn't stay very long because we didn't have seats (admission was free/unwatched), and it was hard to see past those who did. It also seemed like most the people there knew each other, so it wasn't particularly welcoming. Dacey ended up losing, so the favorite is now only 1 loss away from being kicked out.
I've been following and rooting for Gushue in NL, and I believe he's 6-0 currently, with only one close game. He shouldn't have much of a problem.
In Nova Scotia I don't really have a favourite, but I've been watching Adams and Dacey. The format of the tournament is very different in NS compared to NL, where they have a round-robin tournament to start. The NS provincial finals are being held at the Halifax Curling Club which is just 2-3 blocks from where I live. Tonight Rebecca and I went down to check it out. We went late, but got there before the 5th end break. We saw Dacey and Adams play, and Colleen Jones showed up as a spectator. The club is significantly smaller than "the curling club" back home. We didn't stay very long because we didn't have seats (admission was free/unwatched), and it was hard to see past those who did. It also seemed like most the people there knew each other, so it wasn't particularly welcoming. Dacey ended up losing, so the favorite is now only 1 loss away from being kicked out.
Math & Stats trivia
Last night MSgrads ran a trivia night at the Grad House. Rebecca was the host. The format was very similar to Bitters trivia, but without the trump round. We managed to get 4 teams together, which pleased me. Our team name was the math geek classic "Perfect squares" (or, as I prefer, perfect s9u4res). There were two grad student teams, an undergrad team and a prof and post-docs team. My team came second to the profs and post-doc team. We only had first places prizes, which was a round of drinks. We also offered the profs/post-docs a free drink for showing up, because we didn't think we'd get any otherwise (I think the plan worked).
Rebecca would probably like me to note that I'm biased, but I thought the hosting was great. The final scores ranged from 42.5 to 52.5 and there was no rounds where a team scored 0 and no rounds where multiple teams got 10 points (in fact I think the only 10's received needed bonuses). Also, almost every question was correctly answered by one of the teams.
The event was judged a sucess and we'll probably hold another one, although we don't know when.
I've also set up a group for MSgrads on Facebook, and I set up trivia as an event. My plan is to continue to invite the grad student body that is on Facebook that way as well, to try to get a few more people coming.
Rebecca would probably like me to note that I'm biased, but I thought the hosting was great. The final scores ranged from 42.5 to 52.5 and there was no rounds where a team scored 0 and no rounds where multiple teams got 10 points (in fact I think the only 10's received needed bonuses). Also, almost every question was correctly answered by one of the teams.
The event was judged a sucess and we'll probably hold another one, although we don't know when.
I've also set up a group for MSgrads on Facebook, and I set up trivia as an event. My plan is to continue to invite the grad student body that is on Facebook that way as well, to try to get a few more people coming.
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Parc to keep name
This morning CBC is reporting that Parc will remain park and not have its name changed in honour of Robert Bourassa. It seems that the mayor has changed his mind because Mr. Bourassa's family didn't like the controversy surrounding the matter. My question now is whether they will do the right thing and change Bleury to Parc?
Sunday, February 04, 2007
A Few Quick Notes 60
-Another cool day in Montreal. Today was not as clear as yesterday and at times we experienced a few flurries. Tonight the temperature is supposed to go down to about -21, I guess I won’t be going out for my traditional 4:00 AM walk.
-The Colts won the Stupor Bowl. Google News is a very good way of keeping up with things in which you aren’t really interested.
-I have been coming to the realization that I drink a pretty large amount of herbal tea. I would guess that today I have already had 4 or 5 mugs worth, and I just brewed another.
-My uncle departed for New York today. This means that I will be visitor free until Neil arrives on the 15th. My cousin Julia is scheduled to drive up from Rhode Island a few days after that.
-My work schedule this week is not very nice. I will be working to special events on Wednesday and Thursday and then my normal shift on Friday.
-Though I have checked a few time, Google News still has nothing relating to the gas leak on St. Laurent. Our loyal readers have not been able to evaluate my on the spot reporting skills.
-Crap, I just remembered that I have to do some cooking before I go to bed. I guess I won’t be in bed in about five minutes as I had hoped.
-The Colts won the Stupor Bowl. Google News is a very good way of keeping up with things in which you aren’t really interested.
-I have been coming to the realization that I drink a pretty large amount of herbal tea. I would guess that today I have already had 4 or 5 mugs worth, and I just brewed another.
-My uncle departed for New York today. This means that I will be visitor free until Neil arrives on the 15th. My cousin Julia is scheduled to drive up from Rhode Island a few days after that.
-My work schedule this week is not very nice. I will be working to special events on Wednesday and Thursday and then my normal shift on Friday.
-Though I have checked a few time, Google News still has nothing relating to the gas leak on St. Laurent. Our loyal readers have not been able to evaluate my on the spot reporting skills.
-Crap, I just remembered that I have to do some cooking before I go to bed. I guess I won’t be in bed in about five minutes as I had hoped.
Saturday, February 03, 2007
A Few Quick Notes 59
-Another beautiful, if chilly, day in Montreal. The sun is out and there are no clouds in the sky. The other nice thing about today is that even though it is below freezing it is really not all that cold, only about -8.
-The peggle bike is no longer a peggle bike. The peggle was finally removed on Thursday evening. It turned out that the trick was to heat up the crank with a lighter. The only problem now is that I need to find a wrench narrow enough to remove the other peddle, that is if I care about having matching peddles.
I found it rather funny that I saw another peggle bike this morning. Maybe this person doesn’t know the heat trick, or maybe they don’t mind having a peggle bike too much.
-While I had to work last night I was also able to punch out at about 9:30. At that point I joined a few of my classmates for a few drinks. It was a very enjoyable evening with a pretty good turnout.
-The peggle bike is no longer a peggle bike. The peggle was finally removed on Thursday evening. It turned out that the trick was to heat up the crank with a lighter. The only problem now is that I need to find a wrench narrow enough to remove the other peddle, that is if I care about having matching peddles.
I found it rather funny that I saw another peggle bike this morning. Maybe this person doesn’t know the heat trick, or maybe they don’t mind having a peggle bike too much.
-While I had to work last night I was also able to punch out at about 9:30. At that point I joined a few of my classmates for a few drinks. It was a very enjoyable evening with a pretty good turnout.
Friday, February 02, 2007
Most Viewed YouTube Video
It turns out that my clip of a train entering the Mont Royal metro station is my most highly view posted clip with 54 views (at the time of writing).
If you would like to see this very popular clip again or for the first time just watch it below.
[Embedded Video]
If you would like to see this very popular clip again or for the first time just watch it below.
[Embedded Video]
Gaz leak on St. Laurent
Earlier this afternoon I was walking along St. Laurent, making my way over to meet my father and uncle at their hotel. Just a block or so north of Sherbrooke I noticed that I was walking next to a water mane construction site and that there was a very loud noise coming from the pit. Accompanying the hissing was a strong smell. Though the employees didn’t really seem too agitated, I quickly figured out that this must be a gas leak.
As this idea was forming in my head a fire truck appeared on the scene. As I proceeded south several other fire trucks appeared. Still nothing in particular was being done to evacuate the area or prevent people from walking right next to the construction site.
When I reached the hotel I mentioned that I thought there might be a gas leak on St. Laurent. After a few minutes of preparation we headed out and approached the area. We very quickly saw that the street was now closed to traffic and that there were even more fire trucks. We also saw that there was a gas truck on the scene.
Though the street was closed to traffic pedestrians could still get pretty close to the action. So, as it was on our way, we walked towards the heart of the scene. It soon became clear that this was a pretty major operation and that for some reason the fire trucks were pumping water and had hoses out. A pretty large amount of water was flowing down the sides of the streets, though we weren’t able to see the source.
Maybe later tonight I will try to check some news sources and get official confirmation that the construction crew struck a gas line while doing routine work.
Anyway, it is likely that you read it hear first.
As this idea was forming in my head a fire truck appeared on the scene. As I proceeded south several other fire trucks appeared. Still nothing in particular was being done to evacuate the area or prevent people from walking right next to the construction site.
When I reached the hotel I mentioned that I thought there might be a gas leak on St. Laurent. After a few minutes of preparation we headed out and approached the area. We very quickly saw that the street was now closed to traffic and that there were even more fire trucks. We also saw that there was a gas truck on the scene.
Though the street was closed to traffic pedestrians could still get pretty close to the action. So, as it was on our way, we walked towards the heart of the scene. It soon became clear that this was a pretty major operation and that for some reason the fire trucks were pumping water and had hoses out. A pretty large amount of water was flowing down the sides of the streets, though we weren’t able to see the source.
Maybe later tonight I will try to check some news sources and get official confirmation that the construction crew struck a gas line while doing routine work.
Anyway, it is likely that you read it hear first.
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