-Today was a pretty standard winter day, not particularly great, but not bad either. Temperatures rose to about zero, and then dropped to a few degrees below freezing as the afternoon progressed. We now seem to have settled in to a nice equilibrium at about -7 (it doesn't take to long for me to assert that we have reached a temperature equilibrium).
-As some of you may have noticed, Neil doesn't tend to post all that frequently. I find this somewhat bothersome because the idea behind Montifax was that it would be a joint venture, not simply a blog that Neil started and that I continued.
Anyway, over the past number of years I have tried to get Neil to post more frequently through a number of means. Of course I started by asking him nicely, and occasionally dropping hints as post scripts to email. More recently I have just been telling him that he should be posting more (using 'please' didn't seem to work so I dropped it from the routine to conserve energy). It seems that none of the methods I have tried so far have had any noticeable effect.
Just this evening I think that I may have come up with something that might get him to post a little more. Not only did I suggest that his lack of posting indicated that he was yellow (though I didn't use those words), I decided to challenge him to a blog-off, a competition to see who could post more in a given period of time. I thought that I turned it into a game and added points I might be able to get him to post more (he has such a hard time resisting games).
Anyway, after a few brief negotiations we seem to have preliminarily settled on a few ground rules and parameters.
Neil gets 5 points for each post he makes while I only get 1, he seemed unwilling to participate without me handicapping myself.
Each post, to qualify for the blog-off, must be at least 30 words long and tagged (within reason). I also feel that there should be at least some content, though who am I to talk, I post content-free crap all the time.
The event will run for the duration of February, so he has a few hours to mentally prepare himself.
An additional condition that I think that we should add is that for a post to count a tally of the score must be included (though this wouldn't count towards the word total).
Hopefully I will have a few more details in the coming hours or days.
-For those of you interested in learning a little more about the video New Townie Man that I posted yesterday you can listen to this CBC Morning Show interview with Roger Maunder and Colleen Power, the makers of the video.
-Today is a big day for me, I have consumed what may be my last Flintstones multivitamin tablet. While these are targeted at children, I have continued to consume them for years. Then, all of a sudden a few weeks ago, I just became sick of having my mouth filled with a sugary substance every time I had a vitamin and consequently decided to finish off the bottle and move on to swallowable multivitamins. Now I have to finish my chewable vitamin C so that I can go all swallowable and not taint my mouth with vitamin flavour.
-I baked a Texas Sheet Cake this evening. The downside of the decision to undertake this task was that it meant I had to head out to the grocery store to pick up some icing sugar. Only after I returned from the store did I realize that I also needed some milk, causing me to return to the store for a third time today.
-Though I have a fair bit of work that I should be doing, I don't seem to be doing a very good job at focusing on it. Maybe once I get this post off my chest I can hit the books hard for a few hours before going to bed.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Neil has ghost hands
As some of you may know, Neil isn't a big fan of man-hands on females. That he has a hand bias is a little bit surprising given that he has rather sickening ghost hands. Maybe this public exposure of his hand bias and personal hand problem will get him to change his ways and be a little more accepting of all hand types.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
A Few Quick Notes 264
-Though we had a pretty rough night last night and into the early hours of the morning, things seemed to have really cleared up by mid-morning. Unfortunately, much of the precipitation that fell as either rain or ice pellets turned into water and then re-froze as the day progressed. As things stand now, much of downtown Halifax, at least the sidewalks, seem to be covered in ice, or slush that hasn't yet turned into ice.
-One of the consequences of the less than pleasant weather was a delayed opening for Dalhousie. Shortly after I woke up this morning I learned that they wouldn't be opening until 11:00, which meant that I would be missing my first class of the day. Later in the morning I learned that my second class had been cancelled by the professor. In many ways, though I did appreciate the extra sleep, I would have liked to get these classes out of the way and not have had the week delay that is likely to occur. The other aspect of the closure that caused my excitement to be somewhat muted was that I had to head in to pick up a book from the library anyway.
-Though it is only increasing at the rate of a minute a day, I am really starting to enjoy the extra daylight we are getting as we head into spring. Within a few weeks I should be able to leave my evening class before the sun sets.
-I am making some chicken soup for dinner tonight. Because I happened to remember that I had a bag of barley I threw some in. Hopefully the barley will be a positive addition.
-Last night Neil, Rebecca, and I played a game of Settlers of Catan (along with the Fishermen of Catan addition). Somehow I managed to smoke them in about 30 minutes (or maybe even less). It seems that almost before we really started to play I had won (thanks to the hot 8s). Amazingly, I also managed to win the two games of Cribbage I played against Neil, making my gaming success rate abnormally high.
-Amazingly, the donated bus stop bench I mentioned a few days ago is still at the bus stop. I really thought that one of the many drunks that walk by each night would have either stolen it or broken it, but this seems not to have happened. Maybe it is because it is winter, but I still haven't seen anyone sitting on the bench.
-One of the consequences of the less than pleasant weather was a delayed opening for Dalhousie. Shortly after I woke up this morning I learned that they wouldn't be opening until 11:00, which meant that I would be missing my first class of the day. Later in the morning I learned that my second class had been cancelled by the professor. In many ways, though I did appreciate the extra sleep, I would have liked to get these classes out of the way and not have had the week delay that is likely to occur. The other aspect of the closure that caused my excitement to be somewhat muted was that I had to head in to pick up a book from the library anyway.
-Though it is only increasing at the rate of a minute a day, I am really starting to enjoy the extra daylight we are getting as we head into spring. Within a few weeks I should be able to leave my evening class before the sun sets.
-I am making some chicken soup for dinner tonight. Because I happened to remember that I had a bag of barley I threw some in. Hopefully the barley will be a positive addition.
-Last night Neil, Rebecca, and I played a game of Settlers of Catan (along with the Fishermen of Catan addition). Somehow I managed to smoke them in about 30 minutes (or maybe even less). It seems that almost before we really started to play I had won (thanks to the hot 8s). Amazingly, I also managed to win the two games of Cribbage I played against Neil, making my gaming success rate abnormally high.
-Amazingly, the donated bus stop bench I mentioned a few days ago is still at the bus stop. I really thought that one of the many drunks that walk by each night would have either stolen it or broken it, but this seems not to have happened. Maybe it is because it is winter, but I still haven't seen anyone sitting on the bench.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
A Few Quick Notes 263
-For the past few days it has been on the cold side, some days going as low as -21 (maybe even colder). Today was a bit warmer, and it is forecast to be warmer still tomorrow. Unfortunately, with the rising temperatures we are supposed to get some snow, rain, and ice pellets, which seems like quite the combination.
-I managed to crank out another two loaves of bread this morning while preparing breakfast and working on school related things. It seems that Wednesday morning is a good day for me to do some bread baking.
-Today I had the opportunity to do some poking around in the Novanet catalogue (the union catalogue for Nova Scotia post-secondary institutions). The more I use this catalogue the more I think that it was designed to prevent access to materials. Not only are there all kinds of duplicate, and confusing, records, in many cases the records don't reflect what is actually available in the library (particularly when it comes to electronic journal access). I really don't understand how such a catalogue could have ever been deemed acceptable by any of the participating institutions.
-Recently I have been thinking that what we consider to be our tastes/preferences are really just functions of availability (mark another one up in the original thought tally).
-A few days ago I started using Google Reader. While I don't like everything about the service, I am generally pretty satisfied. I am somewhat amazed that it took me this long to start using a feed aggregator of some sort, particularly as there are a number of blogs that I check on a regular basis.
-I have to give my second round of lectures starting next week. Again I seem to have lucked out and picked a topic that I am familiar with and that relates to topics I have been reading about already this term. Hopefully they go a little more smoothly that some of my first lectures.
-We will be having a pot roast for dinner. Actually, I should consider taking things out of the oven in the very near future.
-A few days ago I came across the video for Colleen Power's new song New Townie Man. I was immediately taken with the piece, but that is likely only because I am townie male, and they tend to do pretty well in this piece.
Yesterday I was talking to a friend, who happens to be a 'bayman,' about this song and he expects that several responses to this song will be drafted and posted in the coming days and weeks. I really hope he is right, adding a Compton and Juice vs. Gazeebow Unit feel to this video and the resulting discourse would be great.
-I managed to crank out another two loaves of bread this morning while preparing breakfast and working on school related things. It seems that Wednesday morning is a good day for me to do some bread baking.
-Today I had the opportunity to do some poking around in the Novanet catalogue (the union catalogue for Nova Scotia post-secondary institutions). The more I use this catalogue the more I think that it was designed to prevent access to materials. Not only are there all kinds of duplicate, and confusing, records, in many cases the records don't reflect what is actually available in the library (particularly when it comes to electronic journal access). I really don't understand how such a catalogue could have ever been deemed acceptable by any of the participating institutions.
-Recently I have been thinking that what we consider to be our tastes/preferences are really just functions of availability (mark another one up in the original thought tally).
-A few days ago I started using Google Reader. While I don't like everything about the service, I am generally pretty satisfied. I am somewhat amazed that it took me this long to start using a feed aggregator of some sort, particularly as there are a number of blogs that I check on a regular basis.
-I have to give my second round of lectures starting next week. Again I seem to have lucked out and picked a topic that I am familiar with and that relates to topics I have been reading about already this term. Hopefully they go a little more smoothly that some of my first lectures.
-We will be having a pot roast for dinner. Actually, I should consider taking things out of the oven in the very near future.
-A few days ago I came across the video for Colleen Power's new song New Townie Man. I was immediately taken with the piece, but that is likely only because I am townie male, and they tend to do pretty well in this piece.
Yesterday I was talking to a friend, who happens to be a 'bayman,' about this song and he expects that several responses to this song will be drafted and posted in the coming days and weeks. I really hope he is right, adding a Compton and Juice vs. Gazeebow Unit feel to this video and the resulting discourse would be great.
Friday, January 23, 2009
"This Bench is for Bus People"
While walking from for an afternoon squash game Neil and I noticed that one of the bus stops near our apartment had a new bench. As you can see from the photo below, this isn't quite a standard bus stop bench, and seems to have been placed there within the past twenty-four hours or so.
Aside from being curious about how long this bench will last, I am a little unsure what exactly is meant by the message on the bench. Is anyone taking the bus one of the 'bus people' who are allowed to use the bench, or are only regular bus riders considered 'bus people'? A third option might be that the bench is exclusively for those individuals who ride the bus to avoid the elements, though it seems unlikely that such people would need a bench given their inclination to ride, rather than wait for, the bus.
As you can see, so far people waiting for the bus haven't been taking advantage of the new bench. I guess it might take a few days for people to become comfortable with the idea of the new bench.
Aside from being curious about how long this bench will last, I am a little unsure what exactly is meant by the message on the bench. Is anyone taking the bus one of the 'bus people' who are allowed to use the bench, or are only regular bus riders considered 'bus people'? A third option might be that the bench is exclusively for those individuals who ride the bus to avoid the elements, though it seems unlikely that such people would need a bench given their inclination to ride, rather than wait for, the bus.
As you can see, so far people waiting for the bus haven't been taking advantage of the new bench. I guess it might take a few days for people to become comfortable with the idea of the new bench.
Default Beard
A few days ago I realized that I seem to be well on my way to a new beard.
Through a lack of action on my part it seems that the beard is just developing on its own. Though I don't particularly want a beard, I don't seem motivated enough, or to not want it enough, to actually do anything about it. I guess I am probably falling back on the traditional winter arguement, which is that a beard will protect my face from harsh winter winds.
Hopefully before too long I will figure out where I stand on the issue and what actions might be appropriate.
Through a lack of action on my part it seems that the beard is just developing on its own. Though I don't particularly want a beard, I don't seem motivated enough, or to not want it enough, to actually do anything about it. I guess I am probably falling back on the traditional winter arguement, which is that a beard will protect my face from harsh winter winds.
Hopefully before too long I will figure out where I stand on the issue and what actions might be appropriate.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
A Few Quick Notes 262
-We seem to be back to the below zero temperatures I am so fond of. As far as I can tell, they should be spending the rest of the week with us, which is nice as it might bring a little regularity to my life.
-This morning while preparing breakfast and working on a paper I slapped together a two loaf batch of bread. Though smaller usual, I am pretty pleased with the outcome. Unfortunately, Neil and I have managed to consume almost all of the first loaf already, which suggests that I shouldn't hold out too much hope that this bread will hang around for a long time.
-We had gnocchi, pork chops, and vegetables for dinner tonight, talk about exciting. I like to mix things up every once in while so we had broccoli instead of corn and green beans.
-I will have quite a busy day tomorrow. Aside from having six straight hours of seminars, I have to be involved in leading the first 3 hours, and then make a presentation in the second three hour session. The best part is that I don't really have a break between the two sessions.
-This morning while preparing breakfast and working on a paper I slapped together a two loaf batch of bread. Though smaller usual, I am pretty pleased with the outcome. Unfortunately, Neil and I have managed to consume almost all of the first loaf already, which suggests that I shouldn't hold out too much hope that this bread will hang around for a long time.
-We had gnocchi, pork chops, and vegetables for dinner tonight, talk about exciting. I like to mix things up every once in while so we had broccoli instead of corn and green beans.
-I will have quite a busy day tomorrow. Aside from having six straight hours of seminars, I have to be involved in leading the first 3 hours, and then make a presentation in the second three hour session. The best part is that I don't really have a break between the two sessions.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Axis of Evil, where have you gone?
It has been a while since I have heard much about the Axis of Evil. I am not sure if it was eventually defeated, gave up, or was just forgotten about, but I imagine that if it doesn't make one last appearance tonight or tomorrow morning it may be gone for good (surely this will be our collective loss).
A Few Quick Notes 261
-Here in Halifax experienced a 23 degree temperature swing in a twenty-four hour period ending this morning. This means that while it quite cold yesterday, it was a balmy 7 degrees today. A noticeable consequence of the temperature swing is a serious snow melt. This seems to be causing serious problems near the waterfront, among other places. The most significant problem may actually be to come as the temperature is supposed to drop this evening, causing the recently thawed water to turn to ice.
-A few days ago I mentioned making a sticky toffee sponge pudding with double the butter. Amazingly, it seems that this mistake didn't negatively impact the pudding. I guess the down side is that each piece is even more calorie laden, which is somewhat hard to believe given that it saturated with a sugar sauce.
-On Saturday Neil and I had another Ultimate game, and again we lost. Though we lost we played a particularly strong first half (with the exception of the first few minutes) we didn't manage to hold off the other team. As it was -20 with the wind chill taking it down to about -27 we decided to see if instead of waiting an hour for our bus we could get a ride from one of our teammates. In the end we got a ride about halfway home, took the bus for a few stops, and then walked the rest of the rest of the way. Though this might sound like a rather convoluted trip it actually worked out rather well.
-On Saturday I had the pleasure of introducing yucca root ( also known as cassava) to Neil, Rebecca, and Rebecca's friend Margaret. Though they all seemed a little apprehensive at first, they all tried it and all claimed they liked it. Hopefully the grocery store will to continue to carry this product through the Spring and Summer.
-Again today I was able to take advantage of the a free coffee coupon at a fast food restaurant. Possibly more surprising than the fact that they place no restrictions on the use of the coupon (or the size of the coffee that they provide) is that they make a point of returning the coupon and telling you that you are welcome to use it again. I am tempted to re-route my walk to school tomorrow to take advantage of the offer again.
-A few days ago I mentioned making a sticky toffee sponge pudding with double the butter. Amazingly, it seems that this mistake didn't negatively impact the pudding. I guess the down side is that each piece is even more calorie laden, which is somewhat hard to believe given that it saturated with a sugar sauce.
-On Saturday Neil and I had another Ultimate game, and again we lost. Though we lost we played a particularly strong first half (with the exception of the first few minutes) we didn't manage to hold off the other team. As it was -20 with the wind chill taking it down to about -27 we decided to see if instead of waiting an hour for our bus we could get a ride from one of our teammates. In the end we got a ride about halfway home, took the bus for a few stops, and then walked the rest of the rest of the way. Though this might sound like a rather convoluted trip it actually worked out rather well.
-On Saturday I had the pleasure of introducing yucca root ( also known as cassava) to Neil, Rebecca, and Rebecca's friend Margaret. Though they all seemed a little apprehensive at first, they all tried it and all claimed they liked it. Hopefully the grocery store will to continue to carry this product through the Spring and Summer.
-Again today I was able to take advantage of the a free coffee coupon at a fast food restaurant. Possibly more surprising than the fact that they place no restrictions on the use of the coupon (or the size of the coffee that they provide) is that they make a point of returning the coupon and telling you that you are welcome to use it again. I am tempted to re-route my walk to school tomorrow to take advantage of the offer again.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
A Few Quick Notes 260
-When I woke up yesterday morning Environment Canada was reporting that it was -23, today it was -22 While I think that the location of the weather station may have skewed the reports slightly, they were still pretty cold mornings. Unfortunately, yesterday it wasn't quite cold enough for spit to freeze before it hit the ground, a temperature target that I think I would like to experience about one time in my life. Aside from cool temperatures things are really quite nice. The sun has been out and the wind continues to be low or non-existent.
-This Christmas I was fortunate enough to receive a range of winter hats as gifts. Two of the hats are of the balaclava style, which surprised me as I wasn't aware that I had made my fondness for these hats widely known. Anyway, one of the hats is a hunter's fluorescent orange, and quite warm. Not surprisingly, I used yesterday's temperatures as an excuse to break it out for the first time (aside from in apartment use) since arriving in Halifax. The hat was great, it really kept the cold away from the part of my head that it covered, which was most of my head. If you have the opportunity to get one of these I recommend them, even if they do stand out.
-Yesterday I was able to test the coffee/mug warmer that I pulled from the free crap pile on Thursday. While it seems to do its job I am not sure how much I will actually use it. I think I am a little more comfortable with my mug resting directly on the desk, rather than on some piece of electrical equipment.
-Yesterday Neil and I took advantage of some coupons that a international fast food chain recently distributed. Unlike most coupons, these are returned to the customer once used, meaning that they can be used repeatedly. The best of the two coupons is for a free, no-purchase-necessary coffee. Based on people in line ahead of us, I am getting the sense that this in particular has been a popular coupon, as it basically means free coffee for a month. I am pretty sure that I will make an effort to head back a few more times for free coffee before the coupons expire.
-Yesterday there was a story in the Chronicle Herald about university enrollment in the Halifax area. It seems that the Halifax Chamber of Commerce would like to see it slightly higher, and has even gone as far as to set enrollment goals. Strangely, it seems that these goals were set without the support of the university and without any offers of support from the Chamber of Commerce (at least that is the impression that the article gave me).
Not surprisingly, the enrollment targets have not been met. Thus the Chamber of Commerce is a little disappointed in the situation. Amazingly, the Chamber of Commerce seems to have failed to grasp a number of the challenges faced by the local universities when it comes to increasing enrollment. A huge impediment would seem to be tuition, which is much higher than one would pay in other Canadian provinces. Not surprisingly, as noted by the president of St. Mary's University, a relatively large number of students have decided to go to Memorial (where tuition is much lower). So not only are these universities going to lose local students to cheaper tuition, they are also going to have a hard time attracting out of province students.
While many of the problems faced by the universities in this context are relatively obvious it seems strange that the Chamber of Commerce would set a goal and then seemingly do nothing about fixing some of the problems so that their goal could be met. Additionally, it seems a rather strange that the Chamber of Commerce would try to involve themselves in such an area without the support of the universities.
I guess there is no pay-off for having read the above rant, I just found the situation rather amusing and absurd on a number of levels.
-It seems that we should be having a guest for a few hours this afternoon. In preparation for the guest's arrival I decided to make some humus and a sticky toffee sponge pudding (really, I was just looking for any excuse to make these things). While I think the humus should be fine, I am a little worried about the pudding. It seems that I accidentally doubled the amount of butter in the pudding. This has obviously changed the nature of the dough, hopefully not too negatively. I guess I will find out shortly whether my error has made the dish inedible, or whether it is a great improvement.
-This Christmas I was fortunate enough to receive a range of winter hats as gifts. Two of the hats are of the balaclava style, which surprised me as I wasn't aware that I had made my fondness for these hats widely known. Anyway, one of the hats is a hunter's fluorescent orange, and quite warm. Not surprisingly, I used yesterday's temperatures as an excuse to break it out for the first time (aside from in apartment use) since arriving in Halifax. The hat was great, it really kept the cold away from the part of my head that it covered, which was most of my head. If you have the opportunity to get one of these I recommend them, even if they do stand out.
-Yesterday I was able to test the coffee/mug warmer that I pulled from the free crap pile on Thursday. While it seems to do its job I am not sure how much I will actually use it. I think I am a little more comfortable with my mug resting directly on the desk, rather than on some piece of electrical equipment.
-Yesterday Neil and I took advantage of some coupons that a international fast food chain recently distributed. Unlike most coupons, these are returned to the customer once used, meaning that they can be used repeatedly. The best of the two coupons is for a free, no-purchase-necessary coffee. Based on people in line ahead of us, I am getting the sense that this in particular has been a popular coupon, as it basically means free coffee for a month. I am pretty sure that I will make an effort to head back a few more times for free coffee before the coupons expire.
-Yesterday there was a story in the Chronicle Herald about university enrollment in the Halifax area. It seems that the Halifax Chamber of Commerce would like to see it slightly higher, and has even gone as far as to set enrollment goals. Strangely, it seems that these goals were set without the support of the university and without any offers of support from the Chamber of Commerce (at least that is the impression that the article gave me).
Not surprisingly, the enrollment targets have not been met. Thus the Chamber of Commerce is a little disappointed in the situation. Amazingly, the Chamber of Commerce seems to have failed to grasp a number of the challenges faced by the local universities when it comes to increasing enrollment. A huge impediment would seem to be tuition, which is much higher than one would pay in other Canadian provinces. Not surprisingly, as noted by the president of St. Mary's University, a relatively large number of students have decided to go to Memorial (where tuition is much lower). So not only are these universities going to lose local students to cheaper tuition, they are also going to have a hard time attracting out of province students.
While many of the problems faced by the universities in this context are relatively obvious it seems strange that the Chamber of Commerce would set a goal and then seemingly do nothing about fixing some of the problems so that their goal could be met. Additionally, it seems a rather strange that the Chamber of Commerce would try to involve themselves in such an area without the support of the universities.
I guess there is no pay-off for having read the above rant, I just found the situation rather amusing and absurd on a number of levels.
-It seems that we should be having a guest for a few hours this afternoon. In preparation for the guest's arrival I decided to make some humus and a sticky toffee sponge pudding (really, I was just looking for any excuse to make these things). While I think the humus should be fine, I am a little worried about the pudding. It seems that I accidentally doubled the amount of butter in the pudding. This has obviously changed the nature of the dough, hopefully not too negatively. I guess I will find out shortly whether my error has made the dish inedible, or whether it is a great improvement.
Friday, January 16, 2009
My Very Own Sea Kitten
It seems that PETA has launched a new campaign, they are now trying to Save the Sea Kittens (read 'fish') from being hunted and needlessly killed.
At first the campaign's supporting website seems to be aimed towards the Finding Nemo demographic, though if you read some of the Sea Kitten Stories you see that they might have a slightly different group in mind.
Anyway, one of the interactive aspects of the website is that you can create your own Sea Kitten, as I have. This is a pretty quick and painless process if you are so inclined. Apparently mine is supposed to be a tuna, though it was the same size as the trout, salmon, and flounder.
I was going to make a Sea Kitten for Neil, but that seemed a little like cheating, and I probably wouldn't be able to channel his design choices appropriately, so I decided to give it a skip. Hopefully I can convince him to make one of these later today.
Edit:
Neil made has now made his own Sea Kitten.
At first the campaign's supporting website seems to be aimed towards the Finding Nemo demographic, though if you read some of the Sea Kitten Stories you see that they might have a slightly different group in mind.
Anyway, one of the interactive aspects of the website is that you can create your own Sea Kitten, as I have. This is a pretty quick and painless process if you are so inclined. Apparently mine is supposed to be a tuna, though it was the same size as the trout, salmon, and flounder.
I was going to make a Sea Kitten for Neil, but that seemed a little like cheating, and I probably wouldn't be able to channel his design choices appropriately, so I decided to give it a skip. Hopefully I can convince him to make one of these later today.
Edit:
Neil made has now made his own Sea Kitten.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
A Few Quick Notes 259
-As predicted, temperatures have dropped rather sharply in Halifax. Much of the day was in the -15 range, though this seemed to feel colder in the morning than in the afternoon (though that doesn't make too much sense). As of just recently it has dropped to -17 and is predicted to go as low as -22. Apparently the people in St. John's think that they have it bad at -9 (though St. John's does have a way of making winter feel particularly painful).
-Neil and went back for another round of squash this afternoon. As much as I tried, I didn't quite manage to knock my feet out from underneath myself, though I did come close on a number of occasions. Aside from a few passable shots, my most impressive move of the day was to hit myself in the thigh with my racket while attempting to serve. Unfortunately, this maneouver didn't also include me hitting the ball. Though I still don't play particularly well, I was able to score a few points on Neil, which made it seem like the experience wasn't a complete waste of time.
-This afternoon I made another trip back to the free crap pile I mentioned a few days ago. Today I managed to find a function set of speakers (such as one might use on their desk) as well as a device designed to keep mugs of hot beverages warm (though I haven't yet tested it to see if it works). Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find what I was looking for, which was the power supply for the Dictaphone, which means that it is still out of commission and keeping me from reaching my full academic potential.
-Though I took a nap this afternoon/evening I am still pretty tired. I guess that is what happens when one has class starting at 8:30 AM and going continuously until 2:30 and then follows this up with a rousing session of squash.
-Neil and went back for another round of squash this afternoon. As much as I tried, I didn't quite manage to knock my feet out from underneath myself, though I did come close on a number of occasions. Aside from a few passable shots, my most impressive move of the day was to hit myself in the thigh with my racket while attempting to serve. Unfortunately, this maneouver didn't also include me hitting the ball. Though I still don't play particularly well, I was able to score a few points on Neil, which made it seem like the experience wasn't a complete waste of time.
-This afternoon I made another trip back to the free crap pile I mentioned a few days ago. Today I managed to find a function set of speakers (such as one might use on their desk) as well as a device designed to keep mugs of hot beverages warm (though I haven't yet tested it to see if it works). Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find what I was looking for, which was the power supply for the Dictaphone, which means that it is still out of commission and keeping me from reaching my full academic potential.
-Though I took a nap this afternoon/evening I am still pretty tired. I guess that is what happens when one has class starting at 8:30 AM and going continuously until 2:30 and then follows this up with a rousing session of squash.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
A Few Quick Notes 258
-Though we didn't get the storm that was briefly predicted, we did mange to get the above zero temperatures that were predicted. This means that much of the snow that has fallen in the past several days has now turned to slush. The particularly nice part about the arrangement is that as the temperature is now dropping quickly we are a great position to get all kinds of ice. Notably, the cement area outside my window may be a particularly good area for sliding in a few hours.
Just moments ago I learned that apparently the threat of ice was enough to close schools in Halifax this afternoon. As it is now after school closing time and the ice hasn't formed it seems that his may have been a slight over-reaction.
-Yesterday, while at school, I was told about a pile of crap that one of the offices was giving/throwing away. Almost as soon as I heard about this opportunity I made my way down to inspect the goods. Almost immediately it was clear that most of the things that were in the pile were on the obsolete and useless side of things. Fortunately I stuck to my inspection was thus able to nab myself a Dictaphone (complete with foot controller, headset, and tapes). The only problem with the find is that it didn't come with an appropriate AC adapter. Hopefully once I find an adapter I will have the Dictaphone up and running. I imagine that this should improve my efficiency by a fair margin.
-As celery is on sale this week at one of the local grocery store I picked up a bunch made myself a celery, carrot, onion salad for dinner. As I was making the salad I realized that I forgot to buy radishes, oh well, I guess if I head back to the store tomorrow I might pick some up.
-Today I learned that, if I am so inclined, I can buy a set of photocopies for one of my classes for $120. You may not be surprised to learn that I have decided to just go to the library instead. I can't see how I can justify paying $120 for things that I can borrow from the library for free (and now I can justify blowing $120 that I saved on school expenses).
-To save on textbook expenses in another class I decided to borrow the required books from other university libraries in Nova Scotia (which should work quite nicely as my loans are good until the end of May). I should give credit for this plan to Cheryl, who tried something similar last year (though there were a few glitches in the execution if I remember correctly).
Just moments ago I learned that apparently the threat of ice was enough to close schools in Halifax this afternoon. As it is now after school closing time and the ice hasn't formed it seems that his may have been a slight over-reaction.
-Yesterday, while at school, I was told about a pile of crap that one of the offices was giving/throwing away. Almost as soon as I heard about this opportunity I made my way down to inspect the goods. Almost immediately it was clear that most of the things that were in the pile were on the obsolete and useless side of things. Fortunately I stuck to my inspection was thus able to nab myself a Dictaphone (complete with foot controller, headset, and tapes). The only problem with the find is that it didn't come with an appropriate AC adapter. Hopefully once I find an adapter I will have the Dictaphone up and running. I imagine that this should improve my efficiency by a fair margin.
-As celery is on sale this week at one of the local grocery store I picked up a bunch made myself a celery, carrot, onion salad for dinner. As I was making the salad I realized that I forgot to buy radishes, oh well, I guess if I head back to the store tomorrow I might pick some up.
-Today I learned that, if I am so inclined, I can buy a set of photocopies for one of my classes for $120. You may not be surprised to learn that I have decided to just go to the library instead. I can't see how I can justify paying $120 for things that I can borrow from the library for free (and now I can justify blowing $120 that I saved on school expenses).
-To save on textbook expenses in another class I decided to borrow the required books from other university libraries in Nova Scotia (which should work quite nicely as my loans are good until the end of May). I should give credit for this plan to Cheryl, who tried something similar last year (though there were a few glitches in the execution if I remember correctly).
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
A Few Quick Notes 257
-It seems that today was a pretty passible winter's day, though I can't say that I spent all that much time outdoors. More importantly, it seems thaw Environment Canada has issued a Winter Storm Watch for Tuesday evening.
-Since my return I have seen very little (or no) activity in the apartment across from my bedroom window. This stands out because prior to our departure the inhabitants of this apartment were on the loud side and frequently were kind enough to make me aware of their presence. I am curious if they have left the apartment, or are taking some kind of extended holiday, or some unfathomable third option.
-This evening, with hopes that it would keep me awake, I decided to make a batch of Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies. While I am pretty pleased with results of the baking, I can't say that the experience woke me up as much as I had hoped (though I do think that the physical activity was better than nothing).
-As we had a turkey yesterday we are now firmly in the midst of a rush to consume our turkey leftovers. This evening I prepared turkey potpie, and later in the week it is likely that I will prepare some kind of turkey soup. With a few sandwiches thrown in it is likely that we should be able to get through everything before we get any spoilage.
-Not surprisingly, now that I have been back in class for a week I am back in the midst of assigned readings. As much as I approve of the concept of assigned readings (what a great statement to make), I was somewhat disheartened to learn that the stack of papers shown below would be the readings I would be responsible for (along with about 14 articles) in the next 6 weeks of one of my courses. Though I am one week in I still don't feel as though I have made much of a dent.
-It seems that my complaining about podcast withdrawal was a little premature, or at least a little unnecessary as at least three of the previously mentioned podcasts (Stop Podcasting Yourself, Jordan, Jesse, Go!, and This American Life) released new episodes last night or today. I should also mention that The Moth (a podcast I forgot to include among my favourites yesterday) released a new episode today. It seems that the only hold outs are The 40 Year Old Boy and Radiolab.
-Since my return I have seen very little (or no) activity in the apartment across from my bedroom window. This stands out because prior to our departure the inhabitants of this apartment were on the loud side and frequently were kind enough to make me aware of their presence. I am curious if they have left the apartment, or are taking some kind of extended holiday, or some unfathomable third option.
-This evening, with hopes that it would keep me awake, I decided to make a batch of Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies. While I am pretty pleased with results of the baking, I can't say that the experience woke me up as much as I had hoped (though I do think that the physical activity was better than nothing).
-As we had a turkey yesterday we are now firmly in the midst of a rush to consume our turkey leftovers. This evening I prepared turkey potpie, and later in the week it is likely that I will prepare some kind of turkey soup. With a few sandwiches thrown in it is likely that we should be able to get through everything before we get any spoilage.
-Not surprisingly, now that I have been back in class for a week I am back in the midst of assigned readings. As much as I approve of the concept of assigned readings (what a great statement to make), I was somewhat disheartened to learn that the stack of papers shown below would be the readings I would be responsible for (along with about 14 articles) in the next 6 weeks of one of my courses. Though I am one week in I still don't feel as though I have made much of a dent.
-It seems that my complaining about podcast withdrawal was a little premature, or at least a little unnecessary as at least three of the previously mentioned podcasts (Stop Podcasting Yourself, Jordan, Jesse, Go!, and This American Life) released new episodes last night or today. I should also mention that The Moth (a podcast I forgot to include among my favourites yesterday) released a new episode today. It seems that the only hold outs are The 40 Year Old Boy and Radiolab.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Podcast Withdrawal
All of my favourite podcasts (Stop Podcasting Yourself, Jordan, Jesse, Go!, Radiolab, The 40 Year Old Boy, and This American Life) seem to be on extended Christmas hiatuses. Each day for the past few days I have been checking to see if new episodes are available only to find that in all cases there are none (though This American Life has been posting old episodes). Hopefully Sunday evening will prove a little more fruitful, though I fear that the hiatuses will extend into this common upload day.
A Few Quick Notes 256
-We are presently in the midst of a rather satisfying snowfall. As of yesterday there was some concern that this could turn into a storm, but this seems to have been averted and thus the spat of cancellations we all hoped for have been called off. I am a little curious to see if we will end up getting the predicted 15 cm, though things seem to be on track for such an accumulation at the moment.
-Neil and I played squash on Thursday. This was the first time I had ever played. Much to my surprise, I found I quite enjoyed the game. Aside from being unable to consistently hit the ball my main problem was my superb ability to knock my legs out from underneath me, a skill that was previously unknown to me. Our plan is to try and play on a semi-regular basis, though we will see how effective academic commitments are in interfering in such a plan.
-Neil and I had another Ultimate game last night. Again we were slaughtered, though the team we were playing was quite pleasant and sportsmanlike about the whole affair. Hopefully next week's game is a little better.
-It that this weekend is shaping up to be rather meatful. We had roast beef last night and will be having turkey this evening. This should mean that we will have plenty of leftovers for the next few days.
-We have really been going through carrots since we returned a week ago. Yesterday Neil had to buy a second 10 pound bag.
-For those of you in the Halifax area, it seems that Sobeys has a few pretty good deals this week. Most noteworthy are the buy one get two free selections, which include hams, potatoes, and pork chops. The three of us are already assuming that at least two trips will be needed to fully take advantage of all of the deals.
-Neil and I played squash on Thursday. This was the first time I had ever played. Much to my surprise, I found I quite enjoyed the game. Aside from being unable to consistently hit the ball my main problem was my superb ability to knock my legs out from underneath me, a skill that was previously unknown to me. Our plan is to try and play on a semi-regular basis, though we will see how effective academic commitments are in interfering in such a plan.
-Neil and I had another Ultimate game last night. Again we were slaughtered, though the team we were playing was quite pleasant and sportsmanlike about the whole affair. Hopefully next week's game is a little better.
-It that this weekend is shaping up to be rather meatful. We had roast beef last night and will be having turkey this evening. This should mean that we will have plenty of leftovers for the next few days.
-We have really been going through carrots since we returned a week ago. Yesterday Neil had to buy a second 10 pound bag.
-For those of you in the Halifax area, it seems that Sobeys has a few pretty good deals this week. Most noteworthy are the buy one get two free selections, which include hams, potatoes, and pork chops. The three of us are already assuming that at least two trips will be needed to fully take advantage of all of the deals.
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
A Few Quick Notes 255
-Today was an absolutely beautiful day. The sun was out constantly and the skies were clear. Aside from a little wind and sub-zero temperatures it was almost perfect. And on top of the beauty of the day, we managed to score an extra minute of sun at the end of the day.
-Yesterday I baked a few loaves of bread, the first bread that I have baked since returning to Halifax. This time around, unlike with past batches in this oven, I decided to put an empty pan on the rack beneath the bread. This trick seems to have allowed me to avoid having an overly thick bottom crust, which is a problem that I have had with previous batches in this oven.
The other frustrating problem that I am continuing to have is that occasionally some of the bread is sticking to the pan, even though the pans have been greased. The more I think about it the more I am starting to wonder if this is related to the length of time the bread has been rising in a given spot. I seem to recall that the latter batches are sticking more than the earlier batches, though this may just be me making things up.
-Though I have only been back in class for a day it feels as though I am already behind. Part of this may be related to the fact that in one course I have already printed 90 pages of readings for next week, the worst part being that is only half of what I have to read for next class. I am a little worried about what I might encounter in my remaining two classes.
-For Christmas I received a copy of Settlers of Catan: Traders and Barbarians, which is an expansion for Settlers of Catan. Unlike past expansions (Seafarers and Cities and Knights) this one includes multiple scenarios and variants, some of which are more complicated than others. So far we have focused on the Fishermen of Catan and Harbourmaster options, leaving some of the more complicated set-ups to a future date.
Though I have been generally pleased with this expansion, we have found that not all available options are equal in terms of enjoyment or quality of game play. I guess the best thing to do is try a few of the variants and gradually weed out those of a lesser quality (as if you couldn't have figured this out yourself). As a side note, it seems that the 5-6 player expansion of this expansion was just released in December, though I haven't yet seen it.
-Today, to take advantage of the 10% discount at Sobeys Neil and Rebecca prepared a grocery list, and eventually took a trip to the store. As I had class this afternoon I didn't manage to join them on the excursion. Amazingly, by this evening I managed to find enough items that I forgot to include on the list that I was forced to make a return trip. I am particularly glad that I returned this evening as it meant that I was able to take advantage of the 2 for 1 sale on English Ivy plants (because we needed more plants). I also picked a some beans and lentils to cook in the new pressure cooker.
-For those of you with access to TruTV (primarily those of you in the US) you might be interested in checking out tomorrow night's episode of Most Shocking (entitled "Party Pandemonium), it should be quite the show.
-Yesterday I baked a few loaves of bread, the first bread that I have baked since returning to Halifax. This time around, unlike with past batches in this oven, I decided to put an empty pan on the rack beneath the bread. This trick seems to have allowed me to avoid having an overly thick bottom crust, which is a problem that I have had with previous batches in this oven.
The other frustrating problem that I am continuing to have is that occasionally some of the bread is sticking to the pan, even though the pans have been greased. The more I think about it the more I am starting to wonder if this is related to the length of time the bread has been rising in a given spot. I seem to recall that the latter batches are sticking more than the earlier batches, though this may just be me making things up.
-Though I have only been back in class for a day it feels as though I am already behind. Part of this may be related to the fact that in one course I have already printed 90 pages of readings for next week, the worst part being that is only half of what I have to read for next class. I am a little worried about what I might encounter in my remaining two classes.
-For Christmas I received a copy of Settlers of Catan: Traders and Barbarians, which is an expansion for Settlers of Catan. Unlike past expansions (Seafarers and Cities and Knights) this one includes multiple scenarios and variants, some of which are more complicated than others. So far we have focused on the Fishermen of Catan and Harbourmaster options, leaving some of the more complicated set-ups to a future date.
Though I have been generally pleased with this expansion, we have found that not all available options are equal in terms of enjoyment or quality of game play. I guess the best thing to do is try a few of the variants and gradually weed out those of a lesser quality (as if you couldn't have figured this out yourself). As a side note, it seems that the 5-6 player expansion of this expansion was just released in December, though I haven't yet seen it.
-Today, to take advantage of the 10% discount at Sobeys Neil and Rebecca prepared a grocery list, and eventually took a trip to the store. As I had class this afternoon I didn't manage to join them on the excursion. Amazingly, by this evening I managed to find enough items that I forgot to include on the list that I was forced to make a return trip. I am particularly glad that I returned this evening as it meant that I was able to take advantage of the 2 for 1 sale on English Ivy plants (because we needed more plants). I also picked a some beans and lentils to cook in the new pressure cooker.
-For those of you with access to TruTV (primarily those of you in the US) you might be interested in checking out tomorrow night's episode of Most Shocking (entitled "Party Pandemonium), it should be quite the show.
Sunday, January 04, 2009
A Few Quick Notes 254
-Today was a pretty beautiful day. Not only was there no precipitation, but the skies were clear and the wind was low. Additionally, while cold, it wasn't particularly unpleasant or unreasonable. It seems that our luck is not to hold as rain is predicted for later in the week.
-Much to my surprise I received a pressure cooker for Christmas. I guess the idea is that beans can be cooked rather effectively in such devices, though I have not yet tested this assertion, which might help me overcome my inability to properly cook beans.
Maybe even more importantly, it seems that, if the claims on the box are correct, such devices should really reduce the required cooking time. The recipe booklet included with the pressure cooker is even so bold as to suggest that it can cook potatoes in only 10 minutes (which would be pretty amazing). Their claim that they can cook a whole turkey in 25 minutes is also pretty impressive.
Anyway, today I managed to put the device into service when I cooked beef stew for dinner. Though I didn't notice an incredible reduction in cooking time I think that it is likely that in the future I would apply more heat, thus building the required pressure more quickly, and thus starting my time savings at an earlier stage. I think what may have most impressed me about the experience was how much steam was released once I eventually decided to release the pressure. If I recall correctly, steam spewed out of the valve for several minutes once opened.
-Neil and I had an Ultimate game last night. Almost as soon as the game started it was clear we were outmatched and were likely to lose the game. Anyway, the eventual result was that were beaten more soundly than we have ever been beaten as a team before. Hopefully next week's game goes a little better.
-Though the selections have not been formally approved by the Graduate Coordinator, as of this evening I have finally decided which courses I will be taking this semester. The unfortunate part of my schedule, aside from the back to back seminars, is the 8:30 AM class. Maybe I will be able to shake my aversion to mornings for the duration of the semester.
-Much to my surprise I received a pressure cooker for Christmas. I guess the idea is that beans can be cooked rather effectively in such devices, though I have not yet tested this assertion, which might help me overcome my inability to properly cook beans.
Maybe even more importantly, it seems that, if the claims on the box are correct, such devices should really reduce the required cooking time. The recipe booklet included with the pressure cooker is even so bold as to suggest that it can cook potatoes in only 10 minutes (which would be pretty amazing). Their claim that they can cook a whole turkey in 25 minutes is also pretty impressive.
Anyway, today I managed to put the device into service when I cooked beef stew for dinner. Though I didn't notice an incredible reduction in cooking time I think that it is likely that in the future I would apply more heat, thus building the required pressure more quickly, and thus starting my time savings at an earlier stage. I think what may have most impressed me about the experience was how much steam was released once I eventually decided to release the pressure. If I recall correctly, steam spewed out of the valve for several minutes once opened.
-Neil and I had an Ultimate game last night. Almost as soon as the game started it was clear we were outmatched and were likely to lose the game. Anyway, the eventual result was that were beaten more soundly than we have ever been beaten as a team before. Hopefully next week's game goes a little better.
-Though the selections have not been formally approved by the Graduate Coordinator, as of this evening I have finally decided which courses I will be taking this semester. The unfortunate part of my schedule, aside from the back to back seminars, is the 8:30 AM class. Maybe I will be able to shake my aversion to mornings for the duration of the semester.
Adventures in Haircutting
For the past several months I have been having Neil cut my hair. Not only does this save me money, but it also allows me to have my hair cuts occur at times that suit me. The best part is that the haircuts have been working out pretty well (at least as far as I am concerned), even though Neil has no formal training in this area
Originally, Neil was using a haircutting set that he purchased for $10 at a discount store two years ago. As we should have guessed, this set wasn't particularly good. A few weeks ago, we noticed that a much better set was on sale for $20, a cost that could be recouped with only a few cuts. Unfortunately, due to our hectic schedules in mid-December Neil wasn't able to give me a trim with the new set prior to our departure. With the knowledge of the new set firmly in my memory, I spent most of the trip awaiting our return so that Neil could give me a trim using the new clippers.
Though it took me a day or so to talk him into it, this afternoon I finally managed to get him to agree to cut my hair this afternoon. After a brief strategy session in front of the bathroom mirror we moved to the cutting room (the kitchen). Neil really dove in quite quickly and removed quite a bit of my hair in just minutes.
With the rough work out of the way we moved on to the detailed refining of the cut. Eventually Neil started tidying up my neck with the bare trimmers. After a brief hiatus Neil decided that he would take a few more passes with the trimmer. As Neil was moving the trimmer towards my head I had a suspicion that he hadn't yet replaced the comb, and after a second or two Neil recoiled in horror, realizing that he had not replaced the comb and thus cleared a sizeable patch on the back of my head.
To attempt to rectify the situation Neil used one of the shortest combs and re-cut the previously cut areas in an attempt to even out the mistake. The result, not surprisingly, is a much shorter cut than I originally expected. Also, though I don't know how this happened, it seems that the haircut is a bit more like a bowl cut than I would originally imagined it would be. Presumably in a few weeks, once this has started to grow out, we can go back and re-touch things.
Originally, Neil was using a haircutting set that he purchased for $10 at a discount store two years ago. As we should have guessed, this set wasn't particularly good. A few weeks ago, we noticed that a much better set was on sale for $20, a cost that could be recouped with only a few cuts. Unfortunately, due to our hectic schedules in mid-December Neil wasn't able to give me a trim with the new set prior to our departure. With the knowledge of the new set firmly in my memory, I spent most of the trip awaiting our return so that Neil could give me a trim using the new clippers.
Though it took me a day or so to talk him into it, this afternoon I finally managed to get him to agree to cut my hair this afternoon. After a brief strategy session in front of the bathroom mirror we moved to the cutting room (the kitchen). Neil really dove in quite quickly and removed quite a bit of my hair in just minutes.
With the rough work out of the way we moved on to the detailed refining of the cut. Eventually Neil started tidying up my neck with the bare trimmers. After a brief hiatus Neil decided that he would take a few more passes with the trimmer. As Neil was moving the trimmer towards my head I had a suspicion that he hadn't yet replaced the comb, and after a second or two Neil recoiled in horror, realizing that he had not replaced the comb and thus cleared a sizeable patch on the back of my head.
To attempt to rectify the situation Neil used one of the shortest combs and re-cut the previously cut areas in an attempt to even out the mistake. The result, not surprisingly, is a much shorter cut than I originally expected. Also, though I don't know how this happened, it seems that the haircut is a bit more like a bowl cut than I would originally imagined it would be. Presumably in a few weeks, once this has started to grow out, we can go back and re-touch things.
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