-Though chilly, today has been pretty beautiful. Actually, the light dusting of snow that we received at some point last night really added to the effect and made things look clean and crisp.
-I am now down to 4 for 28 in this year's RUTRTW contest. Things are definitely in the gutter now. At this rate it seems unlikely that I will even break even, let alone do better than average.
-The Canadian election campaign is definitely in full swing. As of yet I haven't heard about any major events in Halifax, though I am sure that they will come up eventually. I guess I would ideally find a way to see at least a few of the party leaders give speeches, though that may be hopeful as I sense that many of these things are for partisan audiences rather than the public (and then broadcast in snippet form on the nightly news).
-Tomorrow I will be heading in to campus for another public lecture. I am really looking forward to the talk as the presenter will likely be addressing a few issues that interest me and that I think are generally under-examined in Canada.
-Now that Ultimate is over for a few weeks I will have to find a way to engage in some physical activity. Maybe I will be able to convince Neil or Jeannette to play some squash with me.
Showing posts with label Squash. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Squash. Show all posts
Monday, March 28, 2011
Sunday, January 30, 2011
A Few Quick Notes 503
-Today has been a pretty great day all day long. Now, presumably just for a seasonal effect, a few snowflakes are falling, though not really staying around.
-Our Ultimate team played pretty poorly in our game last night. Our poor play wasn't helped by the fact that were were missing quite a number of players. In the end we lost the game by about 7 points. Hopefully things will go better next week.
-Did you know that you can Flickr user's photostreams as RSS feeds? I know that I just learned this a few days ago and was a little saddened to think that I hadn't been taking advantage of this feature for the past few years (assuming it has been around that long).
-I am presently in the midst of making batches pea soup and butternut squash soup for dinner tonight.
The butternut squash soup is turning out a little thinner than I hoped it would. I will soon be trying to resolve the problem by supplementing the soup with some carrots and potatoes. These new additions should give the whole thing a little more body, and make it a little less like yellow water. Hopefully they aren't strong enough flavours to overpower the squash.
-We are still going 'strong' over at Doyle Pitches. My favourite of the day, at least so far, is "Doyle: Pig in the City."
-Our Ultimate team played pretty poorly in our game last night. Our poor play wasn't helped by the fact that were were missing quite a number of players. In the end we lost the game by about 7 points. Hopefully things will go better next week.
-Did you know that you can Flickr user's photostreams as RSS feeds? I know that I just learned this a few days ago and was a little saddened to think that I hadn't been taking advantage of this feature for the past few years (assuming it has been around that long).
-I am presently in the midst of making batches pea soup and butternut squash soup for dinner tonight.
The butternut squash soup is turning out a little thinner than I hoped it would. I will soon be trying to resolve the problem by supplementing the soup with some carrots and potatoes. These new additions should give the whole thing a little more body, and make it a little less like yellow water. Hopefully they aren't strong enough flavours to overpower the squash.
-We are still going 'strong' over at Doyle Pitches. My favourite of the day, at least so far, is "Doyle: Pig in the City."
Friday, August 27, 2010
A Few Quick Notes 445
-It seems that yesterday's rain was short-lived. We are already back to full sun and relatively cloudless skies. I guess I probably shouldn't complain. Actually, that one day of rain was enough for me for a while.
-As some of you might have guessed, we have really been hitting the new SodaStream machine hard. Not only did we acquire two new flavours and two new 1 liter bottles yesterday, but we have prepared several more liters of club soda. If we manage to keep up this pace we will be at 60 liters and in need of a new CO2 canister in no time.
-We watched The Terminator last night. As far as I know, none of us had really seen it before this. Aside from some really bad dialogue, it seems to hold up as an action movie. Amazingly, even the special effects aren't as bad as one might expect them to be for a movie from 1984. Actually, I would go so far as to say that they, at least for the most part, look much better than do the effects in Titanic, a James Cameron movie. While I haven't yet seen Avatar, I have to imagine that they even compare favourably to this movie.
-I am hoping to play some squash for the first time in a few months this afternoon. Presumably I will have lost all of the skills that I gained earlier in the summer.
-As some of you might have guessed, we have really been hitting the new SodaStream machine hard. Not only did we acquire two new flavours and two new 1 liter bottles yesterday, but we have prepared several more liters of club soda. If we manage to keep up this pace we will be at 60 liters and in need of a new CO2 canister in no time.
-We watched The Terminator last night. As far as I know, none of us had really seen it before this. Aside from some really bad dialogue, it seems to hold up as an action movie. Amazingly, even the special effects aren't as bad as one might expect them to be for a movie from 1984. Actually, I would go so far as to say that they, at least for the most part, look much better than do the effects in Titanic, a James Cameron movie. While I haven't yet seen Avatar, I have to imagine that they even compare favourably to this movie.
-I am hoping to play some squash for the first time in a few months this afternoon. Presumably I will have lost all of the skills that I gained earlier in the summer.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
A Few Quick Notes 438
-It has been another overcast day in Halifax. Fortunately, the overcast skies have not come with much precipitation or wind.
-Moments ago I read a story about a proposed law in Newfoundland that would seem to give police the ability to stop any and all drivers in Newfoundland and have them submit to impaired driving tests ( but don't worry, these stops aren't supposed to include unwarranted searches). I have a hard time believe that providing police with the power to pull over and investigate any driver, even if they are showing no signs of impairment, is a good idea. Not only could such legislation be used by police to harass people, it seems that it might be used to circumvent other practices that prevent unjustified intrusions in a citizen's life. While I hope that because the law has not yet been passed the government will come to its senses and restrain itself and not pass this law in its present form, I doubt that this will happen.
-While on the subject of overly aggressive legislation, I just read about a recently implemented law in Nova Scotia that makes it illegal to drive past stopped emergency vehicles that have their lights flashing at more than 60 kilometers per hour. Apparently it is also illegal not to move into a further lane if one is available. Apparently the goal of this legislation is to make conditions safer for emergency services workers, though I wonder if a side effect might be to make things more dangerous for drivers, particularly on the highway, as other drivers may now be inclined to suddenly slow down or unexpectedly change lanes. In many ways this rule seems to run contrary to the principles embodied in the 'no stopping' rules that exist for safety reasons on many divided highways.
-We played our second Ultimate game of the season on Sunday. Unfortunately we managed to lose the game. Unlike the first game we played, in this game we weren't quite as organized as we could have been and we didn't play particularly well as a team.
-A few minutes ago I was interested in finding out if any news had come out of the Obama/McChrystal meeting. My Google New search results seemed to suggest that nothing had yet been made public. Just moments later I received an news alert suggesting that McChrystal was to be relieved of his post. Now, less than an hour later, there seem to be all kinds of stories about McChrystal being removed from his post.
-I am hoping to play some squash this evening.
-Moments ago I read a story about a proposed law in Newfoundland that would seem to give police the ability to stop any and all drivers in Newfoundland and have them submit to impaired driving tests ( but don't worry, these stops aren't supposed to include unwarranted searches). I have a hard time believe that providing police with the power to pull over and investigate any driver, even if they are showing no signs of impairment, is a good idea. Not only could such legislation be used by police to harass people, it seems that it might be used to circumvent other practices that prevent unjustified intrusions in a citizen's life. While I hope that because the law has not yet been passed the government will come to its senses and restrain itself and not pass this law in its present form, I doubt that this will happen.
-While on the subject of overly aggressive legislation, I just read about a recently implemented law in Nova Scotia that makes it illegal to drive past stopped emergency vehicles that have their lights flashing at more than 60 kilometers per hour. Apparently it is also illegal not to move into a further lane if one is available. Apparently the goal of this legislation is to make conditions safer for emergency services workers, though I wonder if a side effect might be to make things more dangerous for drivers, particularly on the highway, as other drivers may now be inclined to suddenly slow down or unexpectedly change lanes. In many ways this rule seems to run contrary to the principles embodied in the 'no stopping' rules that exist for safety reasons on many divided highways.
-We played our second Ultimate game of the season on Sunday. Unfortunately we managed to lose the game. Unlike the first game we played, in this game we weren't quite as organized as we could have been and we didn't play particularly well as a team.
-A few minutes ago I was interested in finding out if any news had come out of the Obama/McChrystal meeting. My Google New search results seemed to suggest that nothing had yet been made public. Just moments later I received an news alert suggesting that McChrystal was to be relieved of his post. Now, less than an hour later, there seem to be all kinds of stories about McChrystal being removed from his post.
-I am hoping to play some squash this evening.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
A Few Quick Notes 437
-Today, like yesterday, is beautiful. The only blemish on these otherwise perfect days has been somewhat higher than average wind.
-On Saturday night I was walking in our neighbourhood when I happened across a wallet lying on the sidewalk. Thinking that someone in the area may have dropped it, I picked the wallet up to see if I could find an address for the owner. While I was able to find an address and several pieces of ID, I also noticed that the wallet did not contain any cash or credit cards (basically just a variety of pieces of ID). While I presume that this means that the owner of the wallet lost things like credit cards and cash, that I returned the wallet to the police likely means that he didn't lose his birth certificate and SIN card. I can't imagine how much more unpleasant this guy's life would have been had he also lost all of his ID.
-We had our first Ultimate game of the season. While we were in the lead for much of the game, the final result was a tie. For the most part the game went well, though there were a few rules related issues that the other team wasn't particularly helpful when it came to solving.
-Just a few minutes ago, because I watched a CBC news clip, I learned that there are fire ants in Halifax and the surrounding areas. Until seeing this clip I assumed that these little guys hadn't yet made their way out of the US south, though I was clearly about 20 years (if not more) behind the times with this assumption.
-Starting tomorrow I (with Neil and Rebecca's help) will be taking on my first Halifax cat-sitting gig. Some friends are heading out of town for a long weekend and we offered to watch their cats provided that they would allow us to use their car. Given these obligations this weekend should be a more interesting weekend than most.
-It seems that the Queen Elizabeth II will be coming to town on June 28th for a visit.
We are hoping to get a chance to catch her famous wave (as demonstrated below):
-Hopefully I should be able to get some squash in tonight.
-A library school friend of mine, Mary, was in Halifax yesterday and spent last night with us. It was really great to see her again. I am hoping that in the not too distant future I might get a chance to see a few other friends from library school.
-On Saturday night I was walking in our neighbourhood when I happened across a wallet lying on the sidewalk. Thinking that someone in the area may have dropped it, I picked the wallet up to see if I could find an address for the owner. While I was able to find an address and several pieces of ID, I also noticed that the wallet did not contain any cash or credit cards (basically just a variety of pieces of ID). While I presume that this means that the owner of the wallet lost things like credit cards and cash, that I returned the wallet to the police likely means that he didn't lose his birth certificate and SIN card. I can't imagine how much more unpleasant this guy's life would have been had he also lost all of his ID.
-We had our first Ultimate game of the season. While we were in the lead for much of the game, the final result was a tie. For the most part the game went well, though there were a few rules related issues that the other team wasn't particularly helpful when it came to solving.
-Just a few minutes ago, because I watched a CBC news clip, I learned that there are fire ants in Halifax and the surrounding areas. Until seeing this clip I assumed that these little guys hadn't yet made their way out of the US south, though I was clearly about 20 years (if not more) behind the times with this assumption.
-Starting tomorrow I (with Neil and Rebecca's help) will be taking on my first Halifax cat-sitting gig. Some friends are heading out of town for a long weekend and we offered to watch their cats provided that they would allow us to use their car. Given these obligations this weekend should be a more interesting weekend than most.
-It seems that the Queen Elizabeth II will be coming to town on June 28th for a visit.
We are hoping to get a chance to catch her famous wave (as demonstrated below):
-Hopefully I should be able to get some squash in tonight.
-A library school friend of mine, Mary, was in Halifax yesterday and spent last night with us. It was really great to see her again. I am hoping that in the not too distant future I might get a chance to see a few other friends from library school.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
A Few Quick Notes 432
-Though I thought that we might get some rain today we managed to make it through with just overcast skies. Though not as nice, at least by most measures, as yesterday this was fine as I don't think I was really interested in another 29 degree day.
-Last night while at a nearby pharmacy shopping for skin cleansers I noticed that the condom and lube section was located next to the acne treatment section. Today I happened to be in the pharmacy section of one of my neighbourhood grocery stores looking for acetaminophen and noticed that in this case the condom section was located next to the diet beverage section. I feel that in both cases I am being sent somewhat odd messages. In the first instance I almost feel as though they are trying to tempt acne-laden teens while in the second instance they are reminding people of their size (and almost suggesting that they might consider going on a diet if they want to indulge in sex). Of course, I could be reading too much into these placement of these products, but in an age of market research and product placement I have a hard time believing that these products were placed next to each other coincidentally.
-While at the aforementioned grocery store this morning I was in the midst of checking out when the cashier noticed that one of my purchases, a store-brand sale item, did not have a UPC. I not only surprised that the item did not have a UPC, but also that this seemed not to be noticed until I checked out. If things like this can slip by the management of this store then maybe I shouldn't be so surprised that they have a hard time keeping tofu and raspberry yogurt in stock.
-For the past few weeks I have been playing squash on Wednesday evenings. My plan is to do so again tomorrow night. While I am still a pretty bad player, I do think that I have improved (if not in terms of skill at least in terms of the power of my shots).
-I baked a three-loaf batch of white bread today. Unfortunately I allowed myself to eat almost an entire loaf.
-Last night while at a nearby pharmacy shopping for skin cleansers I noticed that the condom and lube section was located next to the acne treatment section. Today I happened to be in the pharmacy section of one of my neighbourhood grocery stores looking for acetaminophen and noticed that in this case the condom section was located next to the diet beverage section. I feel that in both cases I am being sent somewhat odd messages. In the first instance I almost feel as though they are trying to tempt acne-laden teens while in the second instance they are reminding people of their size (and almost suggesting that they might consider going on a diet if they want to indulge in sex). Of course, I could be reading too much into these placement of these products, but in an age of market research and product placement I have a hard time believing that these products were placed next to each other coincidentally.
-While at the aforementioned grocery store this morning I was in the midst of checking out when the cashier noticed that one of my purchases, a store-brand sale item, did not have a UPC. I not only surprised that the item did not have a UPC, but also that this seemed not to be noticed until I checked out. If things like this can slip by the management of this store then maybe I shouldn't be so surprised that they have a hard time keeping tofu and raspberry yogurt in stock.
-For the past few weeks I have been playing squash on Wednesday evenings. My plan is to do so again tomorrow night. While I am still a pretty bad player, I do think that I have improved (if not in terms of skill at least in terms of the power of my shots).
-I baked a three-loaf batch of white bread today. Unfortunately I allowed myself to eat almost an entire loaf.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
A Few Quick Notes 428
-Today has been passable but not particularly nice. Fortunately, aside from a few showers, there hasn't been much precipitation.
-Last night I 'hosted' a poli sci graduate student event at a local pub. Though I don't know if it is fair to go so far as to say that it was a rousing success, I do feel that I might generally consider it a success (meaning that I wasn't the only poli sci grad student in attendance). Additionally, I was quite pleased to speak to a few friends I haven't really seen in the past few weeks.
-This afternoon Neil and I played a few games of squash. For some reason, though I frequently raced out to a substantial lead, I managed to lose the first few games to Neil. Fortunately, by the end of our session I was coming around and able to hold on long enough to secure the victory.
-For dinner last night I tried to cook the Puerto Rican plantain-based dish mofongo. While the resulting dish was edible, I am pretty sure that the dish is supposed to be better than what I ended up with. I guess those I cook for may have the misfortune of me re-trying this dish in the coming weeks to try and improve the outcome.
-On Thursday evening Andrew and I re-potted quite a number of the seedlings that we have been growing for the past few weeks. Based on the gangliness of the tomato plants I suspect that we likely left the re-potting for a few too many weeks. I am hoping that the tomatoes and herbs will toughen up so that I can soon transfer them to our balcony.
-In other balcony garden news, I moved a few of the been plants outside and installed some garden netting and string. I am hoping that, like last year, I will be able to get some of the bean plants to climb around the balcony.
-Last night I 'hosted' a poli sci graduate student event at a local pub. Though I don't know if it is fair to go so far as to say that it was a rousing success, I do feel that I might generally consider it a success (meaning that I wasn't the only poli sci grad student in attendance). Additionally, I was quite pleased to speak to a few friends I haven't really seen in the past few weeks.
-This afternoon Neil and I played a few games of squash. For some reason, though I frequently raced out to a substantial lead, I managed to lose the first few games to Neil. Fortunately, by the end of our session I was coming around and able to hold on long enough to secure the victory.
-For dinner last night I tried to cook the Puerto Rican plantain-based dish mofongo. While the resulting dish was edible, I am pretty sure that the dish is supposed to be better than what I ended up with. I guess those I cook for may have the misfortune of me re-trying this dish in the coming weeks to try and improve the outcome.
-On Thursday evening Andrew and I re-potted quite a number of the seedlings that we have been growing for the past few weeks. Based on the gangliness of the tomato plants I suspect that we likely left the re-potting for a few too many weeks. I am hoping that the tomatoes and herbs will toughen up so that I can soon transfer them to our balcony.
-In other balcony garden news, I moved a few of the been plants outside and installed some garden netting and string. I am hoping that, like last year, I will be able to get some of the bean plants to climb around the balcony.
Monday, May 10, 2010
A Few Quick Notes 426
-Though some of the past few days have been nice, it seems that today has been largely overcast (though not yet rainy). Unfortunately, it seems that this weather is expected to stay until at least tomorrow (though this wasn't what yesterday's forecast predicted for Tuesday).
-It seems that Twitter experienced a few problems today. It seems that the first problem was that one could 'force' others to follow them followed by a second problem that made it look as though everyone had lost their followers and those that they follow. Shortly after my attention was drawn to the problem I read a BBC story that explained what was going on. By the time I went back to get a closer look at the situation it appeared to have been resolved. Of course what has not yet been satisfactorily resolved is why I might want a Twitter account (aside from it being of use when I want to feel like a cool kid).
-Actually, I probably shouldn't crap on Twitter so much. Just this afternoon, because I follow the Nova Scotia House of Assembly's Twitter feed, I was reminded that the legislature is in session and that the public is free to attend. So if all goes well I will try to make it to at least some of today's sitting, though I don't imagine that I will really need to spend all that much time there to get a general sense of how things work (though based on a quick assessment of the Order Paper I do get a sense that it works slightly differently than the Newfoundland House of Assembly).
-While it seems that the Brits have not quite figured out who the next prime minister will be it is clear that it won't be Gordon Brown as he made it clear this afternoon that he will be resigning.
-A few days ago I purchased a few bamboo steamers.
I am looking forward to breaking them in with some shark steaks and vegetables tonight.
-On Friday night Neil, Rebecca, Jeannette, and I took a trip to my favourite rock throwing beach.
After a relatively passionate rock throwing session we made our way back to downtown Halifax before sunset (though it may not look like it in the picture included above).
-It seems that my relatively passionate and long rock throwing session on Friday evening did have some consequences, other than reducing the number of beach stones available to future rock throwers. It seems that I must have over-exerted my right elbow and shoulder so much that when I tried to play squash on Sunday I was able to handle only a very short session (during which I was worse than normal). Hopefully everything will be back in shape by Wednesday, as that is when I am scheduled to play next.
-It seems that Twitter experienced a few problems today. It seems that the first problem was that one could 'force' others to follow them followed by a second problem that made it look as though everyone had lost their followers and those that they follow. Shortly after my attention was drawn to the problem I read a BBC story that explained what was going on. By the time I went back to get a closer look at the situation it appeared to have been resolved. Of course what has not yet been satisfactorily resolved is why I might want a Twitter account (aside from it being of use when I want to feel like a cool kid).
-Actually, I probably shouldn't crap on Twitter so much. Just this afternoon, because I follow the Nova Scotia House of Assembly's Twitter feed, I was reminded that the legislature is in session and that the public is free to attend. So if all goes well I will try to make it to at least some of today's sitting, though I don't imagine that I will really need to spend all that much time there to get a general sense of how things work (though based on a quick assessment of the Order Paper I do get a sense that it works slightly differently than the Newfoundland House of Assembly).
-While it seems that the Brits have not quite figured out who the next prime minister will be it is clear that it won't be Gordon Brown as he made it clear this afternoon that he will be resigning.
-A few days ago I purchased a few bamboo steamers.
I am looking forward to breaking them in with some shark steaks and vegetables tonight.
-On Friday night Neil, Rebecca, Jeannette, and I took a trip to my favourite rock throwing beach.
After a relatively passionate rock throwing session we made our way back to downtown Halifax before sunset (though it may not look like it in the picture included above).
-It seems that my relatively passionate and long rock throwing session on Friday evening did have some consequences, other than reducing the number of beach stones available to future rock throwers. It seems that I must have over-exerted my right elbow and shoulder so much that when I tried to play squash on Sunday I was able to handle only a very short session (during which I was worse than normal). Hopefully everything will be back in shape by Wednesday, as that is when I am scheduled to play next.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
A Few Quick Notes 422
-Today has been pretty strange. We seem to be going back and forth between periods of showers and sunshine. Fortunately I left the apartment this morning during one of the grey periods so I brought my rain jacket with me. I do hope that we will soon turn the corner and head into at least a few hours of clearer weather.
-Hopefully I will get a chance to play some squash tonight.
-I visited by nearby grocery stores today, my primary objective being the acquisition of on sale meats. At the first grocery store I visited I picked up some boneless, skinless chicken breasts an pork chops. At the second grocery store I bought two packages of pork tenderloin (they were buy one get one free). Hopefully these purchases mean that I won't have to meat shopping for at least a few more days.
-It would seem that after my several week absence from Montifax that I have really rebounded with vigor. Maybe, even with my absence of almost 2 weeks, I will make it to over 20 posts this month. Hooray! What a meaningful accomplishment!
-This afternoon I was a little disgusted to learn that Neil (Rebecca will also be going) is now planning on heading to Winnipeg for a few days. While I am not generally opposed to the idea of Neil going to Winnipeg what I do find frustrating is that this means that Neil will be able to pick off both Saskatchewan and Manitoba in a single trip.
Since about 1995 Neil and I have been deadlocked at 8 provinces apiece (though both of us have been interested in completing the collection). Neil, by visiting Manitoba and Saskatchewan, will throw this equilibrium off. Of course the worst part is that I have no idea how I will go about eventually making my way to either Manitoba or Saskatchewan (particularly as people seem to suggest that they aren't particularly attractive vacation destinations). I guess I will just have to be happy that I have Delaware.
-A few days ago I noticed that one of my sweaters is starting to fray at the cuff.
It seems that in the past few weeks a few pieces of my clothing have started to fall apart. This just seems to confirm that this summer will likely be when I buy a number of items of clothing and engage in something of a wardrobe renewal. Given how much I love clothing shopping this should really be fun.
-Today I noticed the very early stages of another banana pup.
The banana plant has really been doing quite well these past few weeks. Instead of pumping out leaves that are only about two inches long, the leaves currently being produced keep getting larger and larger and are now close to a foot long. It is hard to believe how much the plant's growing patterns have changed in just a few weeks.
-It seems (and appears to be confirmed by a CBC) that one of the professors in the Political Science department, Brian Bow, has won the relatively prestigious and lucrative Donner Prize (a $35 000 prize for books on public policy).
-A few days ago I finally got around to doing my end of semester filing. Part way through the process I felt as though I may have gotten in over my head (or at least that my filing cabinet likely wouldn't be large enough to accommodate everything).
Fortunately my fears were unfounded.
Everything fit nicely (though my filing cabinet is definitely approaching full. I think that I may need to buy another one before September hits.
-Hopefully I will get a chance to play some squash tonight.
-I visited by nearby grocery stores today, my primary objective being the acquisition of on sale meats. At the first grocery store I visited I picked up some boneless, skinless chicken breasts an pork chops. At the second grocery store I bought two packages of pork tenderloin (they were buy one get one free). Hopefully these purchases mean that I won't have to meat shopping for at least a few more days.
-It would seem that after my several week absence from Montifax that I have really rebounded with vigor. Maybe, even with my absence of almost 2 weeks, I will make it to over 20 posts this month. Hooray! What a meaningful accomplishment!
-This afternoon I was a little disgusted to learn that Neil (Rebecca will also be going) is now planning on heading to Winnipeg for a few days. While I am not generally opposed to the idea of Neil going to Winnipeg what I do find frustrating is that this means that Neil will be able to pick off both Saskatchewan and Manitoba in a single trip.
Since about 1995 Neil and I have been deadlocked at 8 provinces apiece (though both of us have been interested in completing the collection). Neil, by visiting Manitoba and Saskatchewan, will throw this equilibrium off. Of course the worst part is that I have no idea how I will go about eventually making my way to either Manitoba or Saskatchewan (particularly as people seem to suggest that they aren't particularly attractive vacation destinations). I guess I will just have to be happy that I have Delaware.
-A few days ago I noticed that one of my sweaters is starting to fray at the cuff.
It seems that in the past few weeks a few pieces of my clothing have started to fall apart. This just seems to confirm that this summer will likely be when I buy a number of items of clothing and engage in something of a wardrobe renewal. Given how much I love clothing shopping this should really be fun.
-Today I noticed the very early stages of another banana pup.
The banana plant has really been doing quite well these past few weeks. Instead of pumping out leaves that are only about two inches long, the leaves currently being produced keep getting larger and larger and are now close to a foot long. It is hard to believe how much the plant's growing patterns have changed in just a few weeks.
-It seems (and appears to be confirmed by a CBC) that one of the professors in the Political Science department, Brian Bow, has won the relatively prestigious and lucrative Donner Prize (a $35 000 prize for books on public policy).
-A few days ago I finally got around to doing my end of semester filing. Part way through the process I felt as though I may have gotten in over my head (or at least that my filing cabinet likely wouldn't be large enough to accommodate everything).
Fortunately my fears were unfounded.
Everything fit nicely (though my filing cabinet is definitely approaching full. I think that I may need to buy another one before September hits.
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
A Few Quick Notes 269
-Today was a pretty standard overcast Winter's day. If I recall correctly, there may have been flurries at various points during the day, but nothing really all that memorable in terms of precipitation (I may write about it on the hinternet, but I certainly wouldn't write home about it).
-Recently I have been noticing that I really haven't been following Nova Scotia affairs all that closely since my move here in the Fall. I attribute most of this to the fact that I don't listen to the local morning news program on CBC (because I don't wake up early enough) and because I don't listen to similar content in the evening, as would be my habit in St. John's. I guess I could also try to do things like read web-based news sources, or the local free daily, but I guess the over-riding point is that I do none of these things, resulting in my ignorance of local affairs.
I mention this not only because such a trend bothers me, but also because tonight, during one of my rare CBC listening experiences, a rumor of a provincial election was discussed briefly. It would be my hope that if an election was called this would force me to finally start following some of the local issues and politics. That being said, I am not really sure how likely an election is as just today I was told by people more familiar with the local political scene that things seem, at least for the time being, relatively stable. On the other hand, it has been a few years since the last election, so maybe we could see one in the near future (obviously I am not in a position to really have any insight on the matter).
-Due to scheduling conflicts it looks as though Neil and I won't manage to get our weekly squash game in this week. Hopefully we will be able to get back on track with the program next week.
-During a brief break from my studies last night I decided to see if I could find a free program that allowed me to take time-lapse videos with my computer's built in camera. After only a few minutes of searching on the Apple site I found a program called Iris that included this option among a variety of camera related features. As you can see below, I have already tried to use the program, though to not particularly great effect. Anyway, though I may not be a proficient user, I am pretty impressed with the programs various features, and the ease with which they can be used.
[Embedded video]
The other feature, aside from the time-lapse feature, that I might try to look into is the webcam feature, though I can't quite imagine why this would be necessary. Though I guess on never knows when it might be nice to be able to have a webcam option available (one might want to broadcast a party they were having so that they could also have virtual guests).
It also seems that they offer a number of ways to modify your standard photo, as seen below. Not sure how necessary these options are, but I guess it can't hurt to have them available to me in case I ever need to be able to generate a distorted black and white image of something.
-Some of the dill, chives, and thyme seeds that I planted a few days ago seem to have started to sprout. In the past I have managed to have good rates of sprouting, but have then been less successful at the next stages of development. Hopefully I will have a little more luck this time around, though I don't know why that would be the case as I haven't really changed all that much with regards to my process or conditions.
Blog-off
Cameron: 6
Neil: 0
-Recently I have been noticing that I really haven't been following Nova Scotia affairs all that closely since my move here in the Fall. I attribute most of this to the fact that I don't listen to the local morning news program on CBC (because I don't wake up early enough) and because I don't listen to similar content in the evening, as would be my habit in St. John's. I guess I could also try to do things like read web-based news sources, or the local free daily, but I guess the over-riding point is that I do none of these things, resulting in my ignorance of local affairs.
I mention this not only because such a trend bothers me, but also because tonight, during one of my rare CBC listening experiences, a rumor of a provincial election was discussed briefly. It would be my hope that if an election was called this would force me to finally start following some of the local issues and politics. That being said, I am not really sure how likely an election is as just today I was told by people more familiar with the local political scene that things seem, at least for the time being, relatively stable. On the other hand, it has been a few years since the last election, so maybe we could see one in the near future (obviously I am not in a position to really have any insight on the matter).
-Due to scheduling conflicts it looks as though Neil and I won't manage to get our weekly squash game in this week. Hopefully we will be able to get back on track with the program next week.
-During a brief break from my studies last night I decided to see if I could find a free program that allowed me to take time-lapse videos with my computer's built in camera. After only a few minutes of searching on the Apple site I found a program called Iris that included this option among a variety of camera related features. As you can see below, I have already tried to use the program, though to not particularly great effect. Anyway, though I may not be a proficient user, I am pretty impressed with the programs various features, and the ease with which they can be used.
[Embedded video]
The other feature, aside from the time-lapse feature, that I might try to look into is the webcam feature, though I can't quite imagine why this would be necessary. Though I guess on never knows when it might be nice to be able to have a webcam option available (one might want to broadcast a party they were having so that they could also have virtual guests).
It also seems that they offer a number of ways to modify your standard photo, as seen below. Not sure how necessary these options are, but I guess it can't hurt to have them available to me in case I ever need to be able to generate a distorted black and white image of something.
-Some of the dill, chives, and thyme seeds that I planted a few days ago seem to have started to sprout. In the past I have managed to have good rates of sprouting, but have then been less successful at the next stages of development. Hopefully I will have a little more luck this time around, though I don't know why that would be the case as I haven't really changed all that much with regards to my process or conditions.
Blog-off
Cameron: 6
Neil: 0
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.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
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.
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