Bird Song

During my last summer on PEI, before I went off to grad school, I consciously tried to drink in a lot of PEI and appreciate it.

I remember walking in the woods and hearing one particular bird's song. I thought it was lovely. When I later heard it in Ontario, it really meant a lot to hear the familiar tune. Not being a ornithologist, I had no idea which kind of bird it might be.

And so the years went by... I heard the bird in Missouri as well. Now, I have a tremendous affinity for the tune, but really haven't thought much about it.

This week, I heard a podcast where a guy talks about using a sound feature on his digital camera to capture the song of birds while out watching. He played a sample song.

It was the same one.

Now, this may be pedestrian as far as bird-watching goes, but not for me: my bird is the white-throated sparrow. Click here to read about it and to hear its call. It will no doubt be familiar.

Interestingly, a mnemonic for the song is "Oh sweet, Canada, Canada, Canada". That is heart-warming given my station in life when I first took notice.

CC

ps. Other favourite birds include the barn swallow, which are rampant around my apartment. Naturally, most Canadians love the loon: we heard its call all the time on TV growing up (in nature short-films with a hauntingly familiar and surprisingly creepy flute intro), even if not actually in the wild.

Silly Pics

For those who aren't on Twitter, here are some pics of mine. These are generally from the sillier side of my tech blog.

Some acquaintances of mine are speakers at various geek conferences. This week, they are in Las Vegas and chatting about it on Twitter. So I unleashed "part 2" of a series that I took in December.

There's really no easy explanation for most of those photos but write to me and I can tell the story of some if you are truly curious.

CC

ps. Twitter is pretty neat. I am really coming around to it. Think of it as Facebook Lite: all the updates without that "another application is bugging me for contact info" aftertaste.

Baton Bob in his new habitat

St Louisans will recall the controversial figure known as Baton Bob.

For those away from StL, Baton Bob did his thing along Kingshighway, a major street in the Central West End. Generally heralded as a hero, his last years here were marred by some articles in a local paper where people debated if he was really a kind, quirky showman or an arrogant diva, of sorts. (I have no knowledge or option on the matter... He was fun to watch.)

Thanks to JAK for the heads-up !

Air Canada Transcribed

Some people like details about retail horror so that they can learn. I am not one of these people, but it might help me vent a bit:

• I purchased, online, a flight on Air Canada for late June for $660. An error code came back after submittal.
• AC agent #1 tells me that some credit card companies in the US are charging a "foreign company transaction fee" and that I need to call my card company and agree to a 2% fee.
• The Visa company says this is not true. Call back the airline and tell them "to run it through again".
• AC agent #2 tells me that AC agent #1 is wrong. What happened was that the fare was removed during my transaction. The fare is now $800. I demand that the previous transaction be voided, that I receive the original fare plus $100 off for being on the phone for 30 minutes.
• AC agent #2 tells me I am not a customer at this time. Nothing can be done. I tell agent that I have a frequent-flyer account and have bought many times before: I am indeed a customer. No dice.
• I explain to AC supervisor that AC agents are telling me contradictory things. She agrees with AC agent #1, citing Bank of America. I tell her that BoA is not my credit card company and that my Visa company does not process such a fee. I want to know if I can get the same flight by "running it through again" as instructed. Confusion.
• After several minutes, the AC supervisor offers me the same flight for $660, but cannot speak to which transaction will be used. I explain that I am frustrated that I might be charged twice and that everyone has a different story.
  
• After an hour in total, I pull the switch and tell the AC supervisor:
  

I am not mad at you personally, but I pity you for being involved in an infrastructure that is so amazingly incompetent. I hereby announce my severance from Air Canada and though I am not sure how I am going to get home this summer, I can assure you that it will not be through your airline. I will monitor the open authorization on my credit card and sincerely hope that I need not speak with you again.

A final call to the credit card company revealed that I have an open authorization on my account that cannot be removed or disputed until a charge is actually posted. Most likely, it will not be posted. If it is, I can dispute it.

That is one busy lunch hour (or 90 minutes), let me tell you.

ps. I don't think I could ever do business travel. I hate the logistics of flying more than I can describe.

Air Canada, I have reservations (about your existence)

At Christmas, I vowed not to use Air Canada for trips home in the winter.

After being on the phone for 60+ minutes with 4 different people, and with a charge of $600 on my credit card and no airline reservation, I am now jettisoning Air Canada year-round.

I don't know how I'm coming home this summer, but it is not on AC.

Details and sternly-worded post to follow.

The Saturday Night Downer

It has been a busy week. My client has me working with a small team in France which means I try to be at work for 7:30 am. Then at night, I was cramming for the tech talk on Thursday. Then, one of my beloved Java conferences this weekend. I have been in a conference centre for most of Friday and Saturday.

Today, I was really into the conference and received some kind comments on the tech talk. Some key people have vouched for me as being worthy of speaking at the conference, which has been a goal, of sorts.

I saw great presentations, laughed, made people laugh, dined with geeks, and took sticker photos. Everything was good. I quite liked my place in St Louis.

But here on Saturday night at 10 pm, I'm wondering where the heck I am and what I'm doing. This is not uncommon for Saturday nights. If one were to graph any loneliness during my tenure in the US (or even away from PEI), I'm sure Saturday night would be the most frequent.

Wow. I just wrote for 20 minutes but it became quite introspective and alarmingly "diary"-like. I'm glad I wrote it and it helped me think, but I don't think the world needs to see it.

I'll be fine tomorrow morning, and that's a problem: I'm always fine Sunday morning, because there is a new day to keep me distracted from dealing with the important things in life.

Kablammo

I have this internal threshold when it comes to public speaking and presentations: if it was "very good" (or better) then I experience a euphoria that is unbelievable. If it is anything less, I brood for days if not weeks. I wonder if I'm manic-depressive in that regard?

Tonight, we took one on the chin.

The crowd was super friendly and the style stuff went pretty well. My joke slides worked. But I lost them in example #2 and got rattled in my own head. It wasn't "very good". It wasn't "wretched" either but it doesn't matter.

It wasn't "very good".

I'll spare you the profanity and general piss and vinegar. Schisse. Weeks of study for this one. At least I learned a lot.

CC

ps. For those who have seen my endless prepartion for this, here is a photo of the audience. I didn't take it but was standing near the guy who did.

pps. I used some real-life props which went over well. Apparently this was a creative idea but for some reason that comes natural to my family.

ppps. I've since realized that I left my power supply for my new laptop at the venue, or that it was stolen. Perfect. Perfect.

Big Night Coming Up

Over Christmas, I read a technical paper on a subject I knew nothing about in an unfamiliar computer language. To be honest, I was fairly lost and rather challenged intellectually.

When I returned to StL, I signed up to give a talk on said topic: the ever-esoteric monads. (click here)

Most of my friends have suffered countless monad references and jokes lately. I have really restricted my social life so that I can prepare, much like I did when I was in school (which is unfortunate really).

I'm not afraid of public speaking but the bar is high here in terms of the people attending. Wish me luck!

CC

I Miss Hockey

I have a basic cable package and have little access to hockey. It is painful.

I especially miss Hockey Night in Canada, of course, and the constant abuse from one fan base to another.

As an example, check out this glorious goal from well outside the blue line. The Washington Capitals beat the Bruins in OT, but the best part is the music track, which is "Feeling Satisfied" by the band... wait for it: Boston. Spiteful and perfect.

Pedaling PEI revisited

The photos on Pedaling PEI are taken near my old turf.

I don't know why, but seeing these photos posted on a blog, in a decent size, is truly moving. Some may seem like random snow-covered fields but they are usually on neighbouring farms. Often, these fields had names (e.g. The Rabbit Patch) and were our playground for bicycles, motorbikes, and especially snowmobiles.

I'm pretty sure I know exactly where this one and this one was taken. This one is a no-brainer. It is like seeing family, in a way. Very weird and wonderful. Especially to think that, as a teenager in times of strife, I would look out across the snow, and wonder where I would be someday. I certainly never thought I would be in a good career in the midwest USA, with easy access to photos of PEI.

The thing is: the scene portrayed aren't really much different than when I was a teenager. I can tell that the trees have grown, but the vegetation and the drifting of the snow is exactly the same. They are time capsules.

Number 1 with a Bullet

Here is a time-sensitive link: it is the standings in the tri league. It is somewhat disingenuous as the #2 guy has one less race than I do, and is still on my heels. However, fraud has never stopped me from posting before.

I met the #2 guy last weekend at Wildwood, and I think I spoke to him at the West County Y as well. A cool guy and quite fast... He spins the bike like a hamster on cocaine.

An interesting factoid: at Wildwood in 2008, I did the event in about 57:20. This year, I was within 15 seconds of the same time. That may sound like amazing consistency but this year my bike time was 5 minutes faster and my lazy-ass run was 5 minutes slower. *shrug* Weird.

CC

Triathlon #4

The great fish moved silently through the night water, propelled by short sweeps of its crescent tail. -- Jaws

A great fish, indeed. The dorsal fin of our hero rises to the surface, slicing through the waves, seemingly without resistance. Other, smaller fish scurry and hide for cover. The presence is electric. At the end of a length, a swoosh of the tail and a flip to the other direction.

It is the Wildwood YMCA Indoor Triathlon. Everything is going according to plan. Our hero has temporarily shape-shifted into a tiger shark, as is apropros for the swim leg.

On the next flip, he notices a humanoid form standing above the water. Egad! Is it a hunter? Does he have a speargun? Our hero bears no malice to the other fish: this is a docile competition. However, if it comes to survival against man, then he will have no choice but to engage in attack.

Two lengths of the pool, and again on the flip, he hears, "*blurb* Michael *blurb*". Zounds! The miscreant has identified our hero and, worse, refuses to use his pseudonym. Surely he is being hunted. Violence seems inevitable.

This is war that the great fish did not choose, but will win.

Finally, at the end of the swim, our hero morphs from the tiger shark back into original form. Breathing heavily through new-found lungs, he slips from the pool. Quickly, he whirls to face his attacker.

Before him stands the inimitable Jim G, dressed in street clothes. JimG claps his hands together and says "C'mon Michael... let's go buddy! I don't have all day".

CC

ps. JimG lives in Wildwood and came out to watch my tri. After realizing a battle was not at hand, it was good to see him. He heckled me on all three legs of the event, but was kind enough to bring me towels and water.

Worthwhile Canadian Initiative

Fareed Zakaria is a cool dude. He writes for Newsweek and is editor of the magazine's world edition; being from India, has a credible voice on the world scene. He is one face in an increasingly cosmopolitan America.

Here is a piece of his on Canada and the "common sense" of its banking system.

Some thoughts:

(a) Until the recent upheaval, the primary story about Canada's finance system was that Canada began balancing the budget in the mid 1990s and truly righted the ship (though the budget cuts were not without controversy).

(b) I'm not posting this as a "Go Canada!" thing. I think thoughtful readers from either the US or Canada might gain from seeing this rare perspective.

(c) I find the part about immigration, near the end, to be the most interesting. The immigration policies of the US are definitely not in its best interests. This is repeated by many thoughtful commentators throughout the political spectrum (this inherently excludes Lou Dobbs).

(d) The Canadian media portrays the economic conditions in the same dire terms as the media in the US. Perhaps we don't have a banking crisis but the other ills (housing, jobs) are a clear and present danger.

Pickles, Ice Cream, and Cupcakes

For out-of-towners, there is both major news and some fun pics over at the Cupcake Project. Check it out.... Demi Moore didn't have pastries in her iconic photo shoot!

More Diamond Dave

I don't know when this turned into the "David Lee Roth Parody Reference" but this site is too good not to mention: check it out here.

I have some good ideas and some modest success with web stunts but some people simply blow me away. Very nice.

JimO

I had dinner with other night with JimO. Some may remember him from a former workplace.

Note that this is not JimG, my arch-rival! JimO is considerably older; I often refer to him as the "barkeeper who listens to your troubles".

Well, sort of. He also has a gruff exterior much like Clint Eastwood. When I saw the trailer for the new movie, Gran Torino, I thought of JimO (though minus the ugly racism, thankfully). A single man who lives alone, his only cares (on the surface) are: food, money, and to be left alone. I have told him repeatedly that he should sue the writers of Shrek on the basis of prior art.

Strangely, he is also one of my closest friends. This is weird to write as I only see him once every 4-6 months, but he is a true confidant and is one of the few people whose insight into my psyche is staggering. I think most of the people in our lives make comments and observations that are often spot-on (and God bless them); but, it is rare and downright eerie to know people who are almost always right.

Anyway, he is doing well. He still works for said employer. He could retire any time but he enjoys the work and figures he might as well stay busy. As for our convo, all I can say is that he asked one or two questions about my long term plans that, as always, made me hide my face while he cackled and said I would never change.

Today

Q: How many people must be in a room for there to be a > 50% chance they were born on the same day, tested and vilified, and ultimately lionized and celebrated 200 years later?

A: Two, if the people are Charles Darwin and Abraham Lincoln. Happy 200th, lads!

A New Kind of Smackdown

Gnnnnnughhhhhhh!

The dark cavern halls echo the tortured groan of a man under duress. The scene is morbid: an array of pods, each encasing a human: they run endlessly on circling tracks. Sinister wires flow from the machines up to a large powergrid: they are generating electricity for their evil overlords. Veritable hamsters.

Our hero is one of them. A beast of burden.

The situation is dire indeed: there seems to be no way out of this jam. The tableau is so dark and despairing that even the nefarious JimG dared not enter into this misery. It is yet another Indoor Triathlon of Tyranny!

Our hero bows his head and continues to run, searching for an escape. Finally, an idea! He'll run so quickly that it will blow the system's capacitors, freeing him from this prison. He looks upward, straightens his shoulders, and lights the jets.

With each breath, the air becomes more humid, stifling. Before long, he grunts with every step, as though trying to break the pod with sheer sonic energy. A loud "Guh!", "Guh!", "Guh!".... with each pounding foot drop.

Suddenly, a middle-aged woman knocks on his pod. She lowers large headphones from her ears, and says, annoyed, "will you please shut up?" Just as quickly, she returns to her pod, and continues trotting.

Our hero shrugs feebly, and slows down a notch, quieting his breaths.

It is going to be a long day.

Double Congrats

I've written to he and his wife on email, but a hearty Happy Birthday to Phil and a major congrats for the new (second) addition to the family!

Keen readers will recall that Phil is my oldest friend: we go back about as far as possible. Strangely, we were born a mere 11 weeks apart and yet it fell across a major school admission boundary, so we were never in the same grade.

I have many friends for whom I am delighted on how things turned out... and Phil is way up at the top of the list.

Random

I am doing 3 mini triathlons in 8 days. Despite the glimmering patina of 'triathlon', these are short events. Yes, one has to be fit; but as an example this morning's gig was 48 minutes.

Doing this, and watching people's reactions with a certain bemusement, is from my father's influence.

Sending hand-written thank-you notes to the event co-ordinator and volunteers is from my mother's influence.

This post occurred to me during the bike leg this morning. I don't know why.

Quote of the Moment

"Wherever I travel, I'm too late. The orgy has moved elsewhere."

-- Mordecai Richler

Happy Birthday, Colleen

A shout-out to my sister, who is 30-something today....

Happy Birthday!!!!

Cello Scrotum and the CBC

There are many intelligent, quirky media outlets in the US and Canada, but only CBC Radio can lead into a story with this, in a semi-straight face:

....Well, nuts to that! For years male musicians have feared a condition known as 'cello scrotum', an irritable condition from long hours at the instrument. However, it has been revealed that the British Medical Journal had fallen for something from one clever doctor's bag of tricks. CBC's As it Happens, the podcast edition: radio that chafes at junk science.

The story is wonderful: 30+ years ago, a young doctor and her husband read about a condition called "guitarist's nipple". She was sure it was a hoax, and tried to go one up. She invented "cello scrotum" and submitted it to the mighty BMJ (above). To her surprise, it worked. Now a baroness, Lady Elaine Murphy has come clean (click here).

Back in the Swing

Though I still plan to sell Blackbird (a fairly shocking development that IMHO went un-noticed on this blog), there is still some tri-action in my future.

Keen readers will recall the parlour game known as the indoor triathlon. It is a bit of a joke -- stationary bikes and treadmills -- but they are short and energizing. (The worst part is putting the treadmill on the back of the car :-)

Plus, I am fairly un-fit right now and signing up for 4 of these jobbies in February is a good kick in the pants.

So... the first one is Sunday morning at a local YMCA. The morning of the Super Bowl, no less! No Jim G as he is recovering from the bike crash, and generally avoids indoor tri's for some reason.

Wintery Message to Chicago and the World

About 6 inches of snow here in the last 24 hours.

Some people are at work, but some are having fun... Check out this pic! I'm pretty sure it has not been Photoshopped.

This town loves their Cardinals.

CC

Je me souviens

This weekend, a top UFC fighter named Georges St Pierre is going to fight in a title bout. He is a French-Canadian who trains in Montreal; he has a tattoo of the fleur-de-lis on his calf.

I was once fluent in French, and have occasionally deluded myself that I understand Quebec. In 1980, Quebec first tried to separate from Canada. In a triumph of multi-lingual education, I remember being puzzled at why so many people called the Quebecois names: it was just a language, and for me, not an alien one. Though I could tell that this was very serious, I didn't really understand what all the fuss was about: neither why Quebec wanted to leave nor why the rest of Canada seemed anti-French. I thought I understood.

Around that time, Quebec changed the slogan on their license plates from "La Belle Province" to "Je me souviens". I knew it meant something along the lines of "I remember" but I didn't think much of it.

Years went by. Quebec again tried to seperate circa 1995, with players (on both sides) who were sad imitations of the intellectual giants of 1980. By this time, I realized that there was so much culture in French-Canada that I didn't understand (can you name a famous Quebec folk singer or author? There are zillions), but I still thought that I understood the issues and the divisions, on both sides.

Last year, I mention the phrase "Je me souviens" to a friend at work. He is my product manager, from France. I don't know if he has ever been to Quebec. As I spoke, I became curious, and looked up the phrase on Wikipedia: sure enough, there was an entry.

My friend read the full phrase (arguably from a poem dating to the 1880s):

Je me souviens,
Que né sous le lys,
Je croîs sous la rose.

I remember,
That born under the lily,
I grow under the rose.

He nodded and smiled immediately: he got it. Born under the lily (fleur-de-lis) of France, yet living under the rose of England.

He had seen something profound that I had never really considered. Now, I think of it every time I see the Quebec flag, or their license. In a way, it is vaguely approximated by the Confederate flag in the southern US.

CC

ps. This post is about the phrase "Je me souviens" and not the issue of separatism. That is a deep, complex issue that had its origins in the 1960s and the seeds of oppression long before that. I can't possibly summarize it here. However, I can state that I am 100% federalist, for a united, bi-lingual Canada.

Happy Anniversary

This is a shout out to my Mom and Dad, who are celebrating their anniversary today... 46 years!

Happy Anniversary and here's a toast to many years ahead....

peace, love, and fun wedding cakes
CC

Bookworms

My sister read over 300 books in 2008. That's wicked, and a major bonus for family members: she works for a bookstore (i.e. discounts) and thus gives books that generally kick ass. I started one recently and can't put it down, despite having a ton of stuff to do. Merci pour rien!

The best part is that she doesn't buy many books: she is a library patron of the highest order. At the risk of making PEI look like a one-moose town, Vic's daughter works at the city library and knows both my Mom and my sister by reputation (it is unclear if they have met).

It would be a lie for me to say I'm a true bookworm. But both on PEI and here in St Louis, my bookies are the best, and my kind of people.

Resistance is Futile

Long ago, I resisted from getting a cellphone because I thought it was cooler not to have one. I found solace in the sweet irony of being a tech person in my career and yet a Luddite at home. e.g. To this day, I have never owned a printer.

This blog has featured rants about Facebook and Twitter in the past, but I have to say: resistance is futile. They are both charming sites and, IMHO, enrich one's experience with friends. They seem different from old chat-rooms where one can have a total, weird online existence without ever meeting anyone.

Case in point: I have played a word game called PathWords on Facebook. Due to some dexterity, I have done somewhat better on it than some of my friends. At a recent party, people came up to me and asked me how I achieved the scores I was getting. (Hint: click on the starting letter, sweep through the word, and then release the mouse. It's fluid and fast.)

The point is that the game is an immediate icebreaker. Pretty cool.

Both sites might be fads and part of me still wants to shower with industrial soap after using them, but highly recommended. Especially to the Luddites out there who are holding out: you know who you are! (Including you, Mr BPL !)

Running with the Songsmith

I've sent this out to some people but it is too good not to share, particularly if you like hard rock from the 1980s.

The setup: Microsoft has a research product that generates cheesy background music to a recording of your voice, in key. Here is a lame video of it.

The gag: Someone pulled the audio from a hard rock song to see what it would be like with a real singer, or in this case, David Lee Roth. It is pretty funny (click here).

Bandit

From the "Sometimes you need a smile" Department:

Long-time readers will know that I am a cat person, not a dog person. I am usually neutral on dogs. Negative neighbours aside, I tend to not relate to "dog people" (general animal lovers are a different story).

E.g. I have a small comic bit of how if I say I need to leave work to practice piano, my ethic is questioned; if someone else says that they have to go home and let out their dog, then people will call for a police escort. For God's sake, make way! A dog has been holding it for hours!

However, there are some dogs that give one startling, serious pause: e.g. Brawley, a Sheltie from my youth. And now, Bandit, a puppy recently purchased by a friend. Bandit is a Havanese. Particularly as puppies, these dogs are the distilled essence of dog goodness and gregariousness. I still remember Rocky, a bike-shop resident (also a Havanese pup) that witnessed my purchase of my bike, Blackbird. These dogs are adorable.

N.B. This pic is not a pro photo: it is really just a coworker's pic of Bandit. I told him I would post it some time ago.

Update on JimG

Recall from a previous post that my arch-rival, the nefarious JimG, suffered a serious motorcycle accident that resulted in broken bones and a concussion.

The news is that he is back to work, which is a very good thing. He is in physical therapy and I'm guessing his triathlon future is on hold, but all things considered, he'll take it.

I hope to have lunch with him later this week.

CC

Tri League 2008

Well, it wasn't a gold medal but I came in 4th in my local triathlon league! (click here)

This is easily the best I've achieved in the standings, and I've won a gift card and other schwag from FleetFeet.

Part of the story this year is that I was one of the few to complete the maximum of 6 events. Actually, within those that did complete 6 events, I'm last... But I'll take it.

We win ! We WIN !

Canada has won its 5th straight gold medal at the hockey World Juniors!

This is a great achievement, given thrilling games against the US and Russia, who would absolutely love to take us out. We were down 3-0 against the US, only to comeback 7-4. Russia led 5-4 until Canada scored in the final seconds, and the Canucks went on to win a shootout.

Tonight, we rolled over Sweden 5-1.

And again, all is right with the world of sport. I am so happy for those lads.

New Blog on the Block

There is a new blog on the block: introducing Pedaling PEI.

The author is unclear, but consider this: do you know anyone on PEI who bicycles for tremendous distance, and has been doing so for years. i.e. Perhaps he is near retirement age by now.

At risk of giving it away entirely, there will probably be a lot of weather-related photos on there as well. Check out the blog for the recent dump of 50 cm (20 in) of snow.

Hello 2009

A quick post.... I have been back in StL but super-busy with work and various social stuff.

The trip home was great, if somewhat chaotic. I saw most everyone with a few exceptions, which are regrettable and entirely my fault.

The travel was pretty wild, and yet it could have been much worse. e.g. The Maritimes is currently being hammered with a wicked storm. If I had been there circa Dec 31, I would still be there, I imagine.

Many readers have asked for a review of 2008 and for predictions on 2009. After all, this blog serves as a moral compass for many. The crown rests uneasily here, as I haven't had time to consolidate a lot of my award-winning thoughts. More to come?

There have been many joys and sorrows among my friends lately. One piece of sad news is over at Geography. I invite you to read and send along a prayer and positive energy.

Hello from Avondale

Dear Readers,

This post is being written under strict orders from Vic Central, on his 42 inch LCD TV.

Normally, I would not endorse such an involuntary exercise, but I have just enjoyed a good meal (and nap, and entertainment) here at home base, in Avondale, PEI.

Bonus! In semi-related news, I am happy to announce that the Douses will soon be renting a cottage here on PEI. It is on a lovely 2-acre lot in the popular Poplar Point, PEI. Check out all the details over at this site.

Vic has told me that I have satisfied the requirements of my visit, and that I can continue to enjoy my evening, wearing Dad's sweat pants, part of my new Air Canada Collection of men's fashion.

under duress,
CC

Ode to Montreal

Dear Montreal Airport,

Yet again, you disappoint me by exacerbating a long trip with miserable delays and cancellation chaos. Your city gets feet upon feet of snow, handling it with an army of men and machines, and yet you shutdown as though you are Orlando, and shocked by snow.

You have caused much trouble, impacting Christmases, weddings, family, and friends.

All I ask is one more trip on Dec 30. I have sworn off winter travel through your doors in the past, but this time it is real. Trains, buses, everything is on the table. In 2009 and beyond, I will not darken your winter doormat again, so help me God.

sincerely
C.C.

ps. Readers, I am home on PEI ! I'm also in bed sleeping.

Big Day

Today is not only my father's birthday but also his last day at work; he is retiring, after 25+ years of dealing with vehicle regulations and registrations.

In 1980, he shifted from one career into another. Given retirement packages for gov't employees, this was probably a good move compared to alternatives. I was young back then, but I realize now what it must have been like to make a big shift.

Congrats, Dad! Sleep in as late as you want tomorrow (which for Dad will be 6:30 am).

Call for ideas

A friend is starting a meme (aka fad) of posting favourite holiday recipes on one's blog.

I'm going to post Mom's rhubarb dessert but I want a good name for it.

Islanders and other readers, step up and help me out! Here are some ideas:

• Audrey's Rhubarb Dessert (my Mom's name)
  
• Island Rhubarb Dessert
• Abegweit Rhubarb Dessert (Abegweit is a native Canadian word)
• Old Abby's Rhubarb Dessert (Abby is short for above)
  
• Red Rock Rhubarb
  

Some of those are lame..... but you see the idea

CC

Thinking of Jim G

I just received vmail from my arch-rival, Jim G: he has been in the hospital for several days following a serious motorbike accident.

He bought a bike this summer and (at the insistence of me and others) took a safety class. I don't know what happened.

I know he is conscious and he said he will be ok in an abbreviated conversation. But there are broken bones, a concussion, and a bunch of other stuff.

I'm in shock. We were supposed to do a team run on Sunday morning and I had been vaguely wondering why his email was so silent.

Naturally, both Jim and his family are in my prayers.

Political Fireworks

Wow, things are heating up back home with some serious politics.

I don't have time to really write a recap, but essentially the Queen's representative, the quiet, ceremonial office of the Governor General, may receive a petition from a coalition of opposition leaders to form a new gov't. This is an exotic tactic, designed to go around PM Harper and bring down his
leadership. Interestingly, the PM recommends the GG to the Queen for appointment (former PM Paul Martin recommended Michaëlle Jean in 2005).

Get it? (Yes, it is much different than US politics)

This is all predicated on the minority status of Harper's Conservatives. Recall that this blog informed CC readers (in the comments) that this was the 3rd minority gov't in a row, and that it would ensure a new election in 1-2 years. That said, I don't think anyone saw this coming.

Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to all my friends down here in the USA !

In related news, the Macy Parade was just catapulted into the 21st century with a wonderful "Rick Roll" by the Cartoon Network (click here). This is brilliant.

(To be "Rick Rolled" is to be duped into visiting a web page only to find it is a video clip of a cheesy 1980s song, Never Gonna Give You Up, by Rick Astley. This may be the first in-person version and shows that both the Cartoon Network and Rick have a sense of humour.)

The Shop

This weekend, some people and I ran into a lovely store in the CWE in St Louis.

Simply called The Shop, the store offers a nice variety of scarves and knit hats, mittens, etc. The owners were really nice and offered us chocolates and wine even though we didn't buy anything. I told them I would tout their store on my blog as thanks.

It is at McPherson and Euclid, next to the old Balban's (which is now Herbie's). Check it out for some great holiday gift ideas.... Note that they are a transient, seasonal store so this post is time sensitive! They will be gone in Jan 09.

CC

Draft Beer Party

With all the election hoopla this autumn, I was reminded of a situation in Grade 4.

As I told friends, my Grade 4 French/homeroom teacher started a political party, and ran in the PEI provincial election circa 1979. It was called the "Draft Beer Party". Now, I have no idea if this was a protest movement, an ironic commentary on western culture, or a way for him to meet women; as kids, we just thought it was cool.

I remember wearing a button for the DBP (probably one of the few dozens printed) on election night. I wondered to my father if he might win -- with 40% of the polls reporting, he was at 69 votes. My dad commented that he was surprised he got any votes at all.

This is a nice backstory but the real point of this blog post is that, on a whim, I looked up the short-lived, beloved Draft Beer Party on Google.

Get this: there is a Wikipedia entry for it (click here).

Wow. Perhaps it was written by Mr Campbell himself.

ps. A final thought: many CC readers try to probe the psyche and influences of someone who famously prints slogans on trite media and then poses in public, in a vain attempt to achieve noteriety. To those readers, I say: take note, and thank Mr C.

CC Version 4.0 (beta)

This week, I took one step closer to CC Version 4.0 (i.e. a birthday). Not there yet though.

It has been a good birthday 'season' good times with special people, good food, and really enjoying a film festival that occurs each November here in StL.

There is much introspection as well. Who do I want to be? What is my moral obligation to my family (in terms of proximity)? How long will the American experiment last? (It is going very well but I am increasingly losing touch with my homeland. I have spent 25% of my life in the US.)

To quote Rush, "if you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice". Yikes. Thanks, Neil.

More heaviness later... For now, I'm celebrating version 3.0 which worked out pretty well. When I was 30, I had never completed a triathon or played the piano. I hadn't seen Europe or Hawaii. Despite major academic success (at a monstrous time investment), I hadn't really done much with my career.
(I'm certainly not done on that front, but there have been some wins.) And I was fairly lonely in a town without many friends. (I have since found wonderful people in StLouis.)

so.... what's next?

Twitter

I don't like e-fads. I resisted Facebook for a long time and also Twitter. Now, I'm on both.

For the uninitiated, Twitter is a micro-blogging site where one just updates their status. It is like an offline IM site, where you follow friends and they follow you. It is useful for employees in remote offices, for groups attending conferences, and for anyone who wants more PR. The name comes from the analogy of birds chit-chatting to each other in the trees.

For me, the PR potential broke my resolve: so my tech blog is on there now (click here). This is my technical 'persona' so the updates will mostly be career based. My friends are more than welcome to follow me; I may or may not follow you. I'm less likely to do so if you are a frequent 'tweeter' as I find the whole thing a bit distracting at work.

Right now, I try to 'tweet' once a day. I peak at work but don't tweet.

Some CC devotees may remember the famed "micro posts" on this very blog, as started some time ago. This was somewhat inspired by an early article on Twitter. Or possibly an older, prototypical service -- I wouldn't be surprised if Twitter ripped me off! It would bother lesser bloggers but at the apex of the vanguard, it is our burden at CC to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous imitation.

He's Gone

I have confirmation that my upstairs neighbour has moved!

Rejoice!

If ye break faith with us who die

Lest we forget: Flanders Fields

As I point out annually on here, this poem is why Canadians wear poppies in the first days of November until Nov 11.

It is sobering to think that a war would be so intense and cause such suffering that it would be known as The Great War -- and yet it would hardly be the last of the 20th century.

CC

Quick Update

Just a quick note to say hello.... Very busy week:

• Attend a live PostSecret event (more later)
• Busy at work and thankfully the gym
• Nuptials today for Michelle and Brad (congratulations!)
• Oh, let's see. Ah yes: the Americans had an election down here which was sort of a 'big deal'. If you consider a historic event and speech, with palpable joy and electricity to be 'big'. I had hoped to blog some reaction but it is hard to recreate the magic of that evening.
  

ps. My travel plans are set.... Heading home circa Dec 20 - 30. I booked ages ago and Air Canada updates my itinerary every 5 days so heaven only knows when (or where?) I'm really going now.

New York Times Machine

For you literary types, welcome to your next addiction (click).

The New York Times has digitized articles from 1851 to 1922 and put them on the web. You can read about the end of WWI, or the sinking of the Titanic.

This is a monstrously cool example of some tech stuff called 'clustering' or 'cloud-computing'. The data and the software are hosted on a giant network of computers at Amazon. The cost of doing this was incredibly small: as software and data scale up, economics get strange indeed.

Happy Halloween

I bought a new stereo for my car recently.

Though I haven't explored all of its features, it has been great so far. It has a display that does some fairly sophisticated animation (e.g. a moving sine wave for the AM/FM tuner). If you look close in this pic, it is showing that it is hooked up to an iPod.

Today, when it is first turned on, it shows pumpkins and a witch, and flashes "Happy Halloween" ! Charming and ghoulish.... Now I know why it asked me for my birthday when I was configuring it. Looking forward to that....

Lick of the Day, Unmasked

My bro-in-law is an excellent guitar player and runs the popular site, Lick of the Day.

In a rare glimpse, you can see him better (than usual) in this video

I did not.

Vic's birthday is coming soon. As a gift, I thought I would relate this little tale from his visit to St Louis.

The Setup

You may not know that one can actually ascend to the top of the Arch. People go up in a 4-5 minute ride on a tram: the "cars" are tiny, bizarre pods from a B space movie (see pic). They hold 5 people each, knees touching.

Vic and I were in a long line to go up, on a Saturday afternoon. A ticketing agent comes by and asks us if we are traveling together. Cleverly, Vic says "yes but we can go as two singles if that works". We are handed two tickets: a #2 and #3. Having gone up before, I knew we would travel separately but I figured that would be fine.

The Condescension

We go through turnstiles and past security (after all, this is a National monument), and stand in adjacent lines to enter into the pods.

Inexplicably, Vic scoots over into my line. Wide-eyed, I look at him and tell him that we can't go in the same line. There are finite seats, and security will freak, and, and...

He opens his arms and floats his arms downward. In a long drawl, he says "Reeeeeellaaaaaaaaax".

Then, the pods open and newly-descended visitors crawl out of them. It becomes immediately apparent to Vic that there is no way this is going to work. He scoots back into the other line. I rub my temples and wonder if our imminent arrest will make it into the Eastern Graphic.

The Plot Thickens

The ascent is long. The pods lurch to-and-fro. It is noisy, jangly, and though one can't see outside, one can see a lot of pulleys and chains outside the little window.

At the top, a full 5 minutes later, we emerge from our respective pods. Vic looks pretty green. In my best Maritime accent, I say "how'd you like that, now?".

His response was terse and serious: I did not.

Apparently, we suffer from claustrophobia, and we weren't prepared for these little pods. On his ride up, some passengers -- kids -- talked a lot about a time when a malfunction caused people to be trapped in these things for 8+ hours. This was getting very interesting.

The Payoff

After a quick look around (which isn't nearly as cool as the ride up), Vic announces that he has seen what he needs to see and it is time to go. He notes that it is quite windy, and though the CN Tower is far taller than the Arch, the Arch has more sway to it. He doesn't look so good.

I tell him that we should stay a bit until the crowd clears. He looks at me and just shakes his head quietly.

Then, with all the irony I can muster, I outstretch my arms, floating my hands calmy downward, and with a long, drawl:

"Reeeeeeeeellaaaaaaaaaaaax."

CC

ps. Happy Birthday Vic

Thank you C-Span

Wow, will wonders never cease: I am in StL watching a live feed of election night coverage from CBC on C-Span, a gov't channel down here in the US. I just happened across it while surfing....

This is so fantastic! I have only barely heard the voice of the big players (Harper, Dion, etc) in the media. Stephane Dion is speaking now -- I'm not sure I have ever heard his voice before.

(I have read a lot about these people and the policies).

Happy Thanksgiving, Canada

Quick note to say Happy Thanksgiving to everyone back home...

I think every year now I have written about the differences between the Canadian and US Thanksgiving. This year, I'll defer to those previous posts.

CC

Tale of Two Tallies

The USA

Things are getting hot in the US. Today, an admin assistant sent an dept-wide email saying "this is the last day to register to vote. Register today for this historic election". She later sent an apology, as some one called her on being biased. Heaven only knows which way she was called on it.

I have heard people say "if X wins, I am moving out of the country", for both values of X !

Canada

Canada goes to the polls on Oct 14. Canada is currently under a minority government, which is always tenuous at best -- though some say that is a good form of government as it innately encourages balance. I believe that the Conservatives are leading the polls; the media suggests that they will win a (slim?) majority, though this is not clear. If so, this may come as a surprise to those Americans who want to migrate North in the event that McCain/Palin win down here.

IT Incognito: episode 2

Episode 2 of IT Incognito is out! Check it out here... This is not me in garb but you may recognize the voiceover at the end:



Note that this is really geeky stuff. Don't worry if you don't understand. Essentially, it is an attempt to "go viral" with some offbeat material from our IT training department. Plus, we're having fun which IMHO is inherently attractive.

No worries if you don't like it. The whole experiment tends to receive rather polarized reactions.

I think the video editing is really well done!

Cardinal Consolation

In baseball news, the main focus for this town, during the summer, was the startling success of the arch-rival Cubs and our losing the wild-card spot to the Brewers.

It was a lame season. Sweet revenge is seeing both of those teams ousted in the first round, with the Cubs being swept on the 100th anniversary of their last win.

Hey -- any team can have a bad millenium!

Bye bye, Blackbird ?

The last post mentioned a new search for simplicity. This isn't a joke: I'm considering selling Blackbird and retiring from triathlon.

Dean Karnazes is a famous ultra-marathon runner. In his book, he talks about his passion for running. He mentions, dismissively, a period of doing triathlons, but went back to running. When I read this, 3 years ago, I couldn't understand: triathlon is inherently greater than running and is surely superior in every way.

Now, I think I understand.

At the risk of writing a Dear Diary post or an outright rationalization, here are some thoughts:

• I have never had medical issues with running or swimming. All pain and medical attention has been because of that bike.
• Most bikes bring you back to being a kid. Not a tri bike: it is a finicky racehorse that has to be 'set up' correctly, with great care and non-trivial expense.
• Both in terms of my car decision and my geography, the bike is a constant concern. Runners can drive Corvettes :-)
• It pains me to think that I will never do an IronMan, but that just takes so much dedication. I don't think I can train for one _and_ play piano _and_ write blogs etc etc. I need something simpler, and with balance. To me, that means marathon. Running is still ambitious, no doubt, but it seems reasonable with respect to my other goals.
• There are many indoor triathlons. They are a cross between a joke and a parlour game but they might server as a good motivation to cross-train (e.g. for swimming).

And so, it might time to close a chapter. As you can see, neither my original endeavours nor my quitting are whimisical. But it feels right. With the possible exception that the Fall St Peter's Recplex Tri is happening very soon, and I won't be in it. Jim G 1 CC 0.

CC

ps. My swan song may well have been the 1/3 Iron Man in August 2007. After 38 miles, I couldn't wait to get off that bike. It was hot as blazes too: rather famously, I ended up in the ER for dehydration. However, for the record I remind the universe of this side fact: I finished.

Life Update

Yikes! One of the valued 'home pagers' (those who set CC to be their home page) has threatened action: a sure sign that things have been all too quiet on here.

Generally, life is great here in St Louis. Work is a dream and my neighbour has responded to a warning letter from the apt complex (i.e. the dog and late night parties have been curtailed). I have completely slacked off on fitness (more to come), but had a lot of fun this summer and fall in my personal life.

Compared to last fall, things are fantastic. Last fall, I hated my client gig and was really depressed. I was terrified to sit at the piano and was agonizing over a decision to stay here in the US. I'm not sure that I am "at peace" with respect to life decisions, but generally things are good.

My new mantra is a return to simplicity. Stay tuned for more. Also, I am well under 2 years away from the big 4-oh. I hope to re-invent myself somewhat for "version 4" in the same way that I have for version 3, which all-in-all, was a big success.

Jet Man

That Jet Man guy has done it again: crossing the English channel.... Check out the video on YouTube (click here).

Apparently this stunt really pushed the boundaries of what he could do in terms of safety and equipment. For some reason, I find this much more interesting than the attempts, in recent years past, to circle the globe in balloons etc.

Sharing articles

Folks, a good way to aggregrate blogs etc is to use Google Reader. It is free with a registered account (e.g. your Gmail account).

To subscribe, simply look for the RSS/Atom feed on a site; these are usually at the bottom.

A neat feature is that users can "share" articles with others.

My shared links are here, if you are interested. They are a mix of Java stuff, Canadian stuff, and often things of general geek interest.

Patriotism and Doughnuts

Hegemom forward me this article about an academic doing research on Canadians and their beloved Tim Horton's.

Quote:

Here are some tasty extracts from his work. "In Canada, the doughnut is widely believed to be the unofficial national food. Expatriate Canadians speak of associating a trip to the doughnut shop with returning home."

Keen readers will recall that I went to Detroit earlier in the month for visa stuff. As the Canadian border guard put it, I was a "turnaround": I drove into Windsor solely for the purpose of a U-turn and applying for re-entry into the US.

I did make one stop however: no joke, I went to Tim Horton's.

Quoteth

"They say there are no atheists in a foxhole. Well, there are no libertarians in a financial crisis, either."

-- Jeffrey Frankel, Harvard economist

Berlin provides a full report

My friend Berlin has returned from her daughter's wedding! The whole family descended on St Peter's, PEI for the nuptials. Later, B and her husband drove around the Maritimes. Here is a quick recap:

• The venue, Inn at Fortune Bay, was a big hit. Berlin raved about the food. Guests from NYC are quite epicurean and loved it.
• The weather was dicey, as it was throughout the eastern seaboard. However, it was not raining for the outdoor ceremony. It was windy, but that relieved the crowd from the mosquitos. Apparently the mosquitos (or black flies) were vicious during the rehearsal. Berlin couldn't believe it.
• New Glasgow Lobster Suppers is an iconic restaurant back home. Berlin said it was ok, but the giant buffet was closed, possibly due to being off-season?
• Generally, she thought both The Island and the rest of the Maritimes was lovely. A major hit was Cape Breton (of course). They also enjoyed some places in New Brunswick. I can't remember where now. But they did see the famed tidal bore and also the reversing river.
  
• Berlin sort of reminds me of my grandmother: she has a modesty about her and will tell these 'shocking' stories that are so quaint. She was surprised by the amount of booze at the wedding (her own reasonable consumption was a personal record), and described the number of lobsters she had (3 and 1/2) as though they were each a delicious, cardinal sin.
• The fam went to the Atlantic SuperStore (a large grocery store) to get fresh lobster. She thought it was far superior to St Louis' Shnucks and Dierbergs: she said it was gorgeous. That's a hoot because no locals would say that.
  

Overall, they seemed to have a really good time. I just drank all this in over lunch today. It was surreal to sit down in St Louis and get the low-down on the Maritimes. Berlin has seen more of eastern Canada in 2 weeks than I have in years.

I like Ike ?

Ike was a shadow of his former self but slammed here on Sunday morning... Lots of rain, some downed trees, and considerable flooding.

Alas, Sunday morning was the Lewis & Clark 1/2 marathon, the latest installment in the rivalry between our hero and his arch-rival, the nefarious Jim G.

No build-up here: JimG won by default. An ex-Navy man who perhaps is happy to escape his pedestrian, suburban abode, he braved the wretched conditions, along with a surprisingly large number of runners.

Our hero was not so brave. CC was raised in such a way that it is a cardinal sin not to partake in something that is paid for. However, the rain, the lack of running mileage prior to the event, and particularly the 5:45 am arrival time was just to much. (Who starts a freaking running race at 6:30 am? I get enough of that crap in triathlons.)

And so, all is dry, fat, and happy, here at home and hearth. The big news: Berlin will soon be back from The Nuptials on PEI! Alas, I fear that the weather was rough and the mosquitos were worse. But from her initial email messages, I think they had a nice time.

Particle Rap

In case you don't follow Internet crazes, here is a fun rap video by the giant Swiss/French physics lab, CERN, which is staring some banzai particle acceleration this week. This is outstanding. They are doing it to educate the media and calm the masses about impending annihilation of the earth.

I haven't written it yet but I hope to write a spoof on this (for the tech blog) involving Google.

The Motor City

I went to Detroit on an annual day-trip of sorts... Some quick thoughts:

• If I know a crowd, all bets are off, but I was raised so as to never inconvenience strangers in formal settings. It is simply unconscionable to me to recline an airline seat, if I know there is someone behind me. I did not suffer such a fate this time, but watched some ingrates anger people.
• A couple of times, I caught a "shuttle" from the airport to a rental-car place. It seems like a nice, cute thing, a shuttle. But it was a full-blown bus that sat idling (for hours?) until lil' ol' me showed up. Then it belched diesel nastiness as it groaned and creaked into action, whisking me to my destination. I was grateful but embarrassed. My carbon foot-print on this trip was obscene.
• I truly believe that most of humanity are kind at heart. I saw some good people working at the border.

Art Highlights

Check out some of these artists... From the Clayton Art Festival and/or the "Art Outside" festival in Maplewood. (A lot of art in St Louis lately)

Kreg Yingst (graphic art)

Bradley Bauer (photog)

Michael Gard (gorgeous wire sculptures)

Letting our hair down

My geek people are officially having fun!

Check out this video. Even if you don't have sound, let it go past the intro.

I'm not in it, but you might sense some psychic fingerprints on the theme.

Graph Jam: Vic's Visit

My pal Vic visited from PEI last weekend. Ostensibly, it was to see Bruce Springsteen (V is a huge fan) but we realized it is almost 20 years since we first met. (Yikes!) So the trip became a celebration of that as well, not to mention a detailed existential exploration of where we are, and how far we have come.

We were blessed with fantastic weather and an outstanding concert. We jammed a ton of stuff into 48 hours and yet it didn't seem rushed. It's hard to put it all into words so here is a graph.

Click on the graph for a larger view.

ps. Vic slept through 2 evenings of Pitbull Perturbation. This may affirm that I am crazy but (a) on one night, V had been up 24+ hours and (b) Vic sleeps like he was hit with a tranquilizer dart intended for a bear.

Ode to Weekend

2 islanders
floating pirates
on a quiet sea: mark, twain.

forest park, world's fair, The Boss
and 2 Huck Finns wondering how far
they have come, and how far is yet to go.

20 years ago we dragged our muddy waters,
but now, we simply float onward,
as the wise turtles look on.

Facebook

I generally hate trendy social networking sites but I was asked to join Facebook for work reasons.

I'm hooked. I'm looking up all kinds of people from all over. Man, it's weird. I mean, we have all Googled people but Facebook has teasingly small pictures for people not "in your network". You can almost make them out but not quite. But cybersleuths know that people expose their friend-list which implicitly provides information about them.

Long-time readers know that I was in a very close-knit class at elementary school. Essentially a core of 20 (?) kids went through 6 years together, learning French. I split off from the group and am now searching for some of them years later.

It is the weirdest feeling. I found some of them and recognize them immediately, despite not having seen them since we were 10 years old. One woman is posed in a rather prissy, arms-crossed stance that is precisely the way she used to pout as a child. So many weird areas of my brain are firing that I feel like I'm coming back from a stroke.

I've also come to realize, in a profound way, that these people had lives after we separated. They went on to have their own adolescence; their own triumphs and tragedies; and now their own careers and children. This all seems obvious but for some reason it has really hit me with respect to their own high school years.

Would they remember me? I wonder. I haven't had the guts to request "a friend" from that era yet, but maybe soon. I suppose if I remember them, they no doubt recall me.

*sigh* This is precisely the hook of Facebook. The irresistable draw of finding out about the characters from the momentous chapters of our lives.

CC

ps. Make no mistake: one visits the past but one does not overstay. The St Louis years are a huge chapter with vibrant, wonderful characters. If you are on said wretched site, look me up. (And a hearty hello to all my friends.)

pps. As always, I cannot resist pointing out that my cousin, and Binky's wife, now teaches at my alma mater. Though charming, it ties the strange loop on a 4-dimensional knot.

Question for St Louis

hey folks,

I'm looking for a shop for herbal nutrition and/or alternative medicine. Not the big chains with vitamins but something more off the mainstream.

Any ideas?

I vaguely remember one on Big Bend in Webster Groves but I have no idea if it is still open.

peace
CC

ps. In a related update, my buddy Vic will soon be visiting from PEI ! Should be a great weekend...

Man on Wire

Forget the Batman movie... Go see Man on Wire.

It is a documentary on the true story of a French wirewalker who, in the mid 1970s, conspired with friends to rig a wire across the World Trade Center towers (the method used is very Batman-esque). Philippe Petit then walked across the wire, over a 1/4 mile up.

The film is a spellbinding thriller. We know how it turns out and yet one fears for this strange pixie. Just look at the photo on the website above. Mon dieu!

It can also be viewed as a tribute to the WTC: it does not mention the fate of the towers, and yet of course the 800 lb gorilla is sitting next to you the entire time.

RIP, Professor Ledwell

For most of us here
being islanders is a terminal condition.
But those who go away aren't cured.
They simply die of the same ailment on alien soil.

Frank Ledwell, 1930 - 2008

Professor Ledwell from UPEI has passed away (obit here).

He was a warm, kind-hearted man, a gifted writer, and one hell of an Islander. There are precious few who have carried the torch so high, so eloquently, from the old generations into the present day.

Heaven help us now.

CC

ps. I first read the above poem in 1990. It haunted me when I left the Island for grad school. Leaving was not easy. I haven't looked at the book in years, and yet I found it and the poem in 5 minutes. It haunts me still.

From Google With Love

In this post, our man in the field muses on the narcissistic voyeurism of tracking blog hits, expanding on one especially quirky visit.

Many readers here are also bloggers, so I'm sure they will relate! I check mine often (more for the tech blog). One of the weirdest was a Google search for "Captain Canuck death" where CC was actually my real name. Yow. This blog has received a strong measure of hits for a photo of a Honda Civic that I nicked from the web.

CC

ps. Many readers should probably avoid the PBS post on the restaurant. (It is mentioned in passing.)

Graph Jam Redux

I submitted an idea to Graph Jam on a lark, and it was submitted! Click here for details.

The basic idea was to play off of different kinds of jam.

CC

ps. Turning to sports, I'm going to not-so-lovely Wood River IL tomorrow. A very short triathlon and possibly the most family friendly (aside from waking at 5 am). My time in 2006 was 1 h 20 min. We'll see how it goes; I was more fit back then. No Jim G.

Hot Enough For Ya?

As I walked out of the gym, the heat was like a wall. It is brutal.

On the ride home, a bank sign flashed 89 F (or 31 C).

Warm indeed, but one might argue (a) those signs aren't accurate and (b) it was probably directly in the sun.

I don't know about (a) but (b) is a non-starter: it was 9:30 pm.

Yikes. That's crazy. I have been here a long time but have never come to grips that July and August have oppressive heat where no one really wants to be outside. May and September rule down here, with occasional gorgeous days throughout the spring and autumn.

Hug a Spaniard Today

I don't know what it is like in Spain, but my guess is that national pride is riding pretty high these days.

Consider:

• Spain won the prestigious Euro 08 soccer match. Some of my French colleagues feel this is even larger than the World Cup, because the standard is very high across the board.

• Rafael Nadal defeated Roger Federer in the French Open, as expected, but then played an all-time classic at Wimbledon, serving notice to the world that he is ready to be #1. This may well happen at the US Open.

• Fellow countryman Carlos Sastre won the definitive Tour de France bicycle race. No word yet if he will enter next year's Tour de Donut.

Quite a year! Enhorabuena!

A New Foreign Correspondent

The handy right margin now features a new blogger! Our anonymous man in the field is a legal eagle who has transferred from Chicago to Paris for a stint.

As shown by the iconic North of Nain, the idea of "life in a foreign land" makes for great blog fodder (blodder?), esp. with the writing chops of this chap (who also invented helium during a vacation in Las Vegas, as I recall).

Join me in looking forward to dispatches from Paris!

Fitness Update

As I may have blogged, I work in a public "war room" with about 5 other people. There are probably 5 more who come into the room all the time. It has become a warehouse for, well, wares and snacks.

It's hard to stay at a "fighting weight" in such an atmosphere. But good news... I'm doing a tri in early August and have signed up for the Lewis & Clark 1/2 marathon in September. This was my first 1/2 marathon back in 2004 or 2005 (I've only done 2 or 3). As Jennifer once noted, if I have a concrete goal ahead, then I snap into "workout mode" immediately.

In other news, huge props to Jess and the Insouciant Cyclists: the team raised enough money for the fight against diabetes to place in the top 15 teams for the event!

Octo-rennial Cleaning

Two weeks ago, I made a maintenance request to the apt complex for some plumbing work. They complied, and left a note stating I was in violation of my lease. The charge? "Housekeeping"

Great.

Well, though it is probably a paper tiger (the main complaint was piles of books that I had moved from my office when I changed jobs in 2006), I went to action. One weekend was dedicated to cleaning, recycling, and trashing. I threw out computer boxes that had not moved from my bedroom since the year 2000.

I'm in very good shape now, but I've decided to push it further and put some stuff up on Craig's List, the "local, easier eBay" website.

I've come to realize that this is a "pre-move" whirlwind. The big question: where shall I move?

The Week in Review

Things have been quiet on here lately, as many of the CC staffers and interns are off frolicking on vacation. Here's a brief recap of some news:

• Karen and Dan's baby is now at home! Wonderful news. (click for more)
  
• Hegemom has returned to the gym after many weeks of chemo. Mad freaking props (click for more)
• Vic, a CC mainstay and critic, is often berating my life choices as a "Peter Pan-esque combination of stunted emotional development and delusions of grandeur". No news there, but he is coming to visit in August which is very cool. I rarely have guests down here. The Vster is a big Springsteen fan so we are going to see a concert here.
• Note that my cousin Richard was planning to visit, but those plans feel apart along with some critical pieces of his 1997 Porsche. Thankfully, he choice wisely and decided to get the Porsche fixed. (This is a rare instance of prioritizing a vehicle above family, but consider that he is now a high-school teacher, on summer break and driving a Porsche on PEI.)

Graph Jam

Offline, some CC readers and I have been enjoying the wonderful website GraphJam. The idea is to create a pop-culture pun through charts in Excel.

I borrowed the idea for my tech blog, with some success (though I have bigger plans).

Below is a great example if you know the AC/DC song....


more graph humor and song chart memes

And this one is an absolute Hall-of-Famer. Again, from music:


more graph humor and song chart memes

Musical Crack Cocaine

I don't know if I can provide a link, but I discovered a podcast series on iTunes: a CBC Radio 2 series on Beethoven's 9 symphonies. It should be easy to find via a search.

This is as good as it gets. A 20-30 minute podcast on each symphony, with a musically literate interviewer and the conductor of the Vancouver symphony with the analysis, including short blurbs on piano. It does assume that one knows the basics of classical music (e.g. the sonata form, and the sense of musical key) but it is not esoteric. Personally, it matches my music level perfectly.

I'm actually slowly rationing these as I don't want them to end.

Here's a fun factoid from the 1st symphony (though you really have to hear it on the podcast): in the 4th movement, Beethoven starts the main melody with a joke. 2 notes start, then a pause. Then the same 2 notes with 2 more, and again a pause. Then, again, the theme starts and screeches to a halt, until finally it bursts through as though the band has come in. The joke is that it gives the effect that the orchestra is practicing, or playing the piece for the first time, as the pauses are precisely the effect in those situations.

For 1800, this was clever stuff. Though Beethoven was not especially known for it (unlike Haydn, or Heaven's own court jester: Mozart).

Commodore 64s party like its 1983

Here is a page about a recent geek fest in Cincinnati where 8 Commodore 64s were networked together for a game.

Geeks occasionally break out the vintage equipment but at this event, the C64s are using newer stuff to do things they never really did in the 1980s.

There are photos, but they are large and slow to appear. The page is being "slashdotted". Slashdot is a major geek website. When a lowly website appears on Slashdot, the traffic is so much that it overwhelms the servers. Hence, the bittersweet joy of being "slashdotted".

ps. My tech blog has never been Slashdotted. One day, perhaps.... Some friends of mine have had the impact.

Island Realization

I just left a comment on Binky's blog, celebrating an evening we shared when I was home.

It was a perfect summer evening in the backyard. My sister & bro-in-law, Binky & Shan, Richard, and the 2 little ones: Action Girl and Super Girl.

All we did was hang out and play soccer. Oh and in a dash of surrealism that only Richard Spenard could provide: a drive in the Porsche. Nothing else. Really modest, and it was perfect. Perfect.

No movies, no TV, just background conversation and laughter. My realization is that these elements were at each house (and cottage!) I visited, and are there almost every time I visit anyone back home.

Maybe people hit the mass media more when we see each other often, routinely. I don't know. But for the trip it was wonderful to talk to people.

New Trick

hey gang,

It has been busy since I've been back.... I'm getting back into the groove on multiple levels.

Fitness has become a key concern. Just too much food at work. Although, amazingly, I am still #2 in the standings, I am not training per se and don't really have a tri planned. Normally, this time of year, I have several in the works.

But good news: yesterday I ran to my gym, worked out, and then ran home again. I don't know why I haven't thought of this before! My gym is about 1.5 miles away. I hope this becomes a trend.

CC

RIP Dr Eliot

In senior year at UPEI, Vic famously cajoled me into taking Latin 101. He bailed syntactic water for a semester while I quite enjoyed it. There were probably 12 in the class.

For Latin 102, there were 2 left standing: a chap named Chris and I. Our new teacher for the term was Dr Eliot, the President of the University. (He passed away in May).

Well. I didn't know him closely (Vic and Colleen knew him much better, being in the Humanities fulltime) but that class held a couple of special memories. We would meet on wintry mornings at a large oak table in a darkly-lit conference room near his office. He was very well studied in the classics: once, he probably played the role of Dickensian taskmaster, but now this was an old lion enjoying his twilight years.

Amongst the datives, the genitives, and the ablatives, there were gentle corrections and cheerful observations about language.

And sometimes observations about the office itself: he had an elderly lady as a secretary who, though kind, would give hearty approval to visitors' jests by, well, braying loudly. One time, late in the semester, the woman had startled us yet again from her office. Dr E, in the midst of a point on Latin versus Old French, leaned toward us conspiratorially and whispered, as though grateful for finally having a sympathetic ear after all these years: "isn't that a wretched laugh?". As quickly as it came, the topic returned to irregular verbs.

The other story is more poignant. Graduation ceremonies included a banquet. I don't remember the name now. I do remember that Vic and I sat at a front table; one among a dozen or more. From the podium, mere feet away, Dr Eliot gave the keynote address. His theme was the purity of education and learning, as being more than merely an means to an end.

As he concluded his speech, the final paragraph began like so, "... and so no matter if you have come here from another continent for pre-med, or...", and then he looked directly at me and smiled, " or if you have come from the farm to learn Latin...". I doubt if anyone really noticed, but that moment was more precious to me than the math and science prizes I would be awarded later that week.

As he did for so many others, he made me feel like we had a pact.

Vic and I led the standing ovation.

Back in the Lou

It is funny that the title sounds like "back in the loo" which is not especially charming from a British perspective.

I'm back! The trip was fantastic. The weather was perfect and I was able to catch up with a lot of people.

No pics, alas (sorry Hege!). I find that there is no "half way" when it comes to pictures and/or getting gifts for people: they become all-consuming. So this was just a trip home with a carry-on bag and my ubiquitous backpack.

It's hard to summarize even 3 days but here is a quick recap:

-- I saw an open-air theatrical performance (Quebec a la carte) that featured 8 players from La Belle Province and 4 from The Island. It covered 400 years in 45 minutes and was a mix of English and French. As keen readers will know, I am moved by music and was suckered-punched at the end with an unexpected "Canada is..." I hadn't heard that song in 15? years.

-- Inspired by the songs and bilingual nature of the performance, I walked around my old elementary school. Very keen readers will know that from grades 2 through 6, about 30 students were in the same class, learning French. We were family. It is heartening to know that my cousin Shannon now teaches there.

-- I confirmed that there are some very high-tech companies at the Atlantic Technology Centre in Charlottetown. High-tech as in 3D gaming for mobile phones. That's wicked stuff, and hopefully a new era for The Island in terms of becoming a hot bed for tech. It is cool to see that UPEI has reacted to it with a CS degree with a specialty in video game programming.

-- I started to write about some personal stuff but I can't include everything/everyone and yet I hate to leave anything out. Wonderful summer days and evenings with very special people. Some powerful, thoughtful and at times, heavy, conversations. It would take me 8 hours to relay it all and then this post would be insufferable.

So, to recap: A great trip! My new rule is to come home every summer.... I will send some pic links later perhaps but a great source is this site. It was postcard-perfect when I was there. No Photoshop necessary.

CC

ps. Jesserando and others will remember a fun gag in front of the Island webcam. This time, Miss Gila phoned out of the blue, and I was walking near it. So she went online and I waved :-) It was a hoot, eh?

Quick Notes

A belated Happy Canada Day to everyone. Happy 4th o' July tomorrow to the US!

And today, both "bonne fete" to my Mom and also Happy 400th anniversary, Quebec City. This week is the culmination of a year-long festival marking 400 years since Champlain founded New France, Quebec, and arguably Canada.

In other major news, check out the blog over at My Life Geography! Congrats to Karen and Dan....

CC

ps. Finally, I am writing this from Prince Edward Island. I am home on a very short, stealth trip. So email is spotty and blog silence for a couple of days.

pps. It is gorgeous here. Breathtaking and very familiar at the same time. Powerful stuff.

The Art of the Bluff

I've blogged extensively about the Tri Rivalry between my nefarious arch-rival, Jim G.

However, there is a sub-contest to the Rivalry: the track sprints. I think I've lamented this last year when we couldn't compete together (and I was crazy fast).

2003 was our first combat: the preferred battlefield is the 400 metre run. This is one lap around a high-school track: approx. 1/4 mile.

And to be far, the nefarious Jim G has owned me on it. He was a middle-distance sprinter in high school and it shows. In 2003, I pulled out an intense 70 second result (try it). He ran 66 seconds. We all thought he would expire: he still claims it was his hardest run in his life. Absolute kudos.

I'm not sure if we ran head-to-head until this year but I have tried to break 70 seconds. In 2004, I ran 72. I think I have run once since then but the time is lost to history.

Fast-forward to this year. The track at the ritzy Clayton high school. Neither our hero nor the nefarious Jim G feel particularly stout.

In fact, we start the Lowball Sweepstakes. When warming up, Jim G claimed he ran a glacial 88 seconds a week before. I maintain that is absurd, but tell him that I'm shooting for a stumblin' 80 seconds.

The bluffs have begun. And both of us are secretly hoping the other is telling the truth. And secretly optimistic that we can do better, because, as I have discovered, it is much easier to think about running than to actually run. In my mind, somehow, some way, I might even breach the mythical 70.

And so, the nefarious Jim G joined his age group, in heat 3, way before my heat #8. He started hot out of the blocks, huffin' and puffin', and lumbered down the back stretch. I watched intently, urging the clock to speed up. I felt good as he turned for home, but as always, there is an illusion: these runners are charging down the home stretch. His time: 72 seconds.

Yes. He matched my 'quick' time from 2004. His bluff has been exposed as a fraud. A psychological tactic geared to mess me up.

In all honesty, it did mess me up. I was stunned, shocked, and saddened, and I had 4 heats to dwell on it before I could do anything.

As my heat prepared, I steeled my nerve. "Let's do this thing," said our hero.

As the horn went off, I started out strong and in the first turn I hit 4th gear. In truth, I would never hit 5th. Too much food and debauchery since February. A hero trades his passion for glory. As I came around the home stretch, wheezing, I could see the clock mock me: 68, 69, 70.

I finished at 77 seconds. Maybe, just maybe, 76. No bluff here.

It was a total rout. Kudos to my arch-rival. As always on the track, he dominates.

CC

ps. We both finished last in our heats.

pps. Note this entire theme is distinct from the tri action. Separate events, separate streaks.

I *heart* my old PC

I love the new Mac. It is very cool and highly stable. It was a trusted companion on a recent tech talk, my first, in my new era of employment. But it is a laptop.

I'm writing this on my PC which needed some work at the shop. It is still slow, and it is still Windows, but it feels like my right arm.

This is because I am neurologically wired to my split keyboard and my big mofo speakers that date back to 1997.

I can't explain it. Perhaps it is re-connecting to my old songs on iTunes (I'm sure of it), and being able to type at 90 wpm again: I feel like my old dog just came back after days away.

CC

ps. Buy a Mac, though. Seriously. It will be my new right-arm one day.

My New Favourite Show

Lately I have been watching Top Gear on BBC America.

It is hilarious! Primarily a show for gear-heads and car enthusiasts, it has 3 guys who are very funny and incredibly warm.

They often go off on strange adventures: e.g. who can cross London, in morning traffic, the quickest: someone on a bicycle, a boat (on the Thames), or an SUV?

Bonus: there is The Stig, a talented race-car driver who never talks and never reveals the face behind his/her helmet. In the London episode, s/he takes public transit.

Check it out.... I'm compiling episodes for some people back home.

Saturday Night's AllRight For Blogging

It has been way too long so I pulled another bar stunt over on the tech blog, with help from my wingwoman Tanya. (click here Ed's note: in a rare cameo, Tanya is in the last photo with her friend)

I gave a talk recently on Gant. As usual, it is a techie subject that is not often discussed in blues bars in St Louis.

My favourite part in doing this, aside from the (hopeful) barrage of hits, is seeing the finished post. A lot of work goes into it.

Often, I smile to myself, or even laugh. And I think:

Maybe, just maybe, everything's going to be ok.

CC

Stealth Attack

I got home pretty late on Saturday night. My neighbour was roaring at his (new?) GF on the phone. It wasn't enough to call the cops or even complain, but it irritates me.

As I write this at 9 pm on Sunday evening, the dog is on the roof. Things are much better in that regard, but when I even hear that dog now for a moment, I brace myself for confrontation.

I have considered retaliation. I've wanted to point my guitar amp toward his apt and seriously crank some white-boy blues into his world. Unfortunately, he truly has the high ground in this war, and I am powerless to launch a counterstrike.

However, I had been playing with the idea of simply knocking on his door at 9 am in the morning. In his universe, this would be fairly disruptive. But I haven't had the guts to do it. Plus things have been better.

But today, I have a new idea that is deliciously demonic: a dog-whistle. Not one to train dogs or scare them. I bear no malice toward the dog and do not want to see it harmed. I just want something that would get the dog to bark. That could be highly entertaining.

I'm adding it to the "when needed" file in the war chest.

War of Attrition

The Surprise

Optical scanner. Check. Infra-red radar. Check. Sonar detection. Clear.

All is well. Our hero is 8 miles into the bike leg of the RecPlex triathlon, and the nefarious Jim G is out of range. Given a 30 second offset, CC remained ahead during the swim and transition #1. Now, nothing but the sound of pedals and wind.

Then, out of nowhere: "hello Michael".

Zounds! The villainous arch-rival has slipped under the radar, and pulls up alongside our hero. A stealth attack! In no time, the nefarious Jim G is ahead by several bike lengths -- and pulls away.

Miles later, our hero is still stunned. He begins to draft blog titles in his head: Black Sabbath! Sunday Bloody Sunday!

However, there is hope: like last year, the dynamic duo will face a set of hills at the end of the bike. Last year, Blackbird famously transformed into an anti-Gravitron device and led our hero to victory in a head-to-head battle.

But this year, Jim G leads by 1/4 mile. It is a grim gamble. CC grits his teeth as his untrained leg muscles quiver with exertion. Blackbird moans, seemingly in need of servicing after last weekend's rainy ride.

The Counter Assault

With 3 miles to go, the triatheletic titans begin to ascend the hills. CC notices that, far ahead, Jim G stands up out of the saddle: fatigue! He re-doubles his effort, downshifting into an easier gear.

After 2 hills, our hero is much closer but still not even. By the last, winding hill, he finally pulls within mere lengths.

With a mile to go, he pulls along flush with the arch villain.

"Hello, James".

The Transition

The two racers glide in simultaneously to Transition #2. The plan is to devour another carb gel and re-apply sunscreen. Mutual friends cheer and yell to both of us: "you're going to lose it in transition! C'mon!".

"You know, they're right. This could be it right here.", thinks our hero. Abandoning the battle plan, he bolts from the area with nary a drink nor replenishment. It is a desperate stratagem, but he does leave T2 before Jim.

The run is exhausting. Without proper bike training, our hero's legs are jello. The heat is 80+ F and seems unbearable. At every station, 2 cups of water are used: one to drink and one to pour over the body. Memories of Mattoon are haunting. (Ed's note: Mattoon was the ER visit in Aug 2007).

The Finish

For the last half of the 4+ mile run, our hero did not run for victory: it was classic "not to lose". Though out front, he could not concentrate on his own race, but instead looked back often, in terror, awaiting the inevitable push by his rival. It could yet be a Black Sabbath.

Finally, amazingly, CC staggers to the finish line! So Jim G cannot beat him outright, but recall that our hero was given a 30 second offset. The nefarious forces could yet win a time victory!

Indifferently, the clock ticked and tocked. 10 seconds. 20. 30 seconds! Soon enough, but all too late, Jim G stumbles across the line.

CC has won by a mere 2 minutes: approximately the length of time required to ingest a carb gel and apply sunscreen.

The streak has bent, but remains unbroken.