Update

Some people know that I am anticipating some news to post on this blog. Alas, as yet, there is no news. This is a bit surprising but there we have it. I don't know how the gears of destiny really work.

Some other, real news: my tech talk is this Sunday! As things draw closer, I'm getting excited. The long hours of preparation will (hopefully) pay off, and I'm quite distracted with other stuff to be too worried.

In the phrase of the last 2-3 years, "it is what it is". i.e. The first rule of Tautology Club is the first rule of Tautology Club.

CC

Cross Canada 2010

Pedaling PEI told me about this neat blog (click here)... 2 Islanders are biking across Canada, and blogging their adventures. Check it out...

CC

Cinco de Mayo

It is a time of celebration in St Louis: Cinco de Mayo, a crossover pseudo-cultural recognition of a Mexican victory in 1862.

This particular one is gorgeous: 80 F and sunny, even at 7 pm.

You might ask if I am celebrating. Dinner? Drinks? Perhaps a long run?

Negative.

I am consumed by The Talk and The (career) Exploration. I have been to Kinko's for 4 straight nights to photocopy documents and/or proofread presentation slides. I haven't been to the gym in about 3 weeks. Soon, I will return to work to make up time this evening. I am constantly on the phone at lunch, and tomorrow AM, I am taking the morning off to consult with cross-border accountants.

It is pretty busy. I have virtually withdrawn from social circles in St Louis (sorry about that). I am usually sleeping well and not really keyed up, but things are intense, and I haven't even made any decisions on The Exploration.

My main solace are some guilty-pleasure TV and, wonderfully, a strong routine on the piano.

I hope all is well you, dear readers. Have a margarita for me!

CC

Perspective

A lot going on at CC HQ, but no updates...

Instead, just read this (click here). It is worth it. Quoteth:

Erik, who is living with liver cancer, has always wanted to be a superhero. On Thursday, the regional chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation granted him that wish with an elaborate event that involved hundreds of volunteers in Bellevue and Seattle.

Vancouver trip

Long-time readers will know that we recommend Pedaling PEI on a variety of levels.

Be sure to check out recent photos from a trip to Vancouver. I happen to know the author cycled about 200 km in a week trip there.

CC

Interesting Link

Some techie wrote a comment called "Dear Canada, I miss you" and people are responding. My guess is that many are ex-pats who are working in science and technology.

You can't make this stuff up!

CC

Sweet Music

I don't like it when people stay on the same theme in social media. Their voice becomes noise, and the message is lost. I follow one person on Facebook (not a reader of this blog, and a former instructor) who has a single social issue and that's it. It gets old.

In a similar vein, my bemoanings are probably getting old on here.

So here is some music! This is the angelic Eric Johnson, and one of my favourite songs of all time. There is a long intro but just let it go.... or skip to about 5:20

This song came from God, seriously.

The Inner Circle

This is not news, but I have great friends both in the US and Canada. Several people have contacted me in the last couple of days to understand the back story behind recent themes on this blog.

A special shout-out to my sister who really brought the goods in a recent conversation. (People ask if I am "close to my sister" and I say yes, but we don't talk often on the phone. Generally Islanders are not phone people, due to insane long distance rates back in the day.)

CC

Big Questions

There are many big questions, and most show the following question to be rather trite and greedy. Yet, one has to be careful.

This is rhetorical but the question is if there is ever "the right time" to cash out of investments. Normally, one should never do this, especially if there are penalties involved, but what if it is for a life-changing event?

If one stays in the market until it gets better, this is effectively "timing the market" which is notoriously error-prone.

On the other hand, if one waits for too long, one never makes a decision.

This is tricky stuff.

Without throwing rocks at either side, all I can say is that cross-border living is rough, man.

Stress

The water is getting hotter at CC HQ.

Everyone has stressors and mine are not necessarily bad things, but the next few weeks could get seriously crazy. That said, there is no news per se.

One example: I am giving a dry-run of a tech talk tomorrow but have a lot of other stuff going on. I need to compartmentalize like we all did back in school. (I'm amazed at the amount of juggling we did in school. It was CRAZY.)

Accountant

Can anyone recommend an accountant (or financial planner) that specializes in cross-border taxes between Canada and the USA?

I'm done some research on the web but I thought I would ask here. The few that I have found have some scary websites (e.g. dated copyright notice, typos, etc). I'll take any reference, no matter how indirect.

CC

Ancient Phone

I am still using my absurd Nokia 3560 from 2003. In May, it will be 7 years.

I paid $150 for it, ostensibly to write apps for it, so I could learn 'mobile computing'. That didn't happen, and it might be just as well, since the mobile computing revolution didn't occur until a few 'device generations' later (it sure has exploded now).

My phone was one of the first to have a camera, and to allow access to the Web. Before the hugely popular uVerse, AT&T had an unpopular mobile program called mMode. (They are similar in name only: same marketing VP?)

Slowly, but surely, though AT&T is hacking the legs out from underneath me. I've received at least 2 letters saying that they won't support the phone anymore, and that I should upgrade and get a new contract. Yet the phone still makes calls and still does text-messaging (both are vital).

However, I could once email pics from the phone. I could browse the web (sort of). Both are now gone. The fat lady is warming up for this thing... It's almost over, but at least I got my money's worth.

Plus, I have some treasured pics and videos on there, seemingly with no way to move them. In some sense, my phone has become a curiosity in its own right. Imagine owning a tiny 'moving picture viewer' back in 1910. At parties, I am often showing photos or videos in that manner: people enjoy the pic, but are also enchanted/disturbed by the medium itself: "is that a phone?"

I can't say I love it, but I do love its quirkiness. I hope to keep it for a long time, if only to look wistfully at some of the pics and memories.

CC

Flex the Golden Pipes

Tonight, PBS is featuring a concert by Michael Bublé at Madison Square Garden. This is big treat for me: I've heard of him, but am not really familiar.

He's an international star, and a legend in Canada. Several friends and family have trekked to Halifax to see him, and I can see why.

This guy knows how to flex the golden pipes (see below for reference). The backup band and overall vibe is just fantastic.

Apple

Today is the birthday of one of my best friends (Happy Birthday, G! though she doesn't read blogs) and also the 2nd anniversary of my Mac laptop.

It has been outstanding. Apple has a rabid fan base and I've learned why. Yes, they are more expensive. They are arguably more 'closed' than 'open'. And there are some scary censorship issues looming for the iPad (and iPhone).

I don't care. Stuff just works. Many apps (e.g. Keynote, the analog to PowerPoint) are outstanding. If I had to do my current tasks in Powerpoint right now, I would seriously consider a new line of work. In Keynote, things are so much easier: it's like staying at The Ritz.

CC

Speaking at Conferences

I really hate preparing for tech talks, when they are formal and far in advance. I have too much time to think about it, tweak it, etc, and I slowly go crazy.

I have one coming up in 5 weeks, and I'm starting to dread the 'end game' where I wind myself up for it. It's pretty much all I think about, and I have a lot of other stuff to think about.

I'm much better in a spontaneous setting. Multiple people have called me a professor because I can summarize a topic in 10-15 minutes fairly well: just give me a whiteboard and let me go.

CC

Non Update

I am slowly, cautiously unveiling some uncharacteristically personal stuff on here. Specifically, that I am seeking new locales of 'endeavour', so to speak.

Alas, no news to share. I thought I things would be happening by now (as I took some action awhile back) but apparently the world does not work on my schedule (can you imagine!?). That said, I feel like news could burst forth fairly quickly. The uncertainty was freaking me out a bit, but now I'm just used to it.

CC

Fitness

Today, St Louis hosted the annual St Louis marathon. What a lovely day for it. Perhaps a bit hot, even, for a run. As I write this at 9 pm, it is still 72 F.

I am not in shape to do a 1/2 marathon, much less a marathon. However, I did swim 1 km and run 4 miles today, which feels pretty good.

CC

The Inertia of Bleak Desolation

It is another Saturday night, alone, facing some serious decisions and work deadlines.

And so, dear reader, I'm sure you are thinking that here comes another post, full of despair, bemoaning the fate of someone who must suffer the slings and arrows of having a successful career and great friends/family in 2 different locations. The misery is palpable.

Not tonight, friends: it is 75 F as I write this at 6:30 pm. The sun is about an hour before sunset, and I have the screen door open in the apartment. The weather has been spectacular over the last couple of weeks; tonight it is perfect.

I've caught up with some of my favourite people over the last week or so. Work is going well. I'm healthy, if not especially fit. I've started playing the piano again, being very careful to not injure my wrists by coming back too soon (I'm almost out of that phase, in fact).

Life is good here, and I sincerely hope it is with you as well.

The Fog

Sometimes, when I'm alone, I look back on the years I've been in St Louis. I know that time flies, but I try to account for the specific years.

I've come to realize that I am often in a fog. By that, I mean that I am so focused on something that I really tune out from others and the Big Picture that I've mentioned earlier.

Often, the goals are activities, and many are noble such as the piano and especially athletics. I used to exercise like a banshee, man. I'm starting to really see that now.

Sometimes, the fog lifts, and I feel like I can see things for what they really are. It is in these times that one gets lonely.

Things were rather lonely tonight, but I chatted with 2 major, dear friends and I'm very grateful. The coming weeks might get stressful, and it is really great to be as blessed as I am with such a great group of friends.

I know that sometimes, in the fog, I may not have been there for them (and others) as much as I could have been.

I worry my life will ultimately turn out to be a Willie Nelson song. No one has really said it better (though Willie didn't write it).

CC

ps. In case it isn't obvious, there are some big decisions ahead at CC HQ, and they are manifesting themselves in some top-shelf angst (if not very top-shelf writing), as predicted by my sister.

The Big Picture

Please note that I plan to live until I'm 90, and am feeling fine. This post may seem morbid but in fact, it is merely introspective.

Three thoughts seem to unite into a theme for me lately:

• My friend Traci gave a touching eulogy to her grandfather, in the fall of 2007. That was the beginning of a Big Shift in my life.
  
• I once read (possibly by Dale Carnegie) that you could measure a life by the number of people who come to your funeral. The idea is that no one fakes that. They must have been moved by something: they aren't trying to impress you.
• MacLean's magazine dedicates the last page of every weekly edition to an obituary for a regular, non-famous citizen. 90% of the column is about their loved ones and their impact on their community, and then whammo, the last paragraph explains how they passed away. Week after week, its impact really adds up and makes you think.
  

Now at 40, I find myself considering my own legacy. What will they say at my funeral, many years from now? If I don't like what I imagine, can I change that? I certainly have lots of time.

The truth is that I want to do something much bigger. Possibly out of vanity (a LOT of things stem from vanity), but ostensibly out of goodwill and altruism. I want a project that is bigger than me, and something that will really contribute to a community. Both my Mom and Dad are stellar examples of this in their own lives.

Aha, but which community? Alas, I have decided that it will not be St Louis, as great as it is, and as wonderful as the people are here. It is just too far from home. I have missed a lot of funerals for major people (in my life) on PEI. That really bothers me.

I don't know when, exactly, and I don't know where, but I want to move on. I want people lined around the block at my funeral, because I've done something that moved them to pay respects.

CC

ps.

This is random but an interesting tribute to the character of Jean Beliveau, the legendary Montreal Canadien hockey player who defined 'classy'.

I once saw a biography of Jacques Plante. Also a legend, he was an eccentric goalie who played for the Habs and famously pioneered the goalie mask. Much later, he lived in poverty in Switzerland, estranged from his glory days and from his team.

When Plante died, only one Canadien traveled to his funeral in Switzerland: Jean Beliveau.

Random Facts

It has been 80+ F here in St Louis this week! It is almost like summer!

No news on any big decisions / crossroads. Stay tuned.

I've decided to cease doing my Twitter-feed for fake news. I made the announcement today, on April Fool's Day, as that seemed humorous. Alas, it was too cerebral and I think it will take a couple of weeks before people realize it is no joke. I hope to write longer pieces as I'm fond of satire, but the Twitter gig just wasn't fun anymore.

CC

ps. Note that JAK reports that the Twin Cities in Minnesota went without snow in March for the first time since 1878.

Crossroads

I'll probably be facing a crossroads in the coming weeks. In some ways, we face crossroads every day of our lives. The choices we make (or vainly attempt to avoid) ultimately pave a path through our lives.

I'm excited and yet nervous at the same time. As I've written before, I don't like big decisions and I don't feel very well prepared to handle them. I have always, always been trained to do as well as possible at the immediate task at hand, without much thought for the big picture.

The goal has been to keep as many doors open as possible. But eventually, we have to choose a door.

Which one? On what basis?

In truth, I do know how to make a decision. One can list the pros and cons. One can make a matrix. One can listen to one's inner voice. Or flip a coin: what is your reaction to the result? If it is relief, that's a sign; if it is concern, that is also a sign.

The unvarnished truth is the following question: do I have the courage to make a decision based on priorities that (a) are against the mainstream or (b) that may well result in regret?

CC

Bramwell Tovey

I've blogged this before, but I listen to a series of podcasts done by the CBC: conductor Bramwell Tovey talks about Beethoven's 9 symphonies. Each is about 20 minutes long, and I listen to them all the time.

If you aren't interested, then at least check out this video (click here).

Check out the story from 0:30 to 1:20. Deeply moving and indicative of Tovey's ability to convey the universal meaning of music.

CC

ps. I've had a long week, and one that may prove to be rather big. More to come....

Thought for the day

I have a small walk-in closet that is crammed with stuff. It reminds me, vaguely, of the upstairs of my grandparents' house.

Maybe one day I'll write about that house. I could easily write a good 10 pages about the sights, scents, and homey-ness of that place.

CC

Deleting Extra Page, At End Of Doc, in Word

Much effort was exerted in finding out how to do this, so I thought I would share.

Quoteth (from here):

Here's how to get rid of the extra page: Select the paragraph mark after the
table and format it with 1 pt of font size, zero spacing before/after (and
as hidden text, too, if necessary).

NOTE: this assumes you have enabled 'show page / paragraph breaks', which is easy to discover. Disable after the above instructions.

Happy 50th

I don't think he checks this blog, but an uncle and dear friend is 50 today! Happy Birthday, R!

As mentioned several times on here, he is one of 2 'cousins' that were massively influential on my life. (One from each side of the family, as it turns out).

CC

Vermont

Some of my gang were in Vermont for a destination wedding!

It was wonderful. The weather was gorgeous, the surroundings lovely, and a good time was had by all. I couldn't ask for a better weekend for the happy couple. A small group stayed at the same inn where the reception was held: it was terrific! A super trip....

I had forgotten the feel of the New England area. It has a palpable sense of quaintness and decorum that is different from the Maritimes, and yet closer than the Midwest.

I thought of my great-uncle Roland. Though I'm not sure if I met him, he was among some family who moved to Vermont many decades ago. (Others, including my two uncles, later moved to South Carolina. They would visit on rare occasion when I was young. My Dad visits them almost every year, and circa 1997, I drove down to the farm in SC as well.)

CC

ps. I bought a new suit for the wedding. My first one in 10 years! Dark grey with pinstripes. I may get another. I love a nice suit. (Though traveling with one is a nightmare. Delta joins AC on my 'avoid if at all possible' list.)

pps. There are only 2 kinds of suits: tuxedos and 3-piece. I only buy 3-piece jobbies. They make you feel like a mob boss from the 1920s.

Grab bag

First, I have to mention that people at work have been terrific about the Canadian victory for gold in men's hockey. I was worried about a backlash, but most were happy for Canada and Vancouver.

There is one guy with whom I do not get along at all. He is overtly, spitefully anti-Canadian and generally a punk with his colleagues. Though he was not at all warm, he stayed quiet which is a blessing in itself.

On to other news... watch this video. The setup is that the guy is not happy with service at the restaurant, and has been learning Chinese for 2 weeks before facing his nemesis. Hi-jinx ensues.

At the very end, Sheldon says "aye-yeah!" which means roughly "Oy vey" or "Oh bother". When I watched it, I realized that I work with a woman who, when frustrated with her computer, says the same thing under her breath! (Hint: her daughter was married on PEI.) I told her about it and she agreed with me. Hilarious!

A request for privacy

In the past, I've leaked my identity on here to friends who know me in my professional life. I like to keep things compartmentalized and so in retrospect, I regret that decision.

Especially as I may start blogging about my dreams with respect to my career.

I ask readers: please do not overtly disclose/link/announce anything I write here. Thanks. (I realize this is a public website, and so I will be discreet, but if you already know who I am, please do not pass that along to others.)

CC

ps. I need to do this because I don't have anywhere else to write.

Sidney Crosby

I almost didn't watch OT. I nearly went for a drive.

It wasn't the shock or awe of the late goal with the goalie pulled. It was that I felt it coming, as I've seen the movie before. In 1996, the USA beat Canada in the World Cup using 6-on-5. It was the only time I've ever seen it work.

The premonition, and then the follow through here in 2010, was a dagger through the heart. I nearly left.

Even now, I'm numb. I can't believe we won. And, as Vic says, it couldn't have been scripted better for Sidney Crosby: relatively quiet all tournament, the lion came out of the cage in the span of about 2 seconds, beating the stout US netminder.

Unbelievable.

It is now, officially, an unequivocally Great Games for Canada.

CC

ps. Congrats to the US hockey team on a great Olympics, and for taking several years off my life in 2 separate games.

NBC = Nothing But Curling

CNBC (a cable network) has shown a ton of hockey and curling. As mentioned, I'm just blown away.

Especially tonight, to see Skip Kevin Martin win gold for Canada! Curling is one heckuva game. I always knew that but, having been starved of it for awhile, I've come to rediscover it.

Quote of the night, from Don Duguid: there is a difference between a rock-thrower and a curler.

Factoid of the night: there are only 8 sheets of ice for curling in Norway. 30 people attended their national championships. And yet they have a world-class team! Whaaaaa? Why don't they support the sport?

CC

ps. Canada has really put the burn on in terms of medals. The "Own the Podium" was a bit of a joke at first, but not now. The USA will get the most medals (and hats off to them), but we have done very well.

pps. Now there is just one game left on Sunday afternoon: hockey. As someone from Vancouver put on Twitter, "Canada will be closed from noon to 3 pm PST".

Crescendo

The last couple of days of the Games are going to be deliciously stressful! I'm watching women's curling right now and am pacing the floor a bit.

It's fun to know my family is definitely watching at home.

CC

ps. I watched the ladies figure-skating with a friend last night and really enjoyed it. I'm so glad Joannie R got a medal, and Kim Yu-Na's gold medal performance was unbelievable.

Bang Your Drum

In the opening ceremonies, Bryan Adams and Nelly Furtado sang "Bang Your Drum".

Indeed. We just beat Russia 7-3.

A long way to go, but tonight: we are pleased.

CC

Edit: As Colleen pointed out, it was a huge night all-around. Canada won medals in the women's bobsleigh, including Heather Moyse from PEI! (I didn't see that until after posting.)

(This undoubtedly tremendous, though I maintain the hockey is big. To paraphrase someone on the Russian team, "Back home, this is a disaster. The end of the world.")

More Olympics

I just saw Ashleigh McIvor win gold in women's ski cross. I saw the result online earlier today, but I was still shouting here tonight, and delighted for her.

This whole "Own the Podium" initiative has been very difficult on our athletes. It was intended as an ambitious goal (in part to sanction gov't funding), but I think that the additional pressure on individuals has been tough.

That said, it is hard to swallow the results of men's speed-skating, alpine skiing of any type, and of course (ahem) the men's hockey team (which can only be
mentioned now that they have throttled Germany).

Anyway, I salute McIvor and of course Virtue and Moir of ice-dancing fame! Last night, NBC stayed with the ice-dancing medal presentation and the national anthem. It was terrific. I am beginning to love NBC and its cable channels.

CC

ps. Canada-USA set a new mark for TV ratings in Canada, but my guess is that Canada-Russia tomorrow night will be one for the ages in terms of ratings.

Curling

Over the course of the Olympics I've discovered that NBC cable channels is also carrying the Games. They are heavy into hockey and curling. This is great news!

Just as with figure skating, curling has thrown me back into another era. It is a great game. Interestingly, the colour commentators for NBC are well-known Canadians: the legends Colleen Jones and Don Duguid.

CC

ps. A Canadian woman coaches Denmark, and a German curler grew up in Canada. We are all over this game.

Skating

I was thinking of writing a longer piece but I don't really have time. My apologies: this is choppy.

Readers will know that hockey and curling are very popular in Canada, but so too is figure skating.

My mother and sister are big fans. I'm a bit at a loss here when I watch, because they know all the skaters and all the backstories. They went to the Worlds in Halifax a couple of years ago and loved it.

I watched the skating (pairs, long program) with a friend the other night and was reminded of the great skaters of the past (e.g. Kurt Browning, Elvis Stojko) and watching with my family. I have cousins in Hamilton who were also major skate fans, and rabid fans of Elvis. (Alas, one cousin is no longer with us.)

Between them all, I was thrown back to 1990-1991 when I was last really "into" the skate scene, even if through osmosis. It was surprisingly emotional: I remembered having certain fears and hopes that are with me to this day, and I wondered how I could "lose" figure skating for so long. (That last one is easy: there isn't as much coverage here, and over the years, it is only natural that I pursued my own interests).

As I write this though, I'd like to watch it with my family. I've joked that I have to call home and find out the real story behind what I just saw.

CC

ps. Canada has 2 gold medals!

pps. NBC showed a whole profile on Alexandre Bilodeau and the presentation of his medal. I was delighted.

Double Header

Though under the radar on this blog, I returned to the JCC for my annual "combo indoor triathlon" this weekend. It had all of the grace of a late Elvis concert: sweaty and labourious. But we made it!

I finished mid-pack within my age group in the long event (Sat) and the short event (Sun). My run times (the best metric) were much slower than years past but hopefully I'll get back into shape this winter/spring.

Gold Gold Gold

I just saw Alexandre Bilodeau win gold for Canada in the freestyle event.

The neighbours probably heard some shouting. WooHOO!

I'm grateful that the NBC Iron Curtain of Commercialism allowed me to enjoy the event. They are interviewing him now (alas, we won't see the medal presentation or the anthem).

This is so fantastic. Especially we beat that traitorous Aussie.

This will eventually seem very trite, but his name is trending on the worldwide feed for Twitter. i.e. Alexandre's name is among the top ten topics world-wide. No doubt every Canadian with access is singing his praises.

Olympics

Though we all have a heavy heart over the crash and death of luger Nodar Kumitashvili, I'm looking forward to the opening games of the Vancouver Olympics. They are just about to begin.

From what I can tell, Vancouver won't even try to compete with Beijing, which is wise because that was incomparable. NBC just reported that the ceremonies will be much more intimate, and should make Canadians swell with pride.

There is rampant speculation on who will light the Olympic torch for Canada. Of the rumors, I think it will either be David Suzuki, or possibly an image of the late Terry Fox. Both are sentimental favourites for different reasons: Suzuki is a beloved biologist with strong ties to BC; Terry Fox is a national hero and certainly a better fit for an athletic competition.

Google Streetview

Google Streetview has hit Charlottetown!

Type "Charlottetown PEI" into Google maps, zoom in a bit, and then drag the yellow dude (see attached screenshot) onto the blue streets.

This is very cool for Islanders and other readers alike...

ps. This is a MAJOR post-script: it is more than just Charlottetown. It may be the entire Island. Not sure yet.

Bummers

The local news is that I picked the Colts over the Saints, who just won the Superbowl. The Saints QB won battles against Kurt Warner, Brett Favre, and Peyton Manning in the run to the championship. That is an unbelievable list of opponents.

The bigger news is that the PEI ladies curling team played in the national finals this afternoon: the Scott Tournament of Hearts. They played against the reigning champs, known as Team Canada. Prior to a Superbowl party, I was watching the game online via a score update and a webcam stream. Team PEI lost a lead going into the last end, and I was stunned to read (at the party, on my phone) that they had lost a heart-breaker in extra ends. Don't laugh: this was a huge deal for The Island. Though not as popular as hockey or the winter Olympics, curling is very popular and The Island rarely makes it to the finals.

Ah well. Maybe next year, on all fronts.

Happy Birthday

A Happy Birthday shout-out to my sister, C!

My sister has always been a better multi-tasker, and more eclectic, than me. She has lived and worked in the UK, played the flute in high school, completed boot camp in the armed forces, passed the bar exam, and now manages a bookstore, reading everything in sight. (Her book recommendations are consistently superlative).

She stresses as I do over doing something correctly, but doesn't carpet-bomb her social life as I did in university, and on occasion now when preparing a talk.

I consider myself very lucky to have her as a sister. As documented here, her wedding was the only time I have nailed a speech and I'm glad, for it was the most important time for me to do so. I'm tempted to recite it here, but that feels like betraying the moment.

Happy Birthday, sis!

CC

Irish Rovers

Heading out to a party with friends... not much time for reminiscing on this one. You'll either know it, or you won't.

It is Saturday night and I'm thinking of the Irish Rovers. Here is the opening to their TV show:



The full song can be heard here.

Pedaling PEI and farm equipment

The blog Pedaling PEI has quite a number of fans for its photos. Often, it is the beauty of PEI.

However, I just realized that a major theme is old farm equipment. In some ways, the fields of PEI are a museum, containing forgotten artifacts from a bygone era. Times have changed in many ways: not the least of which is that farming is big business now, done by machines that are giant appliances. Most non-farmers can name the machines (e.g. a combine, or potato harvester), but today we are hard pressed to describe their function.

Decades ago, the equipment were tools, not appliances. They had a very specific function and were used in a day and age when people understood, at an intimate level, what they were dealing with.

I just thought of this tonight but I strongly encourage Pedaling PEI to pursue this tangent and possibly build an archive of sorts.

Fake Headline

Just prior to the big Apple announcement, I tweeted this fake headline. Click through the link; I'm pleased with it. (It wasn't good enough for my official fake news feed).

CC

ps. In a previous post, I was wrong on a few fronts. The new iPad isn't solely aimed at the Kindle. It is trying to carve out a whole new market between phones and laptops. It is certainly competition for the Kindle, and for netbooks, but in a way that is different than I predicted.

pps. I was also wrong about a major content announcement. Again, there is some surprising news (e.g. working together with Amazon?!) but not as I anticipated.

ppps. One note that you may not hear much about: the iPad runs on Apple's own chip. Interesting. Long ago, Apple shocked the industry by pairing with Intel (and ultimately allowing Windows to run on Mac hardware). They probably went with their own design (no doubt through an acquisition) because they wanted better performance in terms of size and battery life.

Congratulations

Congrats to Mom and Dad, who celebrate their 47th anniversary today! That is quite a run.

On behalf of the readers of CC, have a terrific day and here's wishing many more years of happiness...

CC

Genius of Steve Jobs

This week, Apple is expected to announce a new device, the iTablet.

My predictions aren't original, but my guess is:

• the device won't just be a bigger iPod or iPhone. It will target a new segment, probably the Kindle (ebook reader)
  
• the device will offer some new content package. e.g. Maybe the NY Times will be free

This last point is crucial. Steve Jobs has long been respected as a genius, the quieter nemesis of Bill Gates. Lately, he has gained complete rock-star status not only among the Apple faithful but also in the mainstream.

However, beyond technical savvy, he is a shrewd businessman. He was the one that took online music out of the courts (hello Napster) and into a bona fide business model. This was huge! Also, he wrangled AT&T into a deal to support the iPhone (though certainly AT&T has profited tremendously from that). Gates is a titan as well, but Jobs is the King of combining polished devices and outstanding content into a package that creates a rabid cult following.

With the tablet on the way, call him Moses of The Deal.

Saturday Night Redux

No Saturday night introspection tonight.

Simply a fascinating photo of Calgary in 1885. Can you imagine? The living was tough and the winter was harsh. Many residents were probably from eastern Europe: there was a massive immigration push from 1885 - 1910.

Here is a current photo.

Firefox and PEI

(Ed's note: The links in this post may be time sensitive. It has also been corrected thanks to the comment by Stephen.)

Check out the sample web page featured on this Firefox site!

On Twitter, Stephen DesRoches stated that they gave PEI some props because Mozilla (the organization behind Firefox) is a client of this site. I've discovered that his personal site has some fantastic photography.

Lost in Translation

I work on a device that evaluates "cards" (credit-card shaped containers) which contain blood samples from patients.

We recently sent out a bunch of files with strings to be translated. The translation company is a giant shop where the workers have no real sense of context. When this kind of enterprise collides with science, hilarity ensues.

In one language (spoken in the Middle East), the phrase "card identification" (i.e. to which patient does this card belong) was translated into the equivalent of "driver's license".

In another (spoken in Asia), the term "well" (i.e. a small cell to store fluid) was translated as "feeling good".

Yow.

CC

Epigenetics

I found this article on epigenetics to be very interesting... The epigenome forms a set of control switches for the expressions of genes in DNA. If DNA is the computer, the epigenome is the software.

Quoteth (on a study of men and the Y-chromosome):

In other words, you can change your epigenetics even when you make a dumb decision at 10 years old. If you start smoking then, you may have made not only a medical mistake but a catastrophic genetic mistake.

The gist of the story is that they are studying groups of people to determine if their diet/habits/etc can impact their offspring. Up until the 1990s, the dominant thinking was that children are impacted by genetics and their environment. Not so: though Darwinian theory reigns supreme for DNA, the epigenome may prove to be sensitive to Lamarckian-like changes.

Parsec on the TI 99/4a

Q: What runs at 3 MHz with 256 bytes and 16 KB video RAM?


A: One pimp machine!

A recent game on Twitter is to describe one's original programming environment.

It brought back memories of the mighty Texas Instruments 99/4a (see it here): our family's first computer.

To be honest, I don't remember if I hammered in any programs into it. I know I did on the Commodore 64 (a screaming beast in its own right).

We did play games though. A favourite was Parsec, and sure enough, YouTube comes to the rescue here. Below is a video of gameplay!

(Note that the video features the voice synthesizer, which we didn't have. I bet the beeping sounds, though, are all too familiar to my parents.)

Technology at Queen and Kent

I follow this guy on Twitter. He lives on PEI.

He posted the video below as a protest of a streetlight configuration in Charlottetown. He took the video with his phone, and posted it to YouTube.

And I'm watching it in St Louis. These are the times in which we live.

Memories

Some gifts are used. Some are not. And some become part of you.

This green suitcase was part of a gift set from my parents for my undergrad degree, in 1991. It has been almost everywhere I have been, and has brought home Christmas treasures for many years. It has been lost several times, probably most in Montreal.

It is in rough shape. It is dirty, dented, dinged, and requires a nylon-tie to be threaded through the zipper plug, as the actual zipper was sheared off years ago.



6 weeks ago, it was replaced. There is no sentiment for the artifact, but gratitude for its service and warm thoughts at the memories.

This bland gym-bag was given to me by my Aunt Joyce (and family) sometime in the early 1990s. For many years, it was barely used, and stored a large number of mixed cassettes.



In 2001, when I joined the YMCA in St Louis, it was pressed into service. It has been to that gym countless times. It has been to 20+ triathlons. It watched me save myself from the dangers of a sedentary career to being quite fit, and, to be honest, it probably has Staph Aureus all over it.

It has been replaced as well. I don't mourn, but I remember. Those gifts served me beyond belief.

Aislin

I miss Aislin. I don't know much about of the Canadian political cartoonist (Terry Mosher), but I just researched a cartoon (on a whim) and it made me laugh out loud, all over again.

In 1994, Jacques Parizeau led a new wave of Quebec separatism, as premier of Quebec. He courted business with the USA and fancied that an independent Quebec could stand with the US as an equal on the international stage.

This (click) is Aislin's jab. I loved it 1994 and I love it now, on Saturday night, where I am re-discovering the joy of the internet.

CC

Natural Disaster Lite: Winter

Winter has arrived in St Louis. 4 inches of snow last night, which really isn't a big deal (despite the crazed media hype on the local news).

Of greater concern is the windchill: -25 C right now. That's serious. About 5 minute in it tonight has me re-evaluating any life plans towards a warmer climate.

Almost without exception, seniors in the Maritimes hate winter with a passion. You could be sitting on a patio in July, sipping lemonade, and just mention winter in passing: most seniors will bundle up reflexively, shiver, and state how much they hate winter.

I wouldn't go that far, but it can be a hardship. Interestingly, I think it actually magnifies humanity: winter brings people together, be it shovelling, pushing (cars), or even just griping. It's like Natural Disaster Lite: all the adversity (which rallies the human spirit), yet without that tragic aftertaste.

CC

Congrats, Americans

Last night, the USA beat Canada for the gold medal in the World Junior Hockey Championships. It has been a rite of passage for the New Year for me to trumpet the Canadian victories (5 straight gold medals), and so now, I heartily congratulate the Americans on winning a 6-5 OT thriller.

The defeat is painful for me but so too is the lack of coverage in the States. This is a big deal. There should be a parade. There should be coverage on par with the silly college football Bowl games. And yet nothing but passing references in the media down here. You guys won! It kills me, my friends, but you won!

CC

Cheese Lady

Every year, my sister and I receive a big cheese ball in our Christmas stockings. This is fancy cheese: Gouda, made on PEI, by The Cheese Lady (click here).

It is outstanding stuff. I usually share it with people at work, and this week, they have been raving about it! Island cheese with some crackers is the fuel of our team these days.

CC

Black Stealth

This is the helicopter I've been talking about. I gave one to Dad and one to Binky. They are really neat.... I don't know a lot about RC choppers but this one seems amazingly stable (once the pilot gets the knack for it).

Happy New Year

Happy New Year everyone! As usual, this site will have new look for the new year (working on that next).

It was a long week (pinkeye, fatigue, work) but I'm feeling better now and sanguine about 2010.

No list of resolutions this year... at least now. Perhaps later. I missed my fitness goals last year (run 10 mi / swim 1 mi per week). Considering the move and various ailments, I did 'ok' but definitely not as fit as years past, as the doc's office scale recently showed.

How about you? Any resolutions?

CC

ps. Update: I ran 211 miles in 2009. I swam 10. I think the low swim distance is seriously due to my hair, which is a problem in the pool.

Back in Town

I'm back in StL!

The trip home was smooth and uneventful. Definitely new procedures in place for security. Pat-downs are standard now and for international flights, you cannot have anything in your lap for the last hour of the flight. e.g. I had to put my book away. No getting into your carry-on etc. Just sit there.

Fine by me. I was home in 9 hours with my bags. That's good news.

My vacuous, absurd reunion with my apartment ("good to be back, fridge! How are ya, Mac?") has already worn off. It's good to be back, and now I'm reflecting on a great trip. Excited about many gifts, including some biographies of key Canadians (e.g. Trudeau and Tommy Douglas).

CC

ps. I may have had this guy before, but my cab driver from the airport was a hoot. A Polish dude with a thick Russian accent, he claims common ancestry with the aristocracy in Russia (i.e. the czars). He said he loves Canada and knows some old players personally. He rattled off Tony and Phil Esposito, and Frank Mahovlich (certainly bona fide names).

pps. I missed Binky and the gang, but happy to know they went off to Disney World! I can't wait to hear how it went.

ppps. My friend (from last year's ordeal) Olga, and I, were going to get together but she fell off the radar. Hope all is well for her

pppps. My voice is back but there's not much volume or power... I think it is still going to be sore for awhile.

Trip update

Well, it's been a great trip... I've seen a lot of people and caught up on all the news. A major casualty has been my voice (I've been whispering for 3-4 days), but hopefully it will return.

I don't have much energy to recap the entire 10 days. The additional highlights are that the weather has been incredibly mild (Christmas was barely white), Dad was well feted for his birthday, and the gifts given/received were great. Lots of food, family, and friends.

It is, as always, weird to go back. I miss my friends and my life in St Louis, yet in a few short weeks I will miss the Maritimes again. At 40, I feel like I should make making some long-term strategic decisions with respect to my career. Alas, my strength is "short-term optimization" and not long-term strategy. Ah well. One goal was to seek counsel on this subject from some key people: great input from some corners (you know who you are! ;-)

CC

ps. I guess the next thing on the agenda is the New Year (and New Decade) ! I've been thinking about the highlights of the 2000s. I'm not sure how much I'll post but it has certainly been a great decade personally, even if Time recently labeled it "The decade from hell" for the USA.

Surprise

The last post is a bit out of order. The big news is that I'm home on PEI! I came home early to celebrate my Dad's 70th. The birthday post was sincere but also a ruse.

My Dad was definitely surprised when I arrived, and also today at a gathering at my sister's. It was a special day all-around as it was her first big party in the new house (my sister and bro-in-law bought a place this summer). About a dozen family members, including all of Dad's siblings still on The Island (4 of 8). It was a good time and lots of good food...

CC

ps. My flight went well, at a time when it was truly important. I braved both O'Hare and Trudeau and got away with it.

Christmas Songs

Binky wrote a post about favourite Christmas songs. Here is one of mine.

My folks had an old hi-fi stereo that played 16, 33 1/3, 45, and 78 rpm albums. There was a bunch of old records in the cabinet. My sister and discovered one by Bing Crosby and the Andrews sisters. This was not the famous "White Christmas" but rather one called "Merry Christmas". It is very difficult to find.

One side was religious tunes; the other was more secular pop. One could say this is cheese extraordinaire, but I just loved it. My sister and I dug out that record for a few years in a row.

One of my favourite tunes is Christmas in Killarney, loosely based on an Irish jig. Sure enough, it is on YouTube replete with a display of the album itself!

Happy Birthday, Dad

Today is my Dad's birthday! Can you believe it!?

My grandmother started WWI and I guess my Dad started WWII. This is ironic since both are among the most kind-hearted people I have ever known.

Happy Birthday, Dad! I hope that you have a fantastic day....

'Tis the Season

This is a house near my apartment. The shot isn't very good, but the entire yard is full of lights and various figures.

One would think that the place would look too 'busy' or jammed, but I think it looks lovely. It is a treat to drive past it.

I've seen some houses/yards done up so well that people will drive by as a tour (if you know Webster Groves, you probably know where I mean). This place is a bit more modest than that, and in that way it endears itself to me even more.

I stood out in the chilly wind and snapped this pic. Not easy, with rush-hour traffic whizzing by.

Weather

It is 10 pm on Saturday night... about 37 F and we have significant thunder and (very chilly) rain....

Quite unusual for mid-December.

CC

Ghost of Christmas Pluperfect

Quote from Twitter:

I'm the ghost of Christmas Pluperfect. I'm what you had thought Christmas was, until a subsequent event. Confusing, I know.

xkcd

xkcd is a hilarious web comic for software developers. The guy intentionally named it so that it couldn't be pronounced. It is perhaps the iconic "stick figure" / "bad art but funny" presence on the web.

He also has a fun take on Can-Am relations (click here). LOL

CC

Boundaries

It is no secret that FB and Twitter bend normal social boundaries, but here are some recent examples.

The mayor of St Louis has a Twitter feed. Though some updates are by his staff, he uses his initials (#fgs) on tweets that he writes. He publicly chatted with my pal Andy, which was really neat.

And tonight, the NHL tweeted that Martin Brodeur tied Terry Sawchuk's record for career shutouts. I like Brodeur but I was a huge fan of Sawchuk; I read about him a lot when I was a kid. He died circa 1970 (I have a penchant for tragic stories: Sawchuk, Rhoads, Mozart).

Anyway, I responded and the NHL replied (here)! Can you believe it?! Of course, it is just some punk at a computer, but holy cow! It is a thrill.

CC

Man versus Toddler

This video is fun... I don't know why but it must be the cognitive dissonance of the contest versus the kid's cheerful cluelessness.

So you want to live in Calgary?

Here is a pic from a recent snowstorm in Calgary. Yikes.

It certainly acts as a counter-balance to the gorgeous scenery of Banff and Lake Louise.

CC

ps. No snow here in StL. About -3 C windchill today.

The Heat Is On

Well, I made it to late November before turning on the heat in the apartment.

I came home late one night to find the place at a chilly 55 F = 13 C. That's rough. I can sleep in 60s F with my famously warm bedroom gear, but it is hard to brush one's teeth below 60 F.

Strangely, 2 days later it was a breathtaking 70 F and sunny in St Louis. One of those days where it felt like a true moral imperative to go outside. (Which I did, running around CC Lake just like the old tri days.)

Across The Miles

You may want to join me in sending love and prayers out to Binky. See his blog to understand his loss.

wishing you peace, my friend
CC

Still Brown

The title of this post comes from a comment on Facebook. Binky told me his daughter (5 years old?) said that I cannot be 40 today as I am "still brown". We believe she means the hair.

She's right. (Though I do have flecks of silver in my goatee, which may be the only attribute I have in common with Brad Pitt.)

Anyway, the comment made me laugh out loud. She is a sweetie, even if she does think I grew up in the United States (nothing wrong that -- if you did).

40. Vic is anticipating, with justification, some brooding blog post that intersects age, wisdom, and national identity. Sounds like work to me. Granted, it is definitely a toned down birthday, with wretched weather (November Rain indeed), but I think I have everything in perspective.

I'm really lucky and blessed. So far, so good.

CC

ps. I must say the 'party' over on Facebook has been enjoyable. I've had birthday wishes from many corners. Elsewhere, I've received some email and a massive, heart-warming card blitz from my Mom's side of the family. Some of them had glitter, but we forgive.

Where Are Islanders?

Check out this great idea by the CBC! I'm not on there yet, but will have to snap a pic.

Naturally, the Maritime area is a bit flooded with virtual pins on the map.

CC

ps. The pic in Chicago is the Old Abby, a ferry that ran from PEI to NB for years and years. Many readers of this blog have been on it. It is now the club-house for the Chicago Yacht Club.

Superbugs

This is an interesting piece on microbiology and superbugs.

It is especially interesting for me, because at my client gig, we talk about these bugs all the time. The device is used to identify and treat these infections.

I don't work on the actual biological computations (this is somewhat painful, given that I won math and biology awards in high school; don't get me started on French fluency), so I'm not doing any true science per se. However, our staff microbiologists talk about these things all the time. This is our domain, in every sense of the word.

Staph. Aureus is like an old friend, in a weird way. And extended-spectrum beta-lactamase -- well, that's just fun! MRSA is not, though, that's for sure.

CC

Remembrances

I don't have a lot of words this year for November 11th.

I'd simply like to say that I am eternally grateful that I will (hopefully) not face war. I will (hopefully) be buried on Prince Edward Island.

In addition to my perennial link to Flanders Fields, I invite readers to read the series of postings over on Binky's blog. It sure puts things in perspective.

CC

Unseasonably Pleasant

It is 9 pm in November and I have the windows open! Today was a balmy 78 F, and had people raving all day. Very sunny.... In fact, a local website says it is 70 F now.

The seniors back home would approve. To an individual, the elderly hate winter with a passion. If you have experienced a real winter, you know why.

CC

Wikipedia And Forty-Fives

I am routinely astounded by Wikipedia. Here is the latest installment.

Back home, trump card games are popular. The two big ones are Auction and Forty-Fives. Both use a trump-scheme (card ranking) that is, simply put: insane. I remember being in the hospital at age 11(ish) and having my father teach me the scheme. (As an example, from the top down: 5 of trump, Jack of trump, Ace of Hearts, Ace of trump, and so on... i.e. You really want the 5.)

Since I left the Maritimes, I have never met anyone who was familiar with this crazy setup. I have often wondered about its origin.

Well, Wikipedia to the rescue. Even though Auction has a different description, the background on Forty-Fives (click here) is amazingly accurate.

The history is impressive:

Forty-Fives is a descendant of the Irish game Spoil_Five, which in turn is a descendant of a game that King James VI of Scotland popularized in the 17th century called Maw. Maw was first seen being played in 1511 and the earliest written rules come from 1576 Scotland.

Neat stuff!

ps. Our version of Auction uses the same trump-scheme as that of Forty-Fives.

It was a dark and stormy night

Check out this fantastic post over at The Cupcake Project.

Devilishly creative! I know the cast and I imagine they had a blast with this...

CC

Green in Autumn

Here is a fun fact... I haven't run the heat yet in the new apartment. I did run some A/C in the summer but so far, no heat.

This is pretty easy lately, as the weather is nice. It was cooler a couple of weeks ago (low 60s F in the apt in the morning), but I have a monster down-filled quilt that is a prized possession. It is fantastic.

My electric bill for September was possibly the lowest I have ever had. We'll see how long this can go.

CC

Today

Happy Birthday to dear friend and CC reader/critic: Vic!

He is the big 4-0h today... Back home, there were 2 photos in The Guardian that showed his various hair styles over the years. When I called this morning, the household was busily preparing for a gala afternoon. I'm sure a good time was had by all!

CC

Surprises

This week, after a local conference, I hung out with "the cool kids"; i.e. some of the speakers and organizers. In conversation at a local bar, 3 new acquaintances and I were talking about Twitter. My compadres started raving about a certain Twitter feed with fake-geek headlines.

I think they knew the author was one of us at the bar, but weren't sure who it was. When I stated it was me, they were generous with sincere praise. A nice surprise to end the week.

It will never make money, and it has been slow to grow, but I may be onto something here. If the "big leagues" are The Onion and Colbert's "The Word", then my goal is to have some fine triple-A baseball: not pro level, but pretty darn good.

CC

Crossroads

I don't like ambiguous, diary-like posts but, as a writer -- as a person -- sometimes one needs to hammer one out.

I have several ideas, but no inclination to sort them into a coherent narrative.

I guess the gist is this:

• Despite a sarcastic sense of humor, I am generally a "people pleaser" with a healthy fear of failure. Within the structure of school, this worked to my advantage. I am fine-tuned to respond to the risk/rewards within that setting.
  
• Because of the above, I worked very hard to get to a certain place in my career. However, long outside of academia, I haven't had structure in a long time. I'm doing 'ok' now, but I don't feel as though I am doing 'excellent', in part because there is no feedback mechanism.
  
• One potential venture could provide direct feedback, and could provide income: public speaking.
  
• I have a maniacal love/hate relationship with public speaking. As described elsewhere, results range from euphoria to brooding. The euphoria is absolutely a drug: if I received it 2 out of 10 times, it would be worth it. (Except for the total blow-ups, which are truly devastating).
• The tragic rub is that my international situation can make things complicated: there is one "milestone" with respect to immigration that would certainly help. As part of crafting a career within structure, it would be a no-brainer. However, it involves national identity, emotion, and commitment. These ingredients form a toxic soup of indecision that flies in the face of everything I have tried to build.

The upshot is that I may have opportunities to advance my career (*), but (a) I don't have a sense of structure to motivate me, and (b) there is some red-tape that has me in abject paralysis.

Given the work that I've put in this far, this is classified as a bummer.

CC

(*) I fully realize that "advance my career" may be equivalent to "feed my seemingly insatiable vanity".

Update

The big news here is that my client has moved us to a new building. Though tiny in the grand scheme of things, it has wreaked havoc on daily life and my usual routines.

The good news is that the commute is almost the same distance, and I'm still within lunching distance of Jim G. (I wish I was within lunch distance of Fred and Stacey!) Also the building is quite "green" and very bright and airy. Not a bad spot.

The minor bad news is that I share a cube with a friend of mine, which means I have nowhere to "hole up" during lunch. I am surprisingly introverted at lunch. However, we are in the big building now so when I do choose to dine in the big cafeteria, the social opportunities are outstanding.

CC

Charity Event

I recently discovered an organization called Coders 4 Charities. In various cities, they host weekends dedicated to helping non-profit organizations build software. It is sort of like Habitat for Humanity, only for their IT department.

I'm signed on for an event starting this Friday evening/weekend. We will be broken into teams; each is assigned to a charity.

I'm looking forward to it, but a bit apprehensive. Techies are notoriously opinionated. This will be far more free-form than using pre-fab housing, so we'll see if we can all pull in one direction. Also, I've been assigned to a team that is going to work with Microsoft technology: very much a weakness of mine.

We'll see how it goes! I'm cautiously optimistic, and grateful for the chance to give something back. I have been thinking a lot lately of doing something along these lines (more in a subsequent post).

CC

Congrats to my sister

My sister was recently promoted to manager at the famous bookstore back home. From her stories of work, especially the insane holiday rush, she really helps keep the place on the tracks, so it is great to hear of her recognition.

Congrats, Colleen!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone back home in Canada!

Per tradition, I invite readers to peruse the Wikipedia article on Thanksgiving.

I ask readers world-wide to reflect today and give thanks. We are all very fortunate to be here, both in time and geography. Perhaps in 2309, our time will seem primitive but I think living in an industrialized country in 2009 is fantastic.

Twitter Update

Aside from CC, I have a couple of other online ventures. Long time readers will know that my latest venture is a Twitter feed that features absurd, comic headlines, geared for an audience of geeks and software developers.

I usually post one headline per day, and measure success on the number of "re-tweets". That is, the number of people that like the joke enough to echo it to their own circle of friends. Since April, I have averaged 2-3 re-tweets per day, with 6 being a relatively huge day. This has been disappointing as I spend a fair amount of mental energy on the headlines. (Though I'm happy to say I don't spend much time -- I don't write spoof articles; only headlines. It is delightfully light weight and very much a Twitter-style angle.)

Well. The Nobel Peace Prize is manna from heaven for joke writers everywhere, regardless of political affiliation. And so it was on Friday that I offered up a headline about Obama, emboldened with the award, re-opening a controversial debate within the Java community. (It isn't funny if you don't know the niche, but within the niche it works.)

The response has been a new record. The response has been 3 pages of re-tweets and dozens of new followers.

Interestingly, the tech debate is the same one that rocketed my sticker schtick into the blogoverse in 2007. Also, one of the key Twitter people is the same person that gave me some publicity for the stickers. (He was embroiled in the controversy. He had a well-thought out proposal that was shot down somewhat unfairly.) I don't know if he realized I'm behind both ventures. It is relatively easy to figure that out, but one would have to do some clicking around.

It's nice to finally get some action on that front.

High School

In person, I probably talk about this idea too often, but a favourite thought of mine was from a friend in grad school. He explained that we are often defined by the reaction we evoke in others, as much as our view of ourselves.

This may explain why it can be so difficult to attend reunions, etc. When you meet people who haven't seen you since you were 19, they react (in a subtle way) in accordance with your social position/personality/etc when you were 19. We are ultimately immersed in a soup of emotion, reactions, etc that challenge our hard-won sense of security and sense of self.

A friend of mine from The Island recently described a holiday function back in Dec 2008. As he put it, he was 'surrounded by A-listers' from high school. He did not enjoy the experience. He wasn't 'cool' back then and, understandably, didn't feel too 'cool' in the present (see above). He felt anxiety that he hadn't felt in years and years.

I just browsed some folks on the dreaded Facebook (oh you've done it too -- just peeking around, not 'friending' people) and somehow managed to trigger the same feeling, after stumbling on various crowds from high school and lower grades.

Seriously, my heart started racing! Though I have chosen a life of singleness, and routinely flaunt the absurdity of my life as comedy, I am quite comfortable with who I am, and most of my goals.

It is embarrassing to have been vaulted back into a more insecure time.

CC

Buzzard Pre-Flight Check

Jim G and I went for a run on Saturday. Neither of us were elegant or fast, though he has a better excuse, having suffered the motorbike wreck 10 months ago.

At about 9 am, we finished. The early fall air was still crisp and a bit dew-ey from the evening before. We looked up and saw a large buzzard perched in a tree. We watched it for awhile... and then it opened it wings and just hung out for 5-10 minutes.

We realized that it was drying its wings from the dew. One doesn't think of this word often for the species, but it was majestic.

Here is a similar pic of what we saw, though this is in North Carolina on a random Flickr account. It is the very same pose.

CC

Netflix Is Serious About Fun

Here is a great quote from this article on Netflix:

"When people connect with a movie, it really makes them happy, and that's fundamentally what we're trying to do," he says. "Today you love one out of three movies that you watch. If we can raise that to two out of three, we can completely transform the market and increase human happiness."

Alas, Netflix doesn't serve Canada, but for those in the US -- Netflix is one serious company. The amount of engineering that they put into their recommendation system is on par with Google's indexing algorithm, in that they hire PhDs in computer science and math, and go all out towards improving the system.

They famously offered a prize for a recommendation algorithm that could beat their stated benchmark (it has been awarded, and I'm sure that the winners could write a doctoral thesis on the work).

For years, I had no interest in Netflix, but having been on it for a couple of years, I really enjoy it. It is a convenient, cheap way to catch up on some great shows (I'm currently devouring The Big Bang Theory at every opportunity).

CC

Baseball Revisited

I didn't see the first-pitch by Ann G (wife of Jim G), but I heard about it from Jim and loved the story.

Recall that she was honoured with the first-pitch at a sellout Cards-Cubs game, as part of recognition for being Teacher of the Year in her district.

As it turned out, she completely hammed it up. After being announced, she used exaggerated motions to place the ball in her glove, and leaned into read the sign from the catcher. With a big shake of her head, she called off the first sign, which was echoed by the stadium announcer and delighted the crowd. She nodded to the second signal, and slinged one homeward.

Apparently the place just loved it. We are trying to locate some video (there is a clip but it is in an internal section of the school district's website).

CC

Geek Technique in the NY Times

Here is a neat story in the NY Times about pair-programming. This is a technique for software development that has come to the fore in the last 5-10 years or so. Alas, not everywhere uses it, as it controversial to managers and some developers (everyone is terrified by it, at first). We use it at my current gig, though not exclusively.

This quote from the article sums it up nicely, especially if you consider that software was once finished, printed out, and then reviewed by a team in a boardroom, looking for bugs:

Consider the game “Where’s Waldo,” in which a cartoon character is hidden in an intricate design. Most people can eventually find Waldo after poring over the drawing. Similarly, when programmers check code for errors, it takes time to examine the logic and find mistakes.

Now imagine if someone sat next to the artist from the very beginning. Obviously, the onlooker should be able to find Waldo more easily. The character would stand out.

Big Day at the Ballgame

If you are in St Louis, this might be interesting: Jim G's wife, Anne, will be throwing out the first pitch at the Cards-Cubs game on Friday night!

She is a teacher and won a major prize last year for her efforts. Part of the recognition is throwing out the pitch. She has known about it for months, and from what I hear, has been practicing. (I have been urging her to throw a 'slurve' but no word on her mechanics.)

For those not into baseball, this is quite a peach: the Cardinals - Cubs rivalry is huge, and so it will easily be a sell-out at the stadium and high on TV ratings.

Good luck, Anne!

Hedging the Food Gamble

Many readers know T (from AZ-IL-MO-CO) and her parents.

Her father made the news with this hedge bet (click here). As someone who hates waiting in line, I love it!

The photo is probably feigned irritation. He is a hilarious, funny man with a great smile and outlook (not unlike his offspring).

CC

The Maritimes Win Again

Readers will recall that my coworker, B, had a daughter who was married on PEI in Sept 08.

This year, a coworker named C, went to the Maritimes with her husband for a wedding anniversary. She consulted with me (and B) on places to go.

We both recommended Cape Breton. I'm always a little nervous to push PEI, but B wasn't shy. B especially suggested a meal at Inn at Fortune Bay, which hosted the wedding.

Well, C and her man had lovely weather and were blown away. Upon her return, she exclaimed that the Maritimes "just has to be the prettiest place in the whole world". They did love Cape Breton and PEI. I think they found the Inn to be a bit stuffy compared to the B&B's, but they had a good time.

I enjoyed the photos they brought back. It was good to see good red soil, the way God intended. In Ontario and elsewhere in North America, the soil looks sickly to me.

CC

ps. Interestingly, C didn't really understand the differences in locales. She assumed that I had been to Cape Breton many times, since it is so close. I think I've been there twice!

pps. Weird fact... A few people in St Louis call PEI by the name "Prince Edward". e.g. "When was the last time you were back to Prince Edward?"

I guess many people call an island by its first name, but this is highly weird for me because no one in the Maritimes would ever say that. It is either the full name, "The Island", or most commonly, "PEI".

In Recognition

I'm a bit behind on all the news, but wanted to echo some news on my father. Last week, he was invited to Government House and presented with the Firefighter's Exemplary Service Medal. This was in honour of 28 years of service with a local fire department.

Along with many other fine people, he sacrificed a lot during those years. Imagine getting out of bed at 3 am in the dead of winter because someone's house is on fire. Or losing a Sunday afternoon of R&R because a farmer let a grass fire get out of control. It was like that all the time.

Though not as dramatic, Dad kept the books for years, and fixed a lot of stuff up at the venerable fire hall.

Congrats, Dad!

Postcards

I received 2 postcards from Action Girl and Super Girl (protagonists on Binky's blog).

I was utterly delighted!

In other news, I met 2 babies that are new to the gang in St Louis. Adorable...

Finally, a military helicopter landed (part of a planned PR event) in a field next to work on Friday. It was very cool. If you are interested in pics, send me an email.

CC