Like a blur...

...The holiday time with the family is over. It really has been great to be together with everyone. I am definitely reminded of how lucky I am to have such a great family to spend time with. It has formed my world-view and sometimes my luck requires me to remember that not everyone has developed their world-view based on the same experiences. Good thing too. It's weird enough having one of me wandering around. That's me, still lucky.

I am lucky

How could I not be with family like this?



The heart of the holiday time has passed. My brother and uncle left today. It was sad to see them go as we don't all get together too often. That will only get worse with my brother leaving for France on the weekend and not planning to come back 'til mid-August. Can you believe that that guy up there ^ gets to go to France and travel all over the place. Those who know me will know that's a hollow complaint because I have had a few chances to travel. That doesn't mean I don't want to keep exploring the world though. Soon, soon.

Could I be more tired, and more full?

The answer to that rhetorical question: Probably not. Ah holidays. Friends, family, food and so many excesses. I should post an image of the massive pile of paper used to wrap our plentiful gifts. But, while it tells a story (many perhaps), it is not immediately available.

I just erased some thoughts on the anniversary of the South-East Asian Tsunami. While it bothers me that we need anniversaries to remind us of the passage of time and to bring the original events into sharp relief I think it is worthwhile if we use them as opportunities to revisit our role and what we can do (even while we fall victim to our own excesses). I don't think we should feel constantly guilty, just that we should be conscious and not take things in our lives for granted. In light of that, some seasonal beauty to enjoy.

It's Chrismakkuh!

Ok, I'm jumping the gun a little. It may be 5:30pm here but it's already Chrismakkuh in many other beautiful parts of the world. There are more than enough people who don't give Christmas or Hanukkah all that much consideration. More power to them. I just hope that this is a good time of year for everyone, however they spend it. I'm lucky enough to be spending it with family and that is hard to beat.

Some poor sod buried in a mountain in Montana is spending his Christmas pretending to track Santa while fiddling with her/his missle defence shield. The more I think about it, I'd rather they spend their time tracking imaginary icons like Santa than imaginary missles. So, in honour of that check out NORAD's Santa Tracker.

Escapism 2

This time, I'm escaping from posting anything of real value. Goin' to bed instead. Entertain yourself with something tasteless, yet entertaining if you're in the right state of mind, Eatbabies.com. In case your disturbed by the title (particularly if you're preparing to have or have had babies of your own) the disclaimer is as follows: "EatBabies.com does not endorse the act of eating babies." So, nothing to worry about.

Escapism

Any of you who have reached the point of being able to read this post likely understand the benefits and pitfalls of escapism. You can't have been excessively fond of the practice because if you were, I can't imagine you'd be in a position to be reading this. Having said that, you may well be escaping something right now to be able to read this post. The important thing that you have likely figured out and I clearly have to work on is that escapism is a fine pass-time but it is no way to live in the long-term. It has to have an end to it. You can't escape forever. It is an inherently short-term thing. Granted, the longer it continues the harder it is to escape. I know, I know, escaping the escape. It has to happen though. I've been avoiding an assignment for my course so completely that I didn't even read the instructions, let alone complete the readings. Even though the assignment is already overdue and I made the unequivocal statement that I wouldn't sleep tonight until I had completed it I still manged to spend the whole evening trying to escape it. Rather short-sighted on my part knowing that I wouldn't be sleeping 'til it was done. Then again, finding ways to push yourself through these challenges prepares you for these and more complicated challenges in the future. Ya. That's it. Alright, back to work.

For you, a reminder that we can't escape some of the longer-term effects we're having on our world: Tree Canada has gotten together with Terra Pass, a company that allows you to calculate your carbon usage and then offset it by purchasing a pass whose cost goes towards investment in renewable energy sources. Check out how much carbon you produce and how you can offset it. While that runs through my head, I will also get my ass going on this assignment. These stern fellows from the U.S. Marine Corps will make sure I keep at it.

Holiday Messages

As holiday cards fly furiously around the country (and help keep Canada Post in business) I consider the many many ways we have to send messages. In fact, my last two postings have highlighted two different methods. First, you had snowflake messages. Second, e-mails to THE FUTURE. Well, I've found yet another method. This one fits in with the season (Winter in our beautiful Northern Hemisphere does begin tomorrow). Have you ever sent a message with Yellow Snow? Maybe you have in real life. I assure you, this way is easier. It is also not nearly as gross or unacceptable in family activities. Whatever method you choose, make good use of it. I think we all have things to say, even if we figure people don't care (or want to hear it). I mean, really... You're reading this aren't you? That says to me people want to hear what you, what everyone, has to say.

I'm clean out of yellow snow photos. Make do with this one.

Past, Present and Future

I would venture to say that most people have things in their past that they regret or are not too proud of (even if the optimists in the crowd recognize that everything that has happened before has brought us to where we are--and I, for one, am happy to be where I am). But did you imagine where you would be now? Could you have imagined? If you did, were you close? What about now? Do you have any insights into your future self? Anything you might need reminding of in a few months (or years)? I've used this activity. I remember doing it in my Canada World Youth exchange. There were meant to be about 3.5 months in between writing and reading. I happened across the letter just recently (now 10 years since it was written). Though I can't say it was the most insightful prose, I still see the value and enjoyed the exercise. And what about those positive affirmations, reminding yourself how great you are? Well, enter FutureMe. A website designed so that you can send yourself an e-mail message...IN THE FUTURE! Dude! Have they mastered time travel?! I wish. Instead, they just sit on your message until the date that you select. It could be a day or a decade from now. I might just have to bookmark this. Not only can you directly re-connect with your current life...IN THE FUTURE, but you can use it for more mundane tasks. How do I know this? You have the choice of seeing those messages that people have asked remain public (though you can also keep them private). I've seen people reminding themselves that by the time they get the message they should've dumped their current partner but I've also seen people reminding themselves of someone's birthday. I mean... that seems a little more complicated than writing it in their calendar but chacun son gout. Go ahead. Send yourself a message.

I talked about how hard the snow was coming down in an earlier post but I shied away from providing a picture. As you can see, I was not pulling your chain. (I should've sent myself a message IN THE FUTURE to remind me to do this)

Milestones

This evening my car's odometer hit 50,000kms. This post is not to share with you the wonders of having a '98 civic with low mileage. Rather, it frames different ways of looking at milestones. It seems easier and easier to be moving towards recognizing our "things" as milestones rather than ourselves and our experiences. Maybe that's a little pessimistic. Maybe everyone else limits their milestones to turning points in their lives (that don't have to do with having bought something or paid something off). It does strike me though as a little ridiculous that we can get excited about things so easily. I hope that isn't proof or our devaluing of personal experiences. Maybe the next time I have another "thing" milestone, I'll think a little more about what I consider milestones and what deserves my attention.

Here's a milestone, the first moose you've seen on the internet today:



Here's a little seasonal activity, gone high-tech. Remember folding paper and cutting out snowflakes? Hey, you may have even done it this year. Well, Snowdays lets you make them online and attach a message. People can even respond to your snowflake if they want. Happy cutting!

Photos

A quick note, should anyone be trying to check things out right now. Flickr, where all the photos I have posted are stored, is resting for the next couple hours. That's why, from 11:00am to around 1:00pm today (Saturday), you won't see any photos. Oh no! You might actually have to read! Speaking of which, I'll give you more to read later.

Go White!

It is absolutely CHUCKING down snow. This is no kind of driving weather. In the short drive I made tonight I had to stop multiple times to get the ice off my wipers. Snow was falling in drifts instead of flakes. I'm glad I'm out of the car and can appreciate it for its beauty because it has got a whole lot of that. I almost feel like a kid on Christmas Eve excited about what I'll find when I wake up tomorrow.

This is a totally different approach to winter.



I came across this story today and was completely floored. Might be somewhere that the term "miracle" would be fitting. Don't forget the links to Care and Medecins Sans Frontiers on the right (in case it puts you in the giving mood).

Go Green!

That's not me cheering for the end of winter and the return of the green of the plants and trees. Just because it is wickedly cold outside doesn't mean that winter isn't great. In fact, I'm looking forward to making the most of this winter. I'm hoping skiing plays a big part in that. But there is something green that will happen this winter. January 23rd in fact. That is the federal election. Without getting too deep into politics I want to highlight something that was sent my way today. As you may or may not know, the debates are coming up very soon and there is one national party that is not included. That is the Green Party. I'm not going to tell you that you should vote for them but I do feel that they have as much right to be in the debates as any other party. Just because they haven't been elected historically doesn't mean they don't have things of value to say. So, if you're so inclined you can learn more about this issue and maybe even sign the petition calling for the Green Party to be included in the debate at http://www.info-greenparty.ca/petition/.

In honour of their efforts, here's a little more green.

Brrrrr.

That is not a general complaint about the temperature. Going for a walk today was fine. I didn't even feel like I needed a toque. But tonight a few of us went shooting (with cameras). I was not the tough winter lover that I thought. Don't get me wrong, I quite enjoyed myself but DAMN it was chilly. It's supposedly -20C right now. You may or may not be surprised with how little dexterity you have with snowboard gloves on. Particularly when you're working with a camera that has small buttons and controls at the best of times. Still, a fine ol' time. I won't lie, when I figured out that I'll be in Mexico for the next full moon (best time to do the night shooting we were doing) I was a happy guy.

Following on what seems like it may be a theme, another time waster. While 5ives (over in the links list provides regularly updated lists of five generally silly things, Timothy McSweeny's Internet Tendency Lists are submitted by readers, could have as many things as you want but are also generally silly. Why do you think I like them? I was going to highlight a particular list but there are too many good ones. Find your own.

It's -20C. I need this picture.

Shop. Don't shop. Shop. Don't shop.

How does a date "sneak up" on you? What about Christmas? It's not like you've known when it is FOR YOUR ENTIRE LIFE. Having said that, it is hard to believe that it is less than two weeks away. I felt like I was thinking about it in advance this year. Clearly not. What with my course and all, I doubt I'll be giving it much consideration until... oh, Christmas Eve. Keeps the shopping short and painless (I've already explained that Buy Nothing Christmas is not on for me this year). Ah well. It always gets done, just like everything else.

In honour of the short time left for shopping here's an interesting on-line shopping site, if you just can't make your way out into the madness. Check that, forget shopping. Have fun with Homestarrunner.

Here's another splash of colours that you won't see much of outside around these parts for the next few months.

Chrismakkuh is coming

The snow continues to fall fluffily. And yes, before you ask, fluffily is a word. I'd personally be happy if it kept up like this 'til the end of March. I have a feeling I'd make enemies of many of you if I made that wish come true. At least most people would be happy if we have a white Chrismakkuh. Sure, most of you might not worry too much about menorahs and gelt (I would be amongst you), but the fact remains that Hannukah starts on the evening of Dec. 25 this year. That makes it a Merry Chrismakkuh for everyone. We'll be doing our best to celebrate in style with both my mom's and dad's sides of the famly. That might sound pretty normal to both of you but when they've been divorced for almost 20 years it adds a new flavour. Don't get me wrong, we get together a lot and I know that I personally love it. Just not your regular family Christmas.

My brother brought his travelling talent show to town this weekend. It may have been little more than a 24 hour visit but we're all about quality, not quantity. He gave me new ideas, insights and furniture. Hard to go wrong with that. While we stuck with the theme of snowflakes with the cookies we made, I thought a picture that is a little removed from the snow would be in order. What with this black background, I don't want things to get too monotone. This is from Lake Superior Provincial Park this past summer.

Whoa, that was close. I almost forgot to include today's link. All this talk of dates of holidays remind me how important it is to stay on top of the date and time. Enter the human clock. Not only will it help you keep track of the time with the help of people from all over the world. They also have a human calendar (lower left side). You'll never miss an appointment again! Unless of course, you're waiting to see what comes up on the clock next.

I made it out of clay...

The snow came down nice and fluffy again last night. The picture is from the weekend but I found grates like that one looking just the same on my way into work this morning. Friday has come and gone (the work part anyway). It wasn't long after arriving at work that I knew I was a little loopy. Monkey impressions, complete with screeching and full-body movements are not necessarily an office staple. I have to say that I think they should be. They certainly helped guide me through my day. If nothing else, other people seem to enjoy it. It's kinda like halloween. That day, I dressed in regular work clothes but wore a red foam clown nose everywhere I went. It was great! I saw a lot of smiles develop on the faces of people who hadn't been smiling before. How can you beat that? The important part was that it was halloween and they recognized that I was having fun and not some strange man that they should be scared of. Sadly, that limits me from doing it everyday.

Even though I've already broken the precepts of it, I thought I might make today's link a new approach to the up-coming holiday season. You can probably guess what Buy Nothing Christmas is advocating. There are definitely some connections between this and the Adbusters Buy Nothing Day/Christmas efforts. I do have to note that there is no "Buy Nothing Hannukah", or Kwaanza but I will let it slide since I still like the concept (even if I won't be sticking to it this year).

p.s. Again, with the silly title that has nothing to do with the post. Deal.

Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel...

You can see Jamie standing there in the bottom left corner doing his damndest to stay dry. Ok, he knew staying dry wasn't in the cards. He was mugging for the camera 'cause I wanted him to. What a good friend. The picture is from my recent visit to Vancouver Island and is on Mystic Beach along the west coast of the island north of Sooke. I love seeing new things. Speaking of which, I have two links today. Both offer new ways to "see" the news. They are visual representations of the frequency that news stories are reported around the world. Newsmap splits stories into subject areas with purty colours and the size of each story is representative of how many times the story has been reported. Buzztraker shows geographical locations of news stories with the size of the dot describing how many stories are out there relating to that area. Check 'em out.

p.s. No explanation for the Dreidel title, except that it was in my head.

December 7

I know, I know. The titles of the past couple posts are pretty dull. But, both dates stand out for their own reasons. In the case of today, it is another tragic anniversary (and no, I'm not talking about my dad and stepmom's 14th wedding anniversary... that is far from tragic), rather, it is also the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbour. You probably knew that already. But I bet you didn't know that on this day in 1787, Delaware became the first state to ratify the United States Constitution. Maybe you knew that Noam Chomsky was born on this day in 1928. I'm not a walking history textbook. Today's link, Wikipedia, told me. You might all be quite familiar. If not, it is a free encyclopedia that anyone can edit. Their goal is to be the "largest encyclopedia in history, in terms of both breadth and depth." Good luck with that. Remember, if you've been really dying to share your intimate knowledge of faberge eggs with the world, this may be your chance.

In light of all the terrible things that have happened and continue to happen in the world. This is not to be lost.

December 6

December 6 is the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women in Canada. I believe that these ribbons have appeared around campus to comemorate that day and the "sad anniversary of the death of fourteen young women who were tragically killed on December 6, 1989 at l'École Polytechnique de Montréal because of their gender."

This is not something to be forgotten. Nor is it a case where apathy should get the better of us. As a reminder of what is being done and what has yet to be done today's link is for the White Ribbon Campaign.

Not procrastinating... really.

I am going to get a bad name for myself if I keep on talking about my procrastination. Good thing is, I'm not procrastinating. I'm also not done my assignment yet. I am most of the way there though. Therefore, I consider this time well spent.

I talked in a previous post about iTunes and how some people react when other people can see their playlist. Well, I think del.icio.us (linked over on the right) can have a similar effect. It allows you to access your favourites/bookmarks from any computer with web access. It also allows you to share your faves/marks with friends and family. You can even "tag" them with a subject for easier searching. What this means is that anyone can see your list and, like with iTunes, might start to jump to conclusions about who you are. I just started an account and it is no coincidence that I chose my first addition carefully (with all you judgemental people out there) ;) There is plenty out there to be found. Who needs their own favourites when you can have someone elses?

Today's photo is actually yesterday's. I mean, I took it yesterday in the snow storm. On a clear day, you can see Wolfe Island across the water. Not yesterday. With the snow deadening sounds and the water totally still (save for the odd duck), it was as though I was no longer in Kingston.

Staying on the topic of photography... Today's link. As a little background, my camera is 8 megapixels. With that, I could print substantially bigger than 16x20 inches. In case your internal ruler isn't working, that is pretty large. Well, check out Gigapixl. Think 8 megapixels is good? How about 1000? Or 4000? The detail in the pictures is unreal. Make sure you check out the gallery.

Walking in a Winter Wonderland (could I be any more cheesy?)

I know, I know. It has to be cold for snow to "work". But it really is beautiful to wake up and see a thick fluffy layer of some of the softest stuff imaginable outside. In case you're wondering, that isn't coming out of the blue. It actually happened today and I couldn't help but go wandering in it. You might want to check out my flickr site in the links list over there ------> to see more of the sights. As for sounds, that is one of the wonders of the snow. It totally changes how you relate to the world around you (and that's not just the skier in me talking).


I found these just a few days ago and wanted to see the difference between snow and no snow. That may be the one thing about winter, sometimes it is hard to find colour. I'm glad I found these.

While I think that this is the perfect day to be outside enjoying yourself (at least here in Kingston), I know that it is important to have other activities and that not everyone digs on the white stuff as much as I do. As such, today's link is a solid time-waster for the indoor set. Thank you to Nic for turning me on to Odd Todd. It's been much too long since I've enjoyed some of the sillyness on it's pages. Be prepared to waste some time. There's even a book. Mep.

Mmmm...

I am clearly hungry. Maybe not hungry enough to post a picture of real food but the name of food is pretty close. I found it along a trail in Victoria and I liked it. As for what a "Sand Squatch" is... I figure it is a yeti that hangs out on the beaches of northern B.C. and Vancouver Island. Can you imagine being covered in hair and getting sand in it? You'd never get it out! Then all the "cool" yetis would start making fun of you. Seems totally plausible to me.

Discussion turned to pets in costumes today. Pet lovers will really do anything for/to their pets.

I tend to come across some pretty weird/wonderful/interesting/informative websites in my web travels. Since my SS/RFTD (Strange Sight/Remark For The Day) hasn't really panned out and my FPP (Flickr Purgatory Photos) are being posted elsewhere I think I might have to start adding links that catch my eye. So, today, I bring you Freegan.org. It outlines tips and rationales for eating for free. Otherwise known as "dumpster diving" you can eat pretty well if you know what you're doing (and not get sick).

P.S. While the site existed just a day ago, I've removed the link 'cause I can't find it anymore. Hmmm.

Instead, an old favourite of mine (even if it's either a couple of months late or 10 months early). The Talk Like A Pirate Day website. September 19th will never be the same.

Not procrastinating... sorta.

Brooklyn was a long way off last night. Thankfully, I got there. It made socializing tonight feel good, not like I was doing something I shouldn't be. Of course I still have responses to do, other people's assignments to read and next week's assignment to begin on. Ah, it'll happen.

As for pics, I have been posting pics that are near the end of my flickr photostream (that means they will be the first to disappear when I add new ones). Now that I started another blog specifically to host photos I can start adding pictures here that I just want to add. In this case, I thought a little colour would be useful as we head into December and winter.

Lessons anyone?

Frustratingly, it has been a common subject on here of late but I'm happy to offer any of you procrastination lessons if you're interested. I am disturbingly good at it. I would like to be asleep right now but I have told myself that I will finish my assignment tonight. That means no sleep 'til Brooklyn.

While work is by no means solely 8:30 to 4:30 I have gotten used to "leaving work at work", for the most part. This course is very much related to my work and as such makes me feel like I leave work for... work. That is definitely part of the challenge. Thankfully, the content is interesting and exciting in the face of the university looking at developing a new strategic plan. Who knew, academic learning that might be practically applicable. ;)

Here's another snap from Arianne and Dave's wedding.


P.S. I started another blog to specifically post photos on (though I doubt I'll stop posting them here). It's all part of learning about how to use technology to my advantage rathern than have it be my enemy. It's called Photos from the Hall.

FPP

Not one to let a perfectly good day go by without posting another soon to disappear photo I will leave the typing to a minimum and rather add another picture to the bunch. Speaking of which, look out for another blog where I'll post more pics. Can't get away from the wedding theme.

You're a Strange Animal

You may have noticed in an earlier post I mentioned how a study of people using iTunes over a work network found a lot of them second-guessing their music collection. Well, I may second guess myself but I'm still listening to Gowan so I haven't changed my tastes so much. Oooh, here comes Criminal Mind. Here is much more than you could ever want to know about my man Larry.

Maybe that post title is actually applicable to what I've got to say, in reference to my brain. I found near the end of my undergrad that I was having particular trouble staying focussed on my work. It was particularly frustrating when trying to finish my readings because I found myself reading content over and over and over without actually picking-up what was there. Well, I felt the same way today. That doesn't make me too happy as you might imagine. The important thing is for me to work with it rather than let it dictate my future (ie. Learn strategies to get around it rather than forget about reading when I am having trouble focussing). Of course I'd never forget about reading but you get the idea.

I'm doing an on-line course through UBC and there are assignments each week. It means that I feel like I'm procrastinating any time I post because I "could" be completing the next assignment. I guess that means it's time for today's FPP. Again, brought to you by Arianne and Dave's wedding. You might be able to guess who the two kissers are.

Different is good

Unlike what you may think, I am not talking specifically about my personality (though I'm different enough). Last night I went to see Jason Collett at the Grad Club. Having seen Sarah Harmer in a church the night before it was a bit of a shift of gears. Moving from church pews which necessitate a certain separation of parishoners to the rather cozy confines of a standing room only crowd in a room not much bigger than my living room is a bit of a jump. They were both intimate in their own way though. One was the shared experience of a bedtime story, the other was the feeling of their sweat splashing you from their rocking-out in front of you. (The splashing sweat is more of a descriptor than a reality, I left without sweat stains, mine or otherwise). Either way, they were both great.

Jason is part of Broken Social Scene which is, for me, an eclectic collective of Canadian musicians making some critically acclaimed and interesting music. I was also duly impressed by his opening band Paso Mino. We caught the last third of their performance and they reminded me of yet another band that I'm terribly fond of, Peterborough's Silver Hearts. The earthy vocals tied the two together for me. I do hope the 'Hearts come back this way soon. Anyway, I also have to give credit to Paso Mino for putting on two shows. What we saw of their set was pretty quiet. They then proceeded to play with Jason Collett and took the opportunity to rock-out. Considering I've slept in bed's bigger than the stage they were on I was impressed. Especially as they closed the first set after Jason stepped off-stage for a minute.

While I don't plan to become a concert reviewer or promoter, these couple of shows reminded me how important it is to take part in all the amazing things going on in the community around me. Concerts are a fun part but of course there's plenty more. I don't know that anywhere can ever feel like home if you don't become a part of it yourself.

Today's FPP (flickr purgatory photo) is another from Arianne's wedding. Though you might not be able to tell that's Arianne and Dave holding hands during the ceremony.

Rock and Roll ain't noise pollution... nor is Sarah Harmer

That title may be influenced, just slightly, by the music that I'm listening to at the moment (just be glad I wasn't listening to AC/DC's "Big Balls"). Then again, it is last night's Sarah Harmer concert that I'm most interested in talking about. I've seen her play a number of times and have enjoyed her music since I first saw her open for Blue Rodeo back in Peterborough (I'm still kicking myself for not picking up her indie album then).

Last night's show was at the Sydenham Street United Church. If you'll pardon my language, it's a hell of a venue. Raked flooring, good acoustics and an intimate atmosphere. It doesn't hurt that it's just a few minutes walk from my house. The show was in support of her latest album "I'm a mountain" and of her efforts to protect the Niagara Escarpment. The show, like her new album had a bit of a lullaby tone to it. It wasn't quite like having her (and the band) in your living room but they definitely felt like part of the community. She even was encouraging a little audience interaction. It may have been because everyone was a little quiet (likely due to the fact we were in a church). Being in the church may have been part of what made them seem such a part of the community. It could also be due to the fact that she is from Kingston so she really is a part of the community. I think I'm starting to ramble. Just to say, it was a great show. C'mon, she sang and played completely un-mic'ed at the end of the night. It was amazing to just appreciate her skill and art undiluted.

Photo of the day... Not Sarah Harmer related (not even someone named Sarah, though you'll see Sarah in my last photo of the day).


Kim, Lena and Arianne at Arianne's wedding in October.

Crisis of thought

Ok, crisis is a little strong. Perhaps it's too late to try and explain my thought process after having just submitted another assignment and having work tomorrow. In short, I've skipped posting the past couple of days because I just couldn't bring myself to do so when I should've been working on the assignment. That's not to say I didn't manage to waste (plenty of) time in other ways but I kept myself away from posting.

Just like with flickr, I am learning that blogs can serve many purposes. To some they are less invasive versions of the group e-mail. To others, it is a way to affect change in the world. That may be in their own lives or of those they come into contact with through their blogs. I am still coming to terms with what I hope to accomplish with this. I think that is part of a larger process of coming to terms with what I want to accomplish and who I am in more general terms.

As someone who grew up in a rather non-traditional atmosphere and has studied and been moved by the environment and development (and the many areas where the two intersect) I have many views about the world and our role in it. While I wouldn't hesitate to share my views on these and most any other subject with any of my friends I still can't help but second-guess myself. That's where the coming to terms with myself comes in.

In case you're not familiar iTunes offers the capability to share music over a network. I recall reading an article about someone who researched people's musical habits and tastes and how they changed when their entire playlist was shared across their company. Suddenly, people weren't sure if Milli Vanelli should stay in their collection because "what might other people think?" I can't help but consider that when I think about what to post. I believe that, in both cases, it relates to the lack of context. For the closet Milli Vanelli fans, the associations or the reason that they have it in their collection can't usually be adequately explained to others. Here, there will be some who read this that know nothing about me besides what they read and as a result, can't put things in context with who I am.

I think I'm also having trouble placing myself between the two ends of the blog continuum that I've described (social network v. social change). Putting yourself out there, explaining yourself to others, means explaining yourself to... yourself. It'll likely be an ongoing process.

In the meantime, happy Buy Nothing Day! (Thanks to Amy for the reminder and the internal fodder to chew on).

Here's the obligatory "save me from flickr purgatory" photo post. That is neither me, nor me. Rather a couple of very good friends.

Nothing much of value to say. Instead, another photo from the flickr account. By the way, not all my pictures are of ultimate but it seemed like such a waste not to save this one before I post others. I swear I'll put photos of other stuff up soon.

Maybe it's just me

I admit it, I feel terribly guilty but I was watching a remake of "The Poseidon Adventure" last night on one of the big U.S. networks. Maybe I just needed to get my Steve Guttenberg fix after many years of missing him after Police Academy. Anyway, I don't need to go into any great detail about it (it really doesn't warrant that much of my life) but I did notice something that I found interesting. Somehow, Papa Guttenberg gets himself into a bit of hanky-panky with a masseuse on the cruise ship (this is before it flips upside down). Of course it only happens because his marriage is on the rocks, blah, blah, blah. Mom and the kids feel awkward (fair enough). That isn't worth remarking on. What I found interesting (and yes it may spoil this "made for tv" movie for you) is that the last two people to die before the rescue are the masseuse and a "terrorist". The fact that they die isn't even all that remarkable. What stood out to me was how they died. Both of them fell into this pit of fire. Now maybe you had to be there but the imagery to me smacked of these two "sinners" going straight to hell. This is probably me just reading too much into things but it definitely caught my attention. I haven't seen the original and it might fit just perfectly but, man, don't ever be "the other woman" on that show. They'll burn you to a crisp.



There's another pic from the ulti league this summer. Considering I didn't explain much beyond the beach and bubble bath comment you can rest assured that ultimate falls on my list of likes.

Bubble baths and long walks on the beach...

Ok, the title isn't directly indicative of the content but I have justification. I swear.

Anyway, just like my "obligatory introduction" I thought I should probably give a bit of a frame of who I am or at least what I'm interested in. It also comes from the last post's discussion of photos. I want to link photos from my flickr account before I add new ones and they disappear forever. It just so happens that today's photo is of a couple of friends partaking in an activity that I quite enjoy. No, they are not bathing in bubbles or taking a long walk on the beach. In fact, they're playing ultimate.


I would hate to lose that look of awe as the disc floats away. :) See Kingston Ultimate's website for more on how to join these superstars.

When I was travelling in S.E. Asia, New Zealand, Australia and France in 2003 I started a "Strange Sight/Remark For The Day" or SS/RFTD. I think I might resume that with the understanding that I may just use it to post photos before they float into flickr purgatory. Who knows though, an interesting remark/witty commentary/retort may appear along with.

How good is free?

Ah, what a combination, free technology. Specifically, well... this blog and flickr.

As far as the blog goes, I'm way too fresh in the field to know the limitations provided with blogger. Who knows? It may be all I've ever hoped for and more. That is, of course, assuming that I've hoped for a free blog. If you made that assumption you'd be making an ass out of... well, you likely understand. I've never felt that I had anything to say that would warrant a blog. I still don't know if I do but here I am.

This is more about flickr. In case you aren't familiar, it is many things to many people (more on that later) but structurally is a way of posting photos to the web. Free accounts offer both a limited upload capacity per month and a limit of 200 photos which are accessible at any one time. That is where we offer the magical melding of these two services. As flickr doesn't actually delete any photos over your 200 photo limit (it just makes them inaccessible) you can have them linked in your blog and they will never dissappear. That is why you will see below, a picture I took in the Empress Hotel in Victoria on a recent trip.



Purty, eh? I think so. If it has worked then it may be the start of a long an beautiful friendship between this blog and my flickr account. As for flickr accounts, I have used mine mainly to post pictures that I thought other people would want to see (friend's wedding pics, ultimate tourney pics, etc.) I'm lucky enough to have friends who recognize that it can be a community building tool and and outlet of artistic expression. It has inspired me to reapproach both my photography and what I post. I guess that's where that specific photo comes from. Hopefully, that also marks the start of a long and (increasingly) beautiful friendship between me and my camera.

Murderball and Procrastination

The title reflects the two topics of the post. The former is the more interesting while the latter may be more insightful as it relates specifically to my personality.

First off, I went to see Murderball with a friend of mine tonight. In case you're not familiar, it's about the U.S. Quad Rugby Team. Quad Rugby is an intense wheelchair-based sport. Sometimes when I see a movie, I just know that I like it. Usually when I think about why I liked it I figure out that it is because the movie changed, in some way, my view of the world. Murderball gave me a new perspective on life in a wheelchair. Granted, I haven't had the thought planted in my head due to circumstances in my life. Nonetheless, when some of the guys in the movie mentioned how people immediately made assumptions about them because they were in wheelchairs I felt guilty, as though I might be one of those people (even though I honestly believe not to the same degree). Anyway, it was an "eye-opening" movie experience. See it if that floats yer boat.

As for the second part of the title. It appears that I'm still a fan of the procrastination. I should be finishing up an assignment for a distance learning course that I'm doing. Clearly, I am not. I'm going to have to get a handle on this personality trait. I haven't yet though because I'm going to cut this off. See, I'm even procrastinating about finishing this pos

Obligatory Introduction

Hey all,

As someone who reads a few different blogs when I get the chance I have always marvelled that people have (in some cases) so much to write. Perhaps I would if I put my mind to it. While I can't guarantee that, I thought if nothing else, it would be a new way to keep my friends up-to-date on my going's on. I figure that along with my flickr account I should be able to keep a little of interest from my life on the web at any one time. I also have friends to thank as some have recently started their own (enough to make me figure "why not?").

As for the title, I'll explain it another time.

Now I should be adding some content so I can invite people to check it out but dinner is making strange noises in the kitchen and I have some work to do.