Has blogging changed? A study was released today showing that young people have been moving away from blogging in droves and have settled largely in social networks (particularly facebook). It would seem that the focus is on somewhat-controlled circles of friends instead of the infinite range of the web or the twitterverse.

I find that interesting, considering it is oversharing that seems to be such a concern when it comes to kids use of technology. "Sexting", or sending sexually explicit text and multimedia messages is getting a lot of attention in the media as it seems to be getting plenty of young people into trouble. Perhaps the expectation of privacy with "sexting" does not apply to the open models of blogging and twitter (at least for those who don't protect their tweets). Does this show a level of technological savvy or naïveté? I'd venture that it may represent some level of self-control but is nonetheless a naive approach considering anything online is likely to enter the public sphere. This has been proven time and again by political candidates whose careers end before they begin due to the publicizing of ostensibly private information. Naive though it may be, awareness of privacy issues is a good place from which to start when developing media and technology-savvy youth.

All this leads back to the blog that you are reading. Why do I bother? That's not something that I have an immediate answer to. It may have been as much of a chance to put on a particular public face as it was to have an outlet for my thoughts. I continue to work to find the time and content that is best suited to this medium and not one of the other sharing tools that I use to represent me in the digital sphere. I guess as long as you've got something to read, I've got something to stay and for me, at least, there is still a place for a blog.

So, the iPad, eh? Well, it remains to be seen how well it does in the market but I think it's a start. Hell, rumours about what will actually be included when it is released to the public, or at least in a future iteration are already eclipsing the details that were announced.

It may not be the world-changing tool that they were hoping for, but I think it stands a chance. That is especially true if more media providers that used to produce magazines and newspapers choose to pursue this type of platform to invigorate and more effectively capture the market that they have lost to the web. If they sit back and leave their websites as is, change will roll over them. I feel like they're best chance is to design content suited to the go anywhere, always-connected tools like the iPad. That, and their own applications will be much more like having a subscription than visiting their website in the infinite internet. If that happens, then the iPad may just be the game-changer Apple was looking for.

Tablets, pads and paper

In a little less than an hour Apple will begin an announcement that is likely to include a few new things, but one has gotten plenty more press than the rest.

It is widely believed that the announcement will include a tablet-style computer (imagine an iPod Touch or iPhone that has miraculously grown). In and of itself, it might be interesting but is just another computer (albeit one that looks different from the ones you're used to). Where the excitement comes is what has been developed to encourage it's use.

The iPod had iTunes to make it easy to (legally) get plenty of music to carry around with you. The iPhone (and iPod Touch) had the "App Store", part of the iTunes store dedicated to programs that would run on the iPhone/iPod Touch to turn it into all range of products (from GPS tool to dog whistle).

Rumour has it that the latest introduction from Apple will use the existing App Store. This ensures over 100,000 programs would be available for it at launch. But to me, 100,000 programs designed for something else aren't nearly as good or interesting as a few designed specifically for the new system. I like gadgets, and Apple gadgets doubly-so, but if this is just a large-scale iPhone then I can do without. I'm interested to see what they have in place to make people say "I need to have that." Rumour again has it that Apple has been in discussion with publishers who, in turn, are designing new approaches to their newspapers, magazines and books for publication electronically. This is where it gets exciting for me and where it's likely to influence the way we all consume media.

We're used to having access to huge quantities of information from "trusted sources" through the web. Some of these same sources have experimented with requiring subscriptions (and some are planning to return to that model) to allow you access to their online resources. Many others have offered the information for free and relied on advertising revenue to support their efforts. I get the feeling like this new system will provide a new avenue for publishers to monetize their product and whether you buy Apple's Tablet/Pad/Slate, you will see the online environment change as a result of its introduction.

While I expect this will all eat into the sales of hard copy media (just as iTunes did for music), I think that publishers have already dealt with that reality as the web became so pervasive. This may just be their way back if it provides a more effective way of monetizing their product than the ad-supported model that many have been relying on.

More video. In this case the winner of a Nikon-sponsored 140-second short film contest.

I (heart) the Muppets

OK Go is a band with a great history of quirky and entertaining videos (at least if you're me). Their popularity as a band has been catapulted by the viral success of their videos and their record company is now trying to more tightly control the message. The result could be more press and more interest because of the conflict, more videos watched, more songs,albums and ads sold (since you can be sure ad sales are part of the music company reality when so much is available online. It could also be a negative in all or some of these areas. In any case, I thought I'd do exactly what the record music company doesn't want me to do and embed the video on my little blog.

OK Go - This Too Shall Pass from OK Go on Vimeo.

Other videos and further on the conflict can be found here.

Ahhhh, tradition

I may have previously mentioned a little trick that I use for my homepage where it is set to bring up a random Wikipedia page each time I open a new window. (If you don't know this little trick, and want to see what I mean, set your homepage as: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Randompage)

Anyway, I learned about the Eton Wall Game today thanks to this little trick.

The Eton Wall Game has some aspects of rugby to it, but the description is such that I couldn't help but wonder whether it was all made-up. Not in the way that everything is made-up, but rather all a lie to catch gullible North Americans out. Despite having Oppidians, a calx, a bully and players trying to score a shy, this would appear to be a real (if somewhat... unique) game.

It is helpful though to remember the numerous times that I've tried to describe baseball to someone who has never seen a game in their life and how "off-the-wall" it sounds. Did I mention the Eton Wall Game includes an old brick wall? Well, it does. In any case, it seems that as humans we develop an understanding with those with whom we have shared experience. Our shared experiences are part of what form our cultural context. Though we all have a shared humanity, the multitude of human experiences ensure that we are bound to find many people in our lives who do not share our frame of reference. That means that we will grow accustomed to many things in our lives (ie. which direction traffic [or even pedestrians] travel on, sports and accepted ways to interact with others) but we're best not to be complacent as there are many more people in the world with a different wealth of experience than there are those that share our perspective.

And so I come back to the wall game. Here a game that most regularly ends in a 0-0 draw with lots of raw elbows (you'll have to read about it to understand) makes perfect sense and plays on the traditions and shared experiences of many. I just so happens that I'm not one of that group. But ask me the rules of baseball and I've got you covered. That is, as long as you don't ask me about the balk rule. I never did get the hang of that.

I have been reminded that (few) people actually do keep up with my blog. A thousand apologies for not holding up my end of your online procrastination bargain. I should be preparing for work so don't expect this to be my shining return to long, well thought-out posts. Instead, this is proof of life. I am here, and I am wondering whether I will have the interest to muse on issues that seem too unwieldy for Facebook or Twitter, or whether I'll fade away again.

Visual Art, Music and Parkour

I found this video on http://good.is, a site that I just learned about today. Plenty of good stuff there, by the looks of it. I really have been letting this blog rot of late. I'd apologize, but at this point, I don't think there's anyone to read the apology. Microblogging via twitter and facebook has seemed to supplant my rants. Maybe that'll change.

parkour motion reel from saggyarmpit on Vimeo.

Following in the footsteps of the last post...

In addition to the Social Search function, Google has created Google Dashboard, which aggregates all of your Google-associated activities and accounts. It's my understanding that this information is for you, the user, to better understand what information the all-knowing google-eye has on you. That isn't entirely true though since it only aggregates the accounts you hold with them and doesn't resort to searching the rest of the web for your footprints. It serves as a reminder of how much of a presence one can have, even with a single service-provider.

Privacy in an online world

So much of our lives are online (whether by intent or not). For those of us active with social networks, that likelihood increases ten-fold. Well, like a good little social-network user, I just took a look through the proposed new facebook privacy policy and besides using the information there to help me lock-down my content being shared within Facebook and the applications that use the platform (think Scrabulous {now Lexulous}, Mafia Wars, and all manner of others) I also came across a means to (hopefully) opt-out of "behavioural" advertising from a number of advertisers including google, yahoo and microsoft. Just a note, the tool seems imperfect, but it will likely work better for you if you read this help page first.

Will it make a difference? Hard to say. Will I feel better for actively trying to control what of my information is shared with the world? Definitely.

Oh, and if you're not already a conspiracy theory seeing google as the next "Big Brother", check out Google's latest "Lab" ("opt-in"able beta test) tool: Social Search. Creeped out yet? Check out this perspective. What about now?

Viral before the internetz

An interesting article on social networking and the transmission of information without the use of phones, the internet or even major newspapers within the context of the fall of communism in Europe 20 years ago.

The key:

"A network of human relationships that conveyed information informally on a regular basis, and a population who were highly focused on only a few channels of information, both official and clandestine."

Have we lost or gained since that time? I think a reasonable argument could be made for both.

The World, she is a changin'

No, this is not a treatise on the lamentable way that we treat the planet (though there will be more on that later, I'm sure).

Instead, this "media counter" identifies the breadth of technological activities that are going on merely in the time that you watch it count. Considering that most who bother to read this blog have been around long enough to remember a time without a consumer-accessible internet and without portable phones, let-alone mobile phones, how things have advanced, and continue to do so right before your eyes, is pretty remarkable.

The Box

There's a new movie coming out shortly. The premise is:

Norma and Arthur Lewis, a suburban couple with a young child, receive a simple wooden box as a gift, which bears fatal and irrevocable consequences. A mysterious stranger, delivers the message that the box promises to bestow upon its owner $1 million with the press of a button. But, pressing this button will simultaneously cause the death of another human being somewhere in the world; someone they don't know. With just 24 hours to have the box in their possession, Norma and Arthur find themselves in the cross-hairs of a startling moral dilemma and must face the true nature of their humanity.

- IMDB.com

So, what would you do? Would you press the button? If so, how many times? Once? Twice? Two-hundred times?

I don't know that the movie will necessarily be all that good, but it does seem to circle an interesting premise.

Augmented Reality

This term is likely to become much more common in the near future. A topic of discussion this weekend and the subject of this article, augmented reality represents the additions that today's mobile technology can make to our experience of the real world.

One thing that's not mentioned in the article is the risk for a Big Brother-style (a la 1984, not a la current reality tv) misuse of the information that is created and made available when everyone carries a phone, or similar item, that can track exactly where the holder is. Instead, it appears that the greatest risk to the user is that our knowledge of "facts" will decrease as our need to know the information drops. I'm not sure that I agree with that. Of course you don't need to get an iPhone and load all the new augmented reality apps to risk that becoming a reality. The future is here today with the government's requirement for improved 911 service for mobile users. By early next year, you will be able to be tracked-down to at least a 300m radius by emergency services providers. :)

Saturday

Yesterday seemed remarkably out of place. I find that interesting since I hadn't felt like we were deep into autumn or that it had been unseasonably cool or rainy. It's just that yesterday seemed so particularly warm and sunny that I couldn't help but feel blessed. My apologies to those who didn't have the same weather-luck but I was very happy to take advantage of the weather with some quality outside time. It felt like a better choice than driving to Toronto in hopes that the weather would be good for Nuit Blanche. In the end, I think the weather was good for Nuit Blanche but I would've been too tired to enjoy it anyway. I guess I'll need to stick to enjoying other people's pictures and stories.

Death of the Blog

No, I am not writing an obituary for my blog (despite the fact that it may seem to be on life-support at this point). Rather, I am wondering whether facebook and twitter have stolen most of the mindless musings. I know they have in my case. It's sad to think that so many of my mindless musings seem to fall into the container of being no more than a couple of lines (as both are focussed in that area). Much of my other content included links which were easily accommodated by facebook. Suddenly, I'm forced to compose complete thoughts and sentences if I want to put anything up here. What a sad state of...

Crowd Control

If I was running an exercise in limiting traffic to a website without deleting the site altogether, I think I may have found the best practice: Not posting for almost 2 months!

Hi, my name is Justin. This is my (recently ignored) blog. Why has it been so long-ignored? Well, falling out of the habit is one thing. As a creature of habit, I continue to do (or not do) things because I let myself grow accustomed to doing (or not doing) so. You just need to look at the state of my house right now to note that I've grown accustomed to not tidying up. Sure, I was busy trying to make the most of my summer (especially before many good friends left the continent for extended periods abroad). I was busy too with welcoming new students from around the world. Still... Two months?!

I make no commitment to a return to regular updates. This may be, in part, due to trying to maintain a presence both on Facebook and Twitter but even those have seen me neglect updating (though I do stay actively in touch with people through them). If you're reading this, I hope you feel as though your time hasn't been wasted.

In other news, I managed to post around 500 photos on Flickr from my trip to Bhutan and have moved on to others (including some wedding shots from the two that I shot this summer).

#400

I bet you didn't expect me to take this long to post again (or maybe you did). I bet you didn't think this was the 400th post (but it is). I bet you think I've posted all my photos on my flickr site (but I haven't). I bet this theme is getting old (it is).

In any case, life, and all that goes along with it continues. I'm not quite sure why I've neglected posting for so long. Perhaps I am in the midst of a neglectful stage. That seems reasonable. What it doesn't do is encourage me to keep typing. So... Adieu.

I've been back for more than 2 weeks and I'm just getting my photos posted and just coming back to you here on the blog.

The travels were beautiful and interesting. In fact, the remainder of my time in Bhutan was interesting. Things got very active as I neared the end of my time there. Too bad I managed to lose a USB memory stick with hundreds of my photos. :( At least I didn't lose all my photos.

Being back has been interesting. There's plenty I could write about but I'm not sure where my thoughts are on everything so I'll be holding-off for now. Until next time.

Bumthang

I have my permits! I am well-chuffed about getting a chance to explore some more of Bhutan. :) As if it weren't exciting enough, I'll be travelling with a Bhutanese man who is both a licenced guide and photographer. He's published books of his photographs and most of the postcards I've sent have images that he took. I think it will be an enjoyable adventure (and one that comes just in time as I'll need to head to Paro shortly after returning). Paro is where the airport is and home to a number of other interesting sites which I'd like to see before leaving. It won't be all that long before I'm on a plane, and that means Canada doesn't follow long-after.

Just a quick note to let you know that all continues well here in Bhutan. Though volunteering has fallen by the way-side, I am still pursuing the experience as best I can. I am trusting that the in-country travel that I intend to do will show an as yet unseen (by me) side of Bhutan. I am certainly hopeful that that will be the case, anyway.

The adventure is half-way over according to the calendar. Have I reached goals that I may have intended for myself? Probably not, but who knows what the remaining time brings?

Thimpu and beyond

Apologies for any delays in writing but I am not physically connected to a computer here as I am at home. Shock of shocks, I went a couple of days without getting online!

I am writing from an artist's studio. I met one of the artists when I arrived as he helped friends find me a place to live. He and some of his fellow artists and I chatted about Bhutan, Canada and all sorts of things. Though I'm not an artist in the way they are, I have a genuine interest in the range of both fine art and commercial work that they do so that alone has been interesting (saying nothing for the conversation - which was also very interesting).

I'm planning to do some travel to other parts of the country as I've remained in Thimpu, the capital, since my arrival. I may join a couple of Canadians for some travel early next week or I may strike out on my own. In any case, I look forward to doing it in a way that helps me not just see more of Bhutan but to experience more of Bhutan.

I've met a wide range of people already and it's given me a number of insights into Bhutan that I would otherwise never have had. I have plenty more to learn (of course - since that is always the case, no matter where I am) and am looking forward to the opportunities that lie ahead.

Bhutan

Sigh... I'm here, but have exhausted myself catching up other folks directly. Unfortunately, you'll have to wait for details. I can say though that in 8 hours or so here (and with the help of some great folks), I have an apartment, some groceries and maybe even a volunteer opportunity. :)

The Adventure Continues

It truly became an adventure yesterday when Druk Air (Bhutan's only airline) told me that they had no record of me and that I had a visa letter from the wrong government ministry. Funnily enough, it didn't strike me as a big deal. I knew that I needed to contact some people and get things happening, but it didn't really concern me greatly. I knew things would work out. Remarkably, they have worked out according to the original schedule. This is pretty impressive considering not only did I have the wrong documents, but tomorrow's flight was already full. It pays to have contacts, I guess. :)

Next you hear from me, I'll be in Bhutan. As if it weren't going to be a shock anyway, after a couple of days in Kathmandu, I think it will be a huge change. Bring on the change.

P.S. I saw monkeys today. :) For anyone wondering, I did not do my monkey impression for them (but I did feel right at home). ;)

And so it begins...

If you've ever wondered why those relaxing massage chairs that are often found in malls don't have a "turbulence" setting, I think I know why. After not the most restful flight across the Atlantic, I arrived in London all bushy-eyed and bright-tailed early this morning. Luckily for me, I had a date with a good friend for some quality time in London-town. The day has been great and has already found me thinking plenty about what has been and what is to come. I step forward with excitement and just a little bit of trepidation. But first, further visiting. That means no more typing.

By the way, if you're going on a multi-leg flight in the future, put your deodorant in your carry-on. Just sayin'.

Too x 4

Too few days to go. Too few details to go on. Too much to do. Too bad. :)

Me

I have let much time pass since acknowledging the thoughts that were floating in my head relating to my first experiences of hot yoga last month. I fear that the most substantial aspects have decanted leaving some nice clear (read: empty) space with all those great thoughts in the muck at the bottom of my brain.

Still, I do recall that much of my inspiration related to self. Self-awareness and consciousness of self (not to be confused with self-consciousness) were highs of the experience as I live a life full of distractions. Hot yoga saw me concentrating (almost) solely on my body and the pose. This was very refreshing, despite the 40-degree heat.

Though I haven't continued yoga in the past few weeks, I will continue the journey of self both literally and figuratively. In 9 days, I will be flying to Bhutan to spend 4-5 weeks learning, living and experiencing. This will encompass new cultural and physical experiences while including many opportunities for self-reflection. One of the things I look forward to most is the change in distractions. I hope to use my time to capture my thoughts and experiences across various media. If you know me, you know that photography will be a big part of that, but not the only thing. I look forward to writing more and think this experience will allow me to explore aspects of myself while I explore aspects of Bhutan and it's people.

Went to Hot Yoga for the first time tonight. I really enjoyed it. It's got post material floating in my head but it will have to wait 'til the weekend to coalesce.

Today's post is brought to you by the letter "A"

Affection –noun
1. fond attachment, devotion, or love: the affection of a parent for an only child.

Addiction –noun
the state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming, as narcotics, to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma.

How well do you think these two fit together? I think it is definitely possible to be enslaved to a fond attachment whose cessation causes trauma. In fact, I wouldn't be posting it if I didn't see that as a possibility (and in my own life no less).

It's no coincidence that quitting an addictive product/activity carries many similarities to ending a relationship. Is it best to go "cold turkey"? Is it possible not to? "Ya, now I'm down to one line of coke a week..." (JOKE! NOT REALLY!)

Maybe the difference lies in whether the source of the addiction, or more specifically the object of the addiction is a person or a thing. It does tend to complicate things.

Then again, an addiction to affection isn't necessarily about a particular person, but rather a particular attention or connection and that may be human nature - the need to seek out others with whom we feel a kinship or connection.

Addiction is a term that has plenty of implications. I guess I'm just trying to explore the language and the concept.

"it's a lunatic ninja coming through the window"

Can you imagine this happening in Kanata?

From an article on celestial happenings in the great Kingston Whig-Standard:

"Uranus has an 84-year cycle, so for the rest of your life, the planet will never again be as far away from you as it will be this evening."

It's a good thing that they specified that it is the planet. Otherwise, immature people like myself might think it was funny. Tee-hee.

The Fine Print

How often do you read the Terms of Service or End User License Agreement when you set up an account on a web service (e-mail, social networking, etc.) or when you install software? My guess is: not that often. Well, you'd be amazed at what you're agreeing to when you go through those systems. Those are the rules by which the company agrees to abide, and the rules by which they expect you to abide in using their service.

I've seen people get billed for the use of a service that they thought was free because that aspect of the Terms of Service wasn't clear to them. That sucks, but is it worse than giving up rights to your content permanently? Maybe being a photographer makes me more keenly aware of the issues of the latter. In any case, I'm not the only person with a concern.

Facebook recently changed it's Terms of Service, claiming perpetual rights to content that was posted. This caused an uprising of users around the world. Many saw it as an effort to claim ownership over the what users posted. Photographers who make a living from selling their photos were justifiably worried. Well, the uproar has borne fruit. Facebook responded both to explain their intentions (to have the right to use the content to help you share it) and to revert to their old terms of service.

Still, if people hadn't reacted so strongly, most people may not have noted what happened at all. As conspiratorial as it may sound, to ensure our rights are protected, we must remain ever vigilant.

It's always nice to have moments that make you smile (that is a generalization I am happy to make). I had a few today, but one of the most rewarding involved being out on the frozen surface of Lake Ontario. Besides the beautiful location and the good company, I was most pleased to see the enjoyment that others were getting. Specifically, seeing an elderly man with an electric scooter out on the ice exploring and, when the ice conditions suited, sliding around and doing doughnuts. :)

Apologies seem to be the order of the past few months. It seems to be the most common type of post that I write. That's what happens when days and weeks go by between posting. And so it has happened again.

Having an online presence has it's benefits and it's challenges. For me, the greatest challenge has been the extent of my presence and the energy required to maintain it. I'm on Facebook, Flickr, Blogspot, Twitter and of course e-mail (6 accounts - 4 work and 2 personal). As is my tendency, I spread myself to thin.

Plans for an adventure are afoot. But you'll have to wait for that. :)

Lost Opportunity

Governments the world over seem to buy into the economic theory that they can spend their ways out of a recession. Having been chastised by my first-year economics professor for talking in class, I know that I don't have a degree in economics (I should note, that I was explaining a concept to a friend that he had made a particular mess of). In any case, I'm not going to say I know better than the teams of economists that our government, and many others employ. I am though, concerned of with the short-comings in Canada's most recent budget. Sure, there's infrastructure funding, money for social housing, support for First Nations and more. All good things. But where's the forward-looking money? As Obama trumpets the opportunities of a "green" economy Canada cuts funding to scientific research and doesn't look to updating things like our utility distribution networks to better support new approaches to technology like networks to support plug-in hybrid cars. We may/will still come out of the recession, but I think it will leave us structurally behind other countries. Why be short-sighted? If you can immediately influence the economy while seeing long-term benefits, why not do it?

A new hope

Barak Obama is now the President of the United States (in case you live under a rock). His initial efforts and words have related to increasing transparency of government and doing what was promised. That is extremely heartening to me. I may not be American but I believe his approach to governing the U.S. will influence us all.

As people develop a taste for governance that serves the people, that is not explicitly partisan, that wants to remove the curtain behind so much political action takes place, people may come to expect more from their own leaders. This is an opportunity for Canada's politicians to scoop some of the hope inspired by Obama's inauguration. I also hope that if they choose to continue to obscure and fight, that we, the people, will react with the strength seen in the United States.

What kind of a system have we created? An economy that relies on continued growth. Where steady-state is underperforming and where saving money can be a problem.

Sometimes reality is more interesting than fiction: "Porn Industry Seeks Federal Bailout"

Happy start to 2009!

As years end and other begins there is much looking back and fore at what has come and what may yet come to be.

One chance to not only look back, but also to learn is BBC's 100 things we didn't know last year.

Perhaps a momentary hiatus from Canadian political intrigue is in order. I bet you never thought someone would mention the phrase "Canadian political intrigue" and mean it. In any case, this video made me smile. I had heard about Matt and even seen some of his dancing in the past. Still, it made me happy and maybe it'll work for you (even if you doubt that Stephen Harper will learn how to play well with others, despite what's gone on over the past couple of weeks).

You can find out more about Matt at: http://www.wherethehellismatt.com/

With Parliament suspended for the next 7 weeks I honestly don't think the coalition is going to stand a chance. Stephen Harper may have made some serious tactical blunders to get into this situation but you can be sure he's not going to continue his school-yard bullying tactics when he announces their budget on January 27. I have every expectation that there will be a number of things previously requested by the opposition parties which will undermine their argument that he's not interested in making Parliament work. I also have every expectation that it won't be long before he's back to his "my way or the highway" mentality. I am disappointed that things did not continue to allow the coalition a chance to govern as I am more confident in their abilities to represent Canadians than the Conservatives.

Perhaps most disturbing though is the inclination of people providing commentary online to go to the extreme. With so much activity on news sites and the individual commentary running fast and furious, I saw a lot of comments that were unequivocally black or white, 1 or 0. In light of this I found an interesting article discussing the concept of crime occuring where there are signs of neglect, and extending it to online spaces. I think that there are so many unmoderated avenues for people to provide commentary on anything and everything (my blog is a prime example) that people feel they can say anything. Including things that they might never say in a conversation with a "real" person. That also comes with a cloak of anonymity and both seem to make consensus-building difficult. That saddens me. One might hope that democracy relies on the voice of people being heard but I'm not sure that this method is a constructive step towards true democracy.

The fun continues. As the Green's express their support, the Liberal/NDP coalition now has the support of parties that got 62% of the votes cast in Canada's 40th general election. It didn't take long for this to be a rallying point.

Stephen Harper and Stephane Dion both had time on national television this evening to share their perspective on how this process should play out. Stephen Harper didn't do much to change my perspective. I'm excited and hopeful about what the coming days will bring.

All is wild and wooly down Ottawa-way. A coalition of opposition parties is forming (a cabal if you're a Conservative-fan) and it looks like they're fixin' to knock the Conservative party out of power. I've always thought this was how minority governments were supposed to run. You know, finding middle-ground instead of bullying the smaller kids on the playground.

I've heard opinions that the Conservatives have the mandate to lead. I personally don't think that 37.6% of the popular vote gives one party the voice to speak for all Canadians. If the parties that represent 54.4% of the popular vote are working together that seems more democratic. Having said that I a) have never been a big fan of the "first-past-the-post" model and b) I can't honestly say what the likely response is going to be from the majority of Canadians. My hope is that they see it as a burden being lifted and that the parliament can function and represent the view of more Canadians and not the view of how the Conservative party sees us. Having said that, I can also see people reacting with disdain for political gamesmanship in the midst of economically trying times. Sure the (current) opposition parties can argue that they're doing this because the Conservatives aren't acting quickly enough on the economy but even I see that reason sliding by the way-side. Still, I find this an exciting time. Especially after a disappointing campaign and election. Maybe the first Canadian coalition government will surprise us all. It may be just the change we need/want/are going to get.

Howdy friends! (Though I venture that number is getting smaller and smaller, not due to anything particularly offensive I may have done, but rather the one month breaks between posts).

I'm in front of a new computer and it seemed a good occasion to take the time to touch in. It also doesn't hurt that I, ridiculously, set my alarm this fine Saturday morning. It took me a little thinking when the alarm went off to realize that it's the weekend. Of course I was awake by that point so up I got to start making the most of my day. It's just as well as I've got lots of work to be doing. I'll certainly be happy when these major special projects for work are out of the way.

December is right around the corner. That amazes me. Time does fly, and it seems to do so without the necessary planning and preparation. I know, I know, there is a great joy and value to living in the moment. It is something that I need to continue to develop. But I also feel that preparation and planning has a place in ensuring that we are our best selves and do the best job possible (instead of doing things the way we've always done them).

Stars sparkle, but what about the light on your house? It seems that whether you are looking up or looking down, there's always something sparkling. Sure, a city or town looks beautiful from overhead but I find the lights of residential neighbourhoods specifically pretty as all the little things in between my eyes and those lights make for a sparkle of beauty that adds a little magic to the world.

Canada ♥'s Asbestos

Continual apologies for my spotty updates might get old but what can ya do? There's plenty on in my life and the life of others but my reason for posting today revolves around the Canadian government and the unsavoury negotiating positions it can take. Seeing Canada's "Environment Minister" (quotes represent irony) be a voice against Kyoto was quite frustrating. Remarkably, I find that less frustrating than the role Canada has played in ensuring that asbestos continues to be shipped around the world.

While climate change is (thankfully) being recognized as a huge potential risk to all of us, it is largely theoretical (particularly for those who doubted its existence in the past). Even those who have not questioned climate change and its risks have likely seldom seen damage done as its direct result.

Asbestos (in particular forms) on the other hand, is universally recognized as a carcinogenic hazard. Within Canada, extensive efforts have been made to protect people from exposure yet in 2006 Canada stood as the sole Western country trying to ensure the continued free movement of the product around the world. Remarkably, Canada looked to... Iran and Zimbabwe for support. That is would appear to be an "about-face" from most policy efforts undertaken by our government. Perhaps that's just my optimism speaking. Chances are there are more of these unsavoury stances being taken than I am aware of.

Again this week, countries are meeting to discuss a number of hazardous materials (including asbestos). I can only hope that Canada doesn't remain a voice against reason and that we might finally see the value in ending the production and distribution of such a dangerous product.

I'm not going to lie, the Canadian election results disappointed me. I envy many in the U.S. who are looking forward to change (and seem more and more likely to get it). As Canadians, we got what we wanted. I may not have wanted it, but even if we had proportional representation, the conservatives won the popular vote and would/will form the government. I was hoping we'd all be a little more forward-looking. It is interesting that many in the U.S. are craving change while the Canadian response to many similar issues was to stick-tight. I just wish that politics was less about tearing-down others and more about building us all up together. I feel that there is a distinct lack of that in politics.

Oh yeah, I jumped out of a plane today. :)

While it's not a sign of my worldly nature, I've come across two things on other people's blogs and I want to share them with you. The first, a site dedicated to strategic voting in the upcoming Canadian election to ensure that the environment is protected. Vote for Environment is asking you to do just that. In ridings that polls consider to be close races, they advise voters not to split their vote between the Liberals, NDP and Greens but rather to rally behind a single candidate. I see nothing that describes a specific party affiliation, rather they just want to see the environment protected and don't see the Conservative party doing it. Funnily enough, neither do I. My riding seems likely to remain Liberal, both from my experience and according to their site. What about yours?

The second ill-gotten link is a Youtube video from Canada's own Feist. This time she's adapted her song 1,2,3,4 for the Sesame Street crowd. Cute!

Blogging about blogs

I listened to some commentary this evening about how many political candidates have had to withdraw from the race (Canada will be holding a Federal Election on October 14) due to their blogs. More specifically their perspectives, posted for the world to see and saved in perpetuity thanks to the endless servers of google and their caching of webpages.

My mind moved immediately to my own (imaginary) political future and what my opponents would latch onto to bring me down. Any of you who have been reading my blog as regularly as I have posted may have your own ideas. Me, I honestly don't have a specific instance that comes to mind. I haven't railed against too much or made rash statements that I'm no longer willing to support. I wonder if the disgraced political candidates feel the same way. Maybe that speaks to the strength of their convictions or to their inability to understand that not everyone shares their views. Maybe it speaks to the harsh light that shines when the nation's media focuses on any one thing or maybe they deserved it because their views were not palatable to a large percentage of the voting public.

As for me, it'll probably be "No Pants Day" that brings me down.

Things seem hopeful. That shouldn't be noteworthy but, when it is... it is. Challenging times of the recent past seem like distant memories. This is a good thing but I'm working hard to remember what was hard about them and considering lessons that I may learn to carry me safely into the future.

Additionally, projects at work have a good feeling around them. It makes for a nice context in which to approach things.

Sorry for the lack of action of late. Pre-occupied and all that.

At what point does optimism become unreasonable? Is the loss of optimism necessary in a pragmatic world or is it just a sad moment when hope is lost? As with any true conundrum, the truth takes aspects of both and as a result, neither is entirely true. I'm not optimistic about the current state of the world, and especially the type of world any children I might have would live in. But to choose not to have children would, in and of itself, represent a loss of optimism. I do not believe I am alone in my concerns about the state of the world, but does that stop others from becoming parents? Of course not. "Pragmatism" and optimism must live in harmony. Does that help me figure out where I stand. Perhaps. I guess I'll just have to be optimistic that I'll get it figured out.

Kerr

Maybe I should live in New Zealand. It turns out I might be in pretty good company. I know New Zealand is great and running off and doing something new is certainly appealing, but this is actually more about a name. I was reading about a World Names Profiler this morning and thought I'd pop in my surname and see what it had to say. Well, it turns out that my surname comes up more than a 1000 times for every million people in NZ. That's more than any other country (if Scotland is considered part of Great Britain). Scotland itself has the largest concentrations of Kerrs, according to their research, which comes as no surprise considering the heritage of the name. But if Scotland isn't my speed, numerous regions of NZ follow closely, with Australia not far behind. No wonder I felt so comfortable when I visited those parts of the world.

Interestingly, Antrim in Northern Ireland is the city with the largest concentration, followed by some Scottish cities and then Bartlesville, Oklahoma of all places. Maybe a road trip is in order.

Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all.

-- Harriet Van Horne

Seen at the very tasty Milford Bistro in beautiful Prince Edward County.

The quote was both inspiring and challenging though I'm not sure whether more for cooking or love.

I'm working on my magical goal. I have tried to be the change that I want to see and I feel good about that. Of course, it may not bring magic to me in the ways that I envisioned but I trust that it is taking me in the right direction. Now if only I could feel that way about all aspects of my life. Having said that, the goal that I have set out for myself speaks to all aspects of my life even if I'm not enacting it throughout. I hope that makes sense.

I had a moment of clarity last night in the midst of a cloud of flu/cold-iness. No, I'm not talking about decongesting. Rather, I feel like I had a epiphany about what I want more of in life. It's just one word. That doesn't mean it's simple, but it's a good target:

Magic.

And it keeps getting weirder...

Turns out the woman who loves boogers so much has quite the history.

Pet cloning service bears five baby Boogers

(Im)Maturity wins the day! I couldn't help but post a link to an article with that kind of by-line.

Etiquette lessons from an up-and-comer

It is one week to the beginning of the 2008 Summer Olympics in beautiful (and somewhat less polluted) Beijing. The auspicious 08/08/08 will arrive and with it, many thousands of people for China's "coming-out party". Without digging deeply into my conflicted thoughts and feelings about China's selection as the host country I would like to highlight an article I just read. It references the efforts of the government to change the populace in very direct ways. I find it culturally very interesting as many of the concerns never seemed to be considered a problem before. More than teaching etiquette, they seem to be promoting (largely) western ideals. Who wins? Who loses? I wonder.

Back from the... Well, back anyway.

Apologies to anyone who may still find their way here. My blogging has fallen off severely in recent months and I'm not completely clear on why. Plenty to process has been part of it, I guess. But considering how many things I do to escape my thoughts and responsibilities, I'd have thought the blogging could've served such a purpose (even if there was nothing juicily personal). And so, I'm back. Regularly? We'll see. In any case, you're here, I'm here and that's a good start.

Hi, my name is Justin.

You may remember me from such blog posts as "No Pants Day - Not just for men anymore" and "Your mother is a snowblower".  I'm just stopping by to wish you a happy "Happiest Day of the Year".

Hopefully, I'll be back soon.  Who knows, maybe we can celebrate this happy day together.  Just not now.

Aloha friends.  Sad that a month has passed since I last shared something with you in this forum.  Note that I can't even claim that it was something of interest.  For those of you who have been visiting regularly in hopes of updating I apologize.  That, and maybe it's time to learn more about RSS feeds. ;)

Life has continued, as it is inclined to do (thankfully).  I welcome the arrival of spring/summer though I still find myself spending unreasonable amounts of time indoors.  I can only hope that will change, though my posts may not become any more regular as a result (I know it would be hard for them to become any less regular).

I find myself taking a bit of wisdom from here, some clarity from there.  Perhaps it's the route to happiness and wholeness but I manage to let myself just see it as indecision or indifference.  Sigh. 

You may or may not know that to go with this randomly-updated blog I have an even-more-randomly-updated photoblog. Not to be confused with my flickr account (who's photos are likely cycling to the right ->), my photoblog allows me to make sure that none of the photos I post truly disappear.

Neither this blog or my photoblog are particularly popular. That's fine, I'm not in it for fame. The photoblog in particular gets very few visits. I have found something peculiar about many of those visits that it does get though. You see, I have a "statcounter" on my blogs so I can find out how many visits there have been while also learning a little more about each visit. One thing that I can find out is what page the visitor came in from. If that was a "search" page like google, I can also see what their search-term was. Well, you could certainly have painted me surprised when I found out the most common search term that was leading people to my photoblog. I was surprised at the frequency combined with the content. Most visits were targeting a specific page (and the photo that was on it). This is where I have to take some responsibility. You see, I thought I was being witty when I named the photo. I thought it was entirely fitting, if a little irreverent. Perhaps I should show you the image that is drawing the attention.

I imagine you're asking yourself what has drawn all these visitors. To be fair, I don't think this is exactly what most visitors had in mind. To those who searched for and found this photo, I hope it provided a smile or maybe even a little laugh.

The name? Syphilis.

Improving efficiency and other environmental efforts are commonly thought of as expensive and more "window dressing" than tangible change. Thanks then go to Randall Knox of Adobe Systems Inc. (and innumerable others) for showing the concrete financial and environmental benefits of improving efficiency. Now if only our elected leaders could provide some leadership in this respect.

Man tells police 'I've been raped by a wombat'

I'm sure glad I read news from around the world. Otherwise I might never have found this.

Maybe if I turned my "tightwad" nature towards spending more on others, I'd feel less pain and more happiness around money.

Hello. My name is Justin, and I'm a tightwad.

To be fair, I'm hoping I'm only a quasi-tightwad. Still, I understand the pain they refer to when spending money. One would hope that spending money would be an easier and more pleasant activity as there is little to be gained by just sitting on it. I guess I'm just giving myself room to improve.

Two things I learned today.

1) A bear can be convicted of a crime.
2) There is a genre of music known as "turbo-folk".

Who says keeping up with the "News" is a waste?

Understanding my contradictory nature, I lament that people don't care what's going on in the world and then promptly click on the link to get more juicy details on Heath Ledger's will while bypassing the link about multiple suicide-bombings in Lahore.

As if that weren't bad enough, my ongoing concern about the future of our planet has been eclipsed by my disappointment with CBC for the decision to cancel JPod.

In better news, snow pickles have been captured on film.

Hello. My name is Justin, and I'm a photo-holic.

I got tickets to see Hawksley Workman last night (Thanks E!). While I absolutely loved the show, I couldn't help but take photos. In fact, I can't think of many activities that I have been a part of where I haven't thought about how I could capture it on film. Concerts, trips, walks around the neigbourhood. I always find myself wanting to take pictures (you can see the latest on my Flickr page, by the way) (or on the right-side of the page). There's nothing inherently wrong with pictures (in my cultural experience anyway), but I worry that it gets in the way of merely living and enjoying the experience.

Damn brain! Why won't you mind your own business?!

Bigger. Better. Best. Perfect.

Ugh.

I feel like I can be ruled by those four opening words. I try to avoid "keeping up with the Jones'" but I covet all too often. It is not a pleasant place to be as it implies that the status quo isn't good enough. I think that's the biggest problem for me.

Interestingly, I can those four words out of my life in some circumstances. Sports are usually something where competitiveness comes a distant second to playing well and enjoying myself. Clearly I need to start taking lessons from myself and apply that constructive context to the rest of my life.

Three little piggies.

B.C. is a strange place.

Uhhh... Somebody left their air conditioner on and their door open. It's -20 degrees celcius outside. That is one mean air conditioner.

Another one for the "Duh!" files

Botox linked to severe side effects, deaths: FDA.

While the most severe cases seem to focus on a less common use of the drug, why should it come as a surprise that a form of the botulism toxin would result in side effects?

Things that have caught my eye

- Two articles about a Canadian inventor who has developed something as yet unexplained by the laws of physics. Perpetual motion?

- Exxon wins freeze on Venezuela assets. In response to the "nationalization" of oil production in Venezuela under Hugo Chavez, Exxon went to court and got a hold put on $12US Billion worth of assets in hopes of getting more of their investment back from the government. A part of me thinks that's good as Hugo has made a mess of things by being heavy-handed with these dealings. Still, it reminds me of the immense power of multinational corporations. Canada could face it's own similar challenges as it increases the cost to oil companies to exploit the oil sands in Alberta. And this, when Canada (and Alberta in particular) doesn't seem to be truly looking toward the future. Norway seems to be looking toward the future while taking care of itself and it's citizens today (at least with respect to oil).

- While deemed "accidental", I find it sad that Heath Ledger had prescriptions for oxycodone, hydrocodone, diazepam, temazepam, alprazolam and doxylamine. Sadder still, is the amount of time and attention dedicated to this admittedly sad situation in the face of the truly horrible things going on in the world (as was highlighted well by a friend of mine).

- It's the Year of the Rat.

3,100,000,000,000

That's a whole 'lot o' zeros! It's also the proposed U.S. Budget (in US dollars) for the fiscal year ahead. By the way, that represents 3.1 trillion. Split amongst every citizen of the United States, everyone would get $10,000! Instead, increases are inline with defence concerns: 7.5% for the Defence Department, 11% for Homeland Security and 17% for customs and immigration. Yow! All this while trying to cut $200 billion dollars (over 5 years) from Medicare and Medicaid. I think you can pick up that I am not a big fan of U.S. government priorities. Then again, I'm not a big fan of Canadian government priorities for the most part either. Thankfully they're not throwing the same amount of money around.

Again with the apologies... I find that I can spend ridiculous amounts of time in front of the computer but can't always bring myself to stick around when it comes time to write in here. Maybe it's 'cause it's cold around my computer. Maybe it's 'cause I'm lazy. Meh.

The world presents us with only what we can process. No. The world presents us with everything. We choose what to process and how to process it. Whether we wear rose-coloured glasses or walk a mile in someone elses shoes, how we perceive the world is entirely dependent on our state of mind and the capability of that mind to interpret what it senses. I believe that the world is much more than we perceive in our little human pea-brains. I also think that every once-in-a-while we get a glimpse into a part of the world that we haven't experienced before but are usually so set in our own reality to understand it. It is this belief that brings me to the snow pickle. I mean, what other explanation is there for a pickle, pleasantly iced, presumably crunchy and definitely green, sitting on the sidewalk in the midst of my walk to work? I, for one, believe that Bicks Canada was trying to do us all a service by educating us and sharing with us a different reality through their recent series of ads. I believe that the poor frozen creature that I saw on the sidewalk was a pickle that yearned for freedom, for a life outside of its jar. Success was in its grasp. Its inability to check weather reports and lack of understanding of Canadian winters alas, were its downfall. And so the pickle ended its short life on the sidewalk with its last crunch not being between our teeth, but rather underfoot on a blustery January day.

It didn't need to be that way. The world presented another glimpse into other life. This glimpse leads me to believe that the snow pickle may have had support. You see, I had occasion to witness the common fire hydrant in its natural environment. While ostensibly a tool for our protection, this particular hydrant inadvertently shared a secret. As the light shone with the rising sun, my walk allowed me to witness the hydrant wearing a hat. Knit, and not unlike a toque (commonly worn by Canadian humans in winter - save for those of us too vain to mess up our hair), this hydrant's headgear let me know that it too felt the cold of winter. I realized that it too was in the process of escaping. Unlike its crunchy green friend, the hydrant had a good chance of surviving as it knew the conditions to expect and dressed appropriately. I can only believe that it is far from Kingston now. Perhaps it has joined the ranks of the few, the proud, the train-travelling hobos. It may be far from here now, but I will always remember it, and thank it, for helping me see outside of my life and my experience (and for reminding me that if I don't want to be green and crunchy, I had better not forget my hat).

1/8W+(D-d)3/8xTQMxNA = Blue Monday

You're probably not reading this until at least January 22. If that's the case, start smiling. Why? Because you've made it through the most depressing day of the year. For some (like those with money in stock-related investments) you don't need the calculation above to understand why. But, the equation didn't count on the stock markets. It considers how far after Christmas (and how close to holiday bills coming due) amongst other things.

I knew I felt "off" today. I guess I've got an excuse.

The Snow Pickle is still out there...

Stay tuned for the Snow-Pickle Chronicles. Coming soon.

I'm a big fan of the CBC. Maybe it's a patriotic part of my soul. Maybe it's wanting to be aware of the goings-on of the world. I listen to their radio stations, get excited at the prospects of their tv shows finding success and I read their news on the web. I generally enjoy their approach to news but I must admit I was somewhat disappointed in how they presented a recent story. With sections for news stories covering Canadian News, World News, Business News, Technology, Sports, etc., I was disappointed to see a story about French President Nicolas Sarkozy considering the concept of including happiness in measures of national well-being being shown in the "Diversions" section. This is the same section where they talk about a guy finding a pearl in his oyster meal at a restaurant.

I personally think that considering people's overall well-being and happiness rather than just their financial well-being should be a central effort of a government. Only when these stories are the mainstream stories will we really see governments change their approach.

I have an admission to make about the last post. I do not actually know how long donkeys live. Therefore, I am only guessing at how long three donkeys ages would be. I hope you can forgive me.

Also, for any of you with Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia, you're safe for a while. But if you were a victim of half-Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia you'd have a problem as the last post was my 333rd.

Aren't you glad I've been keeping you in stupid posts since 2006?

I've managed to slide into 2008 largely avoiding the tendency for reflection on 2007 or planning what I see happening in 2008. There is a part of me that is happy about that as those activities are somewhat clichéd and arbitrary (just because our calendar year changes does not make January 1 any better than any other day for reflection). Of course, there is also a part of me that considers it an opportunity lost. As I regularly feel my life would benefit from review and planning, I should probably jump at every chance. Alas... I don't think I've started a sentence with "Alas" in three donkeys ages. Alas, while one chance to reflect and plan has passed, each new day brings with it another opportunity. Now, if I could just get around to it, I'd be set.

Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia

Fear of the number 666.

I bet you didn't know that already. I sure didn't.

Christmas with the family is over, but the holiday continues. I'm sure you can understand my lack of activity here since my brother and I already got enough grief for spending time online over the holiday. Nothing too bad, mind you.

It was wonderful to be together with family and to visit with friends around home. Though I was only gone for a week, I almost forgot what K-town looked like. ;)

I managed to join the shopping hordes on Boxing day. I found myself at a store at 6am on the 26th. If that isn't scary enough, then hearing that some people showed up 6 HOURS EARLIER! That is a little bit much for me. Still, it was good to give it all a try.

Since it's me, I'm happy about my purchases but can't help but be a little uncomfortable with my consumption. I have difficulty with the imbalances in the world, but then I contribute to them. It is a difficulty inconsistency for me to swallow. Yet, I manage to put it out of my mind when necessary. I feel as though that makes me, if not a bad person, then at least not as good a person as I would like. I know that it isn't a helpful perspective for my own personal well-being so I have to watch out. I guess acceptance tempered with an on-going consciousness will have to suffice.

I hope that you enjoyed any holiday time that you might've had and that you have a great year ahead. :)

Happy Holidays! Of course my holiday wishes go out to all but I guess I'm spreading the joy now because I started my holiday yesterday afternoon. So, instead of blogging on office time I'm cozy at home pondering the holiday that is laid out before me. :)

The storm has passed. It left plenty of snow in it's wake. I've shoveled four times since the storm started and I expect that my driveway is soon to be plowed-in again. Ah, the joys of home ownership.

The holiday begins tomorrow. The trick is figuring-out how to use it. I thought I was going to be busy, busy but it looks as though I may have a little more free-time than I thought. I guess there are worse things than free-time.

I hope you've got some free time coming up and that you're looking forward to it.

It has begun in earnest. The snow has started to fall here in Kingston. I'm heading to bed and looking forward to waking up to a full-on blizzard in the morning. It's nice having a grocery store in my backyard. I may even walk the few blocks to the heart of downtown to do some shopping since I'm hoping anyone who needs a car to get where they're going will just forget about it. Unfortunately, I know some people that won't/can't. To them I, I send warm, safe thoughts.

Here comes the silly

After grapling with whether to be silly or smart in my last post I have returned to my silly ways. Michigan Lawsuit Abuse Watch gave awards for the most obvious warning labels in their Wacky Warning Label Contest.

This year's winner (on a tractor) "Danger: Avoid Death."

Another winner (on an iron-on transfer for t-shirts) "Do not iron while wearing shirt."

It highlights the stupidity of a legal system that encourages such over-the-top messaging, but it's funny too. :)

Silly or Smart?

No, I'm not trying to better understand my most influential character traits (we all know the former is much more applicable than the latter). Rather, it was my decision about what to post. I know, I know. I go so long without posting and then I have two possible posts at the same time. It's CRAZY. Not really, but I'm trying to add a little zest. ANYWAY...

I have chosen to stick to the "smart" theme and share with you a site that was brought to my attention through the wonders of Facebook and a fellow former Trentite. The site is The Story of Stuff. Through the effective use of video and low-fi animation, the creators effectively break-down our system of production and consumption into an easily-digestible 20 minute show. In less than the time it takes to watch a sitcom (and likely a silly one at that), you can consider yourself informed about aspects of our consumer lifestyle that may be new to you. Quite timely considering the season, I would say. Enjoy!

Sorry for my extended departure. I know, it sounds like a broken record, broken record. It's not as though nothing is happening in my life. Rather there are some things I will write about and some I won't. For those I will write about there are also times when I will and times when I won't.

I will say that the holiday moves ever-closer. A good thing, to be sure, but I can't help but get nervous as the deadline to take care of pre-holiday responsibilities comes closer along with the holiday itself. It'll all be fine and, knowing me, I should be able to largely put it out of mind once the holiday begins. It's just getting to that point. Ah well... It'll come.

I hope you're looking to the holiday with more excitement than trepidation. :)

Well the weather outside is frightful, but the... furnace is so delightful. I expected to be spending my Friday night in Toronto but when the weather gives you snow, and closed highways, it's probably best to take the opportunity to slow life down. Luckily, as far as the forecasters are concerned, Toronto will still be there tomorrow.

Hi again. I just got back from a conference in Ottawa that kept me away from updating but still pushed thoughts through my head that might well be worth posting. I still need to distill them in my head. That, and have dinner. So nothing further of an update for now but thanks for stopping by. I'm glad you wanted to touch in. I definitely appreciate it.

Heading out of town for a few days. I hope all are happy in the face of snow, cold, sun, strikes and whatever else befalls you (or at least plays a part in your life).

The past is a memory,
the future a fantasy.
It is only in the present that we truly live.

-- Quote from "Snowcake"

I had wanted to see this movie for a while. Who wouldn't want to see a movie filmed in Wawa, Ontario? I quite enjoyed it and recommend it. Stellar cast, moving story. I laughed, I cried, I... Okay, that's a little bit of a stretch. Still, I definitely recommend it.

Quoting Megan Griffith-Greene from "Let's Get Lost" in The Walrus:

Do you believe that the universe is a labyrinth or a maze? A labyrinth traces a single winding path to a centre or exit; you may not know where you are, but you are where you are supposed to be. The way through a maze is interrupted by false paths and dead ends. It is chaos. You have doubt. You have lost faith.

I find it an interesting way of considering things. It seems that life can feel like a maze all too often. Still, I'm inclined to believe it is more like a labyrinth. Does that mean I think fate governs my life (our yours)? Nah, I'd just rather be inclined towards comfort and happiness than doubt and chaos. I hope that's not a bad thing.

Life is a minefield. No, I haven't stepped on a proverbial mine, I'm just acknowledging the point. I'm probably not stating anything new to you but I was noting today how, despite the best efforts, our interactions with others are politically charged (not Liberal, NDP, Conservative, Green, Rhino, etc. political) or at the very least open to misinterpretation and misperception. That's not even getting directly into emotions. It can sure make conscious living daunting at times. Of course it doesn't excuse us from living consciously either.

Sorry intrepid readers, I've been neglecting my postly duties. Even as I type these sentences, I ask myself "what am I writing this post about?" Unfortunately, I don't have an answer which makes this a less than stellar start to a post. Recalling a recent conversation with a friend about blogs I was told that as trivial as what is written may be, it's better than not writing at all. So, call me Mr. Trivial.

Work's going alright. I'm preparing for a conference in a week and a half. It should be good. I'm also trying to ensure that everything that needs to be done between now and then is taken care of. I'm sure it'll all be fine. In other trivial news:

Got $320M+ kicking around? Unsure how to spend it? Try this.

Wanna get really annoyed? If you're like me, you will after reading this.

Man marries bitch to beat curse. No comment. (FOLLOW-UP: That link was the exact title of the story. BBC has kindly changed it. Please don't take it as some misogynistic comment on my part.)

Law and Order

Most of us are law-abiding citizens that try and avoid getting into trouble. Still, there are cases now-and-then when we question whether the laws make sense. Thankfully, the laws we concern ourselves with don't tend to be much like these.

Forward

Whether we notice it or not, we are continually moving forward. Each day sees us growing and changing. Sometimes in ways that we understand as good, somtimes not. Regardless of how we perceive them, those changes make us the people that we are that day and for the days that follow.

Still, it can be nice to create change that you see as positive. Change that truly feels like forward movement. I hope I am making that change.