All right, so I guess I'm a little slow on trendy internet type things lately, but I just found out that apparently there is a movie coming out this summer starring Samuel L. Jackson that's called...
....wait for it....
SNAKES ON A PLANE
seriously. That's the title. How incredible is that?? More info here and here.
Sunday, April 30, 2006
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Good Canadians Do Not Have Farts
Those of you who know me in real life will be well acquainted with my gas. It is infamously hideous and clears rooms, literally.
However, today it brought joy to an entire section of the office! I kid you not! It went like this:
Since all the ladies are back from vacation I have been moved to a different part of the office where I can do my repetitive paperwork and listen to music, it's been great. So today, shortly after lunch, I was returning to their corner of the office with some of the work I had finished and to pick up some more to do, when I accidentally let one silently slip. It was particularly vile, but thankfully short-lasting.
Now, luckily for me, there was another young guy in the vicinity at the time, so it wasn't quite so obvious that it came from me. Anyhow, the blame game started and the amount of laughter which it generated was unparalleled. Honestly, I've never seen any of them laugh that hard...they were all, quite seriously, wiping tears from their eyes (due to LAUGHTER, not ODOUR). And really, that seemed to buoy everyone's spirits for the rest of the afternoon. I could consistently hear laughter coming from that part of the office, and whenever I returned to get more paperwork, the game was still going:
"That must have been you Chris! It didn't come from a lady!"
"I don't know...Carol was the first one to smell it!!"
"I reckon it was David, he was the first to deny it!"
"No way! I like the smell of my own, and that was TERRIBLE!"
And so on. Honestly, I think it is the first time that my farts have ever brought so much happiness into this world.
PS: The title of this post is taken from a storybook I remember reading as a child. In Googling it, I found out that you can download - FOR FREE - an MP3 of the book as read by the author himself! It's only 4 minutes long, listen to it here. (My mom and uncle are going to love this!!!)
EDIT: PPS: Lol, I was doing some more searching on Robert Munsch and came across this link. What does it contain? A list of reviews by an Amazon member. Regarding one book by Robert Munsch, they wrote
"Now here is another story where two kindergarteners end up taking off their clothes in class and everyone thinks it is funny! What is up with this guy? Serious issues with boundaries and appropriate social behavior. I will not be reading his books to my children anymore."
First of all, if you've ever read anything by Robert Munsch, you will know that his stories are completely innocent and harmless. Second of all, the moral superiority conveyed by that last sentence is utterly destroyed when you realize that this page also contains reviews for THREE S&M EROTICA novels, giving them 4 and 5 stars (what was that about boundaries and appropriate social behaviour?) Now, presumably the reviewer would keep these books away from the children too (at least I should certainly hope so!), however it makes me think that perhaps they are projecting their own views of sexuality onto their kids who might actually be totally oblivious. Funny, in a weird way. Just an interesting observation I guess.
However, today it brought joy to an entire section of the office! I kid you not! It went like this:
Since all the ladies are back from vacation I have been moved to a different part of the office where I can do my repetitive paperwork and listen to music, it's been great. So today, shortly after lunch, I was returning to their corner of the office with some of the work I had finished and to pick up some more to do, when I accidentally let one silently slip. It was particularly vile, but thankfully short-lasting.
Now, luckily for me, there was another young guy in the vicinity at the time, so it wasn't quite so obvious that it came from me. Anyhow, the blame game started and the amount of laughter which it generated was unparalleled. Honestly, I've never seen any of them laugh that hard...they were all, quite seriously, wiping tears from their eyes (due to LAUGHTER, not ODOUR). And really, that seemed to buoy everyone's spirits for the rest of the afternoon. I could consistently hear laughter coming from that part of the office, and whenever I returned to get more paperwork, the game was still going:
"That must have been you Chris! It didn't come from a lady!"
"I don't know...Carol was the first one to smell it!!"
"I reckon it was David, he was the first to deny it!"
"No way! I like the smell of my own, and that was TERRIBLE!"
And so on. Honestly, I think it is the first time that my farts have ever brought so much happiness into this world.
PS: The title of this post is taken from a storybook I remember reading as a child. In Googling it, I found out that you can download - FOR FREE - an MP3 of the book as read by the author himself! It's only 4 minutes long, listen to it here. (My mom and uncle are going to love this!!!)
EDIT: PPS: Lol, I was doing some more searching on Robert Munsch and came across this link. What does it contain? A list of reviews by an Amazon member. Regarding one book by Robert Munsch, they wrote
"Now here is another story where two kindergarteners end up taking off their clothes in class and everyone thinks it is funny! What is up with this guy? Serious issues with boundaries and appropriate social behavior. I will not be reading his books to my children anymore."
First of all, if you've ever read anything by Robert Munsch, you will know that his stories are completely innocent and harmless. Second of all, the moral superiority conveyed by that last sentence is utterly destroyed when you realize that this page also contains reviews for THREE S&M EROTICA novels, giving them 4 and 5 stars (what was that about boundaries and appropriate social behaviour?) Now, presumably the reviewer would keep these books away from the children too (at least I should certainly hope so!), however it makes me think that perhaps they are projecting their own views of sexuality onto their kids who might actually be totally oblivious. Funny, in a weird way. Just an interesting observation I guess.
Monday, April 24, 2006
What I do for fun...
...is read stuff like this.
All right, so it may not be everyone's cup of tea, but try browsing through some of the discussion. Slashdot often has not only good tech stories but great feedback about its implications. Take a few minutes to look at that link.
To help you get started, here are some posts that particulary got me thinking:
All right, so it may not be everyone's cup of tea, but try browsing through some of the discussion. Slashdot often has not only good tech stories but great feedback about its implications. Take a few minutes to look at that link.
To help you get started, here are some posts that particulary got me thinking:
Monday mornings
Had trouble getting up for work this morning. Not that i had a terrible sleep or anything, just didn't want to get out of bed. So i laid there for 40 minutes after my alarm went off reminding myself that at least it was better than the coffee shop...and in fact, one of the ladies comes back from vacation tomorrow which means that i won't have to answer phones any more! Hurray! This also means that the only people i am required to talk to then are my co-workers, and that I can listen to music while completing my motonous tasks, so I can't really complain.
It's also less than 2 weeks now before i get to galavant around europe some more, which is good because after Ireland, my travelin bug has been itching again. I love Oxford, but it's spring and the weather is getting nice and i would like to get out there and see something new again...
So I'm pounding the coffees this morning and taking my time with my tasks (and, well, posting blog entries) and then at lunchtime I'll go back to Matt and Pip's for an hour to eat and relax before coming in and finishing off the afternoon. All in all it's not a horrible day. It could certainly be worse.
It's also less than 2 weeks now before i get to galavant around europe some more, which is good because after Ireland, my travelin bug has been itching again. I love Oxford, but it's spring and the weather is getting nice and i would like to get out there and see something new again...
So I'm pounding the coffees this morning and taking my time with my tasks (and, well, posting blog entries) and then at lunchtime I'll go back to Matt and Pip's for an hour to eat and relax before coming in and finishing off the afternoon. All in all it's not a horrible day. It could certainly be worse.
Sunday, April 23, 2006
Life in Britain
Watching the 10 o'clock news on the BBC tonight they aired two stories back to back. The first being about the protesters in Nepal who want accountability for the Monarchy and are fighting for real democratic elections. The very next story was about a thanksgiving service held for the Queen of England today in which they intercut shots of the Royal family and other guests, all of whom looked absolutely bored to the point of tears. I think Prince Charles may even have been nodding off.
I'm not sure what the political commentary is here, but the stark juxtaposition really struck me...
Two things I'd like to add:
- In spite of what I wrote yesterday, I'm not against protests by any stretch of the imagination. Sometimes it's the only way to begin a discussion...more power to 'em.
- I'm not sure how I feel about a church service whose sermon is dedicated to the personality of the Queen. Actually, that's a lie. I am sure how I feel about it: uneasy. Isn't the purpose of a sermon to convey the message of God? What does the Queen of England's long life and ruling history have to do with that?
I'm not sure what the political commentary is here, but the stark juxtaposition really struck me...
Two things I'd like to add:
- In spite of what I wrote yesterday, I'm not against protests by any stretch of the imagination. Sometimes it's the only way to begin a discussion...more power to 'em.
- I'm not sure how I feel about a church service whose sermon is dedicated to the personality of the Queen. Actually, that's a lie. I am sure how I feel about it: uneasy. Isn't the purpose of a sermon to convey the message of God? What does the Queen of England's long life and ruling history have to do with that?
Saturday, April 22, 2006
On (de)constructing a Worldview
So recently I've been thinking/learning about something and I tried to share it with Erin last weekend and for whatever reason, feel compelled to share with you folks now, and that is responsible dialogue....listening to other people....having an open mind...seeing two (or more) sides to a story.
Now, don't get me wrong...I'm an idealist of the highest sort, and I greatly admire passion. And I'm not trying make the case here for relative truth. There are things that I believe in and have strong opinions about, however never to the point that I would ignore or overpower another person's views on the same subject. That's what really bothers me: when people take a position and stick to it NO MATTER WHAT.
I remember reading about a scientific study in one of my religion classes in university (and I should really find out who it was by cuz I talk about it all the time) but the gist of the research was that in the face of overwhelming evidence against them, most folks would hold onto their beliefs until they reached a tipping point upon where they finally acknowledged that they were wrong, thereby destroying their entire worldview and mode of operating within reality.
What I'm suggesting is that perhaps there is another way. Rather than accepting a finished product (be it religious beliefs, political systems or whatever) why not build it as we go along, making changes and corrections as necessary? That way if one aspect is found to be wanting, it can be removed or reconfigured without destroying everything else along with it.
Now I realize that this is all terribly postmodern (and perhaps, painfully Canadian) of me. I also understand that it is likely to be an unpopular view due the constant reflection and revision (read: WORK) that is necessary when compared to accepting something 'as is' and never considering it again, but then, I'm not really sure where people got the idea that life was simple and could be waded through uncritically. Although I have a vague notion that this comes from (or at the very least, is reinforced by) the economic system we have created for ourselves...
I am aware that another pitfall of the approach I am suggesting is that it comes across sounding academic and therefore elitist. However, one need not have a high IQ to be able to think through the consequences of the decisions they make.
All right, so this is all a bit airy-fairy and not very practical, but that's how I write best. These reflections come from watching various people around me live and operate based on worldviews they have not critically considered. And honestly, I'm not using that as a euphemism for any one group...I'm thinking of people I know. Evangelical fundamentalists/literalists AND catholics with fervant support for the Pope.....the folks who I saw marching down the high street today protesting the Oxford animal lab AND the self-proclaimed right-wing racist who works in my office...sports fanatics who just can't see the penalties their favourite teams commit...nationalists...anarchists....
Now I understand that these people already have lots to do and don't want to think about existential matters any more than they have to, but to quote the Hip "no dress rehearsal, this is our life" I mean, you don't get another one. The things that make you tick...those that affect the decisions you make - that's all you get.
So I implore us all, can we please just try and listen more carefully to each other? Maybe in hearing diverse opinions you will discover that you were wrong, but that's hardly the end of the world - we've developed this foolish notion that always being right (and even moreso, appearing right in front of others) is somehow more important than developing our character and growing as human beings. And y'know what? Maybe hearing someone else's differing opinion will only serve to reinforce your current one. At least you are considering all of the available information.
All right, so calm dialogues aren't nearly as entertaining as wild-eyed speeches or shouting debates, but they are certainly more respectful and, I would argue, more helpful in the long run.
But enough pontificating from me. As per the content of this entry, I encourage you to post your comments below and I will consider them with fairness and equality.
Now, don't get me wrong...I'm an idealist of the highest sort, and I greatly admire passion. And I'm not trying make the case here for relative truth. There are things that I believe in and have strong opinions about, however never to the point that I would ignore or overpower another person's views on the same subject. That's what really bothers me: when people take a position and stick to it NO MATTER WHAT.
I remember reading about a scientific study in one of my religion classes in university (and I should really find out who it was by cuz I talk about it all the time) but the gist of the research was that in the face of overwhelming evidence against them, most folks would hold onto their beliefs until they reached a tipping point upon where they finally acknowledged that they were wrong, thereby destroying their entire worldview and mode of operating within reality.
What I'm suggesting is that perhaps there is another way. Rather than accepting a finished product (be it religious beliefs, political systems or whatever) why not build it as we go along, making changes and corrections as necessary? That way if one aspect is found to be wanting, it can be removed or reconfigured without destroying everything else along with it.
Now I realize that this is all terribly postmodern (and perhaps, painfully Canadian) of me. I also understand that it is likely to be an unpopular view due the constant reflection and revision (read: WORK) that is necessary when compared to accepting something 'as is' and never considering it again, but then, I'm not really sure where people got the idea that life was simple and could be waded through uncritically. Although I have a vague notion that this comes from (or at the very least, is reinforced by) the economic system we have created for ourselves...
I am aware that another pitfall of the approach I am suggesting is that it comes across sounding academic and therefore elitist. However, one need not have a high IQ to be able to think through the consequences of the decisions they make.
All right, so this is all a bit airy-fairy and not very practical, but that's how I write best. These reflections come from watching various people around me live and operate based on worldviews they have not critically considered. And honestly, I'm not using that as a euphemism for any one group...I'm thinking of people I know. Evangelical fundamentalists/literalists AND catholics with fervant support for the Pope.....the folks who I saw marching down the high street today protesting the Oxford animal lab AND the self-proclaimed right-wing racist who works in my office...sports fanatics who just can't see the penalties their favourite teams commit...nationalists...anarchists....
Now I understand that these people already have lots to do and don't want to think about existential matters any more than they have to, but to quote the Hip "no dress rehearsal, this is our life" I mean, you don't get another one. The things that make you tick...those that affect the decisions you make - that's all you get.
So I implore us all, can we please just try and listen more carefully to each other? Maybe in hearing diverse opinions you will discover that you were wrong, but that's hardly the end of the world - we've developed this foolish notion that always being right (and even moreso, appearing right in front of others) is somehow more important than developing our character and growing as human beings. And y'know what? Maybe hearing someone else's differing opinion will only serve to reinforce your current one. At least you are considering all of the available information.
All right, so calm dialogues aren't nearly as entertaining as wild-eyed speeches or shouting debates, but they are certainly more respectful and, I would argue, more helpful in the long run.
But enough pontificating from me. As per the content of this entry, I encourage you to post your comments below and I will consider them with fairness and equality.
War in Afghanistan
Apparently 4 more Canadians have been killed in Afghanistan, bringing the total to 16. Which is 16 more than I'd like to see, quite frankly.
Man, so often I intend to blog about stuff like how nice it is out today and how it's finally starting to feel like spring and how excited I am to travel in a couple of weeks, and then I read the headlines.
The war in Afghanistan is a tricky one...trickier than Iraq at least. Yes, the Taliban was a horribly repressive regime, yes they were fostering terrorist groups, but I feel like everyone signed up as a kneejerk reaction to 9/11. That said, the Afghanis have gotten the short end of history's stick... over and over again. Their geographic location has put them in the midst of several long-running wars and international squabbles. Their economy is shot and from what I understand, most of the country is in roughly in a state of anarchy run by regional warlords.
From Wikipedia:
"The main obstacle to eradicating poppy cultivation in Afghanistan is the US forces' need for the warlords and their forces in hunting terrorists. The warlords are the major culprits in poppy cultivation, but are also highly useful to the US forces in scouting, providing local intelligence, keeping their own territories clean from Al-Qaeda and Taliban insurgents, and even taking part in military operations - all for money. This also contributes to the lack of central government's real authority in provinces and discourages farmers from growing grain and fruit as they did for centuries previously."
So while I don't support destroying the infrastructure and then bowing out, I don't quite understand what Canada (and the other Western militaries) are doing there. If their plan is to seek out every last Taliban member and insurgent and exterminate them, it's going to be a long, costly (and I would argue, infeasible) process. So what's the solution then? I don't know. I'm not saying that Canadians and other countries SHOULDN'T help Afghanistan, I just question whether a military presence is really the way to go...
Man, so often I intend to blog about stuff like how nice it is out today and how it's finally starting to feel like spring and how excited I am to travel in a couple of weeks, and then I read the headlines.
The war in Afghanistan is a tricky one...trickier than Iraq at least. Yes, the Taliban was a horribly repressive regime, yes they were fostering terrorist groups, but I feel like everyone signed up as a kneejerk reaction to 9/11. That said, the Afghanis have gotten the short end of history's stick... over and over again. Their geographic location has put them in the midst of several long-running wars and international squabbles. Their economy is shot and from what I understand, most of the country is in roughly in a state of anarchy run by regional warlords.
From Wikipedia:
"The main obstacle to eradicating poppy cultivation in Afghanistan is the US forces' need for the warlords and their forces in hunting terrorists. The warlords are the major culprits in poppy cultivation, but are also highly useful to the US forces in scouting, providing local intelligence, keeping their own territories clean from Al-Qaeda and Taliban insurgents, and even taking part in military operations - all for money. This also contributes to the lack of central government's real authority in provinces and discourages farmers from growing grain and fruit as they did for centuries previously."
So while I don't support destroying the infrastructure and then bowing out, I don't quite understand what Canada (and the other Western militaries) are doing there. If their plan is to seek out every last Taliban member and insurgent and exterminate them, it's going to be a long, costly (and I would argue, infeasible) process. So what's the solution then? I don't know. I'm not saying that Canadians and other countries SHOULDN'T help Afghanistan, I just question whether a military presence is really the way to go...
Thursday, April 20, 2006
GUTTED!
So I just found out that Pearl Jam were playing in London tonight, and I had NO idea...I'm entirely gutted! In fact, they're probably playing AT THIS VERY MOMENT!
Alright, so I've already seen them...*ahem* 5 times before, but never on this side of the ocean! Apparently they're headlining the Reading and Leeds festivals this August, so maybe I'll catch them then. They've got a new album due out at the beginning of May which I'll definitely pick up, even if their live stuff is better.
Tool has a new album out soon too. It's gonna be a heavy summer....
Alright, so I've already seen them...*ahem* 5 times before, but never on this side of the ocean! Apparently they're headlining the Reading and Leeds festivals this August, so maybe I'll catch them then. They've got a new album due out at the beginning of May which I'll definitely pick up, even if their live stuff is better.
Tool has a new album out soon too. It's gonna be a heavy summer....
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
The Introvert Rejoices
After spending the weekend in Dublin, I am now staying at Matt and Pip's, looking after their cat while they visit my homeland.
Top 3 things about staying here:
1.) Five minute walk to work
2.) It's down a sidestreet so I don't hear lots of loud drunks coming home from the bars
3.) Space to myself - no flatmates to deal with when I'm overtired/not in the mood
So I was looking at the calendar today at work and realized that I don't have another full week before I go away. Last week was Good Friday, this week is Easter monday. Next week I'm gonna do a half day on Friday so that I can hitch a ride with Rich up north for Justice's stag-do. The week after that is May day on Monday AND on Friday I'm flying to Amsterdam for the weekend with Kyle and folks, and then onto Geneva to meet up with my mom for an Emerging church conference followed by 2 week vacation through Switzerland, Austria and the Czech Republic.
And although the thought of working less is nice, I get paid by the hour which means smaller pay cheques at the end of the week. Which wouldn't be a problem except that I have bills to pay! Being an adult sucks sometimes. But there ya go.
I'm off to enjoy some time to myself before bed. I've started listening to the CBC Radio 3 podcast again and am loving it! I'm gonna listen to an archived show before heading to bed. I'll try and post some more pics from Dublin soon and perhaps some more insightful ramblings. Peace.
Top 3 things about staying here:
1.) Five minute walk to work
2.) It's down a sidestreet so I don't hear lots of loud drunks coming home from the bars
3.) Space to myself - no flatmates to deal with when I'm overtired/not in the mood
So I was looking at the calendar today at work and realized that I don't have another full week before I go away. Last week was Good Friday, this week is Easter monday. Next week I'm gonna do a half day on Friday so that I can hitch a ride with Rich up north for Justice's stag-do. The week after that is May day on Monday AND on Friday I'm flying to Amsterdam for the weekend with Kyle and folks, and then onto Geneva to meet up with my mom for an Emerging church conference followed by 2 week vacation through Switzerland, Austria and the Czech Republic.
And although the thought of working less is nice, I get paid by the hour which means smaller pay cheques at the end of the week. Which wouldn't be a problem except that I have bills to pay! Being an adult sucks sometimes. But there ya go.
I'm off to enjoy some time to myself before bed. I've started listening to the CBC Radio 3 podcast again and am loving it! I'm gonna listen to an archived show before heading to bed. I'll try and post some more pics from Dublin soon and perhaps some more insightful ramblings. Peace.
Harper's an ass
Note: if you're not Canadian, or don't care about Canadian politics, feel free to skip this one.
Harper's an arrogant ass. So what else is new.
He's been playing the equivalent of an 'all-in' poker bet lately. He keeps challenging the opposition parties to try and bring down the legislation he's introducing because he knows they won't do it. Why won't they do it?
a.) because no party wants to be seen as the party that forced the THIRD election in 2 years
b.) because the Liberals (the only real contenders) currently have no leader, and no star candidates to take over the position
Therefore, unless Harper tried to introduce something outrageous (like blocking gay marriage, or introducing missle defence) no one is going to challenge it. I gotta admit, he's got himself into a pretty good position. And I guess he's challenging the other parties to assert his own power. I understand that's how you play politics, but the dude comes out of it looking like an ass.
It's starting to worry me a bit too, considering all the military rhetoric he's been throwing around lately. If Bush eventually does go into Iran (which I can't see happening, considering the cost of the Iraq war and the fact that his administration is crumbling to pieces, but you never know) and Harper decides Canada should go along for the ride, you better believe I'll camp myself outside of 24 Sussex drive.
*sigh*
This isn't related to Canada at all, however it looks like Berlusconi has officially been defeated. At least that's a little good news...
Harper's an arrogant ass. So what else is new.
He's been playing the equivalent of an 'all-in' poker bet lately. He keeps challenging the opposition parties to try and bring down the legislation he's introducing because he knows they won't do it. Why won't they do it?
a.) because no party wants to be seen as the party that forced the THIRD election in 2 years
b.) because the Liberals (the only real contenders) currently have no leader, and no star candidates to take over the position
Therefore, unless Harper tried to introduce something outrageous (like blocking gay marriage, or introducing missle defence) no one is going to challenge it. I gotta admit, he's got himself into a pretty good position. And I guess he's challenging the other parties to assert his own power. I understand that's how you play politics, but the dude comes out of it looking like an ass.
It's starting to worry me a bit too, considering all the military rhetoric he's been throwing around lately. If Bush eventually does go into Iran (which I can't see happening, considering the cost of the Iraq war and the fact that his administration is crumbling to pieces, but you never know) and Harper decides Canada should go along for the ride, you better believe I'll camp myself outside of 24 Sussex drive.
*sigh*
This isn't related to Canada at all, however it looks like Berlusconi has officially been defeated. At least that's a little good news...
Monday, April 17, 2006
Here's a few pictures....
...to tide you over (well, to tide me over).
The Liffey
The Irish Museum of Modern Art
Erin and our boiled Easter ham
Our Easter dinner!
From left to right: me (it was a timer, I didn't know how far to lean!) Gizmo from Norway, Erin from Canada, Anita from Poland, Danielle from Canada
This is the moutain/large hill that Erin and I climbed in Bray today
We did make it all the way to the top but this was the closest picture I got...
a view from the top
The Liffey
The Irish Museum of Modern Art
Erin and our boiled Easter ham
Our Easter dinner!
From left to right: me (it was a timer, I didn't know how far to lean!) Gizmo from Norway, Erin from Canada, Anita from Poland, Danielle from Canada
This is the moutain/large hill that Erin and I climbed in Bray today
We did make it all the way to the top but this was the closest picture I got...
a view from the top
another view from the top...
All right, more to come once I get home, get some sleep and have enough time to work on it...
now only 1 1/2 more hours to kill here....
now only 1 1/2 more hours to kill here....
A Mild Damper
Well, I had a fantastic Easter weekend in Dublin with Erin. The end is slightly dampened however by the fact that it is now 11pm and I am stuck at Luton airport for the next THREE hours while I wait for the next bus to Oxford. Apparently I missed the last bus by 5 minutes (according to the National Express guy who was standing there). Why did I miss it by 5 minutes? Well, thankfully my flight was 20 minutes early, so I hauled ass to get off the plane. This really didn't matter though, since we all had to load up into a bus to take to the terminal anyhow. It was physically paining to watch the old lady with the cane take each and every step down the airplane and hobble over to the people carrier. And then it's not like we even went far AT ALL. I'm not saying I would have made it without the transport, but I'm saying my chances would have been better. Now, I suppose that I could try and get some sleep for the next little while, however I certainly don't want to sleep past the 2am bus. Luckily I have my laptop, some movies I haven't seen, and headphones, so hopefully that'll get me some of the way through. There's also wireless internet access here (albeit not free), so that's probably a way to kill an hour or so as well.
Oh! I could also transfer the pictures over from my camera. That'd take up some time. I guess the problem isn't that I can't busy myself, but rather that I'm going to get home and have like a 2 hour nap before I have to get up for work. Even combined with 2 hours of sleep in the bus on the way there, that will hardly leave me feeling fresh for work tomorrow.
I shouldn't complain however...it was either this flight, or one earlier in the morning, which would have essentially meant writing today off. And I'm thankful I had today to hang out in Ireland... it was probably my favourite part of the trip in fact! I'm just bitter that I missed the coach home by such a small fraction!
Oh! I could also transfer the pictures over from my camera. That'd take up some time. I guess the problem isn't that I can't busy myself, but rather that I'm going to get home and have like a 2 hour nap before I have to get up for work. Even combined with 2 hours of sleep in the bus on the way there, that will hardly leave me feeling fresh for work tomorrow.
I shouldn't complain however...it was either this flight, or one earlier in the morning, which would have essentially meant writing today off. And I'm thankful I had today to hang out in Ireland... it was probably my favourite part of the trip in fact! I'm just bitter that I missed the coach home by such a small fraction!
Sunday, April 09, 2006
One
Ok, in following with Rich and Naomi's posts on friends and friendship, here is a list of countries in which I have friends or relatives of friends, where I think I could probably stay for free. This is not to boast, but rather to accentuate the multiculturality of the friendships that I've made since arriving in the UK. Well ok, it is to boast a little bit.
So here they are, in no particular order other than the one that comes to mind: New Zealand, Brazil, France, Spain, Sweden, Poland, The Netherlands, India, Italy, and Finland. And of course all over the UK, obviously. I wish there were more African and Asian countries in there...something to work on I guess. If you know of anywhere else that I could stay for free due to having a connection there, feel free to add it to the comments. In fact, I hear that the Irish are quite friendly...maybe I'll be able to add that to the list after this weekend :D
So here they are, in no particular order other than the one that comes to mind: New Zealand, Brazil, France, Spain, Sweden, Poland, The Netherlands, India, Italy, and Finland. And of course all over the UK, obviously. I wish there were more African and Asian countries in there...something to work on I guess. If you know of anywhere else that I could stay for free due to having a connection there, feel free to add it to the comments. In fact, I hear that the Irish are quite friendly...maybe I'll be able to add that to the list after this weekend :D
Saturday, April 08, 2006
3
I have 3 big blog posts that are floating around in my mind and I've been meaning to get them out of there and on to the internet, but I just haven't taken the time they deserve to be written properly. So instead, here's a teaser of the topics:
1.) A list of countries in which I could probably stay for free, due to friends or relatives of friends that I have met since living in England
2.) A calm, rational argument about why 'Christian' video games outrage me
3.) The fact that I just realized that it is very likely that 2 of my grandparents were Nazis (although I have no proof of this)
We'll see if I can't pop one or two of 'em out tomorrow...
1.) A list of countries in which I could probably stay for free, due to friends or relatives of friends that I have met since living in England
2.) A calm, rational argument about why 'Christian' video games outrage me
3.) The fact that I just realized that it is very likely that 2 of my grandparents were Nazis (although I have no proof of this)
We'll see if I can't pop one or two of 'em out tomorrow...
Thursday, April 06, 2006
Hilarious and horribly depressing
I woke up to this hilarious e-mail from my mother. She really ought to do infomercials:
"You got this great booklet in the mail. If you save 4,000,000 points you can get a Toyota Prius Hybrid. So go guy go cuz you have 21,554 points already!!!!!!
Or right now you can get some sugar bowls or a bottle of perfume or a cordless keyboard or an electric skillet, a salt and pepper set or a pouring rain shower head. I kid you not!!. Man the list is endless. You could even get a new toaster oven at just 18,500 points which still gives you enough for a knife set too!!
WOWZERS. Who would have known that for going into regular debt, you would benefit so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh and I forgot the professional food slicer to slice and dice your meat and cheese--- there are paper thin settings ( I can see an actual picture of the meat and cheese it must have cut ). You could start your own door to door meat slicing business. Plus the ice cream maker is only 14,000 points so I really don’t know how you would choose between that and your own meat slicer.
But wait Chris. If you can just wait and spend your heart out some more on that little piece of plastic, you could get to 30,000 points for your own espresso/Cappuccino maker and wouldn’t that be a dear reminder of Oxford days. Or better yet 45,000 points gets you an elegantly styled, classic black lamb skin jacket featuring a textured pebble finish.. Now wouldn’t that be worth killing a little creature for.
The book is just too heavy to send but if you go on RBCREWARDS.COM you can view all this and more booty with your very own eyes. And you can even redeem your rewards on line.
Note p.8 does have Chapters gift certificates for 3,000 pts for a $25 gift card. $175 worth of books when you get back would be great. I might have to get me one of these after all."
---
Now, although I found my mom's e-mail highly entertaining, I find it frightening and somewhat disheartening when I consider that 1 point = 1 dollar. That means in the past 6 years I've spent over $21,000 on my credit card alone. Holy smokes! That averages out to 3 1/2 grand per year.... I know that recently some of it has gone to overseas flights and what have you, but what about the rest of it? It's shameful to think what a poor steward I've been over the years, and how much more I could have done for others with those funds. This feeling is exacerbated by the fact that one aspect of my job entails adding interest to people's accounts, and it's amazing to see how much they make in a year just by letting their money sit there.
Now that I am more or less financially independent, I think I'm starting to get a better sense of the value of money (at least, more so than when I was in uni or high school), and I am giving away more than ever before, however this shows me that it's quite obvious that I still have a long way to go.
(As a postscript: It's pretty ridiculous that spending $3,000 gets you a $25 gift certificate. That works out to making back 0.00833 cents per dollar....not including the $35 annual fee. So in order to get that cappuccino maker 'for free,' i need only spend another $8,500 - or I could just buy one outright for a couple hundred)
"You got this great booklet in the mail. If you save 4,000,000 points you can get a Toyota Prius Hybrid. So go guy go cuz you have 21,554 points already!!!!!!
Or right now you can get some sugar bowls or a bottle of perfume or a cordless keyboard or an electric skillet, a salt and pepper set or a pouring rain shower head. I kid you not!!. Man the list is endless. You could even get a new toaster oven at just 18,500 points which still gives you enough for a knife set too!!
WOWZERS. Who would have known that for going into regular debt, you would benefit so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh and I forgot the professional food slicer to slice and dice your meat and cheese--- there are paper thin settings ( I can see an actual picture of the meat and cheese it must have cut ). You could start your own door to door meat slicing business. Plus the ice cream maker is only 14,000 points so I really don’t know how you would choose between that and your own meat slicer.
But wait Chris. If you can just wait and spend your heart out some more on that little piece of plastic, you could get to 30,000 points for your own espresso/Cappuccino maker and wouldn’t that be a dear reminder of Oxford days. Or better yet 45,000 points gets you an elegantly styled, classic black lamb skin jacket featuring a textured pebble finish.. Now wouldn’t that be worth killing a little creature for.
The book is just too heavy to send but if you go on RBCREWARDS.COM you can view all this and more booty with your very own eyes. And you can even redeem your rewards on line.
Note p.8 does have Chapters gift certificates for 3,000 pts for a $25 gift card. $175 worth of books when you get back would be great. I might have to get me one of these after all."
---
Now, although I found my mom's e-mail highly entertaining, I find it frightening and somewhat disheartening when I consider that 1 point = 1 dollar. That means in the past 6 years I've spent over $21,000 on my credit card alone. Holy smokes! That averages out to 3 1/2 grand per year.... I know that recently some of it has gone to overseas flights and what have you, but what about the rest of it? It's shameful to think what a poor steward I've been over the years, and how much more I could have done for others with those funds. This feeling is exacerbated by the fact that one aspect of my job entails adding interest to people's accounts, and it's amazing to see how much they make in a year just by letting their money sit there.
Now that I am more or less financially independent, I think I'm starting to get a better sense of the value of money (at least, more so than when I was in uni or high school), and I am giving away more than ever before, however this shows me that it's quite obvious that I still have a long way to go.
(As a postscript: It's pretty ridiculous that spending $3,000 gets you a $25 gift certificate. That works out to making back 0.00833 cents per dollar....not including the $35 annual fee. So in order to get that cappuccino maker 'for free,' i need only spend another $8,500 - or I could just buy one outright for a couple hundred)
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
A Dull Shine
EDIT: Read the comments for more
---
Well, the veneer of the office job is beginning to wear thin. Along with the nice desk tucked away in corner comes the responsibility of answering phones. Yesterday I had a particularly nasty piece of work, a lady in her 70s who was upset that she hadn't had her documents returned to her despite submitting them over 2 weeks ago. Despite the occasionally humourous moments in the conversation (like how I should fire all the workers at the Cowley shop and replace them with competent managers, and when she would use 'strong' language like crap and flip) mostly it was just aggravating. I can understand why she would be upset, but of all the people in the company to complain to, I'm probably the one with the least authority. At one point in the conversation (despite me apologizing profusely) she said "I don't think anyone cares!" and it took all my willpower not to reply "Well I certainly don't give a shit!" Part of the reason I started temping was to get away from angry customers!
Now, I don't want to come off sounding like a spoiled {b/p}rat - it is still better work than the coffee shop. Overall it's less stressful and I earn more money. It's nice to have a steady pay cheque again, to work regular hours and have weekends off. All that said, I felt the sting of injustice yesterday as I walked past the desk of the new temp and saw her rocking out to her iPod while she input the new account information, knowing that we were being paid the exact same wage.
---
Well, the veneer of the office job is beginning to wear thin. Along with the nice desk tucked away in corner comes the responsibility of answering phones. Yesterday I had a particularly nasty piece of work, a lady in her 70s who was upset that she hadn't had her documents returned to her despite submitting them over 2 weeks ago. Despite the occasionally humourous moments in the conversation (like how I should fire all the workers at the Cowley shop and replace them with competent managers, and when she would use 'strong' language like crap and flip) mostly it was just aggravating. I can understand why she would be upset, but of all the people in the company to complain to, I'm probably the one with the least authority. At one point in the conversation (despite me apologizing profusely) she said "I don't think anyone cares!" and it took all my willpower not to reply "Well I certainly don't give a shit!" Part of the reason I started temping was to get away from angry customers!
Now, I don't want to come off sounding like a spoiled {b/p}rat - it is still better work than the coffee shop. Overall it's less stressful and I earn more money. It's nice to have a steady pay cheque again, to work regular hours and have weekends off. All that said, I felt the sting of injustice yesterday as I walked past the desk of the new temp and saw her rocking out to her iPod while she input the new account information, knowing that we were being paid the exact same wage.
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
More Amiina
Here is a video of 2 tracks performed by Amiina (Divx, 11 minutes) live in LA. It's filmed by a fan however I got it from a link on the official Sigur Ros website so it should be all legit. So anyone who's interested can check it out!
Correction: the first 25 people who are interested can check it out. I tried uploading the video to my ISP's webspace, but apparently they're useless. Although it falls within all the parameters, for whatever reason it just won't work, grrrr. So I resorted to yousendit.com - but after 25 people see it (well, 24 after I check to make sure it's working) they delete the file. This is probably ok though seeing as how I only have about 15 regular readers anyhow.
So there you have it. The music is quirky and they are cute. The video is a bit tiny (to save space) so you may need to embiggen.
Correction: the first 25 people who are interested can check it out. I tried uploading the video to my ISP's webspace, but apparently they're useless. Although it falls within all the parameters, for whatever reason it just won't work, grrrr. So I resorted to yousendit.com - but after 25 people see it (well, 24 after I check to make sure it's working) they delete the file. This is probably ok though seeing as how I only have about 15 regular readers anyhow.
So there you have it. The music is quirky and they are cute. The video is a bit tiny (to save space) so you may need to embiggen.
Sunshine in Iceland
I want to blog about the weekend before it slips too far from memory. Not that anything exciting really happened, I just wanted to share.
So after seeing Sigur Ros a week ago, I got online and started looking for more about them. I found out that they're one of those great bands who encourage people to record their live shows and trade them freely (you can find links to download shows from their official board here)
I was also really impressed with the band who opened for them (and also happen to be their string quartet) Amiina. So I started getting some of their live shows too, which led me to other bands from Iceland, and before I knew it, I spent the weekend immersed in Icelandic songs! Mum, Emiliana Torrini, and Bjork among others...so much talent from such a small place! Next time I cross the atlantic, I will definitely plan a stopover in Reykjavik (even if it is horribly expensive).
So Saturday I mostly wasted in bed. It was really sunny and nice outside, and I kept planning to go out for a walk, but just never got around to it. Sunday morning it started out chucking rain, so I thought that was gonna be it, however by the afternoon it was bright and sunny again, so I loaded up my mp3 player with my new tunes, and headed out on a walk. Originally it was just going to be exploring the side streets, but eventually I came across the Cherwell river in Marston and couldn't stay away! However, as previously mentioned, it had rained heavily, so the water level was high and even broke the banks and some parts! Not planning on a hike, I was wearing only my trainers. While I managed to avoid mud and dampness for most of the walk (sometimes by daringly crossing wobbly logs) eventually I came to an impasse, where the only choice was to cave and give in to the inevitable soaker. Thankfully it was near the end and it didn't ruin my spirits too much. Actually, it was the sense of defeat, more than the soaking wet feet which bothered me the most :P
And such was my weekend. Nothing special, but enjoyable nonetheless. On a sidenote, Amiina are opening a show for another band around King's Cross, London a couple days after Easter Monday. Tickets are a tenner, anyone up for it? I can give you some live stuff (for free!) if anyone from these parts is interested...
So after seeing Sigur Ros a week ago, I got online and started looking for more about them. I found out that they're one of those great bands who encourage people to record their live shows and trade them freely (you can find links to download shows from their official board here)
I was also really impressed with the band who opened for them (and also happen to be their string quartet) Amiina. So I started getting some of their live shows too, which led me to other bands from Iceland, and before I knew it, I spent the weekend immersed in Icelandic songs! Mum, Emiliana Torrini, and Bjork among others...so much talent from such a small place! Next time I cross the atlantic, I will definitely plan a stopover in Reykjavik (even if it is horribly expensive).
So Saturday I mostly wasted in bed. It was really sunny and nice outside, and I kept planning to go out for a walk, but just never got around to it. Sunday morning it started out chucking rain, so I thought that was gonna be it, however by the afternoon it was bright and sunny again, so I loaded up my mp3 player with my new tunes, and headed out on a walk. Originally it was just going to be exploring the side streets, but eventually I came across the Cherwell river in Marston and couldn't stay away! However, as previously mentioned, it had rained heavily, so the water level was high and even broke the banks and some parts! Not planning on a hike, I was wearing only my trainers. While I managed to avoid mud and dampness for most of the walk (sometimes by daringly crossing wobbly logs) eventually I came to an impasse, where the only choice was to cave and give in to the inevitable soaker. Thankfully it was near the end and it didn't ruin my spirits too much. Actually, it was the sense of defeat, more than the soaking wet feet which bothered me the most :P
And such was my weekend. Nothing special, but enjoyable nonetheless. On a sidenote, Amiina are opening a show for another band around King's Cross, London a couple days after Easter Monday. Tickets are a tenner, anyone up for it? I can give you some live stuff (for free!) if anyone from these parts is interested...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
