tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95994162011-09-07T12:15:05.920-04:00Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.comBlogger3821100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-84119841104947017322009-06-08T18:08:00.001-04:002009-06-08T18:08:49.175-04:00

http://tech.slashdot.org/story/09/06/08/1715239/Most-Blogs-Now-AbandonedSo does it count if a post a story about it being abandoned?

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-56270762891055031082009-05-20T18:01:00.003-04:002009-05-20T18:09:11.117-04:00

Well, I can read the sloopy, bloopy writing now, I just can't speak it or understand it when it's spoken :P

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-60941297197563630292008-03-06T15:21:00.004-05:002008-03-06T15:46:26.003-05:00

In response to someone claiming that I didn't update my blog enough, here is a new post. It will deal with another pet peeve, similar to my previous ones about '-aholisms'. Coincidentally, it also deals with an improper suffix being added on to words.(somewhat interesting sidenote: if i waited one week it would be a year to the day since my last pet peeve post, but we'll make it early this

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-67662536416993731672008-02-06T17:25:00.000-05:002008-02-06T17:27:37.532-05:00

Just read this article -- it's about the only Canadian detainee in Guantanamo bay. It's absolutely ridiculous that such a place even exists!!!

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-52617811551486035222008-02-03T16:22:00.000-05:002008-02-03T19:39:48.144-05:00

Well, I finally got to use my rented cross-country skis today! I went with my friends Lixian and Mila, and man, was it ever a trial by fire!I have been cross-country skiing before, but certainly not in the last 10 years, possibly not in the last 15. Where I went skiing before was peaceful and devoid of people. Oslo? Not so much. At least, not on a Sunday afternoon. Holy shit, do the

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-36223633671985538872008-01-23T17:04:00.001-05:002008-01-23T17:04:33.564-05:00

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-9311065313131154292008-01-21T13:44:00.000-05:002008-01-21T13:48:44.705-05:00

Sorry for not writing more expository entries recently, but the reason for that is because nothing overly exciting is happening. That's not to say life is bad -- in fact, far from it! The new semester has started, and I like most of my classes. I'm getting into a weekly routine and enjoying it. I've met some new folks and am enjoying getting to know folks from last semester better. Other

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-15925361662872410312008-01-17T12:53:00.000-05:002008-01-17T13:01:47.430-05:00

This is just horrendously, hideously, amazingly awful. It is (I imagine) the result of what happens when Christians who spend their entire life sheltered from the rest of the world eventually try to engage it on its own terms. If you can get through the agonizing opening sequence, you are in for a great surprise. I will quote the author from Kotaku who first drew my attention to this

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-26063589075431636242008-01-07T10:03:00.000-05:002008-01-07T14:37:17.986-05:00

Man, time and memory are weird things. I'm not even sure this is going to be a coherent post, maybe just a list of impressions / observations, we'll see.Well, I'm back visiting Oxford nearly 3 years after moving here for the first time. It's weird to see what's changed and what's the same. A bunch of my favourite small shops have closed (though not all), and that's sad. Equally sad are the

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-63846107807642315922007-12-28T01:22:00.000-05:002007-12-28T02:52:25.178-05:00

I had a dream where I discovered that southern Sweden directly bordered Mauritania and Northern India, so I immediately started to plan the road trip of a lifetime! (For the record, Mauritania was to the east, and had a slightly longer border with Sweden than India did)I awoke to find, somewhat disappointingly, that this is not actually the case. No offense Denmark.Just for fun, here is a

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-27493908803700373202007-12-27T02:14:00.000-05:002007-12-27T02:58:01.819-05:00

The 21st century is a weird and wonderful place to live.From the comments of the previous Money as Debt videos I came across this guy:He has 126 (!) videos on YouTube, which he posts in response to other people's videos. All of them are about the same length and contain basically the same rant/information:he is a US armed forces veteranhe claims his old boss was murdered but it was framed as a

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-41587347766447330992007-12-27T01:42:00.001-05:002007-12-27T01:42:58.327-05:00

Holy shit, this is informative. Sometimes I really wish I had studied economics...Watch this, and then go watch the other 4 parts as well.

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-17899336123537089982007-12-24T01:40:00.000-05:002007-12-24T01:55:54.997-05:00

Sometimes I love xkcd.Dude also just put a ball pit in his room. That's amazing!

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-22363436255294283862007-12-18T10:25:00.000-05:002007-12-18T10:45:26.408-05:00

For some reason blogger doesn't agree with the use of tables. Scroll down.Location:Date:Sunrise:Sunset:Length of Day:TorontoDec. 18/077:46am4:42pm8h56m01sLondonDec. 18/078:02am3:52pm7h50m26sOsloDec. 18/079:16am3:11pm5h54m42s

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-4186543718114718472007-12-05T00:47:00.000-05:002007-12-05T01:24:34.449-05:00

I'm taking a break from my final exam (which is discussing the jovial issues of Structural Violence and AIDS in Africa) and I came across another BBC article that made me smile:One-fifth of Canadians ImmigrantsI found this one funny but for a different reason than the last one. Although it accurately states all of the facts, it does so in such a British fashion. I realize that they're talking

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-82774489738020360462007-12-04T09:20:00.000-05:002007-12-04T09:21:44.180-05:00

It's nice to see reporters for the BBC having a little fun at work. Here's a direct quote from one article:"It says the tiny bitch was whisked away under an assumed name after receiving about 20 threats."Intrigued? Read the rest of it here.

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-48298738023507570562007-11-28T21:18:00.000-05:002007-12-03T21:42:02.672-05:00

Props to Gwyneth for pointing this one out to me.Seeing Vigelands Skulpturparken and Karl Johans gate made me smile.

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-80057241310257811042007-11-28T16:23:00.000-05:002007-11-28T18:24:38.829-05:00

Here we all sit,in our blue jeans.Poring over books and notes and doodles we have left in the margins.Like soldiers on a battlefield,we bond over a shared sense of hardship:the pressure of the next exam,the stress of rewriting those final two pages.It seems all too present now, yet I can't help but think that in 20 years we will barely remember these times.20 years from now...We are young, we are

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-89661247399215108182007-11-26T17:59:00.000-05:002007-11-26T18:05:45.421-05:00

I've been working a lot at Lixian's place lately in an effort to finish my final essays for the semester. Tonight, she went to bed early but I stayed up chatting with her friends/roommates and eventually realized that I was alone in a room with 3 gay people (2 guys and a girl).As I thought more about it I realized that, perhaps sadly, this was the largest number of homosexuals I'd ever knowingly

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-90861916536623096902007-11-26T05:25:00.000-05:002007-11-26T05:26:19.503-05:00

6000 words til Thursday.Party on Friday.3000 more by next Wednesday.Month off.

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-49341311689290218332007-11-11T08:45:00.000-05:002007-11-11T08:46:43.363-05:00

Today I also came across this article about Canada's role in Afghanistan and thought it nicely complemented my previous post.

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-62271573738406853352007-11-11T06:57:00.000-05:002007-11-11T07:38:38.333-05:00

It's Rememberance Day. Or at least it is in Canada and the UK. I kinda forgot cuz they don't celebrate it here.My friend Matt from back home suggested that I write something about it, so here it is. 'This Bud's for you.'The point of Rememberance Day is to honour the veterans of wars. This is typically displayed by wearing a red poppy. The problem is, I don't believe in violence. I never

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-3467451308952261372007-11-09T06:47:00.000-05:002007-11-09T07:10:57.137-05:00

Last night I went to Chateau Neuf and sat through an hour and fifteen minute long interview with my favourite Norwegian author, Erlend Loe. The whole thing occurred in Norwegian, naturally, which made it a bit tedious (given that I understand almost no Norwegian), but I still think it was worth it! I got to chat with him a bit afterwards and got him to sign my copy of Naive. Super. (Which I

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-86662364959291360602007-11-03T09:59:00.000-04:002007-11-03T10:05:04.505-04:00

My dear friend Matthew Nigel Howell sent me the following message on Facebook and I thought that it was too good to keep to myself. Thus I asked his permission to share it with the world, and permission was granted. So without further ado:"Last night was 'devil's night', typically a great night of adrenaline and mischief for young folks. Jody and I were sitting in the living room, which has a

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-64405882013039828292007-10-29T17:17:00.000-04:002007-10-30T06:57:50.439-04:00

My friend Oria has a game called "that's not normal!" and I think that I inadvertantly played a round tonight.While waiting for the metro this evening at my student residence an African man walked by alone, then suddenly burst into some sweet, sweet karate moves (dangerously close to the track, I might add). They were so exuberant that it sent his mobile phone flying out onto the platform. After

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-10704415483024438672007-10-25T17:12:00.000-04:002007-10-25T18:38:16.150-04:00

I always forget how long the day is when you get up early. You would think I'd learn, but it surprises me every time.This morning I got up at 8 in order to get my mom to the bus station in time to get a bus to the airport for her flight out this afternoon (she has been visiting for the past 9 days during which we took a trip to Finland!)After waving goodbye I walked from the bus station to

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-71641496330227665102007-10-13T23:52:00.000-04:002007-10-14T07:47:09.263-04:00

I hope we don't become extinct.

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-65965245209033201762007-10-11T07:04:00.000-04:002007-10-11T07:16:25.953-04:00

I've been meaning to take some photos of the art project in the lobby of my faculty building for a while now, but always forget. Then I remembered that Erin took some while she was here, and that I still have her photos on my computer, so I'll just use them (without her permission!)The piece is made up of a bunch of individual tiles with all sorts of different text/images on them.Some highlights

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-36318906346685398952007-10-10T15:53:00.000-04:002007-10-10T15:56:23.971-04:00

For the sake of accuracy in journalism, I will admit that I forgot to include the following:Laundry Access CardThat is all.

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-11619670000773956772007-10-09T21:37:00.000-04:002007-10-09T22:17:07.678-04:00

Ontario Driver's LicenseOntario Health CardBritish Driver's LicenseCanadian Social Insurance NumberList of 101 Things To Do Before You DieOntario Birth CertificateVideosyncratic Membership CardHostelling International Membership CardStarbucks gift certificateQueen's University Student CardUniversity of Oslo Student CardOslo Monthly Transit PassNorwegian Bank CardNorwegian Credit CardCanadian Bank

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-68589332511121747892007-10-09T14:50:00.000-04:002007-10-09T14:52:17.317-04:00

Did you know that for most of the 20th century the Canadians used syrup as currency?

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-38766530808440932712007-10-04T19:37:00.001-04:002007-10-04T19:52:03.088-04:00

I received the following message at my university (uio.no) e-mail account the other day:"Dear My functional group...hahahahahaI attached my reaserch work/Abstract on iodized salt that hopefully will give someinformation about one of the indictaors and monitiroing in the IDD prevention andcontrol program ...and also don't forget i already sent for publication and waitingthe reply from reviwers, so

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-2041556518409269312007-09-30T11:46:00.000-04:002007-09-30T11:50:11.019-04:00

As you may have noticed, the peaceful protest in Burma has rather captured my attention. Although I would love to fly to Bangkok and sneak over the Burmese border to join in, I figure that's not entirely practical. So instead I decided to make a website to consolidate info on all the various demonstrations and protests that are going on around the world in solidarity with the Burmese people and

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-47294663558541430342007-09-29T11:04:00.000-04:002007-09-29T11:06:16.194-04:00

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-14953286938771268932007-09-29T10:32:00.000-04:002007-09-29T10:44:49.702-04:00

I attended the Burma Solidarity Rally at the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo yesterday. I was surprised to learn that there is a large Burmese community in Oslo! In fact, a group called the Democratic Voice of Burma is based out of Oslo. They produce pro-democracy media (TV, radio, print, etc.) and beam it into Burma through various methods. Anyhow, I'm uploading some videos to YouTube, but here

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-25633330502155437352007-09-28T06:26:00.000-04:002007-09-28T07:00:24.935-04:00

If you have been following the news, you've probably heard that a Japanese reporter has been shot and killed in Burma. The following YouTube video is from a Japanese news report, showing Nagai Kenji being shot. I post this not out of some morbid fascination, but rather to highlight that ACTUAL LIVES are being TAKEN AWAY by the Burmese military. It is absolutely wrong on the most basic level.

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-44660939162620784892007-09-26T18:10:00.000-04:002007-09-29T11:20:07.672-04:00

Ha! Check this out:(Link is here for those who can't see it)

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-64297849105376478452007-09-26T06:23:00.000-04:002007-09-26T06:32:06.729-04:00

Sad today to hear that the military has started to violently crackdown on the monks protesting in Burma. With the media being so tightly controlled by the ruling military, it's hard to know exactly what's going on. However! I did discover something extremely interesting! This article on the BBC talks about how dissidents within Burma are uploading photos, videos and information to bloggers

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-46486292487430275662007-09-23T08:47:00.000-04:002007-09-23T09:20:33.077-04:00

Before I write shallow, narcissistic stuff about my own life, I would first like to draw your attention to this story. I think that it is incredibly exciting and has the potential for a non-violent revolution - of course there is also the potential that the military will turn it into a bloodbath and that would be horrible. Nevertheless, I feel like this is an excellent example of religion being

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-90847781673165711752007-09-21T08:10:00.001-04:002007-09-21T08:12:28.444-04:00

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-79611773007850706002007-09-02T09:49:00.001-04:002007-09-02T09:53:39.858-04:00

This is entirely unacceptable and yet it appears as if no one can do anything about it.To put it into perspective: there have been 10 times more innocent people killed in Iraq since the US invaded than were killed in New York City on Sept. 11, 2001. How much blood is enough?

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-5179435971659915702007-08-30T23:26:00.000-04:002007-08-30T23:54:34.397-04:00

I wasn't sure at first, however I'm fairly certain now that Hammer Pants (aka parachute pants) are making a comeback amongst chic Norwegian girls. I wish I was joking, but unfortunately it's all very true. Lest you have forgotten:I had noticed it a few times since arriving here, but had figured that those people had been cycling and were afraid of getting their baggy trousers caught in the

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-3573555668451096372007-08-26T12:48:00.001-04:002007-08-26T12:50:00.681-04:00

I have a new gmail address that I am going to use as my main account from now on. In order to avoid spam, I'm not going to post it here, however you can find it on my facebook profile or else send a message to my old yahoo account and you will get the new e-mail message in an auto-response.

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-70138039705341503052007-08-26T07:42:00.001-04:002007-08-26T07:44:40.644-04:00

This is absolutely ridiculous. A Culture of Fear indeed.This, on the other hand, warrants some serious investigation...

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-67595116099505817062007-08-22T18:42:00.000-04:002007-08-31T00:05:10.873-04:00

As an update to my previous post, I entirely retract what I said about the dude at the help desk. I made that post from one of the computers on campus and then as soon as I got home I had Internet access in my room. I don't know if it was a coincidence or not, but I hate to be rude if the guy did go out of his way to hook me up.Anyways, today was a lovely day and the student village where I live

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-56177993859167193642007-08-20T08:42:00.000-04:002007-08-20T08:49:31.292-04:00

A Norwegian girl told me today that bureaucracy is the price that you have to pay for living in a socialist welfare state. Originally I thought it wasnt so bad, but now im beginning to question that.I went to the student residence desk to ask why internet access hadnt been hooked up to my room yet. They told me that my account hadnt been activated and that I needed to talk to the IT deptarment.

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-77023424041709705532007-08-10T03:07:00.000-04:002007-08-10T03:08:25.086-04:00

...is where I live now.

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-43026490207170032007-07-31T10:54:00.000-04:002007-07-31T10:56:21.632-04:00

Man, Ingmar Bergman yesterday and Antonioni today...it's time to start watching your back, Godard!

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-91764493839116103822007-07-30T19:53:00.000-04:002007-07-30T20:13:41.756-04:00

This has been a pet peeve of mine for a while and I would like to take a moment to clear things up.If you are, for example, unfazed as to how someone else feels about something than the proper expression would be:"I couldn't care less."As in, you care so very little about their opinion that it would not be possible for you to care any less than you already do. You do not care at all, therefore

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-13699022639476897432007-07-25T14:16:00.000-04:002007-07-25T14:23:09.809-04:00

This story was just too good to pass up.If ever there was a good argument against constitutional monarchy, I think this is it. But then I've always been of the opinion that royalty are a waste of money.And yet, I'm still going to do my Masters there...

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-24103932382641588112007-07-20T01:20:00.000-04:002007-07-20T04:52:59.790-04:00

I was in the mall today, and saw a sign hanging above a bunch of shoes that read something to the effect of:"Massive summer clearance! Two for the price of one!"And I thought to myself "Isn't this how shoes are normally sold?"

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-7577360314574888402007-07-12T03:01:00.000-04:002007-07-12T03:02:10.716-04:00

A modern day Robin Hood?

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-41326911739872523332007-07-04T01:10:00.000-04:002007-07-04T04:43:34.293-04:00

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-55009665461865432322007-06-16T01:26:00.000-04:002007-06-16T01:27:07.119-04:00

yes, Yes, YES!

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-86629709392194768442007-06-15T03:35:00.000-04:002007-06-15T03:44:59.770-04:00

Never thought of looking for Slam Poets on YouTube, but here are two videos of what are, in my opinion, Taylor Mali's two best poems. I saw Taylor perform at the first slam I ever went to and he is fantastic. Rich has even had him over for supper I believe!

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-42839895128103853702007-06-08T15:16:00.000-04:002007-06-08T15:17:24.453-04:00

Pardon me, but this is fucking ridiculous.

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-65406551852510245902007-06-08T03:25:00.000-04:002007-06-08T03:29:47.816-04:00

Human beings are designed with great redundancy. We have two eyes so that if one is damaged, we still have the ability to see. We have two arms so that we can still function if one is incapacitated. And yet, we only have one set of reproductive organs. Surely this is the part of the body which is most intrinsic to our survival as a species, so why not two each? Or 4?Comments encouraged.

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-64050275858270018862007-06-04T02:32:00.000-04:002007-06-04T03:02:56.918-04:00

I've been listening to No Cars Go by Arcade Fire a lot lately. It was originally released on their debut EP, but they retooled it for Neon Bible and it sounds incredible. I'm not entirely sure what attracts me to the song so much...I'm sure part of it is that they closed their set at Coachella with this song, during which the band visibly poured their heart and soul into it. Chanting the end

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-57775347495239076282007-05-19T02:17:00.000-04:002007-08-31T00:12:32.563-04:00

"Lust for comfort suffocates the soulThis relentless, restlessnessLiberates me. I feel at home whenever The unknown surrounds me.I receive its embraceAboard my floating house.Wanderlust!Relentlessy craving wanderlust.Peel off the layers until you get to the core.Did I imagine it would be like this?Was it something like this I wished for,Or will I want more?"And you wondered why I loved Björk so

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-67236257794270271792007-05-16T01:52:00.000-04:002007-05-16T01:54:28.827-04:00

I know I haven't blogged in a long time. I'm trying to devise a smooth transition back into the blogging world.This is not it.

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-2476995127891189612007-04-25T03:33:00.000-04:002007-04-25T03:39:26.084-04:00

If you scroll down and read the comments for the post entitled "Bollocks" (I would include a link but its not very easy from this terminal) you will find a very respectful dialogue between myself and Ron Bowes, who is the editor in charge of the bloggers at Symantec who wrote the original post that the CBC article is based on. I really respect him for responding and appreciate his perspective on

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-6830125863922395412007-04-17T19:15:00.000-04:002007-04-17T19:27:08.923-04:00

I received an e-mail this morning from the University of Oslo in Norway stating that I had been nominated for the M.Phil in Intercontextual Theology and that my letter of acceptance was in the mail, so it looks like I'll be headed to Norway mid-August sometime!I'm not entirely sure when orientation week is or when classes start yet, but I will definitely try for a stopover in England, and, if I

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-31700013791343475002007-04-16T01:02:00.000-04:002007-04-16T12:11:08.738-04:00

I hate articles like this one."This illusion of privacy leads people to be a little freer in their disclosure," Symantec Corp. security researcher Nick Sullivan wrote in a post to the company's security response weblog on Friday.Of course, no where in the article does it mention that Symantec is arguably the largest purveyor of computer security software (a little program you may have heard of

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-32074020729669987892007-04-12T22:02:00.000-04:002007-04-12T22:12:08.734-04:00

Wow, has it really been 3 weeks since my last post? How about that...Well, my blog has always served mainly two purposes:To keep my friends overseas up to date with my daily lifeTo share my thoughts on stuff with peopleI'm not saying these are the ONLY purposes for a blog, or even really good purposes for a blog, but they are the ones that mine has served nevertheless. Inasmuch as these

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-86087884535800792432007-03-23T01:06:00.000-04:002007-03-23T01:07:27.145-04:00

I think that this story is worth commenting on. I'm not entirely sure what my comment is yet, but I do think it's positive. Hmmm...check back tomorrow for more...

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-33525103935631723732007-03-22T10:02:00.001-04:002007-03-22T11:01:10.723-04:00

At work this morning I pulled a mug out of the communal kitchen cupboard. I started to fill it up when I noticed it was one of those personalized mugs where you get one of your own photos printed on the side. This mug had a picture of someone else's kids. In the bath tub. Naked.I'm not sure that sort of thing belongs in the company cupboard. In fact, I'm not even sure it belongs on the side

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-82381811479439535592007-03-21T12:49:00.000-04:002007-03-21T12:52:50.036-04:00

Booyah!Let the cognitive dissonance begin...

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-64327277574937065872007-03-21T08:39:00.000-04:002007-03-21T08:43:43.411-04:00

I just noticed for the first time this morning that the office I work in has an 'Ultimate Meeting Room.' I can only imagine what fantastically amazing, ultra-rad, life-or-death meetings take place in a room labeled with such a name...

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-64753587611598282482007-03-19T23:54:00.000-04:002007-03-20T00:13:38.659-04:00

Ok, I realize this is only 3 days away, and that I don't exactly have a large audience, but I wanted to share something with you nonetheless:I will be participating in Bum Rush The Charts on Thursday, March 22nd. You can get more detailed info by clicking on the link, but the premise is this:On March 22nd a large group of people will be protesting the evils of the RIAA by purchasing a specific

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-80616274550906942672007-03-13T12:55:00.000-04:002007-03-13T23:34:56.236-04:00

The seasons were wrestling again today and the decisive winner -- at least, in Kitchener, Ontario -- was Spring...blue skies with a high of 10 degrees C!I decided to celebrate by walking over to the mall during lunch. It was at the mall where I saw a billboard which ignited the fire to write about a pet peeve I've had for some time.The line on the billboard read "Are you a shoe-aholic?"

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-15976609600625588842007-03-10T21:45:00.000-05:002007-03-10T21:49:47.549-05:00

Inspired by Bill, I began looking into freighter travel and found that Los Angeles to Auckland only takes 14 days and costs about $1,200 US. That's about as much as a one-way flight to New Zealand anyhow.Interesting....

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-83540532680168530362007-03-10T20:45:00.000-05:002007-03-10T20:52:37.006-05:00

I have several.The newest is this guy. He's traveling around the world and making a video diary on every weekday. He's just starting out, but his entries so far have been insightful and well-produced (he uses clever angles and his sound editing is fantastic). He's got a satellite modem so he can upload from pretty much anywhere in the world (including, already, the middle of the Atlantic ocean

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-90502519279686452962007-03-10T12:16:00.000-05:002007-03-10T12:53:34.186-05:00

Ok, so it's a cheesy and cliched expression, but until someone comes up with a better analogy, there isn't a more apt metaphor describing my current state.You must understand that the work I do (and have done for the last couple years) is solely for the cash and that I have absolutely nothing invested in it -- there is no love for what I do day in and day out. Therefore, the worst days at work

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-35789988990700463392007-03-07T07:50:00.000-05:002007-03-07T07:51:13.263-05:00

Dammit, it almost happened! Snakes on a Plane...cargo complex.

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-71822326021438657202007-03-06T23:08:00.000-05:002007-03-07T01:00:26.647-05:00

Man, today just keeps getting better and better! Following a link I saw to a LibriVox reader's blog, I came across Kiva.orgThis website is amazing! You can go check it out to get more detailed info but basically they partner with microfinance institutions around the world to provide small loans to business operators in third world countries! This is not charity but an actual loan that is

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-53860240751987008942007-03-06T11:56:00.000-05:002007-03-06T22:02:37.553-05:00

I have found work increasingly difficult to focus on lately. Although I am allowed to listen to music, and although my MP3 player has at least 15 gigs worth on it, I find myself growing weary of the tunes that I've got.I've tried to compensate by downloading new music, and it has helped, to a degree. The problem is that most albums are shorter than an hour so I require several in order to keep

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-21564118029532639202007-03-05T22:18:00.000-05:002007-03-05T23:00:46.992-05:00

Through a series of unexpected events, I have recently been turned on to some new, fantastic blogs. Not that I don't enjoy reading about what my friends are up to, but there's something very interesting in reading about a complete stranger's life and their views on it -- even more so when they do a good job of documenting it.Which has gotten me thinking more about this blog right here. I

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-29304980546754613902007-03-04T19:36:00.000-05:002007-03-04T20:14:41.008-05:00

Today was my 25th birthday. Unlike 16, 18, 19 and 21, the only thing that happens at 25 is that your car insurance rates go down and most big rental companies will let you borrow their vehicles. I guess the whole 'quarter-of-a-century' idea is a big deal too, but I hypothesize that's only because we live in a culture founded on the decimal system. For example, if we only had 3 fingers and 3

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-53621568098664395612007-03-01T12:46:00.000-05:002007-03-01T12:48:34.899-05:00

Someone making SENSE with regard to Canada/NATO in Afghanistan! Unfortunately this will probably fall on the deaf ears of our current pro-military, pro-U.S.-style government. They will likely retort with some such nonsense about 'not supporting the troops.' Bah.Sorry for lacking posts as of late. I'm working full time and though I have lots of thoughts to share, I just don't have the energy

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-73607963275594820882007-02-21T00:06:00.000-05:002007-02-21T00:09:56.890-05:00

Today was a balmy 3 degrees celsius! It was a nice break after the -20's we've been having lately. That said, I've still managed to contract my annual cold...boourns.Anyway, someone shared this with me, and I thought I'd share it with you. It's dedicated to Matt:(for those that care, the guy drops a couple f-bombs in the middle - you've been warned)

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-17523988317762113832007-02-14T17:01:00.000-05:002007-02-14T18:00:55.493-05:00

Ok, here we go....for those who don't know, here's what I'm up to these days:I've found a job through another temp company, and have been doing work in the finance department for a big Canadian food supplier. It really is my ideal work for the moment, which is to say, maximum payment for minimal responsibility. The duties of my job pretty much consist of me sitting in front of a computer and

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-28571085431010952432007-02-14T00:01:00.000-05:002007-02-14T00:29:28.365-05:00

I do have a big update that I would like to share, but I keep putting it off with little bite-sized entries, like this one.Anyhow, recently I've had friends in places like England and Texas who have experienced unusual amounts of snowfall. I recognize that for the part of the world which they are in, this is indeed an unexpected treat and should be celebrated. Nevertheless, it is always a bit

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-30466768379166350902007-02-06T07:02:00.000-05:002007-02-06T07:04:12.639-05:00

I promise I have a lot more to write about, and I will do it real soon, but first I wanted to share this story about an honest guy with a good sense of humour. The summary is, he found $10,000 beside a bank machine and handed it in, but my favourite quote is this:"Although it was short-lived, Hawkins said he enjoyed his newfound fortune by pumping his money-filled fist into the air and yelling,

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-51660344495073506372007-01-25T13:08:00.000-05:002007-01-25T13:34:31.583-05:00

Before I get to writing today, I need to give you a little context for the story:For my UK/non-Canadian readers:In Canada, we also have what are known as "The Big Five" banks...these are roughly equivalent to places like Barclay's, Lloyds, Natwest, etc. However, in Canada whenever you withdraw money from a cashpoint that doesn't belong to your bank, that bank charges you a service fee. Now I'm

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-89991838276018290032007-01-19T02:02:00.000-05:002007-01-19T02:08:09.362-05:00

It is indeed likely that the BBC is a better authority on this than I am, however having finished and posted my application to the University of Oslo this past week, I was disappointed when this story about "Storms in Northern Europe" kept discussing the Netherlands and Germany.Really? That's considered Northern Europe??

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-88182297848044277942007-01-19T01:49:00.000-05:002007-01-19T01:50:44.879-05:00

Sorry for the slackness of blog posts lately, it's just that my computer doesn't currently have a keyboard. Well, one of them does, but it only works for 45 minutes at a time. It's a complicated situation. Anyway, I'm working on remedying it and I should be good to go again in the near future.

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-77459024444419295282007-01-09T15:01:00.000-05:002007-01-09T15:06:13.981-05:00

I was sitting in the living room of our new apartment watching Elling, when my roommate, Matt, walked in. I hadn't seen him since last night because he went to visit his girlfriend.He was carrying two plastic grocery bags and didn't even say hello...he just shouted "IT'S CHOCOLATE MILK DAY! IT'S ONLY A DOLLAR FOR A LITRE! I JUST GOT 4, WE NEED TO GET MORE!" I concur. Perhaps we'll combine the

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-21717499362716758652007-01-05T23:29:00.000-05:002007-01-05T23:30:33.880-05:00

I'm still alive, just been busy moving and such...more soon.In the meantime, while I generally don't like advertising, I find this commercial to be hilarious!

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-35387627488872882642006-12-22T21:17:00.000-05:002006-12-22T21:20:39.354-05:00

Why does every Zellers smell EXACTLY the same? I swear, it's like they have the scent bottled and every night, before going home, the employees are required to spray a fresh batch.I really can't think of any other department store that has its own unique scent...Explanations, theories and hypothoses -- practical or otherwise -- are welcome.

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-27828169727523909232006-12-22T15:24:00.000-05:002006-12-22T15:43:55.297-05:00

*deep breath in*I am about to venture into the evil abyss of consumerism that is the local mall. I long for the day when I can dump this 'tradition' altogether, but for the time, it remains a necessary evil. Lately, I've been working on having a more generous attitude towards other people (even the moronic imbeciles, of which there are many) and trying to ward off my creeping cynicism and

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-55890603023975898462006-12-18T01:52:00.000-05:002006-12-18T02:00:13.134-05:00

Can someone explain this to me? I mean, I guess it has to be more complicated than pulling down the pants to check, but I just have no concept of what that is. What decides a gender, scientifically?EDIT: Nevermind, I googled "gender test" and came across this. It's actually quite informative!

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-8975856050115039512006-12-14T17:15:00.000-05:002006-12-14T17:17:35.634-05:00

Exactly one year ago today, I posted the audio from a Family Guy episode -- well, that was before youtube took off, so this year, you get the audio AND video. What can I say? I'm a generous guy...

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-22903320341402898382006-12-14T15:01:00.000-05:002006-12-14T15:02:16.466-05:00

Thanks to Rich for sharing this one:

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-76993770447734773292006-12-14T14:03:00.000-05:002006-12-14T14:04:07.248-05:00

You all know I'm not a huge fan of Conservatives, but it's nice to see that even they have a good heart around Christmas time. Bravo!

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-25192816020369120772006-12-08T14:23:00.000-05:002006-12-08T15:29:54.045-05:00

Again, because I like this sort of thing, let's compare some stories in the media today:I first noticed that the BBC had an article entitled "Ex-Iraq hostages forgive their captors" The first two paragraphs of the online article read:Three peace campaigners who were taken hostage say they "unconditionally" forgive their Iraqi captors. Briton Norman Kember and Canadians James Loney and Harmeet

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-1165599479027569712006-12-08T12:37:00.000-05:002006-12-08T14:02:29.465-05:00

I'm not saying I am for or against this, but I certainly find it very interesting...Take a few minutes and watch (or go here to see the original page)

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-1165305189730430862006-12-05T02:08:00.000-05:002006-12-05T03:17:26.360-05:00

I was very disappointed to hear about Tony Blair's plans to spend £20,000,000 on upgrading Britain's nuclear arsenal (despite cutting the stock by 20%). However I was somewhat buoyed by the Archbishop of Canterbury's response.I have already shared my own responses to the Peace Memorial Museum in Hiroshima, however I would like to amend that I think that ANY leader making ANY decision regarding

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-1165048216406121142006-12-02T03:10:00.000-05:002006-12-02T03:45:26.876-05:00

Left to my own devices, I always seem to put myself onto weird sleep patterns - hence why it is now 3am and I'm not feeling tired.Anyway, I was laying in bed with the lights off, listening to some relaxing instrumentals by various Icelandic bands when it struck me what a disproportionate amount of Icelandic music I have on my MP3 player. Or at least, what I assumed was a disproportionate amount.

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-1164922007366312702006-11-30T15:59:00.000-05:002006-11-30T17:19:59.800-05:00

The first lines of "Arc of Time" by Bright Eyes go like this:You can make a plan,carve it into stone.Like a feather falling,it is still unknown.In fact, you can listen to the first 30 seconds of the song here.My plans aren't even carved into stone, and are still subject to many changes, but here is what I'm thinking for the near future:First of all, I'm planning on moving to Waterloo and living

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9599416.post-1164918374636141162006-11-30T15:19:00.000-05:002006-11-30T17:16:41.033-05:00

"Plans" is also the title of the latest Death Cab For Cutie album, which I have been listening to lately. I was enjoying it until I came across the lyrics for Someday You Will Be Loved. The beginning goes like this, and gives you a feel for the whole song:I once knew a girlIn the years of my youthWith eyes like the summerAll beauty and truthIn the morning I fledLeft a note and it readSomeday

Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04913951433284832260noreply@blogger.com0