SOAD IS PLAYING IN TORONTO on SEPT 1st!!! I can honestly say that no matter what the ticket price is, I will be going to that show.
Being so close to Toronto is great, if expensive. Next week I'll be attending the Star Wars Concert, narrated by Anthony Daniels. I will be going by myself, and the ticket wasn't cheap, but who am I to pass up on seeing Star Wars music being played by a full-fledged live orchestra??
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
Thursday, June 16, 2005
El Cheapo Camerrra
So I mentioned that I wanted to by an inexpensive camera so I could take pictures while Susan's gone. I find this one at Zeller's for like $20. It's pretty simple and I figure you can't go wrong for $20. If it would work that is. I made two mistakes here:
1. I did not read the instructions before using it
2. Had I read the instructions I would have seen the warning: "Do NOT plug camera into computer before installing drivers!".
It's kind of stupid, but whatever. So now, no matter what I do, the program won't detect my camera. I've followed the Troubleshooting, but it doesn't work. The only thing I haven't tried is this "Run Clear Registry". It makes it sounds as if it's a program that came with the package, but it's not. Regardless, I've combed through the registry and deleted any reference I could find to the camera or it's software. No results. Well, I decided I can't be the only once who's done this before, maybe I can email them and ask. So I fill out their form and send it. A few minutes later, this is what I receive in my mailbox:
Reporting-MAT: dns;BAYC1-PASMTP03.cez.ice
Received-From-MAT: dns;JASON
Arrival-Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2005 16:58:33 -0700
Final-Recipient: rfc822;info@sharkcamera.com
Action: failed
Status: 5.1.1
Diagnostic-Code: smtp;550 5.1.1... User unknown
Oh well, guess I got shafted. Any suggestions?
1. I did not read the instructions before using it
2. Had I read the instructions I would have seen the warning: "Do NOT plug camera into computer before installing drivers!".
It's kind of stupid, but whatever. So now, no matter what I do, the program won't detect my camera. I've followed the Troubleshooting, but it doesn't work. The only thing I haven't tried is this "Run Clear Registry". It makes it sounds as if it's a program that came with the package, but it's not. Regardless, I've combed through the registry and deleted any reference I could find to the camera or it's software. No results. Well, I decided I can't be the only once who's done this before, maybe I can email them and ask. So I fill out their form and send it. A few minutes later, this is what I receive in my mailbox:
Reporting-MAT: dns;BAYC1-PASMTP03.cez.ice
Received-From-MAT: dns;JASON
Arrival-Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2005 16:58:33 -0700
Final-Recipient: rfc822;info@sharkcamera.com
Action: failed
Status: 5.1.1
Diagnostic-Code: smtp;550 5.1.1
Oh well, guess I got shafted. Any suggestions?
Hofstadter's comment on Godel's Theorem
Undecidable propositions run through mathematics like threads of gristle that criss-cross a steak in such a dense way that they cannot be cut out without the entire steak's being estranged.
I'm not too sure what that means, but here's my take on it: There are lots of singularities in math and to try and take them out is impossible and would be a bad thing anyway because then we will have destroyed all of our steaks in the process.
So beware!
I've had to fend for myself since Susan's been gone. She usually does the groceries and cooking while I do the dishes, laundry, and other cleaning... mostly anyway. So I've been eating lots of Kraft Dinners and Lipton Sidekicks and stuff which are easy to make. About once a week or so I'll cook something a bit more complicated such as shepherd's Pie or Lasagna. This is time consuming and usually results in more dirty dishes, but I get leftovers for the better part of the week.
I've discovered the perfect ratio of Taste/Effort: steak. Now you can get some really good and tender steak's at the grocery store for $20 or so. But the $3-$5 steaks are still pretty good if you prepare them right. So yea, I've been eating steaks a few times a week since Susan's been gone. If I'm in a hurry I just slap some steak spice and I have supper within 10 minutes (I like my steak rare). If I'm not as lazy I'll experiment with some recipes and marinate the steak over night. I've found some pretty good sauce at the grocery store too.
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
Worse show on TV
This has got to be the absolute WORSE show on CTV's lineup.
I usually like to have the TV on in the background when I'm on the computer or reading a book. I usually don't care too much what's on, as long as it's mildly entertaining. I would rather have pretty much anything else playing in the background than Dancing with the Stars. It's some [enter nationality] Idol knock-off but with dancers instead of singers. I don't know exactly what it is about the show, but when it's on I just have to turn the TV off (I only have one channel).
I usually like to have the TV on in the background when I'm on the computer or reading a book. I usually don't care too much what's on, as long as it's mildly entertaining. I would rather have pretty much anything else playing in the background than Dancing with the Stars. It's some [enter nationality] Idol knock-off but with dancers instead of singers. I don't know exactly what it is about the show, but when it's on I just have to turn the TV off (I only have one channel).
Cold Front
Well the warm spell is finally over, with dewpoints going back below 15-20 degrees. There actually was a tornado warning for Guelph yesterday. I was on the bus to the mall to do some groceries and I hear on the radio that people should go inside and take shelter because a Tornado has been reported not too far from Guelph. It was bright and sunny out at the time. I was wondering whether I should head home or not. Meh, I figured it'll be a bit before the storm gets here yet. I should be safe enough in the mall. When I got there, I could see far away this HUGE Cumulonimbus. By the time I got back out of the mall it was overcast but not raining yet. There were no tornadoes. Quite a bit of thunder and lightning though. I love that!
Monday, June 13, 2005
New Cat
Since we're away for most of the day, we figured that Artemis could use a playmate. We read that taking care of two cats is not much more work than taking care of one. So on Saturday we decided to adopt another cat from the Guelph Humane Society.
She was quite angry on the walk home. She was meowing furiously, wanting out. She would stick her paw out of her carrier and try to swat me. She also tried to chewing her way out, as seen in picture #1. Artemis was immediately curious. Once it was discovered that the newcomer was also a cat and possible contender for her ressources, Artemis proceeded to defend her territory. A lot of hissing and swatting ensued.
We named her Nike. We were going to go with Athena, but you should see the weird look people give us when we say one of our cat's name is Artemis (you wouldn't believe how so few people(none) know who Artemis is) and we'd figure we go with something simpler. Now people just assume we named her after the shoe company, which is fine by me since it requires less wasting of my time explaining something that people don't care about in the first place. Besides, the shoe company is actually named after the goddess of victory. That "swoosh" logo represents Nike's wing. I just learned that today while reading wikipedia.
The hissing continued for a day or two. Artemis spent those days chasing and stalking Nike. Nike never really defended herself, appart from hissing. Artemis would pounce on her back and bite a bit. Nike would wiggle her way out and run away.
This is about the only time on the weekend that they didn't fight. I think a pure hatred of water is about the only thing the cats agreed upon that day.
As Artemis started accepting the fact the Nike was here to stay, things started getting a bit better. By the end of the day yesterday, Artemis would still pounce on Nike but she would lick more than bite...mostly. The hissing had ceased. By the time I got home from work today, things were even better. I took a break from playing Insaniquarium earlier this evening to find them both cuddling on the window sill in the spare bedroom. I had left the window opened a bit and so cooler air was blowing in. I guess they decided on a non-agression pact so they could share the spot. I would have taken pictures, but Susan took the camera with her to Miami. I think I may go and buy a real cheap one that I can use as a spare in times like these.
Actually now that they get along, it's even less work taking care of two cats than one since they entertain each other.
 1 - Friend in a box |  2- Artemis Investigates |
She was quite angry on the walk home. She was meowing furiously, wanting out. She would stick her paw out of her carrier and try to swat me. She also tried to chewing her way out, as seen in picture #1. Artemis was immediately curious. Once it was discovered that the newcomer was also a cat and possible contender for her ressources, Artemis proceeded to defend her territory. A lot of hissing and swatting ensued.
We named her Nike. We were going to go with Athena, but you should see the weird look people give us when we say one of our cat's name is Artemis (you wouldn't believe how so few people(none) know who Artemis is) and we'd figure we go with something simpler. Now people just assume we named her after the shoe company, which is fine by me since it requires less wasting of my time explaining something that people don't care about in the first place. Besides, the shoe company is actually named after the goddess of victory. That "swoosh" logo represents Nike's wing. I just learned that today while reading wikipedia.
 3- Say "cheese" for the camera! |  4 - The Shoe: A cat's best friend! |
The hissing continued for a day or two. Artemis spent those days chasing and stalking Nike. Nike never really defended herself, appart from hissing. Artemis would pounce on her back and bite a bit. Nike would wiggle her way out and run away.
 5 - Cats in shock after a forced bath |
This is about the only time on the weekend that they didn't fight. I think a pure hatred of water is about the only thing the cats agreed upon that day.
As Artemis started accepting the fact the Nike was here to stay, things started getting a bit better. By the end of the day yesterday, Artemis would still pounce on Nike but she would lick more than bite...mostly. The hissing had ceased. By the time I got home from work today, things were even better. I took a break from playing Insaniquarium earlier this evening to find them both cuddling on the window sill in the spare bedroom. I had left the window opened a bit and so cooler air was blowing in. I guess they decided on a non-agression pact so they could share the spot. I would have taken pictures, but Susan took the camera with her to Miami. I think I may go and buy a real cheap one that I can use as a spare in times like these.
Actually now that they get along, it's even less work taking care of two cats than one since they entertain each other.
Insaniquarium!
I don't think I've ever played such an addicting game. I've been playing the web version on and off over the past few years. Yesterday I decide to download the Deluxe version. You have like an hour of play. I DARE you to get the deluxe version and not pay the $20 afte your time is up. I couldn't resist, and it's well worth it. You get 2 more aquariums than the web version and the graphics are much better. I started playing at 3pm today and it's now midnight and I'm pulling myself away from the computer because I have to get up in 6 hours for work...
In other news, Susan left for her 3 week trip to Miami this morning. I'm somewhat of a loner, so I'll adapt fairly easy. I get to read a bit more, play a bit more video games, more time for my blog... I'll still miss her though :(
I've got tonnes of stuff to say but I guess I should spread it out over the week instead of making one big post and then not post for 2 weeks.
In other news, Susan left for her 3 week trip to Miami this morning. I'm somewhat of a loner, so I'll adapt fairly easy. I get to read a bit more, play a bit more video games, more time for my blog... I'll still miss her though :(
I've got tonnes of stuff to say but I guess I should spread it out over the week instead of making one big post and then not post for 2 weeks.
Sunday, June 05, 2005
Hot Day!
Finally nice weather is here! It's been warm all week, but today's been the best: 30C and 35C Humidex. I love it! I prefer cool nights though. I sleep best in a cold room with lots of blankets!
I've been having an uneventful week. Susan's been in Iowa for the past two weeks. She gets back tonight. I've spent most of the day cleaning the apartment so it's nice and tidy when she gets here.
We don't have cable so I just have one channel, CTV. They tend to mostly play Law and Order and CSI. It's not that I don't like the shows, but I'm starting to get pretty saturated with them. I think there's what, 4 different Law and Order s now? Add 3 CSIs to that and other cop shows such as Cold Squad, Cold Case, Sue Thomas FBEye. And these are only the ones that air on CTV.
A lot of the shows I normally watch I didn't because I normally follow them with Susan (Doctor Who, and anime such as: Tsubasa Chronicle, Sosei no Aquarion, Basilisk, and Naruto). Instead I've been watching old (and new) episodes of The Family Guy, The Daily Show, Conan O'Brian, and Bullshit(great show by the way).
I've also been doing some reading: Darkwitch Rising and Nameless Day both by Sara Douglass. I've also been re-reading the Shannara Series. Right now I'm in the middle of Wishsong of Shannara. I find Shannara good solid classic series. It's consistent, as opposed to Sword of Truth and Wheel of Time that start out really good with 4-5 books, but then just drag on, and on, and on...
I've been having an uneventful week. Susan's been in Iowa for the past two weeks. She gets back tonight. I've spent most of the day cleaning the apartment so it's nice and tidy when she gets here.
We don't have cable so I just have one channel, CTV. They tend to mostly play Law and Order and CSI. It's not that I don't like the shows, but I'm starting to get pretty saturated with them. I think there's what, 4 different Law and Order s now? Add 3 CSIs to that and other cop shows such as Cold Squad, Cold Case, Sue Thomas FBEye. And these are only the ones that air on CTV.
A lot of the shows I normally watch I didn't because I normally follow them with Susan (Doctor Who, and anime such as: Tsubasa Chronicle, Sosei no Aquarion, Basilisk, and Naruto). Instead I've been watching old (and new) episodes of The Family Guy, The Daily Show, Conan O'Brian, and Bullshit(great show by the way).
I've also been doing some reading: Darkwitch Rising and Nameless Day both by Sara Douglass. I've also been re-reading the Shannara Series. Right now I'm in the middle of Wishsong of Shannara. I find Shannara good solid classic series. It's consistent, as opposed to Sword of Truth and Wheel of Time that start out really good with 4-5 books, but then just drag on, and on, and on...
Monday, May 30, 2005
International Readers
So, I was surprised to have found a lot of people from other country went to my Blog today. I had a hits from the US, Ireland, Philippines, New Zealand, Japan, and Australia.
I wondered "what the hell"? I looked at the pages they came from and they're all other blogspot pages. I went to those pages and I didn't see any links to mine. Then I noticed that "next blog" button on the top left of the screen. So I figure they just came to my page at random.
There was one exception though. Someone had found my page by doing a search for "Doctor Who" on this webpage called Technorati. It searches the web for your keyword, sorting the entries by date. It's great if you're looking for recent discussions on a particular subject.
Doing a similar search myself, I came upon this interesting article on Daleks censorship.
I wondered "what the hell"? I looked at the pages they came from and they're all other blogspot pages. I went to those pages and I didn't see any links to mine. Then I noticed that "next blog" button on the top left of the screen. So I figure they just came to my page at random.
There was one exception though. Someone had found my page by doing a search for "Doctor Who" on this webpage called Technorati. It searches the web for your keyword, sorting the entries by date. It's great if you're looking for recent discussions on a particular subject.
Doing a similar search myself, I came upon this interesting article on Daleks censorship.
The Star Wars Concert
I'm a big fan of live orchestral music. Make that live orchestral Star Wars music and... well let's just say I might have to bring a lot of tissue.
Now normally Susan would come see this with me. The only problem is she'll be in Miami at the time. Having failed to meet any Star Wars geeks in Guelph, I'm faced with a decision: Be a true nerd and take the 1.5 hour bus ride to go see the show by myself (did I mention Anthony Daniels will be there?), or maintain some form of self-control (and perhaps dignity) and stay at home.
What do you think?
Now normally Susan would come see this with me. The only problem is she'll be in Miami at the time. Having failed to meet any Star Wars geeks in Guelph, I'm faced with a decision: Be a true nerd and take the 1.5 hour bus ride to go see the show by myself (did I mention Anthony Daniels will be there?), or maintain some form of self-control (and perhaps dignity) and stay at home.
What do you think?
Sunday, May 29, 2005
Doctor Who
I love the new Doctor Who! This show is as hilarious as it is (at times) scary. I've never watched the old series. I remember seeing on YTV when I was a kid. I remember thinking it was kind of boring. Well, maybe I was too young to appreciate them or maybe they were really boring but regardless, the new series rocks!! Even if you know nothing about the old series, you'll still love it.
Basically there's this character called "The Doctor". He's part of an alien species who call themselves Timelords. I don't know much about them. I guess they do a lot of time traveling and stuff.
Anyway, The Doctor travels through space and time in the TARDIS. The TARDIS has this kind of cloaking device which enables it to camouflage itself as an ordinary object. The only problem is it's stuck as a 50's police box.
Another important plot device is that The Doctor can "regenerate". I'm not too sure of the specifics of this, but from what I can gather whenever The Doctor dies, he regenerates into a new body and gets a different personality. The current Doctor is in fact the 9th. The first 7 Doctors stared in the TV series (1969-1989), and the 8th Doctor stared in his own movie (1996) which from what I read sucked pretty badly.
Anyway, The Doctor appears to be the last of his species, the TimeLords. I'm pretty sure this wasn't the case in the olds series. Something must have happened "in between series". They make mention of the Time Wars. The Daleks were somehow involved.
From what I've determined, other recurring bad-guys are the Cybermen, and The Master.
Make sure to watch Doctor Who on the CBC!
Doctor Who Links:
BBC's Doctor Who - The official page.
Outpost Gallifrey - The latest Doctor Who news.
A brief history of time (travel) - A list and synopsis of all the episodes. A prof. from MUN created this page.
Doctor Who Chronology - A very good read for people new to Doctor Who (like me).
Basically there's this character called "The Doctor". He's part of an alien species who call themselves Timelords. I don't know much about them. I guess they do a lot of time traveling and stuff.
Anyway, The Doctor travels through space and time in the TARDIS. The TARDIS has this kind of cloaking device which enables it to camouflage itself as an ordinary object. The only problem is it's stuck as a 50's police box.
Another important plot device is that The Doctor can "regenerate". I'm not too sure of the specifics of this, but from what I can gather whenever The Doctor dies, he regenerates into a new body and gets a different personality. The current Doctor is in fact the 9th. The first 7 Doctors stared in the TV series (1969-1989), and the 8th Doctor stared in his own movie (1996) which from what I read sucked pretty badly.
Anyway, The Doctor appears to be the last of his species, the TimeLords. I'm pretty sure this wasn't the case in the olds series. Something must have happened "in between series". They make mention of the Time Wars. The Daleks were somehow involved.
From what I've determined, other recurring bad-guys are the Cybermen, and The Master.
Make sure to watch Doctor Who on the CBC!
Doctor Who Links:
BBC's Doctor Who - The official page.
Outpost Gallifrey - The latest Doctor Who news.
A brief history of time (travel) - A list and synopsis of all the episodes. A prof. from MUN created this page.
Doctor Who Chronology - A very good read for people new to Doctor Who (like me).
HTML
I'm playing around with the blog HTML template, so things might not be aligned properly today....
Saturday, May 28, 2005
New Blog!
Well everyone else seem to have a blog, so why not? I figure it's a good way to stay in touch since I hardly use MSN or email :P Like everyone else though, I imagine that I'll update my blog less and less over time until it dies. Oh well.
Well, nothing too exciting has happened to us since we've moved here. I've been to Toronto a few times. There's lots to do there.
Until a few weeks ago, I sort of let everything grow out. It was a bit warm for spring though, so I decided to go back to short.
Well, nothing too exciting has happened to us since we've moved here. I've been to Toronto a few times. There's lots to do there.
Until a few weeks ago, I sort of let everything grow out. It was a bit warm for spring though, so I decided to go back to short.
A few weeks ago we got a cat. She is 11 weeks old and we named her Artemis after the goddess of the hunt( not the cat in Sailor Moon, even though we own all 5 seasons on DVD).
Hrm. Well that's it for this post. I'm sure I'll have something else to say later.
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