tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36448714348429027182024-02-20T03:05:23.824-05:00AWV ArchiveAn archive of the original Aurora Walking VacationCall me Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17704646008578216859noreply@blogger.comBlogger796125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644871434842902718.post-64226727782361453122008-10-11T22:26:00.001-04:002008-10-11T22:26:32.903-04:00WelcomeThis is the AWV archive. Aurora Walking Vacation was originally an AOL journal, and was ported over to the Blogger.com service when AOL ended their support for journals/blogs in November of 2008. This archive contains every entry and every comment made between June, 2004, and October 2008.<br /><br /> Because this blog contains many graphics files that were stored on AOL's ftp servers, and was part of a community of blogs on the AOL service, when AOL discontinued support of those products, this archive became a collection of broken links and little red Xs. All of the text entries remain, but many of the links will no longer work, and virtually none of the graphics will display after November 1, 2008. I may attempt to repair some of these entries as time allows, but it will not be a high priority. <br /><br /> From time to time, I may choose an old entry from this archive, and reproduce it on the new <a href="http://aurorawalkingvacation.blogspot.com/">Aurora Walking Vacation</a>. This blog, however, will not be active at all. If you find something interesting, and would like to comment, please do not do so here. Please direct all comments and questions to the new <a href="http://aurorawalkingvacation.blogspot.com/">Aurora Walking Vacation</a>.Call me Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17704646008578216859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644871434842902718.post-38096851289350163762008-10-09T10:44:00.000-04:002008-10-09T23:11:21.084-04:00Another one makes the move...<P><FONT face=Arial size=2> </FONT><A href="http://mycowboypoetry.blogspot.com/"><FONT face=Arial size=2>My Cowboy Poetry</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=2> blog now happily resides on the Blogger network. This time I did the transfer from the Firefox browser instead of from the AOL client, and it went much more smoothly. The AOL browser has many 'modifications' that makes it behave differently from other Internet browsers, and I suspect it just doesn't mesh up with the transfer process software properly. If you are having difficulty with the transfer of your journal, try doing it from outside the AOL client.<BR/> However, I had the same result with the pictures on this journal as I did on my previous one. Blogger says that the graphics in your journals will be ported over to Google's Picasa service, but that did not happen. More when I figure it out.<BR/></FONT></P>Call me Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17704646008578216859noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644871434842902718.post-83539206994001089912008-10-09T09:05:00.000-04:002008-10-09T23:11:21.085-04:00More information about going to Blogger<font size="2" face="Arial"> Karen, of Outpost Mavarin, has posted a more detailed entry about transferring over to blogger. Read it here: <a href="http://outmavarin.blogspot.com/2008/10/tips-for-great-aol-j-migration.html">Tips For The Great AOL-J Migration</a>. Thanks Karen.<br/></font>Call me Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17704646008578216859noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644871434842902718.post-51451956280916180602008-10-08T23:51:00.000-04:002008-10-09T23:11:21.085-04:00Hello Blogger!<FONT face=Arial size=2> The tool to transfer your AOL blog to Blogger.com is now available. Read </FONT><A href="http://journals.aol.com/journalseditor/magicsmoke/entries/2008/10/08/blogger.com/4660"><FONT face=Arial size=2>the post on Magic Smoke</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=2> for more details. Those of us attached to AOL USA, Canada, or Mexico received an email updating us about the change, and directing us to the </FONT><A href="http://www.blogger.com/AolToBlogger"><FONT face=Arial size=2>Blogger page where the import process begins</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=2>. Those who are members of any other AOL service (e.g. AOL UK, or Europe) will not have gotten an email. Never fear, the import process will work for your journals as well (so I have been told). You'll just have to spread the word throughout your communities yourselves.<BR/><BR/> I experimented with the import tool by transferring my poetry blog, </FONT><A href="http://journals.aol.ca/plittle/journal4/"><FONT face=Arial size=2>(not cowboy poetry)</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=2>, to Blogger this evening. This was my experience.<BR/><BR/> I went to the </FONT><A href="http://www.blogger.com/AolToBlogger"><FONT face=Arial size=2>AolToBlogger</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=2> page, and began following the directions there. I signed into my Google account. I entered the journal address of my blog in the box provided, and clicked on the "sign into your AOL account" button. That took me to an AOL sign in page, where I entered my screen name and password.</FONT><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><EM> <BR/><BR/> If you are concerned about the security of your password, don't worry. You are signing into AOL's secureID service, so all Blogger gets is a message back from AOL saying you are who you say you are. They never actually see your login information.</EM><BR/><BR/> After that, I was taken back to a page where I was invited to click to begin the transfer process. I clicked, and was taken to a page that said my journal was being transferred, and that it might take a few minutes. I waited for almost fifteen. I never got an error message, nor did I ever get a message telling me the transfer had been successful. I got nothing.<BR/> I gather that the next step should have been my blogger dashboard page, where I could complete the publication process of my new blogspot blog, but that never happened. I closed the page, and manually logged into blogger, where I found that my new blog was there in my dashboard, with a message that said, "click here to complete the import process." So I clicked there. And it completed the process. And now </FONT></FONT><A href="http://notcowboypoetry.blogspot.com/"><FONT face=Arial size=2>(not cowboy poetry)</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=2> lives on blogger.<BR/><BR/> The reason I chose to use that blog for the first test was that there were not very many entries in it, so it would be easy to tell how successful the transfer was. As far as I can see, every post, and all of the comments were successfully transferred over. One note of importance. All of the pictures and graphics are still hosted on AOL Hometown, so when that closes at the end of the month, they will all turn into little red Xs. The pictures will have to be moved to a new home, and all the posts will need to be manually edited to redirect the urls to the pictures' new home. That'll be tedious.<BR/><BR/> So, I was successful, but with a couple of tiny snags. The process was certainly not completely seamless, and I can see that many who are computer neophytes may have problems. My suggestion is not to wait. Start now. If you have difficulty, you'll have a couple of weeks to get it worked out before the axe falls.<BR/><BR/> I'll try to transfer another one of my journals tomorrow, using a slightly different path, and report on how that went. Stay tuned.<BR/></FONT>Call me Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17704646008578216859noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644871434842902718.post-9374943124832329782008-10-02T23:22:00.000-04:002008-10-09T23:11:21.086-04:00Not enough time<FONT face=Arial size=2> Just archived the month of November, 2004. At this rate, I'll be done saving all my old entries by sometime early December. I'm not going to make it, am I?<BR/></FONT>Call me Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17704646008578216859noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644871434842902718.post-11902762543401635672008-10-02T16:49:00.000-04:002008-10-09T23:11:21.087-04:00Best. Quote. Evar.<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>On the demise of AOL journals...<BR/><BR/></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>"I shall miss this <SPAN class=correction id="">blog</SPAN>, but it's just a vessel."<BR/> --Dornbrau, of <A href="http://journals.aol.com/dornbrau/DUSTBUNNYCLUBOFNORTHAMERICA/">Dust Bunny Club of North America</A> (new address pending)<BR/><BR/></FONT></P>Call me Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17704646008578216859noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644871434842902718.post-1610065461287018122008-09-30T14:18:00.000-04:002008-10-09T23:11:21.088-04:00And the spit hits the fan...<P><FONT face=Arial size=2> </FONT><A href="http://www.peopleconnectionblog.com/2008/09/30/attention-aol-journals-users-canada/"><FONT face=Arial size=2>AOL today announced</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=2> they are "sunsetting" several products, including AOL Blogs/Journals. As of October 31, 2008, every AOL Blog will disappear. They claim they will be offering a way of automatically migrating our blogs to another blogging platform, but you know me; I'm skeptical. So, I'll be spending every spare minute over the next few weeks backing up Aurora Walking Vacation to my home computer, so when the migration plan either doesn't materialise, or doesn't work, I won't have lost anything.<BR/> I already have a blogger.com blog set up for AWV. I've never posted in it, but I created it way back when the <A href="http://journals.aol.ca/plittle/AuroraWalkingVacation/entries/2005/11/18/where-the-hell-did-you-go/1741">banner ads bruhaha</A> erupted. So for all three of you regular readers, never fear, AWV will go on.<BR/><BR/> More details as they are available.<BR/><BR/><EM>edit 2:28 PM</EM>: I have been told that International AOL Journals and Blogs users may not be in the loop regarding information about the plan to migrate to another platform. According to my information, a plan is already in place, the new platform will be blogger.com, and even though we lowly non-Americans will not be kept abreast of developments, the migration system will work for <EM>all</EM> AOL journals. So, if you are an International AOL user, keep your eyes on the people connection blog for instructions for all US users, and remember that we can use those same instructions for our journals. This in no way mitigates my strong recommendation that we all take pains to back up our blogs long before the end of the month.<BR/></FONT></P>Call me Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17704646008578216859noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644871434842902718.post-79400886252419922652008-09-26T00:54:00.000-04:002008-10-09T23:11:21.088-04:00Listen<FONT face=Arial size=2> I've been working out.<BR/><BR/>Picture Will Farrell saying that. No, wait...Picture <EM>Colin</EM> Farrell saying that. Maybe Colin <EM>Firth</EM>? Never mind.<BR/><BR/> I've been going to the gym. Prime motivations: strengthening the core muscles for golf, and strengthening the muscles that support the knees for curling. Also, the whole not having a heart attack any time soon factors in there.<BR/> Here's the thing, though. Exercise is boring. Seriously! Doing a half an hour on the treadmill (while maintaining an average heart rate of 142-152) isn't that much of a struggle...physically. But by the time I'm going on ten minutes, I'm so excruciatingly bored I'm begging for it to end.<BR/><BR/> I noticed that many people at the gym wear iPods (or other mp3 players). "Hey," I thought, "I have an iPod." I decided to try it out. I went out and bought a pair of headphones, and took my iPod with me the next time I worked out. Didn't do anything for me. I mean, there's already music playing at the club. Sure, my iPod has <STRONG><EM>my</EM></STRONG> music on it, but it's still just music. It fades into the background, and my mind wanders. And the place it most commonly wanders to is the thought of how <EM>mind numbingly boring exercise is</EM>.<BR/> Then, I had one of those oh-so-infrequent brilliant ideas. Podcasts!<BR/><BR/> For those of you not in the know, </FONT><A href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podcasting"><FONT face=Arial size=2>podcasts</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=2> are simply Internet "radio shows" that you can download to your iPod (or other mp3 players) and listen to at your convenience. There are hundreds of podcasts on dozens of different topics available for free download on iTunes.<BR/> Me being me, I downloaded several with a skeptical theme, like </FONT><A href="http://skeptoid.com/"><FONT face=Arial size=2>Skeptoid with Brian Dunning</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=2>, </FONT><A href="http://www.skepticality.com/index.php"><FONT face=Arial size=2>Skepticality</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=2>, and </FONT><A href="http://www.theskepticsguide.org/"><FONT face=Arial size=2>The Skeptic's Guide to the Universe</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=2>. Some of them are short and sweet. Brian Dunning's podcasts rarely go for longer than about eleven or twelve minutes. Others are longer, with <EM>Skepticality</EM> and <EM>The Skeptic's Guide</EM> both usually ringing in at just over an hour long - which, as it turns out, is almost the perfect length to listen to during a workout.<BR/><BR/> You know what? It works. The subject matter is intellectually engaging enough to pass the time, while being light enough to allow partial attention to be paid to other things. Like the soccer moms doing their Dancercise class.<BR/> Yeah, this whole iPod thing is really working out for me.<BR/><BR/>And 'cause we're talkin' 'bout iPods, here's your Friday random ten:<BR/><BR/>1) Cheap Day Return - Jethro Tull<BR/>2) Carefree Highway - Gordon Lightfoot<BR/>3) G Minor Medley - Leahy<BR/>4) Mailman - Soundgarden<BR/>5) Didn't Leave Nobody But The Baby - Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss and Gillian Welch<BR/>6) Rocky Mountain Way - Triumph<BR/>7) Atom Tan - The Clash<BR/>8) Dreams - Fleetwood Mac<BR/>9) The Cool, Cool River - Paul Simon<BR/>10) All Canadian Surf Club - The Tragically Hip<BR/></FONT>
<DIV class=tags id=tagsLocation><BR/><FONT face=Arial size=1>Tags: </FONT><A href="http://technorati.com/tag/iPods" target=_blank rel=tag><FONT face=Arial size=1>iPods</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=1>, </FONT><A href="http://technorati.com/tag/podcasts" target=_blank rel=tag><FONT face=Arial size=1>podcasts</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=1>, </FONT><A href="http://technorati.com/tag/skepticism" target=_blank rel=tag><FONT face=Arial size=1>skepticism</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=1>, </FONT><A href="http://technorati.com/tag/memes" target=_blank rel=tag><FONT face=Arial size=1>memes</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=1>, </FONT><A href="http://technorati.com/tag/friday+random+ten" target=_blank rel=tag><FONT face=Arial size=1>friday random ten</FONT></A><BR/></DIV>Call me Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17704646008578216859noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644871434842902718.post-72153956012606736352008-09-08T23:38:00.000-04:002008-10-09T23:11:21.089-04:00Dems may have misjudged GOP strategy<FONT face=Arial size=2> Left wing mouthpieces all around the blogosphere have been laughing and pointing at the Republicans recently. Actually, they've been laughing and pointing at Republicans for years, but they've been even more outspoken recently over what they perceive as a major strategic blunder by the McCain camp.<BR/> I'm speaking, of course, about the appointment, by John McCain, of Sarah Palin as his running mate. The initial response by the lefties was to call out the McCain strategists as fools for actually believing they could steal votes from the Hillary Crusaders. Because that's what this move immediately made people think - that the GOP was hoping to garner votes from those militant feminists who claimed they'd vote for McCain before they voted for Obama, just because he had the temerity to take away the nomination to which their girl was entitled.<BR/> The idea is, of course, patently ridiculous. Hillary's supporters would no more truly vote Republican in '08 than they would move to Canada if the GOP won in '04. I mean, hundreds of prominent bleeding heart liberal celebrities vowed to leave the country if the Dems lost the previous election, but last time I checked Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon haven't moved their shit into the empty townhouse around the corner from me.<BR/><BR/> Anyone who really believed that cadre of screeching feminists would vote Red before they'd vote Black is just plain stupid. And while the GOP rank and file might </FONT><A href="http://www.joeydevilla.com/2008/09/07/remember-spell-check-your-placards/"><FONT face=Arial size=2>benefit from the use of spell check</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=2> at times, the high uppity-ups of the Republican strategy machine are not stupid. Not by any stretch of the imagination.<BR/> No, the choice of Sarah Palin as the vice-presidential nominee was not born of any delusional thinking on the part of the GOP team. It may, however, have been born of general delusional thinking on the part of the largest and most powerful voting block in America over the last decade - the Christian Right.<BR/> You see, the evangelical nutcases that put Bush over the top in '04 just didn't seem to be cosying up to John McCain in quite the same way. Johnny's just too damn... reasonable. And God knows, we can't have that. No, the fear that women in the USA might be allowed to make procreative decisions for themselves once in a while; the fear that court decisions upholding the constitution, like the one in Dover, Pennsylvania might continue to happen; the fear that your children might be taught about the real world in school, instead of some fanatasy world based on a three thousand year old novel; the <EM>paralysing fear</EM> that the annual town Baby Jesus diorama might have to be taken out of city hall, and displayed somewhere inexplicable - like a church - had taken hold of the bible belt, and McCain's people could feel the wackaloon vote slipping through their fingers.<BR/><BR/> Enter the white knight of the Republican party. Sarah Palin, riding to the rescue, Bible in one hand, twelve gauge in the other. She can kill, clean and cook dinner, homeschool her children, quote Scripture, govern an entire state, and look hot for her husband all at the same time. Truly, she is the perfect woman. <BR/> Well, the perfect Republican woman. When she starts telling people that the war in Iraq is a holy crusade, the Democrats start whispering behind their hands and snickering. They shouldn't, though. They should beware. Because a whole lot of pick-up driving, rifle-toting, bible thumping, wife beating American voters just got a whole lot more comfortable with the Republican party in 2008.<BR/><BR/> Advantage McCain. Obama? Your move.<BR/></FONT>
<DIV class=tags id=tagsLocation><BR/><FONT face=Arial size=1>Tags: </FONT><A href="http://technorati.com/tag/politics" target=_blank rel=tag><FONT face=Arial size=1>politics</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=1>, </FONT><A href="http://technorati.com/tag/obama" target=_blank rel=tag><FONT face=Arial size=1>obama</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=1>, </FONT><A href="http://technorati.com/tag/mccain" target=_blank rel=tag><FONT face=Arial size=1>mccain</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=1>, </FONT><A href="http://technorati.com/tag/sarah" target=_blank rel=tag><FONT face=Arial size=1>sarah</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=1>, </FONT><A href="http://technorati.com/tag/palin" target=_blank rel=tag><FONT face=Arial size=1>palin</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=1>, </FONT><A href="http://technorati.com/tag/wackaloons" target=_blank rel=tag><FONT face=Arial size=1>wackaloons</FONT></A><BR/></DIV>Call me Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17704646008578216859noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644871434842902718.post-16147118447851877512008-09-08T22:34:00.000-04:002008-10-09T23:11:21.091-04:00Chapter 84<FONT face=Arial size=2> I had a couple of things I wanted to ask you all about, but right now I can only remember one. Hopefully the other will come to me.<BR/><BR/> I'm looking to buy a tenor saxophone for Matthew to play in the high school band. We've rented one each of the last two school years, but for what that will cost over the next four, I figure I can just buy one. I would probably be more interested in a good value for a half decent used one than a cheap new one, but I really have little idea of just what it's going to cost. Is there anyone out there who has any knowledge in the area and can offer some advice?<BR/></FONT>
<DIV class=tags id=tagsLocation><BR/><FONT face=Arial size=1>Tags: </FONT><A href="http://technorati.com/tag/advice" target=_blank rel=tag><FONT face=Arial size=1>advice</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=1>, </FONT><A href="http://technorati.com/tag/saxophone" target=_blank rel=tag><FONT face=Arial size=1>saxophone</FONT></A><BR/></DIV>Call me Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17704646008578216859noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644871434842902718.post-9317994917182020622008-08-23T12:24:00.000-04:002008-10-09T23:11:21.093-04:00More breakfast at Casa Little<P><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2> After we came home from the gym this morning, I whipped us up an onion, mushroom and zucchini omelette with Beemster cheese (I like Beemster cheese). It went something like this:<BR/><BR/>Lightly saute thinly sliced onions in a little bit of sesame oil for about five minutes.<BR/>Add some chopped fresh garlic. Saute for another minute.<BR/>Add sliced mushrooms and chopped zucchini. Salt to taste. (I also added a bit of butter here because the onions had soaked up all the oil.) Continue to saute until mushrooms and zucchini are soft.<BR/><BR/>Whisk eggs. Salt and pepper to taste. Pour into pan.<BR/>When eggs are almost cooked through, add veggie mixture, and grated Beemster cheese. Fold egg over veggie and cheese mixture. Cook another one minute per side.<BR/><BR/>Serve with fresh coffee.<BR/><BR/>Get kiss on the cheek from wife.<BR/><BR/>Mmm.<BR/><BR/></FONT><FONT size=1>Tags: </FONT></FONT><A href="http://technorati.com/tag/recipe" target=_blank rel=tag><FONT face=Arial size=1>recipe</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=1>, </FONT><A href="http://technorati.com/tag/omelette" target=_blank rel=tag><FONT face=Arial size=1>omelette</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=1>, </FONT><A href="http://technorati.com/tag/onion" target=_blank rel=tag><FONT face=Arial size=1>onion</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=1>, </FONT><A href="http://technorati.com/tag/zucchini" target=_blank rel=tag><FONT face=Arial size=1>zucchini</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=1>, </FONT><A href="http://technorati.com/tag/mushroom" target=_blank rel=tag><FONT face=Arial size=1>mushroom</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=1>, </FONT><A href="http://technorati.com/tag/beemster" target=_blank rel=tag><FONT face=Arial size=1>beemster</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=1>, </FONT><A href="http://technorati.com/tag/cheese" target=_blank rel=tag><FONT face=Arial size=1>cheese</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=1>, </FONT><A href="http://technorati.com/tag/breakfast" target=_blank rel=tag><FONT face=Arial size=1>breakfast</FONT></A><BR/></P>Call me Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17704646008578216859noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644871434842902718.post-28290340749028023622008-08-20T21:03:00.000-04:002008-10-09T23:11:21.093-04:00One year ago today<FONT face=Arial size=2>“When I stand before thee at the day's end, thou shalt see my scars and know that I had my wounds and also my healing.”--Rabindranath Tagore<BR/><BR/>Last year: </FONT><A href="http://journals.aol.ca/plittle/AuroraWalkingVacation/entries/2007/08/19/ouch/2465"><FONT face=Arial size=2>Ouch!</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=2> <BR/><BR/>Today:<BR/><BR/></FONT>
<DIV align=center><A title="Healed_Hand by gr8wight, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/gr8wight/2780600424/"><FONT face=Arial size=2><IMG height=500 alt=Healed_Hand src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3029/2780600424_583129112c.jpg" width=495 border=0/></FONT></A></DIV><BR/><FONT face=Arial size=2>Can't see the scar very well in this shot.</FONT>
<DIV class=tags id=tagsLocation><BR/><FONT face=Arial size=1>Tags: </FONT><A href="http://technorati.com/tag/blogplugs" target=_blank rel=tag><FONT face=Arial size=1>blogplugs</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=1>, </FONT><A href="http://technorati.com/tag/injury" target=_blank rel=tag><FONT face=Arial size=1>injury</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=1>, </FONT><A href="http://technorati.com/tag/healing" target=_blank rel=tag><FONT face=Arial size=1>healing</FONT></A><BR/></DIV>Call me Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17704646008578216859noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644871434842902718.post-40205607780817956462008-08-19T22:16:00.000-04:002008-10-09T23:11:21.095-04:00Cruel, cruel summer<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Noooooo! It's too soon. It can't be over yet...can it?<BR/></FONT><BR/></P>
<DIV align=center><A title="Red_Leaf by gr8wight, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/gr8wight/2779296633/"><IMG height=375 alt=Red_Leaf src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3151/2779296633_e411dd2bca.jpg" width=500 border=0/></A></DIV>
<DIV class=tags id=tagsLocation><BR/><FONT face=Arial size=1>Tags: </FONT><A href="http://technorati.com/tag/summer" target=_blank rel=tag><FONT face=Arial size=1>summer</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=1>, </FONT><A href="http://technorati.com/tag/autumn" target=_blank rel=tag><FONT face=Arial size=1>autumn</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=1>, </FONT><A href="http://technorati.com/tag/I%27m+so+sad" target=_blank rel=tag><FONT face=Arial size=1>I'm so sad</FONT></A><BR/></DIV>Call me Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17704646008578216859noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644871434842902718.post-69937421592980614052008-08-16T15:53:00.000-04:002008-10-09T23:11:21.095-04:00I don't like Thursdays<FONT face=Arial size=2> Bob Geldof didn't like Mondays (and who could blame him), but Thursday is the day I hate. On Thursday nights I have to work at the Kwik-E-Mart until the store closes. And then I have to clean, and "face" my department. And then, I start to despise the entire human race.<BR/> When I say, "face," I mean I have to walk up and down every aisle in my section, making sure each and every product is in its proper home, and they are all pulled right to the front of their shelf, or hook, so that the first customer of the day the next morning will be greeted by a store in which every shelf appears full. As I do this, of course, I come across the detrius of humanity.<BR/> First it's the empty coffee cups. There are usually going on half a dozen of them scattered amongst the shelves of garden hoses and octane enhancers. Listen, I don't mind if you need your "</FONT><A href="http://www.timhortons.com/en/index.html"><FONT face=Arial size=2>Tim's</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=2>" fix. We all do from time to time. But seriously, when I take a cup of coffee into the grocery store with me, I save the empty cup until I have an opportunity to throw it into a proper garbage can. I don't just put it down somewhere between the onions and the garlic. Doing that would make me an inconsiderate slob.<BR/> And as if that isn't bad enough, some people actually come in and eat their lunch while they shop. Dude! I have no desire to fish out the half eaten cheeseburger that you stuffed down between the sunblock and the insect repellent. And the left-over "Nachos Supreme" tucked behind the basketballs? That's just wrong, man.<BR/> The next thing I have to deal with is the out of place product. Some slack-eyed soccer Mom picked up a box of wine glasses all hell and gone over in the Housewares department, and round about the bicycle tires aisle she decided she didn't want them after all. She could have just left them with the cashier when she got there, but no. I have to find them after closing, hidden in behind a mountain of Raleigh boxes, and lug them all the way back over to Housewares myself. That's a good fifteen minute walk.<BR/> Then there's the open boxes. The 12 volt tire inflator box has a glossy, full-colour picture of its contents on the front, but that isn't good enough for people. They have to see what it <EM>really</EM>looks like. But, lacking the basic intelligence and dexterity to figure out how to open a cardboard box, they have to rip the freaking thing to pieces, pull out the entire contents, tear the plastic bag to get the product out and crumple up the instruction sheet. Then, when they decide it meets their approval, and they want to buy one, they leave the open box on the shelf, and take a new, unopened one. <BR/> Open boxes, however, can't get my blood boiling half as badly as the empty boxes. Empty, as in: contents stolen. Come on, the two pack of tail light bulbs was only $2.99. But you only needed one, so you ripped open the package, put one in your pocket, and left the other one on the shelf. If you were gonna steal, why didn't you just put the whole freaking package in your pocket? It's not like you were being considerate. I can't sell the half a pack you left behind. Every Thursday night I have to write off at least a dozen items that I've found empty packaging for. And that's on a slow night. <BR/> And don't think it's only the punk kids who are stealing, either. I looked it up. Those tail lights were for a Lexus. Doctors and Lawyers are just as likely to rip something off as anyone else. By the time I get home on Thursday night, you could just take a picture of me and post it in the Wikipedia entry for, "</FONT><A href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misanthropy"><FONT face=Arial size=2>Misanthropy</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=2>."<BR/><BR/><BR/> Here is the latest edition of the Friday Random Ten list. I've found that I cannot listen to all of the songs on the iPod in one week's worth of driving, so this list will only appear every second to third week from now on.<BR/><BR/></FONT>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>1) Ain't Nuttin' But Music - D12<BR/>2) Strange Thing, Mystifying - Cast, Jesus Christ Superstar<BR/>3) Her Majesty - The Beatles<BR/>4) Turn Up The Night - Black Sabbath<BR/>5) I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe) - Genesis<BR/>6) Never Let Go - Josh Groban<BR/>7) Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite! - The Beatles<BR/>8) Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love - Van Halen<BR/>9) Tina - Flyleaf<BR/>10) Concerning Hobbits - Howard Shore/London Philharmonic Orchestra<BR/></FONT><BR/><FONT face=Arial size=1>Tags: </FONT><A href="http://technorati.com/tag/Kwik-E-Mart" target=_blank rel=tag><FONT face=Arial size=1>Kwik-E-Mart</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=1>, </FONT><A href="http://technorati.com/tag/rant" target=_blank rel=tag><FONT face=Arial size=1>rant</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=1>, </FONT><A href="http://technorati.com/tag/misanthropy" target=_blank rel=tag><FONT face=Arial size=1>misanthropy</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=1>, </FONT><A href="http://technorati.com/tag/memes" target=_blank rel=tag><FONT face=Arial size=1>memes</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=1>, </FONT><A href="http://technorati.com/tag/friday+random+ten" target=_blank rel=tag><FONT face=Arial size=1>friday random ten</FONT></A><BR/></P>Call me Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17704646008578216859noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644871434842902718.post-35083456144241984802008-08-09T21:56:00.000-04:002008-10-09T23:11:21.096-04:00Can you say, "inventory management problems?"<P><FONT face=Arial size=2> So, I was doing some re-merchandising of the ignition wire sets, and... What, you didn't know the Kwik-E-Mart sold ignition wire sets? Sure we do. They're just down the aisle from the vacuum cleaners, across from the extension ladders, and right around the corner from the Slur-Pee machine.<BR/> So, I'm re-merchandising (that means taking some things off a shelf, and putting other things on the shelf), and I got curious about some of the quantities we had in stock. I decided to look up a few of the wires to see what they were for. The first one I picked up was for a 1989-1992 Mazda RX-7, and that's it. That was the only car it would fit.<BR/><BR/> We have seven sets of them.<BR/><BR/><FONT size=1>Tags: </FONT></FONT><A href="http://technorati.com/tag/kwik-e-mart" target=_blank rel=tag><FONT face=Arial size=1>kwik-e-mart</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=1>, </FONT><A href="http://technorati.com/tag/humour" target=_blank rel=tag><FONT face=Arial size=1>humour</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=1>, </FONT><A href="http://technorati.com/tag/things+that+make+you+go+hmmm" target=_blank rel=tag><FONT face=Arial size=1>things that make you go hmmm</FONT></A><BR/></P>Call me Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17704646008578216859noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644871434842902718.post-89849889192530610412008-07-29T13:58:00.000-04:002008-10-09T23:11:21.097-04:00Hammer<P><FONT face=Arial size=2> I'm forcing myself to write this. Every time I open my test journal these days, I close it again unedited. I just don't seem to have the desire, or will, to put my thoughts down here. Part of that, I'm sure, is the fact that I'm busy. The Kwik-E-Mart demands my time from early morning to early evening. Then I come home and make dinner. By the time we've cooked, eaten, cleaned up, and done any daily chores that need doing, I'm too tired to spare any intensity of thought or emotion for the blog.<BR/> Add to that the time I am spending on curling club business (I'm on the board of directors), at the gym (my wife convinced me to join again), walking the dog (he won't walk himself - well, he will, but we want to make sure he comes home again), and doing other daily, mundane things, and I barely have enough energy just to read other people's blogs. Creating my own content seems beyond me right now.<BR/> I have no plans to shut this blog down, but I expect postings to remain infrequent for the foreseeable future. I still have a bunch of stuff percolating in the test journal that I intend to finish. Realistically, though, I can't put a timetable on that. So, for those of you who do visit regularly, I'm sorry for being a boring blogger. If you're looking for something interesting (a little bit goofy, but interesting none-the-less) to read, try doing a search for "crackergate." Let me know what you think about what you find.<BR/><BR/> Here are the last two friday random ten lists from my iPod updates.</FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2><BR/><BR/></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>July 25<BR/><BR/>1) Amigos Para Siempre (Friends For Life) - Sarah Brightman (with Jose Carreras)<BR/>2) It Would Be So Nice - Pink Floyd<BR/>3) Road Buddy - Dar Williams<BR/>4) A Saucerful Of Secrets - Pink Floyd<BR/>5) Didn't Leave Nobody But The Baby - Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss & Gillian Welch<BR/>6) Into Everything - Moist<BR/>7) Bus Stop - The Hollies<BR/>8) Life Has Just Begun - Spirit<BR/>9) Mull Of Kintyre - Ashley MacIsaac<BR/>10) You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet - Bachman-Turner Overdrive<BR/><BR/>July 11<BR/><BR/>1) Pump Up The Volume (12" US Version) - Marrs<BR/>2) That's How... - D12<BR/>3) Who Wears These Shoes - Elton John<BR/>4) Nebakanezer - The Black Crowes<BR/>5) Dialing For Dharma - FM<BR/>6) Not Too Late - Norah Jones<BR/>7) Better Place To Be - Harry Chapin<BR/>8) Superman's Song - Crash Test Dummies<BR/>9) Any Way You Want It - Journey<BR/>10) Tell Me On A Sunday - Sarah Brightman<BR/></FONT><BR/><FONT face=Arial size=1>Tags: </FONT><A href="http://technorati.com/tag/boring+blogging" target=_blank rel=tag><FONT face=Arial size=1>boring blogging</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=1>, </FONT><A href="http://technorati.com/tag/busy+busy+busy" target=_blank rel=tag><FONT face=Arial size=1>busy busy busy</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=1>, </FONT><A href="http://technorati.com/tag/Kwik-E-Mart" target=_blank rel=tag><FONT face=Arial size=1>Kwik-E-Mart</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=1>, </FONT><A href="http://technorati.com/tag/friday+random+ten" target=_blank rel=tag><FONT face=Arial size=1>friday random ten</FONT></A><BR/></P>Call me Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17704646008578216859noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644871434842902718.post-30715447534149363412008-06-30T23:21:00.000-04:002008-10-09T23:11:21.098-04:00Friday random thirty...'n' stuff<A title="MattPose by gr8wight, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/gr8wight/2616438394/"><IMG height=566 alt=MattPose src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3097/2616438394_5f890c3767_o.jpg" width=320 align=left border=0/></A><FONT face=Arial size=2> Here's Matt looking decidedly dapper at his Grade 8 graduation Wednesday night. That's right, next September he'll be in High School. It is to shudder.<BR/> Although I outwardly scoff at sentimentality, I have to admit there were times during the evening when I had to blink a bit, because I had "something in my eye." This group of kids impresses the hell out of me. During the graduation ceremony every single award winner was heartily cheered by the entire group. In fact, during the closing presentation, a slide show of student photographs past and present, every single student's picture was met with delighted squeals and cheers. Not one child could claim they were left out, held in less regard than any other. I predict great things for these students over the next four years, and beyond.<BR/> For more pictures, visit my </FONT><A href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/gr8wight/sets/72157605828071875/"><FONT face=Arial size=2>Flickr photo set</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=2> for the event.<BR/><BR/></FONT><FONT face="Arial Black" size=1><STRONG>**this is a dividing line of text**<BR/></STRONG></FONT><BR/><FONT face=Arial size=2> Wish me a Happy Blogaversary. As of yesterday, AWV is four years old. It's still not too late to take advantage of our </FONT><A href="http://journals.aol.ca/plittle/AuroraWalkingVacation/entries/2004/06/28/two-for-one-offer/270"><FONT face=Arial size=2>two-for-one offer</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=2>.<BR/><BR/></FONT><FONT face="Arial Black" size=1><STRONG>**this is a dividing line of text**<BR/></STRONG></FONT><BR/><FONT face=Arial size=2> Also, Happy Canada Day tomorrow. This July first, </FONT><A href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada"><FONT face=Arial size=2>Canada</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=2> will be one hundred and forty-one years old. Sure, that's nothing compared to </FONT><A href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States"><FONT face=Arial size=2>y'all</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=2>'s two hundred and thirty-two years, but that just makes us younger and hipper. <BR/><BR/></FONT><FONT face="Arial Black" size=1><STRONG>**this is a dividing line of text**</STRONG></FONT><BR/><BR/><FONT face=Arial size=2> Also, also, having been horribly remiss, here are three whole weeks worth of Friday random ten lists for your perusal. Have a great holiday, be it tomorrow, or Friday.<BR/><BR/>June 13th<BR/><BR/>1) I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For - U2<BR/>2) I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues - Elton John<BR/>3) Silent Warrior - Enigma<BR/>4) Now - Days Of The New<BR/>5) Just One Of Those Things - Branford Marsalis<BR/>6) Eagle Will Rise Again - The Alan Parsons Project<BR/>7) Arnold Layne - Pink Floyd<BR/>8) Children And All That Jazz - Joan Baez<BR/>9) A Million Vacations - Max Webster<BR/>10) Navy Bean - Tracy Bohnam<BR/><BR/>June 20th<BR/><BR/>1) Twelve-Thirty (Young Girls Are Coming To The Canyon) - The Mamas & The Papas<BR/>2) Spoon For A Knife - The Jive Kings<BR/>3) Thirty-Three - Smashing Pumpkins<BR/>4) Good Company - Queen<BR/>5) Wild World - Cat Stevens<BR/>6) Your Song - Elton John<BR/>7) Hello Goodbye - Live On Arrival<BR/>8) Dance With The Devil - Breaking Benjamin<BR/>9) A Million Vacations - Max Webster<BR/>10) Goodbye Cruel World - Pink Floyd<BR/><BR/>June 27th<BR/><BR/>1) Why'd You Lie - Colin James<BR/>2) Fight - The Tragically Hip<BR/>3) Lagavulin - Wide Mouth Mason<BR/>4) Lithium - Nirvana<BR/>5) Next Contestant - Nickelback<BR/>6) Dolly Dagger - Jimi Hendrix<BR/>7) Starseed - Our Lady Peace<BR/>8) Touch Me - Ian Thomas<BR/>9) Supernova - Mike Oldfield<BR/>10) Black Sabbath - Ozzy Osbourne<BR/></FONT>
<DIV class=tags id=tagsLocation><BR/><FONT face=Arial size=1>Tags: </FONT><A href="http://technorati.com/tag/family" target=_blank rel=tag><FONT face=Arial size=1>family</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=1>, </FONT><A href="http://technorati.com/tag/milestones" target=_blank rel=tag><FONT face=Arial size=1>milestones</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=1>, </FONT><A href="http://technorati.com/tag/blogaversary" target=_blank rel=tag><FONT face=Arial size=1>blogaversary</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=1>, </FONT><A href="http://technorati.com/tag/canada+day" target=_blank rel=tag><FONT face=Arial size=1>canada day</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=1>, </FONT><A href="http://technorati.com/tag/memes" target=_blank rel=tag><FONT face=Arial size=1>memes</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=1>, </FONT><A href="http://technorati.com/tag/friday+random+ten" target=_blank rel=tag><FONT face=Arial size=1>friday random ten</FONT></A><BR/></DIV>Call me Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17704646008578216859noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644871434842902718.post-64864104046459639732008-06-19T16:32:00.000-04:002008-10-09T23:11:21.098-04:00This morning<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Me: "Hurry up, Matthew. If you don't leave the house right now, you're going to be late for school."<BR/><BR/>Matthew: "Well, I'm going to be late, then, because I'm not going anywhere without straightening my hair."<BR/><BR/> Oh, the many joys of raising a fashion conscious teen!<BR/></FONT><BR/><FONT face=Arial size=1>Tags: </FONT><A href="http://technorati.com/tag/family" target=_blank rel=tag><FONT face=Arial size=1>family</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=1>, </FONT><A href="http://technorati.com/tag/humour" target=_blank rel=tag><FONT face=Arial size=1>humour</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=1>, </FONT><A href="http://technorati.com/tag/fall+out+boy+hair" target=_blank rel=tag><FONT face=Arial size=1>fall out boy hair</FONT></A><BR/></P>Call me Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17704646008578216859noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644871434842902718.post-84688635933914962792008-06-09T20:14:00.000-04:002008-10-09T23:11:21.100-04:00Special characters<FONT face=Arial size=2> In a comment to my previous entry, Bea asked,
<BLOCKQUOTE><STRONG><EM>"how do you make that little degree symbol, anyway? I can't find it on my keyboard."</EM></STRONG></BLOCKQUOTE> Well, Bea, don't beat yourself up over it. You can't find it because it isn't on your keyboard. The degree symbol (º), and many other similar symbols, like the Yen (¥), Pound (£), and Euro (€) symbols, or the copyright (©), and trademark (™), symbols are special <A href="http://www.w3schools.com/tags/ref_entities.asp">HTML entities</A>. They are available using the html editor built into your journals software. For example, in order to create the degree symbol, switch your edit text box to the html setting, and type "&deg;" (without the quotes). When you switch back to the text view, you will see the degree symbol.<BR/> One of the most useful html entities I have discovered is the 'non-breaking space.' You may or may not have noticed, but the AOL Journals software has a tendency to eat spaces. You'll type something in, click 'save,' and check the result, only to find that the space between two words has disappeared - likethis. You click 'edit,' and insert a space, then click 'save' again. Sometimes that even works, but often, no matter what you do, those two words remain gluedtogether.<BR/> The solution is simple. Switch to html view. Find those two words, and right between them, type "&nbsp;" (without the quotes). This will insert a space between those two words which is, in typeface lingo, non-collapsable. It forces the text editor to leave a space in there no matter what. The only odd thing that sometimes comes up is the fact that the 'non-breaking' part of that space means the text editor will never insert a line break between those two words. So if they occur near the end of a line, using a non-breaking space can result in a non-uniform line length.<BR/><BR/> Sound too complicated? Never mess with the html functions of your journals software? Never fear. The most commonly used of the html entities all have keyboard shortcuts which work in most word processing programs and Internet browsers. If you are using Windows™, these shortcuts use the 'ALT' key and the numeric keypad buttons. For example, the degree symbol can be easily inserted as you type by holding down the 'ALT' key, and typing the numbers 167 on the numeric keypad. When you release the 'ALT' key, the degree symbolº will appear. <BR/> Here is a list of available <A href="http://www.tedmontgomery.com/tutorial/ALTchrc.html">special ALT characters</A>. Your browser may not support all of them. Have fun experimenting.<BR/></FONT><BR/>
<DIV class=tags id=tagsLocation><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=1>Tags: </FONT></SPAN><A href="http://technorati.com/tag/html+entities" target=_blank rel=tag><FONT face=Arial size=1>html entities</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=1>, </FONT><A href="http://technorati.com/tag/alt+symbols+and+characters" target=_blank rel=tag><FONT face=Arial size=1>alt symbols and characters</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=1>, </FONT><A href="http://technorati.com/tag/degrees" target=_blank rel=tag><FONT face=Arial size=1>degrees</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=1>, </FONT><A href="http://technorati.com/tag/blogplugs" target=_blank rel=tag><FONT face=Arial size=1>blogplugs</FONT></A><BR/></DIV>Call me Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17704646008578216859noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644871434842902718.post-54115333564977841312008-06-08T22:12:00.000-04:002008-10-09T23:11:21.100-04:00Suddenly, Summer<SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=2> Summer happened this weekend. </FONT><A href="http://www.theweathernetwork.com/index.php?product=historical&placecode=caon0029"><FONT size=2>Friday the mercury hit 33ºC</FONT></A><FONT size=2>. For you 'Mericans, that's just about ninety-two degrees Fahrenheit. Only ninety-two, you expostulate. But remember with our 65% relative humidity that feels like about 114ºF. In the shade.</FONT></SPAN><BR style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"/><FONT size=2><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> Still it wouldn't seem quite so bad if it weren't for the fact that Thursday's high was 19.5, or a lowly 67 degrees. I think we need to relabel our months up here. So far this year, we've had January, January, March, March, March, and August.</SPAN><BR style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"/><BR style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"/><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> Last night the wife and I went down into the city to a little bar - right near <A href="http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=1395+wilson+ave,+toronto,+on&sll=49.891235,-97.15369&sspn=53.769856,79.628906&ie=UTF8&ll=43.723242,-79.499967&spn=0.007304,0.00972&t=h&z=16&iwloc=addr">our first apartment</A> - to see a band called <A href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaKPCRHIaTA">Headbone Station</A>. One of the band members is an old high school buddy of mine, so we thought we'd check 'em out.</SPAN><BR style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"/><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> Except when we got there we found out they weren't playing that night, regardless of what <A href="http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=117892747">their MySpace page</A> said. So we sat and had a beer and listened to the Pete Martin reggae karaoke experience instead. Man, I'll tell you; there's a real feeling of responsibility in being the only members of an audience. It was like we were in some little cabana at an unpopular resort somewhere in the Caribbean. Pete was playing just for us. We felt guilty leaving after only one beer.</SPAN><BR style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"/><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> Well, not that guilty. He wasn't really all that good.</SPAN><BR style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"/><BR style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"/><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> Now, here are two Friday random ten lists for your perusal...</SPAN><BR style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"/><BR style="FONT-FAMILY:Arial"/><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Friday, June 6th</SPAN><BR style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"/><BR style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"/><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">1) Abacab- Genesis</SPAN><BR style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"/><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">2) Indian War Whoop - John Hartford</SPAN><BR style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"/><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">3) Please Love Me Forever - Tommy Edwards</SPAN><BR style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"/><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">4) The Times They Are A-Changin' - The Byrds</SPAN><BR style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"/><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">5) Wondering Where The Lions Are - Bruce Cockburn</SPAN><BR style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"/><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">6) Fast Car - David Usher</SPAN><BR style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"/><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">7) Every Breath You Take - The Police</SPAN><BR style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"/><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">8) Obsession (Reprise) - Robert Michaels</SPAN><BR style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"/><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">9) Betrayed - Avenged Sevenfold</SPAN><BR style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"/><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">10) The Navy Song - Billy Talent</SPAN><BR style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"/><BR style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"/><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Friday, May 30th</SPAN><BR style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"/><BR style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"/><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">1) Cocaine - Eric Clapton</SPAN><BR style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"/><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">2) Kind-Hearted Woman - Colin James</SPAN><BR style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"/><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">3) Uncle Salty - Aerosmith</SPAN><BR style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"/><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">4) Spawn Again - Silverchair</SPAN><BR style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"/><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">5) My Friends - Dar Williams</SPAN><BR style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"/><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">6) Miracle - Matt Dusk</SPAN><BR style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"/><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">7) Breakdown - Guns 'N' Roses</SPAN><BR style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"/><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">8) Nautical Disaster - The Tragically Hip</SPAN><BR style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"/><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">9) The Fire - Reel Big Fish</SPAN><BR style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"/><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">10) I Ain't Gonna Be Your Monkey Man - Willie Dixon</SPAN><BR style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"/></FONT>
<DIV class=tags id=tagsLocation><BR/><FONT face=Arial size=1>Tags: </FONT><A href="http://technorati.com/tag/summer" target=_blank rel=tag><FONT face=Arial size=1>summer</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=1>, </FONT><A href="http://technorati.com/tag/it+ain%27t+the+heat+it%27s+the+humidity" target=_blank rel=tag><FONT face=Arial size=1>it ain't the heat it's the humidity</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=1>, </FONT><A href="http://technorati.com/tag/headbone+station" target=_blank rel=tag><FONT face=Arial size=1>headbone station</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=1>, </FONT><A href="http://technorati.com/tag/friday+random+ten" target=_blank rel=tag><FONT face=Arial size=1>friday random ten</FONT></A><BR/></DIV>Call me Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17704646008578216859noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644871434842902718.post-87647952226593263952008-05-28T13:11:00.000-04:002008-10-09T23:11:21.101-04:00Lesbians shack up, depend on cheating males for reproduction...<font size="2"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> Same sex couples in the wild are more common than once thought, reports <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20080528/sc_livescience/femalealbatrossesshackup">Yahoo! News</a>, via <a href="http://www.livescience.com/animals/080516-gay-animals.html">LiveScience.com</a>.</span></font> <blockquote style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><i><font size="3">Says the report:What happens when there is a shortage of males and a female wants to have a family?<br/><br/></font><font size="3">In the case of the Laysan albatross, females shack up with each
other for years and take turns raising offspring, research now reveals.</font></i></blockquote><font size="2"><span style="font-family: Arial;">But wait! Where do these offspring come from? Well:</span></font> <blockquote style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><i><font size="3">10 of
the 16 chicks that belonged to female-female partners were fathered by
males that cheated on their female mates.</font></i></blockquote><font size="2"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> Evil lesbian chicks luring men away from their wives. Can you imagine?</span></font><br/><br/><div class="tags" id="tagsLocation"><font size="1"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Tags: </span><a style="font-family: Arial;" rel="tag" target="_blank" href="http://technorati.com/tag/lesbians">lesbians</a><span style="font-family: Arial;">, </span><a style="font-family: Arial;" rel="tag" target="_blank" href="http://technorati.com/tag/cheating+husbands">cheating husbands</a><span style="font-family: Arial;">, </span></font><a rel="tag" target="_blank" href="http://technorati.com/tag/laysan+albatross"><font size="1"><span style="font-family: Arial;">laysan albatross</span></font><br/><br/></a></div>Call me Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17704646008578216859noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644871434842902718.post-31051224262335133852008-05-24T22:28:00.000-04:002008-10-09T23:11:21.102-04:00Saturday random thought<FONT face=Arial size=2> I really don't spend much time thinking about American politics, but it occurs to me that the Democrats are in for another four years of bitter disappointment. I just don't believe that a majority of Americans will vote for a woman, or a member of a visible minority.<BR/></FONT>
<DIV id=tagsLocation class="tags"><BR/><FONT face=Arial size=1>Tags: </FONT><A href="http://technorati.com/tag/politics" target=_blank rel=tag><FONT face=Arial size=1>politics</FONT></A><BR/></DIV>Call me Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17704646008578216859noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644871434842902718.post-15177354668796907752008-05-23T18:28:00.000-04:002008-10-09T23:11:21.103-04:00Friday random ten(s)<p><font face="Arial" size="2"> iTunes keeps doing weird shit. I used to have over 5900 songs in the library, but now it's telling me there are only 5875. Somewhere, iTunes has lost some songs, and I don't understand how. One of the ones I was able to pin down as being missing was track 16 of the soundtrack album from the movie The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. Tracks one through fifteen are there, as are seventeen through nineteen. Sixteen has disappeared. I know it was there when I originally copied the CD to iTunes. Now it's gone. <br/> And I mean gone totally. When I manually go looking in the iTunes music folder, the rest of the files are all there, and track 16 is not. Where did it go? Matthew tells me there are entire albums missing. We're going to have to recopy the discs, which is a total time waster. I hope none of the songs Matthew downloaded from the iTunes store are missing, because we haven't backed them up yet.<br/><br/>Stupid iTunes!<br/><br/> And now, because I was negligent last week, here are two (2) Friday Random Tens.<br/><br/><strong>May 16/2008</strong><br/><br/>1) Lucky (Boomtang Boys Mix) - Bif Naked<br/>2) Whoa - Midnight Oil<br/>3) Legend - Nelly Furtado<br/>4) Guys and Dolls (Reprise) - Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin<br/>5) The Unforgettable Fire - U2<br/>6) More Today Than Yesterday - The Spiral Staircase<br/>7) Jennifer's Body - Hole<br/>8) Peace Train - Cat Stevens<br/>9) Tourniquet (Live) - Evanescence<br/>10) Growing Up - Bruce Springsteen<br/><br/><strong>May 23/2008</strong><br/><br/>1) Coloured Rain - Traffic<br/>2) Crocodile Rock - Elton John<br/>3) Patio Lanterns - Kim Mitchell<br/>4) Hanger 18 - Megadeath<br/>5) Medley: The Munster Cloak/An Poc Ar Buille/Ferney Hill/Little Molly - The Chieftains<br/>6) What's It Take - Robert Palmer<br/>7) Wasted Time (Live) - The Eagles<br/>8) On The Boulevard - Murray McLauchlan<br/>9) Wake Me Up - Norah Jones<br/>10) Love Reign O'er Me - The Who<br/></font></p>
<div class="tags" id="tagsLocation"><br/><font face="Arial" size="1">Tags: </font><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/music" target="_blank" rel="tag"><font face="Arial" size="1">music</font></a><font face="Arial" size="1">, </font><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/iTunes" target="_blank" rel="tag"><font face="Arial" size="1">iTunes</font></a><font face="Arial" size="1">, </font><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/friday+random+ten" target="_blank" rel="tag"><font face="Arial" size="1">friday random ten</font></a><br/></div>Call me Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17704646008578216859noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644871434842902718.post-56663116233332617962008-05-20T22:27:00.000-04:002008-10-09T23:11:21.104-04:00100 movies - the last 10 (plus 1)<P><FONT face=Arial size=2> I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, "I don't believe it." But yes, it's true. I have finally reached the final edition of the list of "100 movies I really like." I started this thing over </FONT><A href="http://journals.aol.ca/plittle/AuroraWalkingVacation/entries/2007/09/15/100-movies/2478"><FONT face=Arial size=2>eight freaking months ago</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=2> (if this had been a list of 100 <EM>TV shows</EM> I really like, I could have said, "eight <EM>frakking</EM> months ago" there).<BR/> Now, remember that these movies have been listed in completely random order (actually determined by an online random number generator - no, I don't remember which one), so these are not necessarily my ten favourite movies. They are just the last ten left after I named ninety others.<BR/><BR/> (Actually, I have only named eighty-nine others, haven't I? I accidentally listed The Fugitive in both </FONT><A href="http://journals.aol.ca/plittle/AuroraWalkingVacation/entries/2007/10/18/100-movies-the-fourth-episode/2498"><FONT face=Arial size=2>this list</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=2>, and </FONT><A href="http://journals.aol.ca/plittle/AuroraWalkingVacation/entries/2008/02/12/100-movies---part-se7en/2529"><FONT face=Arial size=2>this one</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=2>.) So, here are the movies. Comment on my choices as you will.<BR/><BR/><STRONG>Alien</STRONG> - Earlier on this list I named the sequel to this film, Aliens. This is an entirely different creature (heh). In fact, this is much more of a Horror/Suspense/Thriller than a science fiction film. Heck, the audience doesn't even get to see the monster until almost the end of the movie. Also, the alien's method of reproduction falls under the category of most creepy sci-fi concept ever.<BR/><BR/><STRONG>Big</STRONG> - Tom Hanks wasn't an unknown, by any stretch of the imagination, but Big was the film that lit the fuse on the rocket his career was to become. <BR/><BR/><STRONG>Terminator 2: Judgement Day</STRONG> - What better way to deal with a man who can't act than to cast him as a robot? Heck, it worked for Peter Weller. I originally had the first Terminator movie here, but decided I liked the second one better. Hasta La Vista, Baby!<BR/><BR/><STRONG>The Pink Panther</STRONG> - No, not the recent one starring Steve Martin. Are you kidding me? I'm sure Martin wakes up every morning, looks in the mirror, and askshimself, "what the hell was I thinking?" Who decided it was a good idea to remake a movie starring one of the funniest human beings who ever lived? And has that person learned their lesson?<BR/> Seriously, there is no one who could ever match the comic genius of Peter Sellers in the role of Inspector Clouseau. <BR/><BR/><STRONG>Shrek</STRONG> - This movie was in the can when when Mike Myers decided Shrek should have a Scottish accent. So he went back into the studio and revoiced Shrek's dialogue for the entire film. At some point after that he walked away from the Sprockets project because he didn't want to release a steaming heap of crap that would make money anyway just because he was in it. That's just the way Mike rolls. <BR/><BR/><STRONG>Lethal Weapon</STRONG> - In the best tradition of The Odd Couple. Detectives Murtaugh and Riggs are among the best cop partnerships ever filmed. Also, Gary Busey puts his natural born creepiness to good use as Mr. Joshua, the former special forces nut job/bad guy.<BR/><BR/><STRONG>A Beautiful Mind</STRONG> - There had to be at least one Oscar winner on this list. Didn't there? <BR/><BR/><STRONG>La Femme Nikita</STRONG> - The American Remake of this film, Point Of No Return, was actually pretty good. Credit where due, director John Badham didn't stray too far from the original. The original, a French film directed by Luc Besson, is described by one IMBD user as, "cooler than a fortnight in Antartica wearing a bikini, drinking chilled vodka with ice-packs strapped to your body."<BR/><BR/><STRONG>Desperado</STRONG> - Antonio Badaras is almost as pretty as Salma Hayek in this one. This may be the most cinematographically attractive shoot-em-up movie ever made. Your mileage may vary.<BR/><BR/><STRONG>First Blood</STRONG> - I can still see Sly pulling a needle and thread through his own skin (shudder). I think Richard Crenna's costume had an actual board sewn into it in this film. Brian Dennehy elevates everything he appears in. OK, maybe not <STRONG>Tommy Boy</STRONG>.<BR/><BR/> That's ten. I have now listed every film that appeared on my original list of 100. The only problem is, that original list only named ninety-nine different movies. So I owe you one. That fact is what has held up this last entry of the series for so long. I just didn't want to try and come up with one more movie to add.<BR/> Circumstance to the rescue. We went out to the theater to see <STRONG>Iron Man</STRONG> last night. Let me tell you, it rocked. The decision to cast Robert Downey Jr. was an inspired one, and he pulled off the role with ease. We totally believed his transformation.<BR/> The special effects were top notch, with special mention due the suit effects. It looks totally real. I thought Jeff Bridges overplayed his part a little bit, and I never quite bought Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts, but Downey carried every scene he was in, and was able to lift the film past those deficiencies, and the few slow spots in the story. I highly reccomend you see this in the theater, with the Big Screen, and the Big Sound. It's worth the over-inflated tickets and popcorn prices.<BR/><BR/> Also worth mention were the previews preceeding the movie. The new Indy was the most notable, and I suspect we'll be back in the theater before the month is out to see it. <STRONG>The Dark Knight</STRONG> looks excellent, although I'm not a huge Batman fan, so this one will wait until it hits DVD. Also pretty funny looking were <STRONG>Kung Fu Panda</STRONG>, and <STRONG>You Don't Mess With The Zohan</STRONG>, Adam Sandler's latest. Although I suspect we saw most of the funny bits of the latter in the trailer.<BR/><BR/> Well, there you have it: one hundred movies I really like. Not an entirely comprehensive list, and were I to compile it again, I would not be surprised to see huge differences in the movies selected. At several points during this process, I have smacked myself on the forehead and said, "I could have had a V8!" Or at least remembered another film that should have been here.<BR/> But then again, I have carefully disclaimed any intention to make this list actually representative of anything other than a bunch of movies I really like throughout the whole process. Just in case you're interested, here is the full list, in the order I originally wrote them down, all those months ago:<BR/><BR/></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>1:Bull Durham<BR/>2:Star Wars<BR/>3:Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.<BR/>4:The Maltese Falcon<BR/>5:The African Queen<BR/>6:Casablanca<BR/>7:Raiders of the Lost Ark<BR/>8:Blade Runner<BR/>9:The Rock<BR/>10:Big <BR/>11:Serenity<BR/>12:Back to the Future<BR/>13:Moulin Rouge<BR/>14:A Knight's Tale<BR/>15:Braveheart<BR/>16:The Fugitive<BR/>17:Frailty <BR/>18:Ghostbusters<BR/>19:Gladiator<BR/>20:Highlander <BR/>21:The Hunt for Red October<BR/>22:The Incredibles<BR/>23:The Iron Giant<BR/>24:Jurassic Park<BR/>25:Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring<BR/>26:Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King<BR/>27:The Matrix <BR/>28:Monsters Inc.<BR/>29:Pink Floyd: The Wall<BR/>30:Shrek <BR/>31:Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl <BR/>32:Spiderman<BR/>33:Stargate<BR/>34:The Legend of Bagger Vance<BR/>35:This is Spinal Tap<BR/>36:Hard Core Logo<BR/>37:A Beautiful Mind <BR/>38:The Bourne Identity<BR/>39:Underworld<BR/>40:The Transporter <BR/>41:The Terminator<BR/>42:School of Rock<BR/>43:Men in Black<BR/>44:The Last Temptation of Christ<BR/>45:Ice Age<BR/>46:Armageddon<BR/>47:Ocean's Eleven<BR/>48:The Green Mile <BR/>49:Agent Cody Banks<BR/>50:Titan: AE <BR/>51:Die Hard<BR/>52:Beverly Hills Cop<BR/>53:Cast Away<BR/>54:Aladdin<BR/>55:The Lion King <BR/>56:The Nightmare Before Christmas<BR/>57:They Live<BR/>58:The Wizard of Oz <BR/>59:Scrooged<BR/>60:Stripes <BR/>61:Memento<BR/>62:Alien<BR/>63:Aliens<BR/>64:Ferris Bueller's Day Off<BR/>65:Saving Private Ryan <BR/>66:Hang 'em High<BR/>67:High Plains Drifter<BR/>68:The Sixth Sense <BR/>69:Little Miss Sunshine<BR/>70:Toy Story<BR/>71:Twelve Monkeys<BR/>72:Casino Royale<BR/>73:Blood Diamond<BR/>74:The Road Warrior<BR/>75:True Lies<BR/>76:Apollo Thirteen<BR/>77:Chicken Run <BR/>78:Close Encounters of the Third Kind<BR/>79:E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial<BR/>80:La Femme Nikita<BR/>81:Shanghai Noon<BR/>82:The Fugitive<BR/>83:Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon<BR/>84:Payback<BR/>85:The Pink Panther<BR/>86:Rain Man <BR/>87:Ruthless People<BR/>88:Shakespeare in Love<BR/>89:Mrs. Doubtfire<BR/>90:True Grit <BR/>91:Victor/Victoria<BR/>92:Benny and Joon <BR/>93:The Untouchables<BR/>94:Soylent Green<BR/>95:Gattaca<BR/>96:The Fifth Element<BR/>97:First Blood<BR/>98:Predator<BR/>99:Desperado<BR/>100:Lethal Weapon <BR/><BR/>really 100:Iron Man<BR/><BR/><A href="http://journals.aol.ca/plittle/AuroraWalkingVacation/entries/2008/04/03/100-movies---the-penultimate-list/2539"><< previous ten</A><BR/></FONT><BR/><FONT face=Arial size=1>Tags: </FONT><A href="http://technorati.com/tag/memes" target=_blank rel=tag><FONT face=Arial size=1>memes</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=1>, </FONT><A href="http://technorati.com/tag/100+movies" target=_blank rel=tag><FONT face=Arial size=1>100 movies</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=1>, </FONT><A href="http://technorati.com/tag/blogplugs" target=_blank rel=tag><FONT face=Arial size=1>blogplugs</FONT></A><BR/></P>Call me Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17704646008578216859noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3644871434842902718.post-62002809202558745472008-05-11T15:46:00.000-04:002008-10-09T23:11:21.105-04:00As if millions of elbows cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced<FONT face=Arial size=2> I was on my way out to take the dog for a walk when my wife stopped me at the door. "You should," she suggested, "take a hat, and a jacket, and maybe an umbrella." She looked up at the rapidly greying clouds scudding across the sky. "I've got a bad feeling about this," she said.<BR/> "Oh, so what," I asked. "You've got <EM>The Force</EM>, now?"<BR/> "No," she answered. "I've got <EM>The Arthritis</EM>."<BR/></FONT>
<DIV class=tags id=tagsLocation><BR/><FONT face=Arial size=1>Tags: </FONT><A href="http://technorati.com/tag/family" target=_blank rel=tag><FONT face=Arial size=1>family</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=1>, </FONT><A href="http://technorati.com/tag/humour" target=_blank rel=tag><FONT face=Arial size=1>humour</FONT></A><BR/></DIV>Call me Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17704646008578216859noreply@blogger.com7