digitalmud

When You Feel It

2006-12-09T17:40:00.000-05:00

Just a new song for all of you who visit frequently. More content in a week or so, once I've got the exams out of the way.

When You Feel It
Brett Dennen
From the album So Much More

This is where the lyrics would go. But I can't find them. And I'm too ~~lazy~~ busy to transcribe them.

Cheers.

Chris Wants a MacBook Pro. Now.

2006-12-02T11:11:00.000-05:00

I've been telling myself that I'll hold off on upgrading the notebook till next fall... But after reading about Parallels' newest release of Desktop and seeing this screenshot (via Daring Fireball)... Sigh.

That's it: sigh.

And you've got to love that catch-phrase: "Windows is the new Classic". That John Gruber... He just cracks me up.

Update:
And one Michael Verdi has a nice video demonstration... Yowza.

Yet Another Update:
And if this rumour is true, then that's what I'll be getting. Nothing beats my 12-inch PowerBook for portability.

And Now, For a Little...

2006-12-02T01:26:00.000-05:00

Twelve Days of Christmas
By BoyMongoose
A YouTube Original, perhaps.

More of such festive nonesense in a bit. Really, really.

Lifestream

2006-11-24T15:28:00.000-05:00

I just occured to me that I have PHP. So, this one's for all those especially voyeuristic folks out there: My (online) Lifestream

All credit goes to Jeremy Keith of Adactio. But I hope to modify it a bit more and do something useful with it.

More soon. Really.

Oh, and until I learn some more PHP, the time's off by around four hours.

Splish, Splash

2006-11-11T07:46:00.000-05:00

The portfolio push has begun. And, this here blog has a new url: http://digitalmud.ca/write/.

No worries if you use the RSS feed though.

Cheers.

No Mayoralty for You

2006-11-09T16:28:00.000-05:00

As I was walking down St. George Street a few minutes ago, someone handed me a flyer for a student from Ryerson University who's running for Mayor.

Here's a quote:

I am running for mayor because I feel that youths are not properly represented in politics and our opinions are always voiced but rarely taken seriously. As a student, I feel that working together and supporting each other as a whole; I can represent a larger, younger voice in politics

What can I say to that?

Sorry my friend, but there's no way I'm going to vote for you if you don't know how to use a semicolon properly. It's a matter of principle.

The least you could have done was to have someone, preferably an English major, proofread your paper.

Dirty Little Secrets

2006-11-02T13:03:00.000-05:00

The confessions of a not so dangerous mind.

1.
On the floor, under my desk, there's a little tin train that my mother picked up for me. The space where the conductor's cab would be is hollowed out. I use it to keep pencils and such things.

If you were to wrap your hands around all the things there and pull them out, you'd see that the bottom of the tin is full of twist-ties.

Without even realising it, it seems that I've developed a habit of saving all the nicer twist ties that come my way - especially the plastic coated ones that you get with higher-end electronics.

My name is Chris, and I have a twist-tie fetish.

2.
I have a recurring fantasy. It involves a crowded subway car and a pair of scissors.

One of the first things I learnt when I started riding the subway regularly in the sixth grade is that as a courtesy, you should take your backpack or shoulder bag off and place it on the floor. So it doesn't hit the other commuters standing and sitting around you.

I would like to sneak a pair of sharp scissors onto the subway with me and have at the bag straps of all the inconsiderate people who ride the subway during rush hour. As their bags fall to the floor, I would laugh with unabashed glee.

Yesterday, there was one such person standing right next to me as I made my way home. And, he happened to have a pair of scissors sticking out of the side pocket of his backup. It had orange handles. I resisted the urge, though.

My name is Chris, and I want to be a subway vigilante.

3.
When I was in high school, I would spend hours every night, after everyone had gone to sleep, looking at pictures in magazines and on the internet.

I would visit sites like AnandTech and Dell. I'd memorize the articles in MaximumPC and PC Gamer. I'd drool over their hardware reviews. Then, I'd dream about my perfect computer.

My name is Chris, and I'm a recovering geek.

First Snow, November 2006

2006-11-02T13:02:00.000-05:00

Finally.

I am happy.

Won't you...

2006-10-27T22:45:00.000-04:00

Dance With Me
As covered by Nouvelle Vague
From the album Bande à Part

As far as covers go, they do a consistently good job.

But Just Barely

2006-10-24T08:17:00.000-04:00

Contrary to popular opinion, I am still alive. And hopefully, by the end of this week, I will have a lot more to say.

I'm enjoying this album at the moment. Love the piano on this track, too.

Take It Back
Barenaked Ladies
From the album Barenaked Ladies Are Me

It's hard enough to notice
Harder still to react
Just a stone's throw from the centre of our attention
We all fade to black

Save me from a villainous imagination
Deliver me from my friends
If I said something to make you mad
I will take it back

It's hard enough to stomach
But try to look away
Is this a news report or a trailer for a motion picture?
It all fades to grey

Long lines and warning signs
Think of all the lives saved by plastic knives
It's naive, but make-believe
We will never lose if we remove our shoes

It's hard to keep your mouth shut
Harder still to make noise
But we can't have the perfect twenty-twenty hindsight
That our fate enjoys

Hope everyone else is coping as well.

Happy Monday

2006-10-02T09:24:00.000-04:00

I was talking to a friend earlier this morning and he wished me a "Happy Monday".

So, a happy Monday to all of you too.

Crinkle

2006-09-30T14:08:00.000-04:00

In which is discussed headaches, cereal, potato chips and a bottle of coke.

1
I have a habit of not eating, especially on the weekends. The result is that I find myself, almost unawares, with a headache by the time Sunday night rolls along. What follows is a hurried dash to the kitchen to find something to eat in order to stave off what could potentially be a migraine, the kind that leaves me in bed for the greater part of the following day.

So (very) early one morning a little while ago, as I was in the process of getting myself a bowl of cereal and trying my best to do so quietly - a futile attempt, mind you, with the kind of plastic used in cereal bags - I was reminded of an essay I read during my first year of university.

The author of the essay suggested that many products, potato chips especially, are manufactured in such a way as to make as much noise as possible - in order to enhance the experience of consuming them. And while I've never actually investigated this idea, considering the ridiculous amount of crackling a bag of Doritos or Lays makes when you open it, I can see why anyone would think that.¹

When you open a bag of chips, that distinctive crinkle carries with it a lot of other ideas and actions: freshness, crispiness and - some might suggest - even more abstract ideas like the opening of a gift.²

2
A few months ago, during a particularly trying shift at al&d, I made my way to a nearby 7-Eleven to pick up a drink. Now, normally, I just walk in, buy a Dr. Pepper, and leave. But I wasn't really feeling that at the moment, so I looked around for something different. I ended up choosing a Coke with Lime.³

While waiting in line to pay, I was looking the bottle over and noticed something unusual about the packaging. Coke's bottled products usually have a white or black lid to them. This drink had a green lid - a green that didn't even match particularly well with the shade of green on the label.

I was puzzled by this choice of colour, but didn't give it much more thought until a few weeks later, when I reached the fifth chapter of Blink, a book by Malcolm Gladwell, through which I'm (slowly) making my way at the moment.

3
Blink is about the subconscious and the advantages and prattfalls of rapid cognition. That chapter in particular discusses "sensation transference" - the way in which the packaging of many products are designed to not only elicit our attention but to also make us feel and think a certain way as we use or consume them.

The example used in the book is that of 7-Up. Darrel Rhea, a principle of the Cheskin marketing firm, described some interesting results from research conducted by the company:

"We tested Seven-Up. We had several versions, and what we found is that if you add fifteen percent more yellow to the green on the package - if you take this green and add more yellow - what people report is that the taste experience has lot more lime or lemon flavour."⁴

So, if this sort of research was applied to the design of the Coke with Lime bottle, that means the particular green chosen for the lid is supposed to 'set the stage' as it were, for your first taste of the drink.

4
In some ways, I guess, that's a very disturbing thought. How much of what we buy is based on reactions that we can't consciously control? And leaving aside purchases, how many of our daily decisions are made on these types of signals? Signals we should be aware of but seldom are.

There's a very good case for how useful such quick thinking can be. But we shouldn't let it influence us so much that we leave our faculties for fact and logic behind.

¹Contrast this with a bag of "Miss Vickies" potato chips. They're far less so, to go with, I suppose, their attempts at selling a healthier and classier, and ultimately, much more 'real' product.

²That might seem like a rather bold claim. And after reading that, you might be saying "Wait a minute - I don't think about opening presents when I eat chips." But bear with me a moment longer.

³I don't know how many of you remember Pepsi Twist, but it was one of my favourite drinks at the time it was on the shelves. I figured this new Coke might be similar in taste, and it didn't disappoint.

⁴Gladwell, Malcolm. Blink. pg 163.

And a song, of course, since I've been quiet for so long.

Bring On The Wonder
Susan Enan

I can't see the stars anymore living here
Lets go to the hills where the outlines are clear

Bring on the wonder
Bring on the song
I pushed you down deep in my soul for too long

I fell through the cracks at the end of our street
Lets go to the beach, get the sand through our feet

Bring on the wonder
Bring on the song
I pushed you down deep in my soul for too long

Bring on the wonder
We got it all wrong
We pushed you down deep in our souls for too long

I dont have the time for a drink from the cup
Let's rest for a while 'til our souls catch us up

Bring on the wonder
Bring on the song
I pushed you down deep in my soul for too long

Bring on the wonder
We got it all wrong
We pushed you down deep in our souls, so hang on

Bring on the wonder
Bring on the song
I pushed you down deep in my soul for too long.

A good weekend to all.

She's So Beautiful

2006-09-21T11:36:00.000-04:00

And one last little bit from Derek Webb.

The Church
Derek Webb
From the album She Must and Shall Go Free

i have come with one purpose
to capture for myself a bride
by my life she is lovely
by my death she's justified
i have always been her husband
though many lovers she has known
so with water i will wash her
and by my word alone

so when you hear the sound of the water
you will know you're not alone

'cause i haven't come for only you
but for my people to pursue
you cannot care for me with no regard for her
if you love me you will love the church

i have long pursued her
as a harlot and a whore
but she will feast upon me
she will drink and thirst no more

so when you taste my flesh and my blood
you will know you're not alone

there is none that can replace her
though there are many who will try
and though some may be her bridesmaids
they can never be my bride

I realise I've been using a lot of his songs these days. They're just speaking to me at the moment. He, along with Rich Mullins and Keith Green are the people I listen to when I need to think hard about the things that matter most.

Something new - new post, new (non-Derek Webb) song - in a bit.

Than I Can Chew

2006-09-13T11:08:00.000-04:00

You know all that stuff I said last week, about going back to school being wonderful and all? Well, I take it back. No, no, actually, I don't. But I am looking forward to the weekend.

I am planning to finish off both the "Letter to Toronto" and "Forever Broken" series of posts. I just need to find some time first.

And finally, here's something by Derek Webb, since I didn't post a song yesterday.

Lover
Derek Webb
From the album She Must and Shall Go Free

Like a man comes to an altar
I came into this town
With the world upon my shoulders
and promises passed down
I went into the water
My father, he was pleased
I built it and I’ll tear it down
So you will be set free

But I found thieves and salesmen
Living in my father's house
I know how they got in here
and I know how to get them out
I’m turning this place over
From floor to balcony
and then just like these doves and sheep
Oh, you will be set free

I’ve always been a lover
Before I drew a breath
Some things I loved easy
and some I’ll love to death
Because love's no politician
It listens carefully
So of those who come, I can't lose one
So you will be set free

But go on and take my picture
Go on and make me up
I’ll still be your defender
You’ll be my missing son
I’ll send out an army
Just to bring you back to me
Because regardless of your brother's lies
Oh, you will be set free

I am my beloved’s
and my beloved’s mine
So you bring all your history
I’ll bring the bread and wine
and we'll have us a party
Where all drinks are on me
Because as surely as the rising sun
Oh, you will be set free

Hope you're having a good day.

FreeDerekWebb

2006-09-12T08:04:00.000-04:00

Head over to FreeDerekWebb.com to grab Mockingbird, his last album, for free. Yes really.

One of my favourite albums of recent times. Highly recommended.

Comes in .mp3 format - DRM-free, 192 kbps.

Forever Broken, Part One

2006-09-10T17:20:00.000-04:00

There is, I think, a darkness in all of us. Call it whatever you may, but it's hard to deny the fact that everyone has desires - of our own, and as reactions to others - that we know we'd be better off not acting on.

But what then of the darkness we find outside ourselves, in the world around us? The seemingly random acts of destruction - floods, hurricanes, famines - where do they come from? At whose feet do we lay the responsibility?

The Hindu response describes this as yet another facet of Brahman and his reality. Classical Greek mythology attempted to explain it away as being part and parcel of the fickle nature and rivalry between the members of their pantheon.

Again, Norse mythology and Egyptian mythology, even that of the Aztecs, and - I suspect - the belief base of almost every worldview, all of them describe the divine as being, at best, mercurial in nature, if not as evil as it is good.

Christianity does not have this luxury. Instead of describing the discrepancies in ourselves and our environs as reflections of some higher power or ideal, the Christian tradition holds that the darkness is just that - darkness. And God, He is the Light.¹

In fact, the Christian goes as far as to claim that while we were indeed meant to be in the image of God, what we are now is but a vague rendering of His Person. And, our time in the darkness has also made it much harder for us to see Him as He truly is.

Even so, the questions remain, and become even more pressing when one considers that this good God has at times not only ordered the destruction of thousands but also allowed the suffering and deaths of millions the world over.²

Why would He do this, or - at best - stand by and allow it to happen?

¹John 1:1-9

²Genesis 18:16-19:29; 1 Samuel 15; "Overview of the Global AIDS Epidemic"

Hallelujah!

2006-09-08T02:27:00.000-04:00

Finally, after about an hour of tweaking, I've managed to make the menu work in Internet Explorer.

So go ahead, click a link or two. Or maybe an image. Live a little, why don'tcha?

Now I'm going to sleep. Nite.

Just My Luck

2006-09-07T11:31:00.000-04:00

Here's a little known fact: my middle initial, 'S', stands for 'Shankar'.

The name Shankar means 'auspicious' or 'lucky'. It's a derivation of Shankara, which is another name for Lord Shiva in his form as "the auspicious one". (Wikipedia has a lengthy article on the subject for anyone who's interested.)

In spite of my name, I've never considered myself a lucky person. But a few weeks ago, one Wednesday afternoon, I got a call from Exclaim Magazine. The voice on the phone told me that I was the winner of an Epiphone Les Paul.

It was interesting that just a few days prior, I had told some friends that even though we've had an acoustic guitar in the house for about four years, I still didn't know how to play it.

On hearing what I had won, the same friends insisted that this was a sign - I need to learn how to play the guitar. I'm really not one for the signs, but I have started learning.

It's going slowly.

And here's another song by Sixpence None The Richer. It was playing at the Home Depot last night.

"Kiss Me" was released when I was in high school, I think. I do remember that all my friends would laugh and change the station whenever it was played on the radio.

I would just keep quite, because I actually liked the song. Of course, I never dared to admit that.

Kiss me
Sixpence None The Richer
From the album Sixpence None The Richer

Kiss me out of the bearded barley
Nightly, beside the green, green grass
Swing, swing, swing the spinning step
You wear those shoes and I will wear that dress.

Oh, kiss me beneath the milky twilight
Lead me out on the moonlit floor
Lift your open hand
Strike up the band and make the fireflies dance
Silver moon's sparkling
So kiss me

Kiss me down by the broken tree house
Swing me upon its hanging tire
Bring, bring, bring your flowered hat
We'll take the trail marked on your father's map

If you listen carefully, you can hear that they've sampled the same guitar twice, split it between the left and right channels, and applied some effects to one channel.

It's a great (and cheap) way to add some depth to a recording. The more you know, right?

Muse

2006-09-06T05:35:00.000-04:00

Inspiration's a lovely thing when you have it. And when you don't, well, then, you can even have trouble finishing your

I did say that I'd post something 'new' today, but I'm just too tired. I had a long day - far longer than I originally planned - and a late night.

When I write, I usually start the lengthier bits, leave them awhile, come back and add to them, and so on. What I'm hoping to put together, by the end of the week at the latest, has been on my mind for, I think, more than a year now.

Yes, yes, I know how ridiculous that sounds, but some of my thoughts just take longer than others to form. And this one's taken especially long.

But like I said, Inspiration's a lovely thing when she's smiling on you.

There She Goes
As covered by Sixpence None The Richer
From the album Sixpence None The Richer

There she goes
There she goes again
Racing through my brain
And I just can't contain
This feeling that remains

There she goes
There she goes again
Pulsing through my veins
And I just can't contain
This feeling that remains

There she goes
There she goes again
Racing through my brain
And I just can't contain
This feeling that remains

There she goes
There she goes again
She calls my name,
Pulls my train
No one else could heal my pain
And I just can't contain
This feeling that remains

There she goes
There she goes again
Chasing down my lane
And I just can't contain
This feeling that remains

There she goes

I can play this song. Sort of.

Most Wonderful

2006-09-05T05:29:00.000-04:00

Just a note to wish everyone - teachers, would-be teachers, and students - who are and will be going (or going back) to school over the next little bit.

A new school term - like a new year, or a new day - brings with it that expectation of something wonderful just waiting o'er the horizon, waiting to be seen and felt and met and known.

So here's to fresh starts and second chances.

We're Going to Be Friends
The White Stripes
From the album White Blood Cells

Fall is here, hear the yell
back to school, ring the bell
brand new shoes, walking blues
climb the fence, books and pens
I can tell that were going to be friends

Walk with me, Suzy Lee
through the park and by the tree
we will rest upon the ground
and look at all the bugs we found
then safely walk to school
without a sound

Well here we are, no one else
we walked to school all by ourselves
there's dirt on our uniforms
from chasing all the ants and worms
we clean up and now its time to learn

Numbers, letters, learn to spell
nouns, and books, and show and tell
at playtime we will throw the ball
back to class, through the hall
teacher marks our height
against the wall

And we don't notice any time pass
we don't notice anything
we sit side by side in every class
teacher thinks that I sound funny
but she likes the way you sing

Tonight I'll dream while in my bed
when silly thoughts go through my head
about the bugs and alphabet
and when I wake tomorrow Ill bet
that you and I will walk together again
'cause I can tell that were going to be friends

Something new tomorrow.

Housekeeping

2006-09-03T00:15:00.000-04:00

A little bit of this, and a little bit of that.

I'd like to request something of everyone who visits this blog: please update your bookmarks to the new URL - digitalmud.ca. The old Blogspot URL is working for now, but I don't know how long that'll last. Thanks.

As far as the rest goes, things'll stay pretty much the same for now. I've been working on migrating all this to Wordpress, but I haven't had much time to work on it lately. So perhaps sometime in September.

I doubt I'll change the design or layout of the site much as it's grown on my over the last year or so. But I would like to add a search field and livesearch. Because I know how all of you long for such things.

But if you're feeling especially adventurous, feel free to check out the test installation. It's kind of outdated, but it'll also give you an idea of what I'm aiming for. (Make sure you click the '+'.)

And while we're on the topic of housekeeping, let me make a statement in response to that most recent comment and the e-mail I've received as a result of the Dinner and a Date post.

I didn't say that someone has to be able to cook if I'm to consider her as a wife. I only said that it would be nice if she could. But if she can't, it's okay - I've never been a picky eater anyway.

And those descriptions I gave? No, those are not just a coincidence. That's me describing the kinds of things that don't particularly impress me. Let's leave it at that.

A Letter to Toronto, Part One

2006-08-31T20:56:00.000-04:00

Dear Toronto,

I've been putting this off for some time now, but after last night, I feel that I need to say something.

It's actually kind of funny - I've been thinking over all the things I want to say, and now that I'm here, writing this, I can't remember any of them. I guess I'll just start at the beginning.

I was five when I met you. And I can still remember the whole day quite clearly. On our way here, we stopped over in The States, and after a short stay at my aunt's house in Rhode Island, we crossed the border at Niagara Falls. An uncle of mine met us there and showed us around - the Rainbow Bridge, and of course, the Falls - it was a wonderful start to a wonderful day.

My memories of the drive from Niagara are vague at best. In fact, I have to admit that I don't even really remember my first sight of you. Regardless, I knew where I was - in Toronto. And I felt quite thrilled by the idea even as we went about, for the rest of the day, doing mundane things like buying winter boots and coats.

You still weren't my city, though. During the first few months after our arrival we skirted around you, staying with an Aunt in Scarborough and then in a little basement apartment in York (this was before you grew up and became a 'megacity') until, finally, we ended up living right on the border between you and York.

I'd like to think we were closer to you, but I'm really not sure. Still, it was during that time - I was six - that I began to see you for what you are.

Being the smart, hip, city that you are now, I'm sure you're aware that everyone who's anyone knows who Toronto is. You're famous for your landmarks - the Tower and SkyDome (sorry, I guess it's "Rogers Centre" now) - your urbanity, and your great night life. And you're so tolerant and polite - that's what everyone says when you come up in conversation.

But it wasn't any of these things that drew me to you. No, for me, it was all the little things. Hours spent in your parks with friends. Visits to your libraries. Subway rides to visit family. Trips on the ferry to the island.

These things - these simple things - are what's so great about you. They showed me that you were the my kind of city: open, honest and oh so approachable. You were nice.

But you're not always nice anymore. And that's what has me worried.

Dinner and A Date

2006-08-29T09:56:00.000-04:00

I made dinner at my house last night. And it turned out quite well, if I should say so myself. And I do.

Mind you, it wasn't anything fancy - just some rice, chicken, and mixed vegetables. But even my dad approved, saying it was "better than curry."

Originally, my plan was to make Dill-Lemon Rice, Sesame Chicken, and mixed vegetables. It was only after I began to gather the ingredients that I realised we didn't have sesame oil or dill seeds. That's how it became just 'rice' and 'chicken'. We did have mixed vegetables, though, so that stayed the same.

I have to confess that my cooking is actually part of a more elaborate scheme: it's my insurance policy. If you're not sure what I mean by that, imagine the following, a few years from now...

Host: Hullo, Hullo! Welcome to today's episode of Bachelorette Surprise! I'm you're host, Don Schmalon. And here's today's contestant, a recently graduated architect from Toronto, Christopher Mudia... Muda... Wow, I'm sorry Chris, I don't know how to pronounce you're last name.

Chris: No worries, Don. I'm used to it.

Host: Ha, ha. I see.

Chris: ... .. .

Host: Right, well, let's get started then. You know how this works. Talk to our three bachelorettes, ask them questions, and then pick the one you like. And then you'll live happily ever after. If you're lucky, you might even fall in love!

Chris: Um... Okay.

Chris: Bachelorette Number One, hi.

B#1: Hello!

Chris: Please tell me a bit about yourself.

B#1: Where, do I begin? Hmm... Well, I was born in Canada. But my parents are from the South Asian Subcontinent. I am an engineer. Oh, and a Christian, also. I even play the piano in my church!

Chris: I see. That's really... nice. Hmm... Do you have any hobbies?

B#1: Oh yes. Let me see... I like to read. And of course, play the piano.

Chris: Right, right... Just out of curiosity... Can you cook?

B#1: No, not really.

Chris: I see... Well, it was nice talking to you. I'm just going to talk to the others for a bit now.

Chris: Bachelorette Number Two, hi.

B#2: Hi! How're you?

Chris: I'm good, thanks. Yourself?

B#2: Oh, just peachy. No, more like wonderful, really.

Chris: I'm glad to hear that. If you don't mind my asking, how do you keep yourself busy?

B#2: Well, I'm in the medical profession. So that takes up a lot of my time. Terrible hours, you know.

Chris: I can imagine.

B#2: Yeah, so that doesn't really give me time for much else. I guess I'm just a career-oriented woman.

Chris: I take it that you spend a lot of time at the hospital?

B#2: Oh yes. I usually get there around eight in the morning and don't leave till eight or nine at night. If I'm lucky. Ha. Sometimes, I don't even have time to go out to buy my lunch.

Chris: "Buy your lunch"? I guess that means you can't or don't cook?

B#2: I can't. I've never had the time to even consider it.

Chris: I see.

Chris: Bachelorette Number Three, how're you?

B#3: Good, thanks.

Chris: Let me just ask you one question: can you cook?

B#3: No. Sorry. But I'm...

Host: Chris? Wait, where are you going? Um... I'm sorry ladies, but our contestant has just walked off the stage... Let's go to commercial.

I rest my case.

Now, before all of women that read this start blacklisting me, let me say in my defence that I am not at all interested in marrying a housewife. In fact, at the moment, I'm not even interested in getting married.

That being said, it would be kind of nice if whomever I end up with can cook a bit. But if she can't, it wouldn't be too bad.

Because I started learning now.

'Round and 'Round the Mulberry

2006-08-28T08:36:00.000-04:00

For as far as I can remember, I've always lived around trees. They weren't always on our property, but they were still around. It's only recently, however, that I realised how uncomfortable I feel when they're not.

In Sri Lanka, our neighbour had a large (I'm tempted to say 'banyan', but I'm not sure) tree near the front of their yard. And one of the earliest memories I have is of sitting on the sill of a window in our living room and daydreaming while watching the wind move through its branches.¹

After arriving in Canada, my mother did her best to remind me of as much of Sri Lanka as she could by connecting things I saw here with what I might have seen there. As a result, the first tree I really noticed in Toronto was a giant weeping willow near my aunt's house - because it "looks like a banyan tree."

And of course, this country being what she is, you can't get far without running into, tripping over, or eating some part of a maple. Not that that's a bad thing.²

But over the last few weeks I've been spending quite a bit of time in various parts of suburbia - places that are shockingly devoid of trees. Well, no, that's not true - there are lots of trees. Young, skinny trees that never rise higher than the roofs of the houses they're supposed to grace.³

At our place, on the other hand, we have two trees: a mulberry in the back yard, at about forty-five feet; and an elm (yes, really) in the front that's easily over eighty feet tall. We had a third, smaller elm in the front yard as well, but it died earlier this year.

There is, I must admit, a bit of a downside to having trees (and large ones at that) on your property - you have to trim and prune them. And that costs time and money. Thankfully, we'll be leaving the elm to professionals. But I'll be spending the better part of the day, I suspect, taking care of the mulberry.

¹I was around three, I think, so I didn't actually know that I was 'daydreaming'; I just remember being somewhere else. I only knew it for what it was after I overheard my mother describing what I had been doing to a friend.
I think from around then, it's been established (as far as the family goes, anyway) that I'm a dreamer. Oh well.

²The Maple Leaf. There's actually quite a bit more to it than one would think.
I recently learned that the red in fallen maple leaves is actually, in part at least, a defence mechanism - it's poisonous to seeds from any other kind of tree.
So consider that a lesson learned about Canadians - we might be quiet and pretty on the outside, but there's quite a bit of edge to us too.

³Yes, Yes, I know - "Just give them time." Even trees can't fix the real problem of the 'burbs though.

This is one of the first nursery rhymes I learned. So I guess it's quite appropriate.

Here We Go 'Round the Mulberry Bush

Here we go 'round the mulberry bush,
The mulberry bush,
The mulberry bush.
Here we go 'round the mulberry bush,
So early in the morning.

These are the chores we'll do this week,
Do this week,
Do this week.
These are the chores we'll do this week,
So early every morning.

This is the way we wash our clothes,
Wash our clothes,
Wash our clothes.
This is the way we wash our clothes,
So early Monday morning.

This is the way we iron our clothes,
Iron our clothes,
Iron our clothes.
This is the way we iron our clothes,
So early Tuesday morning.

This is the way we scrub the floor,
Scrub the floor,
Scrub the floor.
This is the way we scrub the floor,
So early Wednesday morning.

This is the way we mend our clothes,
Mend our clothes,
Mend our clothes.
This is the way we mend our clothes,
So early Thursday morning.

This is the way we sweep the floor,
Sweep the floor,
Sweep the floor.
This is the way we sweep the floor,
So early Friday morning.

This is the way we bake our bread,
Bake our bread,
Bake our bread.
This is the way we bake our bread,
So early Saturday morning.

This is the way we get dressed up,
Get dressed up,
Get dressed up.
This is the way we get dressed up,
So early Sunday morning.

Here we go 'round the mulberry bush,
The mulberry bush,
The mulberry bush.
Here we go 'round the mulberry bush,
So early in the morning.

One Hundred and Sixty-six Years

2006-08-24T19:08:00.000-04:00

From the Turtles Treasure Chest¹

My grandmother passed away a few years ago, in Vancouver. But before moving there, she lived here, in Toronto. During one of our last visits in her apartment, she took me aside and placed a small, red, cellophane bag in my hand.

"This is for you." She said. "Some of them used to belong to my grandmother." The bag was filled with coins.

I remember thanking her, taking them home, and placing them in a box that use to store all such things; I never really took the time to look through all the coins carefully.

A couple of days ago, while looking online for a good way to clean pennies, I read something on a site that mentioned Brasso as a good all-round product to use for such things.² This discovery, and the effectiveness of the Brasso, prompted my to go on a polishing spree of sorts. It was then that I remembered the bag my grandmother had given me.

From the cursory glance that I had taken when I received them, I knew that there were a couple of Indian Rupees from around the turn of the century. I sought those out - one dating from 1906, another from 1890 - and polished them first. And then, as I was looking through the rest of the coins with my sister, we found it - a quarter rupee from 1840.³

I'm not sure how much it's worth, or for that matter, if it is worth anything. But regardless, it's a wonderful feeling to be able to hold a piece of history in your hand.

¹When I was around twelve or thirteen, a family friend gave me a box of Turtles as a Christmas present. But instead of coming in the regular cardboard box, these Turtles came in a tin "Treasure Chest". I've used it ever since - once the chocolates were finished - to keep all my 'treasures'.

²These were too far gone for the usual salt and vinegar.

³The most interesting thing about this coin (to me, at least) is the "East India Company" written on it. The newer coins all make reference to the "British Empire."

~~I'll upload some pictures of the coins to my Flickr account in a bit.~~ I wanted to upload some pictures, but I haven't managed to take any clear ones as of yet.

For Love

2006-08-22T09:15:00.000-04:00

Love, and the search for it, can make anyone do crazy things.

It can cause a God die for His creation. And it can make men aspire to noble things. But, unfortunately, it can also bring out the worst in us.

The following approach the subject from two very different angles, each painful in its own way, but they're both well worth the read: "The curse of free love" by Robert Hughes, and "I'm a guy in love with a lesbian" by Cary Tennis.

I'm not sure of the age range of all of you who visit this site, so I'll add here that the above articles are better left for those who are a little older. I'll let you decide if you're such a person.

You might need to choose the 'Site Pass' option to view the entire Salon article.

For The God of Love

2006-08-18T07:20:00.000-04:00

All Creatures of Our God and King
St. Francis of Assisi / William H. Draper
As covered by David Crowder Band
From the album Illuminate

All creatures of our God and King
Lift up your voice and with us sing,
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thou burning sun with golden beam,
Thou silver moon with softer gleam!

O praise Him! O praise Him!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Thou rushing wind that art so strong
Ye clouds that sail in Heaven along,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Thou rising moon, in praise rejoice,
Ye lights of evening, find a voice!

Let all things their Creator bless,
And worship Him in humbleness,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son,
And praise the Spirit, Three in One!

Not much else needs to be said.

For The Love of God

2006-08-17T09:32:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, a little after ten in the morning, I made my way outside for a bit. It was a gorgeous day - the sky was blue, with just the right number of clouds; the sun was shining; there was slight breeze.

As I was making my way up the street, taking all this in, I passed by two people - an elderly gentleman and a little boy - standing together and looking off into the distance. I gathered, after a glance at what was in their hands, that they were Jehovah's Witnesses.

I have to admit that I've always been impressed (and a little envious too, I suppose) of how enthusiastic they seem to be as they go about there business. I think I've lost count of the number of times I've been approached by someone of their persuasion, magazine in hand, as they attempted to win me over.

This, and a lot of other things that I've been seeing and thinking, all just reinforce the question I've been asking myself lately: "Where's the passion in my life?" Or really, perhaps it would be better to ask, "Who's the passion in my life." The answer to that would have to be, unfortunately, "Me".

What I mean is, if I really believe all that I believe - if I know it's true - why am I not more enthused by it? Why do I keep living my life the way I do?

Why isn't He at the centre of it?

I know I posted this song a long, long time ago. But it's just as true now as it was then, I think.

Wedding Dress
Derek Webb
From the album She Must and Shall Go Free

If You could love me as a wife
And for my wedding gift, Your life
Should that be all I’ll ever need
Or is there more I’m looking for

And should I read between the lines
And look for blessings in disguise
To make me handsome, rich, and wise
Is that really what You want

I am a whore I do confess
But I put You on just like a wedding dress
And I run down the aisle
I’m a prodigal with no way home
But I put You on just like a ring of gold
And I run down the aisle to You

So could You love this bastard child
Though I don’t trust You to provide
With one hand in a pot of gold
And with the other in Your side

I am so easily satisfied
By the call of lovers less wild
That I would take a little cash
Over Your very flesh and blood

Because money cannot buy
A husband’s jealous eye
When you have knowingly deceived his wife

Click to listen and all that.

To Friends and Family

2006-08-15T16:45:00.000-04:00

My uncle called yesterday, and on hearing that I was home alone for the week, offered to come and pick me up so I could go to his house for a meal.

I tod him that while I appreciated the offer, I couldn't accept because I'm (making an attempt at ) studying for exams at the moment. He then said that I should still call if I needed anything. Then, this morning, he called and asked if he could drop in after visiting a friend who lives nearby. I said, "Of course."

He stopped by a few minutes ago, and left behind some fresh homemade lasagna, a case of lemonade and some bananas.¹

Over the last couple of weeks, I've really become aware of how wonderful a thing good friends and family are. So, to any and all of you who stop by here every so often, thanks.

Love you guys.

¹Don't ask.

Times and...

2006-08-07T04:55:00.000-04:00

There are somethings that you just can't prepare for. A few moments, and suddenly everything changes; every action - even the smallest of them - takes on new meaning.

And of course, I can't even begin to imagine what this whole experience is like for those who are grieving most.

As I've been thinking over the events of the past weekend, this is what came to mind:

Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,
Silence the pianos and with muffled drum
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.
Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead
Scribbling on the sky the message He Is Dead,
Put crêpe bows round the white necks of the public
doves,
Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.

From"Funeral Blues" by W. H. Auden.

This space will be quiet for the next little while.

More TEDTalks, Ideas

2006-08-04T10:21:00.000-04:00

I've heard of Julia Sweeney before, and I'd heard good things about her one woman play "Letting Go of God", but I never had a chance to see it. Thank goodness for TED, where Ms. Sweeney performed some of her work.

Follow this link to watch it online or to download the video or .mp3. She makes some good points, and makes you laugh while she's doing it.

Also, check out this talk given by Jeff Han as he demonstrates his Multi-Touch Interaction computer screen.

It's legendary. Or it will be.

And finally, have a listen to this bit - The Lying Down - an excerpt from a CBC documentary on Sarner's Disease.

Make sure you visit the Ideas website to listen to the commentary afterwards.

You'll need RealPlayer to access the last two audio files

A Pencil Case and A Watch

2006-08-03T05:49:00.000-04:00

Sometimes, I really don't understand what's going on in my mind.

Yesterday I had a dream about riding the subway with some friends, one of whom I hadn't spoken to in a long time.

At one point during the ride, I made a present of my pencil case (with a picture of Tintin on it) to her. She in return, after a moment of surprise, opened the bag she was carrying and gave me a watch - a watch that also had a picture of Tintin on the dial.

Interpret that, if you will.

The Day of Simple Sophistication

2006-08-01T12:00:00.000-04:00

This morning, there was an interview on CBC's Sounds Like Canada during which the guest mentioned that she was, according to the Book of Birthdays, born on "The Day of the Dark Pragmatist."

I thought this was interesting, and after a little Googling, found that I was born on "The Day of Simple Sophistication." I don't know if this is necessarily reflected in my personality - you'll have to be the judge of that. (And besides, even if I did think it did, it would be just too arrogant a thing to admit to.)

On the flip side, the site also had the following to say about my birthday:

[It was] Believed by some sixteenth century astronomers that this was the unluckiest day of the year. [And] has become known as the day in the whole year of most misfortune as it is believed that the 'Slaughter of the Innocents' as told in the Bible was instigated by King Herod on this day.

You win some, you lose some.

What A Good Boy
Barenaked Ladies
From the album Gordon

Words by Steven Page
Music by Steven Page & Ed Robertson

I was going to post the lyrics here, but the ones I found were poorly formatted. And I'm not feeling the whole edit/clean up thing at the moment. So just listen to 'em instead.

And I'm off.

Edit [4:55 PM]:
A little globetrotting birdie just wished me because she thought this might be my way of saying today's my birthday. So, let's set things straight: today is not my birthday. My birthday is in December.

Because, that's when all the special people are born:

Ira Gershwin, Larry Bird, Sinead O'Connor, Emily Dickinson, Abraham Lincoln, Christopher Plummer, Ludwig van Beethoven, Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Arthur C. Clarke, Stephen Spielberg, Christopher Columbus, Ray Romano, Kiefer Sutherland, Karl Marx, Humphrey Bogart, Anwar Sadat, Dido, Ulysses Grant, Louis Pasteur, Tiger Woods, Woody Allen, Jesus, Myself...

See what I mean?

But thanks for the wishes anyway.

But What Then of Multiculturalism?

2006-07-31T12:25:00.000-04:00

This is a continuation of the last bit, I suppose.

There are two moments that come to mind when I think of how wonderful a place Canada (and Toronto) can be for people from other places.

The first happened as I was walking down the Danforth on a balmy summer afternoon:

There were two men walking in front of me, speaking to each other in a mixture of Cantonese and English.¹ As one of them got to the end of what he was saying, he paused for a second and said, with a Chinese accent so thick I could just barely understand him: "That's how it is, eh?"

The second, at the customs counter in at Pearson International Airport:

I was returning to Toronto on a Sunday, in the early hours of the afternoon. I had spent the weekend in Colorado, having visited for my cousin's wedding. The reception had lasted till around three in the morning, I had arrived back at my aunt's house by four and I left for the airport, with just a bit of sleep, by seven.

Unfortunately, because I had booked my ticket at the last moment, I had to travel there and back in a rather circuitous way: first to Arizona, and then to Colorada; when returning, again, first to Arizona, then Toronto.²

All this came together, leaving me tired and just wishing to get home as I got off the plane and made my way through customs.

The customs agent looked me over, and then took a quick look at my passport. He asked me where I had gone and why. I replied. He looked me over again. Then, he closed my passport and said, as he handed it back to me, "Welcome home, son."

And just like that, I was home.

¹I guess that would be Caontonenglish then, no?

²And before you ask, no, I didn't see the Grand Canyon. I was asleep. Both ways.
I know, I know, I'm such a loser.

Across the Street and Around the Corner

2006-07-30T19:31:00.000-04:00

Just some musings.

1
This Friday past, as I was wandering up and down some of the side roads that surround our house, I passed a house that was being renovated in, unfortunately, a way that seems to be the vogue for such things these days: build a frame over the old structure and then stucco till you can't stucco anymore.¹

I paused to take this in and noticed that though the door had been left open, there was no one around. I thought that this was strange. And then I noticed something else - the wall, next to the front door, had been decorated with some graffiti:

"GET OUT YOU PAKI. WE DON'T WANT ANY BROWN SHIT HERE."

(My apologies for the strong language.)

I have to say that I found this to be pretty troublesome. I've certainly heard of such things happening in Toronto, but I've never actually witnessed anything of the sort before. It left me embarrassed, and trying to think of a way to excuse it.

"Perhaps it was just some kids, pulling a prank, trying to be funny," I thought. I couldn't think of anything else that might make it seem less than what it was. And really, any thoughts of that ilk seemed silly in comparison to the large black letters, contrasted quite sharply against the ochre of the wall.

2
A few weeks ago, there was a piece on the radio that involved a woman of Asian decent interviewing some gentlemen who had immigrated to the Toronto area from the Caribbean. She was hoping to elicit some response from them as to the what they thought about the particular flavour of 'multiculturalism' that's practised here.²

As they spoke, one of them referred to her has "Chinese". She was incensed. "I'm Korean," She retorted. To which she was replied, "Chinese people are squinty-eyed. You're squinty-eyed. You're all the same. You're all Chinese to me."

At this point, the audio transitioned to another segment of the interview. The Korean lady was speaking again. And during the course of what was said, she referred to the gentleman in the room as 'black'. And with that, all hell broke loose.

"Now, wait a moment," One of the men said. "Do I look black to you?"

"Yes."

"Here, look at my arm. What colour is it?"

"Black."

"Really? Here, look at my arm again. What colour is it?"

"Black."

"See this chair? This chair is black. I'm not black, I'm brown."

"Yeah, but we say you're black."

"Then how can you say I'm being racist when I call you 'Chinese', but you have no problem calling me 'black'?"

3
Whenever someone starts to describe a person they've met, I invariably ask, "Where are they from?" It's the question here in Canada, since almost everyone is from somewhere else. There are times when, after the first question, I receive a reply of 'Toronto' or something similar, at which point I face a dilemma: Do I leave it at that, or I can ask - with a tinge of guilt in the back of my mind - "Yeah, but what is he?"

4
Identifying people, and segregating them, especially by skin colour, is something we (or at least I) seem to do without hesitation. It's part of the process of description enacted each time we meet someone for the first time.

But why do we do it that way? Why is it important for us to have a mental image of someone who is 'black' or 'white' or something in between?

Part of it, I think, comes from our need to identify ourselves. If someone is labelled as 'white', my impression of myself also becomes stronger - I can say, "I'm not white. I'm not one of them. He's not with me." Or, conversely, "He's one of us. I belong here." Race and ethnicity is still very much an important part of who we are, and we align ourselves accordingly without even realising it.

I suppose this is unavoidable. And I'm certainly not saying that we need to deny or avoid our roots and ancestry. But I can't help but think it would be nice to be able to take people in as the persons they are, without having to resort to labelling them as something first.

¹I'm fond of telling people that I live on the Toronto side of both the Toronto-Scarborough border and the Toronto-East York border: if I cross the major intersection to the north of my house, I'm in East York and if I do the same to the east, I'm in Scarborough. This is a wonderful thing, because it lets me keep saying I've lived in Toronto all my life.

Anyway, this happened on a side road in East York.

As if that makes it any better.

²If I remember correctly, she actually walked into a roti store.

My congratulations if you made it this far. This whole bit has been me rambling, really. I'll have to see if I can make it a little more coherent.

Summer Skin

2006-07-28T20:46:00.000-04:00

Death Cab For Cutie
From the album Plans

I'm pretty sure I've posted this song before, but I thought the video was especially poignant.

From Here and There

2006-07-28T13:19:00.000-04:00

...and Everywhere

1.
NOW Magazine is running an article on water. I found this particular statement to be pretty interesting:

3. Boycott Bottled Water
Bottled water companies are sucking up huge amounts of water from rural springs and municipal supplies - and paying next to nothing to do it. In Ontario, companies can withdraw up to 50,000 litres from surface or groundwater sources per day without approval from the Ministry of the Environment, which has already given bottled water companies permission to pump a staggering 1,800 billion litres a year out of underground aquifers. As a result, groundwater reserves are being tapped out, reducing the flow of streams and lakes and causing stress on ecosystems. [...] The world's two biggest-selling brands of bottled water - Pepsi's Aquafina and Coca-Cola's Dasani - are nothing more than treated tap water sold to an oblivious public as pure drinking water at astronomical profit rates. To add to the ecological and health fallout, Grass Roots Recycling Network estimates that more than 800 million pounds of virgin plastic water bottles are discarded every year. [....]

Someone who had been on a tour through a water purification plant with their class related something along similar lines to me - basically, Toronto's tap water is much safer to drink than the spring water you find at your grocery store.

2.
Superman Returns has been open for about a month now, and has grossed just a little over $180 million.

What can I say about this film? Let me put it this way: Superman has indeed returned. But he forgot to bring a plot with him.

And real estate? Really? That was so Superman IV.¹

3.
While on my trip down south, I found myself eating out an aweful lot. In the ten days we were there, I ate at Ryans (several times), Cracker Barrel, Chik-Fil-A, Subway, and Applebees. And this does not account for the large amounts of junk food and pop - those staples of the road trip diet - that we consumed.

Ryan's is a buffet, similar to Golden Corral, another restaurant I visited in Virginia, during our last trip there. The food is decent, the selection good. They also have 'theme days', so if you're lucky, you might end up there on Seafood Day or Steak Day.

Cracker Barrel, is of course, that place of good ol' fashioned cookin'. It was my first time there, and I wasn't especially impressed. They just serve you a lot of food. And then charge you for it.

I must admit, however, that I was pleasantly surprised by Chik-Fil-A. Their sandwiches, and milkshakes, are very good for not-so-fast fast food.

Subway is Subway. You can 'eat fresh', or something like that there.

And then, we have Applebees.² I have a bit more to say on Applebees, but I'll leave it for later.

4.
I was just perusing some newsfeeds and saw that David Gemmell has passed away.

Mind you, Gemmel was not the writer of any 'high' heroic fantasy, like Tolkien or Lewis. But he did enable me to pass many a boring high school class with my attention occupied elsewhere.

And for that, I'm grateful.

¹Admittedly, I'm not 100% sure about that. It's been a long time since I've seen the original Superman films.

¹I was under the impression that it was my first time going to Applebees, but a friend was kind enough to remind me afterwards, as I was relating the visit, that we had eaten there together a few years ago. I suppose this could mean that it wasn't all that memorable. But truthfully, I think my mind was occupied elsewhere.

TEDtalks

2006-07-27T12:15:00.000-04:00

The AntiChris was kind enough to forward some links to me the other day, one of which was for TED blog. TED blog is, not so suprisingly, the blog for TED, about which Wikipedia has the following to say:

TED (short for Technology Entertainment Design) is an annual conference [founded by Richard Saul Wurman in 1984] in Monterey, California that describes itself as a global community of remarkable people and remarkable ideas. Its content is extremely broad, including science, art, business, global issues, architecture, music, and comedy. Speakers are a "who's who" of luminaries from a variety of communities.

Two of this year's most inspirational talks were given by Rick Warren, of Purpose-Driven Life fame and Cameron Sinclair, the author/editor of Design Like You Give a Damn.

I've said before that I don't think much of The Purpose-Driven Life, for many reasons, but I was very much impressed by what Warren had to say about the use of affluence and influence.

You can grab the video or .mp3 of either: Rick Warren on TEDTalks and TEDPrize winner Cameron Sinclair on TEDTalks

Both are highly recommended.

Rules for Success. And Then Some.

2006-07-17T23:41:00.000-04:00

Just a little something to break this deafening silence.

From a recent entry on Bob Parsons' blog: "My rules for success in business and life in general."

1. Get and stay out of your comfort zone. I believe that not much happens of any significance when we're in our comfort zone. I hear people say, "But I'm concerned about security." My response to that is simple: "Security is for cadavers."

2. Never give up. Almost nothing works the first time it's attempted. Just because what you're doing does not seem to be working, doesn't mean it won't work. It just means that it might not work the way you're doing it. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it, and you wouldn't have an opportunity.

3. When you're ready to quit, you're closer than you think. There's an old Chinese saying that I just love, and I believe it is so true. It goes like this: "The temptation to quit will be greatest just before you are about to succeed."

4. With regard to whatever worries you, not only accept the worst thing that could happen, but make it a point to quantify what the worst thing could be. Very seldom will the worst consequence be anywhere near as bad as a cloud of "undefined consequences." My father would tell me early on, when I was struggling and losing my shirt trying to get Parsons Technology going, "Well, Robert, if it doesn't work, they can't eat you."

5. Focus on what you want to have happen. Remember that old saying, "As you think, so shall you be."

6. Take things a day at a time. No matter how difficult your situation is, you can get through it if you don't look too far into the future, and focus on the present moment. You can get through anything one day at a time.

7. Always be moving forward. Never stop investing. Never stop improving. Never stop doing something new. The moment you stop improving your organization, it starts to die. Make it your goal to be better each and every day, in some small way. Remember the Japanese concept of Kaizen. Small daily improvements eventually result in huge advantages.

8. Be quick to decide. Remember what General George S. Patton said: "A good plan violently executed today is far and away better than a perfect plan tomorrow."

9. Measure everything of significance. I swear this is true. Anything that is measured and watched, improves.

10. Anything that is not managed will deteriorate. If you want to uncover problems you don't know about, take a few moments and look closely at the areas you haven't examined for a while. I guarantee you problems will be there.

11. Pay attention to your competitors, but pay more attention to what you're doing. When you look at your competitors, remember that everything looks perfect at a distance. Even the planet Earth, if you get far enough into space, looks like a peaceful place.

12. Never let anybody push you around. In our society, with our laws and even playing field, you have just as much right to what you're doing as anyone else, provided that what you're doing is legal.

13. Never expect life to be fair. Life isn't fair. You make your own breaks. You'll be doing good if the only meaning fair has to you, is something that you pay when you get on a bus (i.e., fare).

14. Solve your own problems. You'll find that by coming up with your own solutions, you'll develop a competitive edge. Masura Ibuka, the co-founder of SONY, said it best: "You never succeed in technology, business, or anything by following the others." There's also an old Asian saying that I remind myself of frequently. It goes like this: "A wise man keeps his own counsel."

15. Don't take yourself too seriously. Lighten up. Often, at least half of what we accomplish is due to luck. None of us are in control as much as we like to think we are.

16. There's always a reason to smile. Find it. After all, you're really lucky just to be alive. Life is short. More and more, I agree with my little brother. He always reminds me: "We're not here for a long time; we're here for a good time."

Thanks to all who keep visiting. Just a bit longer...

The Suitecase

2006-07-13T14:54:00.000-04:00

And here's a pic of my now infamous suitcase.

Head over to my Flickr account for another view.

Something more substatial in a bit. I'm still in post-Virginia recovery. Until then, have another listen to some Regina Spektor:

Fidelity
Regina Spektor
From the album Begin to Hope

I never loved nobody fully
Always one foot on the ground
And by protecting my heart truly
I got lost in the sounds
I hear in my mind
All these voices
I hear in my mind
All these words
I hear in mind
All this music
And it breaks my heart
Suppose I never ever met you
Suppose we never fell in love
Suppose I never ever let you
Kiss me so sweet and so soft
Suppose I never ever saw you
Suppose you never ever called
Suppose I kept on singing love songs
Just to break my own fall
Just to break my fall
All my friends say
That of course it's
Gonna get better...

Cheers and all that.

Happy Birthday

2006-07-10T19:57:00.000-04:00

...To Me.

Well, not 'me' exactly, but this site. 'bout three years old now.

More in a bit, but before I go, the song:

The Longest Time
Billy Joel
From the album An Innocent Man

Oh, oh, oh
For the longest time
Oh, oh, oh
For the longest time

If you said goodbye to me tonight
There would still be music left to write
What else could I do
I'm so inspired by you
That hasn't happened for the longest time

Once I thought my innocence was gone
Now I know that happiness goes on
That's where you found me
When you put your arms around me
I haven't been there for the longest time

Oh, oh, oh
For the longest time
Oh, oh, oh
For the longest time

I'm that voice you're hearing in the hall
And the greatest miracle of all
Is how I need you
And how you needed me too
That hasn't happened for the longest time

Maybe this won't last very long
But you feel so right
And I could be wrong
Maybe I've been hoping too hard
But I've gone this far
And it's more that I hoped for

Who knows how much further we'll go on
Maybe I'll be sorry when you're gone
I'll take my chances
I forgot how nice romance is
I haven't been there for the longest time
I had second thoughts at the start
I said to myself
Hold on to your heart
Now I know the woman that you are
You're wonderful so far
And it's more that I hoped for

I don't care what consequence it brings
I have been a fool for lesser things
I want you so bad
I think you ought to know that
I intend to hold you for
The longest time

Actually heard this on the radio on the way down south. That was nice.

Canada Day 2006

2006-07-01T12:56:00.001-04:00

Happy Canada, all.

Things are ~~white~~ bright and sunny here in ~~West~~ Virginia...

Unfortunately, I'm busy. So this is all.

Hope the weekend's great for you.

By Description

2006-06-29T08:15:00.000-04:00

I'll be leaving for The States a little later today, so I don't know if I'll be writing much over the next little while. But then, I say that often enough.

On a related note, I had to send my luggage a few days early to the friends I'm travelling with by way of another friend. The second friend told me that when my suitcase was picked, it was described as being 'so Chris'.

And there you have it: 'Chris' is now also an adjective - use it with gusto. But don't wear it out.

Thanks to Ben for pointing this gem out to me:

Samson
Regina Spektor
From the album Begin to Hope

I loved you first, I loved you first
Beneath the sheets of paper lies my truth
I have to go, I have to go
Your hair was long when we first met

Samson went back to bed
Not much hair left on his head
He ate a slice of wonder bread and went right back to bed
And history books forgot about us and the Bible didn't mention us
And the Bible didn't mention us, not even once

You are my sweetest downfall
I loved you first, I loved you first
Beneath the stars came fallin' on our heads
But they're just old light, they're just old light
Your hair was long when we first met

Samson came to my bed
Told me that my hair was red
Told me I was beautiful and came into my bed
Oh I cut his hair myself one night
A pair of dull scissors in the yellow light
And he told me that I'd done alright
And kissed me 'til the mornin' light, the mornin' light
And he kissed me 'til the mornin' light

Samson went back to bed
Not much hair left on his head
Ate a slice of wonderbread and went right back to bed
Oh, we couldn't bring the columns down
Yeah we couldn't destroy a single one
And history books forgot about us
And the Bible didn't mention us, not even once

You are my sweetest downfall

I loved you first

And just in case: a Happy Canada Day and great long weekend to all.

Genius

2006-06-28T12:03:00.000-04:00

I've been labouring over Shakespeare's Sonnet 138 over the past few days in an attempt to write a comparative essay on it with some verse by Spenser.

The more I read of Shakespeare, the more I'm dazzled by his genius.

Sonnet 138
William Shakespeare

When my love swears that she is made of truth,
I do believe her though I know she lies,
That she might think me some untutored youth,
Unlearned in the world's false subtleties.
Thus vainly thinking that she thinks me young,
Although she knows my days are past the best,
Simply I credit her false-speaking tongue,
On both sides thus is simple truth suppressed:
But wherefore says she not she is unjust?
And wherefore say not I that I am old?
O! love's best habit is in seeming trust,
And age in love, loves not to have years told:
Therefore I lie with her, and she with me,
And in our faults by lies we flattered be.

I'll see if I can post some of the paper later.

No Reputation

2006-06-27T04:56:00.000-04:00

Sometimes, it's nice to be reminded.

Man of No Reputation
Rich Mullins/Rick Elias
From the album The Jesus Record

It was said this man was of no reputation
Yet he could stop the rising storm
With a gesture of his hand
But he chose to use his hands to heal
Hearts of darkness, hearts of stone
Just like mine would be revealed

He was a man of no reputation
And by the wise, considered a fool
When he spoke about faith and forgiveness
In a time when the strongest arms ruled
But this man of no reputation
Loved the weak with relentless affection
And he loved all those poor in spirit just as they were
He was a man of no reputation

It was said this man brought only confusion
That he'd achieve his ends by any means
And the truth that it brings revolution
And for once they were right
The truth set us free
The hearts of the captive were his only concern
And the powerful knew their days were ending

One day soon the gates of heaven will open wide
And the Prince of Peace will come back for his Bride
But for now we live on these streets
Forbidding and tough
Where push always comes to shove
And it's said love's never enough
Where a prophet in rags gives hope to a fearful world
No injustice, no heart of darkness
Will keep this voice from being heard

He was a man of no reputation
And by the wise, considered a fool
When he spoke about faith and forgiveness
In a time when the strongest arms ruled
But this man of no reputation
Loves us all with relentless affection
And he loves all those poor in spirit, come as you are
To the man of no reputation

I think I'm just as surprised as you are.

Converge

2006-06-26T11:38:00.000-04:00

In which Chris discuses how it all comes together.

1.
I've got two papers to finish and an exam to study for. I also need to pack for a trip to the great white south.

And, on top of that, we heard today that two family members (one on the mater's side, one on the pater's), who also happen to have been two of my favourite people, passed away.

Things are a little hectic as a result, and I suspect that this space will be quiet over the next little bit, until things calm down.

But maybe not.

2.
Also, as most of you have probably figured out by now, I've purchased a new domain name. What you might not know is that I also purchased some webspace along with it.

This is all part of the plan to slowly convert this space to a portfolio, along with the blog you've come to know and love.

I would like to streamline the content of this blog a little bit. Until now, it's just been a mash of pretty much anything that comes to mind, and while all that's well and good, I'd think I'd like to create something - perhaps just another section - that's dedicated to a more specific stream of thought.

I just read that last paragraph over, and I'm not even sure if that makes sense. Oh well.

I was also hoping to launch the next incarnation of the site - Wordpress powered, with searchable content, &c. - but I don't think I have the time as a result of all that was mentioned in P1.

But, on a more festive note, we're almost at the three (Three!) year anniversary of this little hobby of mine. My goodness, how time flies.

This haphazard post was brought to you by my life. It's kicking me about at the moment.

Calling All Fanboys

2006-06-26T03:29:00.000-04:00

And all you fangirls too.

A quick note for all the "Drop Dead Gorgeous" fans who keep coming here after searching for 'Sinead Moynihan': here's is what you're looking for.

And yes, I agree, she's a real looker. But be warned: you will not find any pictures or much more than a passing reference to her.

Break a Leg

2006-06-24T23:44:00.000-04:00

Last night, I dreamed that I broke my left tibia (the "shin bone") in two places, about three inches apart. What followed was a protracted search for a hospital, and then, for a room in which I could stay. Strange dream, to say the least.

As I was thinking this over in the morning - and wondering where these dreams come from - I realised that my foot doesn't hurt anymore. Which means, I suppose, that it's finally healed.

I guess I need to explain a bit...

I've never broken a bone in my life. But, I think I might have fractured my right foot (The metatarsals, to be precise.) during an impromptu game of barefoot soccer at the beach when I was around twelve or thirteen.¹

I had the ball and was making my way towards the net, but somehow in the dark (The sun had set during the game.), after a bit of a scuffle, I found myself on the floor, clutching my foot and watching as someone on the opposing team made their away from me with a cheer.²

From what I remember, my toe made direct contact with someone's ankle. And since that day, whenever I played sports or walked for too long, I could with some certainty expect to be limping the following day.

So coming back to the present, after my long walk to school - following which I should have certainly felt something - and after a few more recent days of much walking, I'm fine.

So, I guess it's okay now. And that's kinda nice.

¹How topically appropriate, no?

²I'm not sure why I never thought to get it checked or even mention it to anyone.

This came to mind for some reason a little earlier today. There was a cover of this song on a tape that was given to me as a going away present when we left Sri Lanka.

Actually, if you've read this post, it was given to me by Ranga, the boy who lived at the Broody house.

Judy in Disguise (With Glasses)
John Fred & His Playboy Band
J. Fred/A. Bernard

Judy in disguise, well that's what you are
Lemonade pie with a brand new car
Cantaloupe eyes come to me tonight
Judy in disguise with glasses

Keep a-wearing your bracelets and your new rara
Cross your heart with your living bra
Chimney sweep sparrow with guise
Judy in disguise with glasses

Come to me tonight, come to me tonight
Taking everything in sight
Except for the strings on my kite

Judy in disguise, well what you aiming for?
A circus of horrors, well that's what you are
You made me a life of ashes
I guess I'll just take your glasses

And in case you didn't know - this song is actually a parody of The Beatles' "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds".

Solstice: The Prequel

2006-06-22T15:16:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was the summer solstice, and it turned out to be a pretty interesting day/evening. More on that in a bit.

But at this moment, I would like to make an announcement: due to popular demand, I will be getting a haircut today.

That, I am sure, will come as good news to the many of you who - it seems - have made a career out of reminding me of the most opportune moments for doing so.

I'm grateful. Really.

Oh, and listen to this while you're waiting:

Monsieur Astor
Arnaud Methivier, AKA Nanno
From the album L'Autre Cote du Vent (The Other Side of the Wind)

What's the primary instrument? Shouldn't be too hard to guess...

Forever and a Day

2006-06-20T11:10:00.000-04:00

Paper-writing at the moment. If you're all that interested in what about, read up on Justified True Belief, with special emphasis on the Gettier Counter-Examples.

And if you click 'play' and listen to this song, you'll be doing exactly what I am. Or was. Or something...

If You Knew
As covered by Jeff Buckley
From the album Live at Sin-é (Legacy Edition)

If you knew how I miss you
You would not stay away
Don’t you know how I need you?
Stay here, my dear, with me

I need you here beside me
Forever and a day
Together, never parted
Just you, just me, my love

I can’t go on without you
Your love is all I’m living for
I love all things about you
Your heart, your soul, my love

I can’t go on without you
Forever and a day
I need you here beside me
Forever and a day
I know what e're betides me
I love you, I love you

I do

So, how much do you really know?

Lord Stanley's Cup: 2006

2006-06-19T23:09:00.000-04:00

So, in case you haven't heard... Carolina won (3-1). And frankly, Edmonton had no chance.

Maybe it was because they were away from home. Or maybe they were tired. Regardless, their playing was horrible. At times, it actually seemed like some of them were drunk.

On the other hand, this was probably the most interesting final run for the Cup that I've ever seen. The new rules have made the game more watchable and much faster, in spite of what Cherry or MacLean might have to say.

And while where on the topic of Cherry - he needs to be fired. I just don't care how much of an institution he is. When I was a kid, I used to see him advertising those "Rock 'Em, Sock 'Em" videos; by the end of each spot, I was left with the distinct impression that he was a complete rube. My feelings about him have not improved over the years.

But if you must keep him, please get him a fashion consultant. No, really.

Anyway, at least now they can all go home and shave.

We will return to our regularly voiced posting tomorrow.

Followup: Roundup, Curves

2006-06-17T17:09:00.000-04:00

Now with numbered sections. (Because that's what all the cool kids are doing these days.)

Just a little follow-up on the last few days...

1.
The Lake House opened yesterday. The reviews I've read so far have been mixed, but they helpfully pointed out that the film is actually based on a Korean film by the name of Siworae or, Il Mare (The Sea; working English title.). And as it turns out, I have seen Siworae.

I've been extrememly impressed with the few examples of contemporary Korean cinema that I've come across: My Sassy Girl, Old Boy and Il Mare. But what I realised as I was thinking about this is that all the films I just mentioned have plot-lines that rely heavily on the passage of time and questions of 'then' and 'now'.

I don't know if this is a common theme throughout the Korean oevre, but it makes one wonder why this might be so.

2.
Also, a little more info on the process and results of Dove's adverts.

As it turns out, this campaign is actually a ~~couple of~~ few years old. And while it was to sell product, Unilever (Dove's parent company) seems to have taken a novel and unusually honest approach to the issue:

Find a number of diverse, real women (no models)
Ask them to use the product
Shoot the results with a fantastic photographer in a classic beauty shoot setup
Show the results without retouching or manipulating the images

This is, I think, quite commendable in itself.

And, from the figures, it seems to have worked:

The business results surpassed all expectations, with Firming Lotion sales exceeding forecast by 110 percent in Western Europe (June 2004). In the UK, Dove Firming Lotion sales rose from 280,000 bottles in 2003 to 2.3 million bottles in the first six months of 2004. And Dove Firming body variants are now bigger than lotion or milk variants.

Source: Ogilvy.com.

The fact is, Unilever exists to sell product. And in this day and age, to sell product you need to advertise.

Now, they could have gone with the usual skinny, airbrushed and made-up stuff that usually headlines a product. Instead, they chose to be creative and honest - or at least, as 'honest' as one can be in an area such as advertising.

So, the point of all this was to say that one shouldn't forget that it is advertising. But it does try to challenge popular (mis)conceptions of what beauty is.

And I'll drink to that any day.

Good Feeling
Violent Femmes
From the album Violent Femmes

Good feeling
Won't you stay with me just a little longer?
It always seems like your leaving
When I need you here just a little longer

Dear lady there's so many things
That I have come to fear
Little voice says I'm going crazy
To see all my worlds disappear

Vague sketch of a fantasy
Laughing at the sunrise
Like he's been up all night
Oh slippin' and slidin'
What a good time but now
Have have to find a bed
That can take this wait

Good feeing
Won't you say stay with me just a little longer
It always seems like your leaving
When I know the other one
Just a little too well

Oh dear lady
Won't you stay with me just a little longer?
Y'know it always seems like your leaving
When I need you here just a little longer

Great weekend, all.

tanka review: Goal!

2006-06-15T23:36:00.000-04:00

A real soccer film
The game's spirit - well captured
Some claim to be true
But dwell on boy-girl troubles
Cough Bend It Like Beckham Cough

Curves

2006-06-13T21:40:00.000-04:00

In which Chris discusses things he would be better off not: supermodels, Dove Firming Lotion and the idea of beauty in general.

I've found that more often than not, I'm attracted to the kinds of things most people don't like or even consider. My taste in books and music and the like is at best, eclectic. And as a result, I'm more than used to regularly having people disagree with or even deride me for my taste.

So you can imagine my surprise when, as I was watching the first episode in a new BBC series, the girl I had singled out as the most attractive turned out to be the lynchpin of the show, as opposed to her 'drop dead gorgeous' sister.

Drop Dead Gorgeous, as the show is titled, is, according to the series' website:

...the story of 15-year-old geeky goddess Ashley, whose life is turned upside-down when she is approached by a spotter from a local modelling agency. Events move at lightning speed and the whole family, including beautiful [fraternal] twin sister Jade, are affected.

Now as it turns out, Sinead Moynihan, who plays Ashley, is actually twenty-four. And even to my uninformed eye, a lot of the goings-on of the series appear to be quite hyperbolic. But even with all this, from the one episode I've seen, a lot of good questions are raised about what really counts as beauty and the price that comes from being labeled as such.

And of course, it's got that wonderful indie quality that so many of the BBC's better show's have.

Coming back, however, to the topic at hand - what is beauty? Or perhaps it would be better to ask, "What is physical beauty?" Because, from what I've observed, the aspects of inner beauty or what makes up a 'good' person are far more easier to pin down. Physical beauty remains elusive.

And it's for this reason that I think statements and titles like "World's Most Beautiful Woman" are silly at best, and quite damaging to those who feel they'll never qualify in the worst of circumstances. The definition is never constant: from place to place and time to time, the ideal changes too much to even be considered so.

Of course, this also means that I can't help but be appreciative of a recent slate of ads that have been running all over Toronto for Dove's new Firming Lotion, featuring 'real curves'.¹ But from what I've read on them so far, they're stirring up quite a bit of controversy as well.

The two most interesting reactions that I came across were comments from Bill Zwecker and Richard Roeper:

In this day and age, when we are facing a huge obesity problem in this country, we don't need to encourage anyone -- women OR men -- to think it's okay to be out of shape.

and

But the raw truth is, I find these Dove ads a little unsettling. If I want to see plump gals baring too much skin, I'll go to Taste of Chicago, OK? I'll walk down Michigan Avenue or go to Navy Pier. When we're talking women in their underwear on billboards outside my living room windows, give me the fantasy babes, please.

If that makes me sound superficial, shallow and sexist -- well yes, I'm a man.

Now that in itself is quite disturbing. But even more so is the way in which the adverts seem to be undercutting their message.

The above image is, I believe, from the British or European version of the campaign. The images that are being run in Toronto are very different, featuring women of East Asian, Caucasian and African origin. And while representing different, more relevant, ethnicities is in itself not wrong, it's the how and where that's been bothering me.

Because I regularly travel to different parts of the city, I've seen the ads in many places, and I can say with some certainty that only particular versions of the ads appear in particular places. In other words, to put it bluntly, the whitest ads appear in the whitest places. The more multicultural ones, in such areas.

Of course, I don't have any empirical evidence to prove this. And perhaps I'm being paranoid.

But I still can't shake the voice in the back of my mind that says that these ads, while claiming to champion 'real beauty', are reinforcing - if only subtly - the ideas and stereotypes that they claim to be fighting.

¹To which the cynic in me says, "Yes, but look at what they're selling."

And we'll close with a little Inara George. Because it happened to be playing when I started mulling this over. And because she's got such a lovely voice. And name.

Pull Things Up
Inara George
From the album All Rise

I’ll let you sleep
Sleep all day it’s fine
A little time, a little time
Something to save
And save this room
Remember this time, this room
You want it to change
Don’t want it to change
It always will

I want to pull things up
And throw them in the air
I want to see you born
I wanted to be there
Now everyone is here
Fill up their cups, they’re here
Make someone play
Don’t know what to say
I’ll leave it to you

And oh my dear
Say it again, my dear
You speak like you sing
So say it again
I’ll leave it to you

I've begun to realise that summer school isn't exactly a great idea. But a meaningless seasonal job is much worse.

Readability

2006-06-11T23:50:00.000-04:00

Just a few quick changes to make things more readable:

blockquotes are no longer italicised, but still indented.

notes are of a lighter colour, but larger in font-size.

Feedback is welcome and appreciated.

At the Door

2006-06-10T02:49:00.000-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, while listening to CBC Radio's Here and Now as I was wondering about downtown, I heard a song by a band from Tehran called O-Hum.

Except that since I heard it on the radio, I thought it was something like 'ohum'. And so, I've been looking for a band named as such for the last couple of weeks.

Then, this morning I remembered that Here and Now, during their New Year's episode, promised to keep up-to-date records of all the music they played in the coming year. I pointed my browser to the relevant page of their website and lo and behold, it wasn't there. But, they did have a link to the blog of the houseguest who had brought the music in.

Hossein Derakshan is a Toronto/Tehran based blogger who is spearheading the blogging revolution in Iran.¹ And he, thankfully, did mention the proper name of the band and the title of the song - "Darvish".

Unfortunately, I couldn't find any English translations of the lyrics, but the band's website is pretty comprehensive.

A little googling found me this:

The Persian word Darvish means 'sill of the door' and is used of Sufi mystics who stand, in figurative terms, at the door to enlightenment.

and

...the Persian "darvish", meaning a poor man.

So, I'm a little confused about that. I'll have to ask around.

Anyway, click 'play' to hear the song.

Oh yes, and don't forget that they have to make their music in a bandmember's basement because Rock is still considered subversive. And, their latest album was published in Toronto.

¹That kind of sounds silly - 'blogging revolution' - when I reread it, but there's no better way to describe it. The internet is giving people a voice in a way that was not possible ten or even five years ago. And they're speaking out on their blogs.

Also, here's one more flick I forgot to mention yesterday:

Crossing the Bridge (Now Playing)
About the evolution of the music scene in Turkey. Features a Canadian artist as well.

The Roundup: Spring/Summer 2006

2006-06-08T22:50:00.000-04:00

Yes, yes, it's that time of the season again. You know, the one where I tell you about all the great films that are coming out in the next little while.

I guess I'm a little late this time, but that's okay. So, here we go. (In order of release date, as far as I can tell.)

Thank You for Smoking (Still Playing. I think.)
On the topic of the cigarette industry. As you might have surmised from the title.

Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story (Now Playing. Somewhere)
"This book was post-modern before there was any modernism to be post about."

Funniest thing I've seen in a long time. In an intelligent way. Based on the book by Laurence Sterne. Directed by Michael Winterbottom

Brick (Now Playing)
Film Noir meets High School Soap Opera. And it works surprisingly well.

Art School Confidential (Now Playing)
But is it art?

Sketches of Frank Ghery (Now Playing)
If you've no idea who he is, then don't bother. But you should.

X-Men: The Last Stand (Now Playing)
Mixed reviews, but seems to be trying to make a good statement: class, racism and all that.

District B13 (Now Playing)
I saw the French version - it's a good ol' fashioned action flick. Features Parkour ('Free Running') heavily. Directed by Luc Besson.

A Prairie Home Companion (June 9th)
Based on the radio program of the same name. With Garrison Keillor, Woody Harrelson, Tommy Lee Jones, Kevin Kline, Lindsay Lohan, Virginia Madsen, Meryl Streep, and Lily Tomlin. And, directed by Robert Altman. What more needs to be said?

Cars (June 9th)
Pixar's latest offering. I had serious doubts about this when it was announced. But now I've been won over - it'll be fantastic, as usual.

The Lake House (June 16th)
Starring Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves. Interesting premise. And I'm a sucker for romance. Sue me.

Who Killed the Electric Car? (June 28th)
Who did actually kill electric car? The automotive industry? Big oil? Asks good questions, even if it doesn't necessarily pack answers.

The Devil Wears Prada (June 30th)
Again, with Meryl Streep. I have no idea how she does it. Anne Hathaway costars.

Superman Returns - (June 30th)
How can I put this? This movie will be terrible. But it's Superman. And, apparently, the most expensive film ever made. So yeah.

A Scanner Darkly (July 7th)
Based on the novel by Phillip K. Dick. Uses cell-shading. Watch it if only for those two reasons.

Monster House (July 21st)
Latest (I think) from Steven Spielberg

The Lady in the Water (July 21st)
M. Night Shyamalan's latest offering. An adult fairytale of sorts. Starring Paul Giamatti.

Little Miss Sunshine (July 26th)
A little hard to describe. Just watch the trailer.

The Namesake (November 3rd)
Directed by Mira Nair. Based on the book by Jhumpa Lahiri. Stars Kal Penn. Kinda far away, I admit, but one to keep on the radar.

As I've said before, I don't think much of Ms.Lahiri's writing, but I do think that this is a topic that needs to be addressed. And, she is adding something to the dicussion.

And there you have it.

Disclaimer: The mention of any name or film in the above should not be construed as a condonation of them on my part.

Don't

2006-06-08T08:24:00.000-04:00

Before someone says it:

I liked the log driver short because I imagined myself in his place. Not because I wanted to dance with him.

Birling Down, A-down White Water

2006-06-07T11:58:00.000-04:00

I'm psyched. So much so, in fact, that I actually used the word 'psyched'. I found "The Log Driver's Waltz" on Google Video:

You can also find it on YouTube. I think their version might be a little better in quality.

And here are the lyrics:

The Log Driver's Waltz
Wade Hemsworth/Traditional

If you should ask any girl from the parish a-round
What pleases her most from her head to her toes
She'll say: I'm not sure that it's business of yours
But I do like to waltz with a log driver

For he goes birling down, a-down white water
That's where the log driver learns to step lightly
It's birling down, a down white water
A log drivers waltz pleases girls completely

When the drive's nearly over, I like to go down
To see all the lads while they work on the river
I know that come evening they'll be in the town
And we all want to waltz with a log driver

To please both my parents, I've had to give way
And dance with the doctors and merchants and lawyers
Their manners are fine, but their feet are of clay
For there's none with the style of a log driver

I've had my chances with all sorts of men
But none is so fine as my lad on the river
So when the drive's over, if he asks me again
I think I will marry my log driver

I can't even count the number of times I saw that short as a kid. And it was wonderful every time.

Faces

2006-06-06T09:40:00.000-04:00

I logged into my Yahoo! Mail account this morning (I only use it for registration type e-mail) and found a newsletter from House of Anansi Press touting a new book by Terry Murry called Faces on Places: A Grotesque Tour of Toronto.

The blurb on the site reads:

Look up . . . way up . . . and in Toronto, what do you see?

If you look with Terry Murray, you'll see beyond glass and steel and stone to spy Gargoyles, Griffins, Dragons, Angels, Portraits of Important Personages (and Caricatures of those same folk). A fascinating world of mythical and historical persons and icons has been watching over the city and its inhabitants for centuries, but few Torontonians even know of its existence.

Journalist Murray has spent the past decade scouring the city for "faces on places" and photographing the stone denizens of more than sixty Toronto buildings. Her quest has been to do more than simply find and capture the "faces"; she has also interviewed architects, stone carvers, and building occupants, as well as scouring archives for original architectural plans, to discover who these creatures are, and why they exist where they do.

Faces on Places is organized thematically by type of sculpture and contains street addresses and maps for suggested walking tours. With an elegant design and a size that fits in a large pocket as easily as on a coffee table, this is a book that can be perused for pleasure or used as a reliable guide to the city's most silent and intriguing "citizens."

This, I think, is absolutely fantastic - I'll have to pick up a copy.

And it's actually the perfect inspiration for something similar that I've begun to do, albeit on a much smaller scale, with the carvings inside UofT's University College.

Carvings like the above - only about five inches in diameter - can be found in "West Hall" and on the lintels of many of the doors throughout the building.

And I'm going to photograph/document every single one.

Colony

2006-06-04T08:15:00.000-04:00

This came to mind for some reason this morning.

Brand New Colony
The Postal Service
From the album Give Up

I'll be the grapes fermented, bottled and served with the table set in my finest suit like a perfect gentlemen
I'll be the fire escape that's bolted to the ancient brick where you will sit and contemplate your day

I'll be the waterwings that save you if you start drowning in an open tub when your judgement's on the brink
I'll be the phonograph that plays your favorite albums back as you're lying there drifting off to sleep

I'll be the platform shoes and undo what heredity's done to you: you won't have to strain to look into my eyes
I'll be your winter coat buttoned and zipped straight to the throat with the collar up so you won't catch a cold

I want to take you far from the cynics in this town and kiss you on the mouth
We'll cut our bodies free from the tethers of this scene, start a brand new colony
Where everything will change, we'll give ourselves new names (identities erased)
The sun will heat the grounds under our bare feet in this brand new colony
Everything will change...

Whenever I hear this song - or the word 'colony' for that matter - I always think of The Colony Hotel in Jerusalem. But that's a story in itself.

I know the formatting looks weird, but that's how it's supposed to be. I even got out the liner notes to make sure.

Advice

2006-06-03T15:21:00.000-04:00

I'm a big fan of Salon.com's advice columnist - Cary Tennis - because, frankly, he gives good advice.

Here are some highlights from recent letters he's replied:

In reply to a woman who lost her engagement ring during a vacation trip, replaced it with something much cheaper from Wal-Mart, and then got found out by her fiancé's family, he suggests that she first put things right when her husband to be:

[Then] After you're married, use the $900 [from the insurance] to buy a fishing rod and some top-notch camping gear and go back to the same lake with your same friends.

Go fishing.

When you catch a fish, clean it carefully. Look for the ring. Then cook it over an open flame and eat it by firelight.

Maybe one day you'll catch a fish and inside the fish will be the ring. In fact, you could make it a tradition; you could go fishing there every year, and that will remind you and your husband of your early happiness and frivolity and your early mistakes, and it will become a tradition that will help your friendships endure. This innocent mistake thereby becomes a lifelong gift.

In reply to a 23-year old woman who feels she hasn't experienced the important things in life as yet, he stresses patiences:

How do you learn patience when you are too young to have had enough practice? After all, you have never waited 20 years for a knotted obsession to slowly unravel, for someone's heart to unbend, for a nation to come to its senses and then lose them again. That's not your fault. You cannot have waited long enough to learn what it's like to wait longer than you think you should, longer than you thought possible.

If the old were the only ones who could learn patience, however, the young would have no hope of serenity. Luckily, time is not the only thing that can teach patience. It can also spring forth as a revelation. It can come to you in an instant; you can learn it over and over again in the moment as you need it. Patience in the moment is simply the decision to stop expecting...

You are 23. Patience is what you need. Patience is active waiting. So wait. Wait with grace and dignity. Plenty of stuff, including love, will come your way in due time.

I realise that many people give good advice. But he does it with such élan.

Here are the links for any who feel like reading more:
I lost my engagement ring -- and secretly replaced it at Wal-Mart
I'm 23 but I don't have everything I want yet

Click the 'Site Pass' option to watch a very short ad to access the full article. You only have to do it once.

Frustration

2006-06-02T12:42:00.000-04:00

When I was small, I remember playing a game in Sri Lanka called 'Ludo' in which four players would compete to bring their pieces all the way around the board to their 'home'. Once I arrived here, I found that Ludo had a fancy-pants incarnation called 'Frustration' (Or Sorry!, or Trouble), pop-o-matic dice-roller and all.

Anyone who's played the game knows that the frustration, of course, comes from having to take your pieces back to the beginning if another player lands on your space.

And while no one has 'landed' on me (or landed me, for that matter), I've been experiencing a lot frustration lately with all the work I've had to put into getting my PowerBook - yes, this is another of those posts - to a place even close to where it was before the hard drive crashed.

This process has been punctuated by realisations of all the irreplacable things I've lost: several years worth of e-mail, my schoolwork, my photographs, my 'ToDo' list. Thankfully - providentially, I suppose - I had backups of all the things I needed most.

On the other hand, some good things have come out of this; the whole debacle almost seems worth it, especially when it comes to my new-found inspiration concerning my portfolio. And, the whole rebuilding process has actually been quite interesting.

It would seem that the two most important pieces of software on my PowerBook - the ones I installed immediately after the OS - are Quicksilver (Launcher/Browser/Magic Application) and iScroll2 (A hack that enables two-finger scrolling on older laptops). Then of course, came the usual: Office, Creative Suite, iLife, iWork, etc.

The other 'oddities' I found myself installing almost immediately: Adium (IM), OmniOutlinerPro (For idea mapping and Kinkless), NewsFire (RSS - although I haven't been able to update my feeds as yet), VLC (Greatest mediaplayer. Ever.), Audacity (Audio editing), FFView (Comic book viewer), Transmit (FTP client), Font Explorer (Font manager), RealPlayer, Toast (CD writing), Transmission (BT Client), TextMate (Text-editor of choice. This post was written in TextMate), CopyWrite (Text Editor for school work), TriTag (MP3 tag editor), Coverflow (Album browser) and VirtualPC.

The weirdest part is that with all this installed and music, documents and the like copied over, I still have more free hard drive space than my old hard disk had in total.

But it's weird in a good way.

I'll edit the above in the next little bit to include links to the applications mentioned.

Update:Apparently, Ludo, Sorry! and Trouble are all adaptations of the 'cross-and-circle' board game Parchisi which hails from India. Here's a good summary of all the variations.

And finally, some music.

Man Fading
Kenna
From the Album New Sacred Cow

I need to be brilliant, electric
I wanted to be natural
This God should be fantastic
Let's start a revolution
A true revolution
I havn't felt the same
Snce I arrived I haven't slept a wink

I'm just a man fading
I've been a little bit jaded
Everybody wants to get on
The neon lights have got it all
I'm living a sensation
Walk inside invasions
Nobody wants to really know
The neon lights have got it all
Ihe neon lights

I need to be elected, perfected
Needs beyond the blue
Feel the satisfaction
I want to be the light source
A blaring night force
I havn't felt the same
Since I arrived I haven't slept a wink

And this is how it starts
Before we lose it all
I know we're not coming
God knows when I'm gone

I'm just a man fading
I've been a little bit jaded
Everybody wants to get on
The neon lights have got it all
I'm living a sensation
Walk inside invasions
Nobody wants to really know
The neon lights have got it all
Ihe neon lights

And this is how it starts
Before we lose it all
I know when I'm coming
God knows when I'm gone

I'm just a man fading
I've been a little bit jaded
Everybody wants to get on
The neon lights have got it all
I'm living a sensation
Walk inside invasions
Nobody wants to really know
The neon lights have got it all
Ihe neon lights

Hope everyone has a ~~good~~ great weekend.

Wildcat

2006-05-29T20:06:00.000-04:00

In case you didn't know, TTC (Toronto Transit Comission) employees were on strike today.

What's the past tense of strike? Can I say they struck today?

Anyway, I wasn't planning to go to my evening class, but around four I was told that subway service might be back up by five. I got ready and walked to the station, but there was no service. So, I kept on walking.

Google Maps says that it takes 14 minutes to drive the 8.9 km from my house to the corner of Avenue and Bloor. It took me one hour and forty-five minutes to walk it. In shoes not made for walking.

My feet hurt.

My apologies to those of you who were kind enough to leave comments in the last few days. I'm not sure why, but they didn't get published until a little earlier today. But thanks.

Spam...

2006-05-29T16:23:00.000-04:00

...with a serving of poetry, if you please.

The stars are in blossom, the moon is in flower,
And bright are the windows of Night in her tower.
Dance all ye joyful, now dance all together!
Soft is the grass, and let foot be like feather!
The river is silver, the shadows are fleeting;
Merry is May-time, and merry our meeting.

Who says spam is always bad?

First person who can guess where that's from gets a free subdomain. As in yourname.digitalmud.ca. Wouldn't that be cool?

Three, Two, One

2006-05-26T01:01:00.000-04:00

I've had my PowerBook returned after a few days at the shop and I'm in the process of reinstalling software. Unfortunately, I've lost all my data.

I've also purchased an external hard drive as a result the above.

Finally...

Please start using my brand-spanking-new url - digitalmud.ca - as I'm going to be transitioning to it in the next couple of days. This blogspot url will eventually become defunct as I redesign/revamp/reboot.

I actually wanted digitalmud.com as well. But some ass has been squatting on it for the last two years.

Anyway.

Feminine

2006-05-21T15:42:00.000-04:00

I would have titled this "The Not So Sacred Feminine", but I'm too afraid of incurring the wrath of all the women that read this blog. And also all those rabid Dan Brown fans that seem to be about these days.

So, earlier today, I found myself in the "Feminine Protection" aisle of the Zellers near our house.¹ And, I must admit that until recently, I was completely unaware that shopping in said aisle could be such a complicated process.

There's just so much to choose from: You've got regular. And you've got extra protection. And over-night. And ultra-thin. And over-night with extra protection. And over-night ultra-thin. And, naturally, over-night ultra-thin with extra protection. And then there's a whole shelf of the above with 'wings'.²

Thankfully, I was reminded - and several times at that - to make sure that I got a particular brand and variety. And as I've apparently forgotten how to read, I was also told that I should "just look for the orange ones." But of course, as my luck would have it, they were completely sold out of what I needed.

For a few moments, I didn't know what I should do. "Maybe I'll just go back home and say they were sold out," I said to myself. But, being the kind of guy that I am, I decided to suck it in and ask someone if there was more in the back.

First, I waited till the aisle was empty.³ Then, I looked about for someone - anyone - in the periphery who might be wearing the typical red of the Zellers drone. I found such a person a few aisles away. I walked up to him and said, "Hi... Um... Could you help me a couple of aisles over? With the... Pads and stuff."⁴

He looked at me for a second. Then, thankfully, his professionalism took over and he walked back with me and insisted on rechecking the shelves, to see if I'd - I don't know - been unable to read the labels or something. I had read the labels correctly.

There was actualy a little sticker placed under the price of the kind that I wanted. "We'll be getting the next shipment at the end of the week." He said, after looking at it. "No, wait. Make that early the week after. The holiday messes things up."⁵

I thanked him and made my way out of the store and to a Shopper's Drugmart that's in the same shopping centre.⁶ Here, because they're much classier, I had to head over to the "Feminine Paper" section. But being classy doesn't necessarily mean you'll have stock as well.

Now I was really unsure of what to do. And then it hit me - Dominion!⁷ I walked the thirty feet or so that separates the two stores, entered, and began to wander the aisles.

As it turns out, Dominion doesn't have a section of "Feminine" anything. But, I was able to find what I was looking for on a set of unmarked shelves next to the incontinence products. That makes sense, I suppose, in a rather twisted sort of way.

After that, it was just a matter of paying and getting out. Mission accomplished.

Now, if you happen to know my future wife, please let her know that while I will probably be lousy at a lot of things, once a month, when it comes to the above, I'll have all the bases covered.

And come to think of it, if you know my future wife, please tell me who she is. That'll make a lot of things a little bit easier.

¹A chain of department stores here in Canada. In direct competition with Wal-Mart at the moment, actually.

²All this and I haven't even mentioned tampons. And I'm not planning to either.

³This sounds silly now that I think about it. But it was my first time - cut me some slack.

⁴Admittedly, not one of my most erudite moments.

⁵It is the Victoria Day weekend, after all.

⁶A chain of drugstores/chemist's. As you might have gathered from the name.

⁷A chain of 24-hour grocery stores.

And I'm not even going to try and think of a song for this.

Oh, and before I go, congrats to the Johns of Kingston. They welcomed their secondborn - A Boy! - into the world today.

Happy Endings

2006-05-16T11:50:00.000-04:00

Have you ever noticed that all the stories you hear as a child always end in a good way? Sleeping Beauty wakes up. Rapunzel's hair brings her a prince. And Cinderella? Of course the glass slipper fits.

And even as you get a little older and start reading for yourself, there's always a happy ending. Though, admittedly, it's a little harder to get there. Still, Laura does indeed marry Almanzo. Gilbert and Anne - don't worry, they reconcile.

And even if, like myself, you gravitated towards more fantastical forms of prose - The Chronicles of Narnia, Lord of The Rings - good ultimately did triumph over evil. Always.

The first story I read that didn't end happily was The Bully of Barkham Street. I think I was around seven at the time. I remember finishing the book while lying in bed and then turning over to put my face in the pillow so no one would hear me as I cried.

But that's reality, isn't it? There isn't always a happy ending. People get hurt. People move on. And the metronome of life keeps tick-tocking along.

People have told me on several occasions that I, for some unfathomable reason, seem unable to realise that 'life just doesn't work that way.' And maybe it's true.

Maybe I am too much of an idealist. Too much of a romantic. Too much of a dreamer. But I'm slowly beginning to realise that I'm okay with that.

So while this most certainly means that I'm going to often be disappointed and let down and hurt - and do my fair share of the like, I suspect - it also lets me take life on my own terms.

And that, I think, is the only way that, just maybe, real life can have a happy ending too.

A Minor Incident
Badly Drawn Boy
From the About A Boy OST

There's nothing I could say
To make you try to feel ok
And nothing you could do
To stop me feeling the way I do
And if the chance should happen
That I never see you again
Just remember that I'll always love you

I'd be a better person
On the other side I'm sure
You'd find a way to help yourself
And find another door
To shrug off minor incidents
And make us both feel proud
I just wish I could be there
To see you through

You always were the one
To make us stand out in a crowd
Though every once upon a while
Your head was in the cloud
There's nothing you could never do
To ever let me down
And remember that I'll always love you

I did manage to get my writing samples in some sort of shape. So thanks to all of you who inquired and wished me luck.

Ah, Me

2006-05-13T23:15:00.000-04:00

Or, "There's No Rest for the Wicked"

My PowerBook decided to die on me a couple of days ago. Well, perhaps not my PowerBook, but the hard disk at least.

No heckling, please. This has not at all changed my opinion of the laptop itself or its worth in comparison to a Windows notebook.

I had made a backup of my school work a little while back, so I still have all the most vital documents. Unfortunately, I don't have anything else.

This means that I have to recreate, from older versions, a lot of the material I need to hand in this Monday as part of my written portfolio.

Good times indeed.

Thankfully, I also installed copies of Portable Firefox and Gaim on my USB drive a few months ago, so I do have all my bookmarks. And IM. Which is kind of helpful.

Anyways, this space might be kind of quiet for the next little bit as I get things sorted out/start summer school/submit my portfolio.

Hope everyone has a great weekend and coming week.

Spot the Chris!

2006-05-11T11:40:00.000-04:00

Let's play a game. Where's the Chris in his..

Grade One Class Picture

Grade Four Class Picture

Grade Two Portrait

Okay, so that last one was easy. And yes, I know I was a handsome little devil.

What..

2006-05-10T17:27:00.000-04:00

..is this?

No cheating.

Middle See

2006-05-09T15:02:00.000-04:00

This morning, around nine, our piano tuner - Mr. H - arrived at the doorstep for his annual visit.

I greeted him at the door, hung up his coat and chatted with him for a few minutes as he got his tools and the like set up. After he had done so, he pushed the fallboard back, pulled out the seat, and got to work. And then he asked me for my name.

During his first visit, when we initiated our greet-chat-work-name? ritual, Mr. H placed one of his business cards under the top cover of the piano, to use as a place to record each tuning. When he took it out this morning, to record today's date, he ~~realised~~ found - to both our surprise - that he's been taking care of our piano since 1995.

1995! That's over a decade. And things have changed quite a bit since.

The thought of it all's left me nostalgic and wistful and a little sad as well.

Variations on Canon in D Major
George Winston
From the My Sassy Girl OST / All The Seasons of George Winston

I've decided to accompany this post with a piece of music instead of the usual song/lyrics. It's my favourite variation on Pachelbel's Canon in D Major, by George Winston.

Canon in D is, unfortunately, one of the most overplayed pieces of music in the world. As a result, it's easy to just shrug it off when you hear it; the fact the it's a very, very beautiful piece of music gets lost on our ears more often than not. This particular rendition does a good job of making you pay closer attention.

~~The file will be up shortly.~~ Click to hear.

Ubuntu

2006-05-08T09:19:00.000-04:00

Christopher would like it known that he has successfully set up Ubuntu server along with Apache, PHP and MySQL.

(All via SSH from his PowerBook, mind you.)

Much credit goes to one Jaydawg for providing power for said Linux box.

~~Now if he could only figure out how to install/configure Samba so he doesn't have to keep ftp-ing in...~~

In spite of these momentous proceedings, Christopher is somewhat concerned that he is now even more of a geek than he was twenty-four hours ago.

and Cents

2006-05-06T10:58:00.000-04:00

A little while back, I experimented with Google Adsense. And frankly, I didn't like it.

Yesterday, I ran into IndieKarma. Their idea's pretty simple. And as a result, ingenious.

You sign up with them for an account. (If you're one of the first 5000, they'll even contribute a free dollar!) You add money to your account; just a dollar or two. Thereafter, everytime you visit a website, if they're a member of the IndieKarma network, they'll get $0.01.

Of course, that doesn't sound like a lot, but it'd add up. If you visit here once a day, that's $3.65 a year. Multiply that by a few dozen and that's a substantial part of the yearly hosting fees of the average site.

I don't think it'll help me much, but it's a great idea.

And that's that little dock thing that popped up when you loaded the site, in case you were wondering.

Done

2006-05-05T13:26:00.000-04:00

One pen, two ink cartridges, five exam booklets, seven handouts and countless pages of notes later, I'm done.

*dances for joy*

Now I need to rest. And get better.

Back soon, folks. Cheers and all that.

There Goes My Harddrive

2006-05-03T08:33:00.000-04:00

CBC Radio is now offering podcasts...

http://www.cbc.ca/podcasting/

*sigh*

The Ambient Desktop

2006-05-03T05:33:00.000-04:00

Not much blogging happening here for the next little while. But I thought I'd share this:

Click to see larger version and notes with explanations...

Back soon, I promise.

P.S. Jack Johnson... Number one on the last.fm list?!?
The sister again. I swear.

Illustration Friday: "Under the Sea"

2006-05-01T02:39:00.000-04:00

Except that I couldn't think of something that went along with "Under the Sea". So, here's my submission for Illustration Friday:

Under The 'C'

If you're wondering what's up with that... It's a view of Castle Frank station through the window of a subway car. (Castle Frank station being a stop along the Toronto east-west subway line.) Drawn on the subway, natch - between Broadview and Woodbine stations.

teh s3xy

2006-04-29T08:10:00.000-04:00

Because here, we write for everyone.

Web 2.0
Okay, so these aren't exactly 'Web 2.0'. But it's just fun to say. And these two webapps are r0x0rs.

Gabbly.com
Instant fancy-pants IM-like chat.

Cl1p.net
A virtual clipboard to transfer large chunks of text between net-connected machines.

Quicksilver
Watch this video at the Apple Blog to see the 1337ness that is Quicksilver.

There's AppRocket for you hurtin' Windowz folks.

Brains
For all of you who began to worry after my last post... I still prefer intelligent, well-accomplished women. Like Gauri Nanda or Devyani Saltzman.

If you know either, please inform them of this here fanboy.

Good Things

2006-04-27T05:23:00.000-04:00

Just smatterings really.

Jello Pudding Snacks
So yesterday, I was rooting through a kitchen cupboard looking for a snack and found a couple of those Jello puddings that come in little plastic containers. Chocolate ones. I ate one, and it was good.

The only problem is, we haven't bought them in at least six months. And it was good. That's not good.

But it's still so good.

Dramatis Personae
"Bones" does it surprisingly well.

And I'm seriously crushing on Emily Deschanel. And Zooey. It's the eyes, I tell you. Those big eyes.

And while we're on the topic, Marguerite Moreau as well.

Printing
Blacks, please stop colour correcting my prints. They're supposed to be like that. I should go elsewhere, but I oh so love your one hour service and web uploading.

All-In-One
I'm so glad I have a scanner. It makes quoting chunks of text from books so much easier. OCR all the way!

Re-discovery
I heard Hawksley Workman on the CBC way back. But I never followed up on it. Now I am. And it's good.

Also, if you ever get a chance to hear the CBC series on the seven deadly sins, listen for his bit on Pride:

I was asked to talk about pride. I didn't want to, but I was too proud to say no.

Brilliant.

Hot and Cold
A cold fridge and hot water. You never know how needful they are until you don't have them.

When it rains, it pours. Let's just leave it at that.

You Are Too Beautiful Lyrics
Hawksley Workman
From the album Treeful of Starling

I walked through the airport alone
I looked at my phone 'cause it keeps me company
I called you as I hired the car
To ask you how far is it there from you to me
And I wrote directions on the back of an old magazine

But you are too beautiful to be in bed with me
Yeah you are too beautiful to be in bed with me
If you could see the thoughts I see
If you could see my thoughts, baby you'd agree

I write this song lovingly on an old girlfriend's guitar
That she wants me to return
On the 12th floor you took off your clothes
New York in the snow and our bodies left to burn
Soft gentle rebel let the sun pierce the moments of spring

If you could see the face i see
If you could see my face
If you could see my face

And back to work I go. Yes, at this hour. I don't sleep, ya know.

No, Really

2006-04-25T21:59:00.000-04:00

I know that quite a few people (Much to my surprise. Yes, really.) visit this site an a pretty regular basis. So, as I do every once in a while, I'm asking for comments and suggestions.

What am I doing wrong? What am I doing right? What can I do to improve things around here? Any particular posts that you liked?

And even if you have no suggestions per se, just say 'hi' or something.

E-mail: christopher[dot]m@gmail[dot]com

MSN: christopher[dot]m@gmail[dot]com
ICQ: 7724097
AIM: CinToronto
Y!: mudiappahpillai
Jabber/GTalk: christopher[dot]m@gmail[dot]com

(Please replace the [dot] with a real 'dot'.)

And yes, I know... I'm an IM whore.

Of course, there's always the site comments too. Thanks.

Jane Jacobs

2006-04-25T17:41:00.000-04:00

I guess this is probably all over the place by now, but just in case... R.I.P. Jane Jacobs.

The Toronto Star's running a good article.

Hoodwinked!

2006-04-25T03:14:00.000-04:00

Caught this a little while back. It's certainly rough around the edges. And the cheese gets laid on pretty thick at times. But quite a few really good laughs, none-the-less. 3/5.

Oh, and today's free cone day at Ben & Jerry's.

Red is Blue
Ben Folds
From the Hoodwinked OST

Everything is changing, you're looking for the cure
And you feel like you're the loneliest girl in the world
Trouble in your head now, you don't know what to do
Seems like up is down and red is blue

Red is blue
Red is blue

Remember when we started, days when all was fun
All that we could make when life was young
Now you're getting older, nothing feels the same
You can't even make sense of your own name

Because red is blue
Doesn't make much sense but
Red is blue
Messing with your head now
Red is blue

In your heart there's a room where you lock away
All the times and the things that she said

And now Red is blue
What was near is far now
Red is blue
Like a fallen star and
Red is blue

That's track four on the mp3 player. I know, I know... You're welcome.

Have good one.

A Tale of Two Pens

2006-04-23T18:39:00.000-04:00

A few months ago, I mentioned that something very sad almost happened. I also said that I would write about it later (Ha!), but never go around to it. I know, I know, what else is new, right?

What I was referring to was the almost loss of my Philéas. Unfortunately, I really did lose the pen some time 'round the middle of February.¹

For a few days, I was unsure of what to do. I tried using a cheap Parker Arrow I keep about for emergencies, but after the Waterman, well, let's just say the experience was less than ideal. I even tried resorting to a Staedtler tech pen and then a Koh-I-Noor lead holder I have, thinking that I might be able to go back to more 'traditional' ways of writing. Both were found wanting. Finally, I decided there was nothing to do but cough up the cash for another.

The story of the acquisition of my second Philéas is a whole other post in itself, but suffice it to say that after I had bought it, I realised that I couldn't use it everyday. I'd just end up losing it again.

And so began a search for yet another pen, one that I could use regularly. There were only two requirements: one, it couldn't be so expensive as to be a great loss if it was misplaced, and two, it couldn't be so cheap that using it was a trial.

Now as luck would have it, around this time I was also supposed to pick up a Jotter I had ordered a few weeks prior from Laywine's. Figuring I could kill two birds with one stone, I explained my predicament to Peter, and he was kind enough to suggest a few different pens. After looking them over and dipping a couple, I left with a nice black Kaweco Sport.

I must admit that I'm quite pleased with it. It's not a Waterman by any measure, but it writes quite smoothly and it's compact, which is a big plus.

The thing that irked me about the Sport is that it doesn't have a converter like the Philéas. This means I have to buy cartridges as well as the usual bottled stuff I get. But that's turned out well as Laywine's has a lovely selection of J. Herbin inks (the "Les Cartouches") that I've discovered as a result.

And that's it. The end. Bye.

Oh yes, one more thing. If you're ever in the need for a pen or ink or a Moleskine or something of that sort, I heartily recommend Laywine's. The staff is always friendly and helpful, and their selection is great. Of course, their fantastic location doesn't hurt either.

And now I'm really done.

¹I readily admit that it was my fault. Whenever I'm out and about, I usually keep my pen clipped in the right-hand front pocket of my pants. But I forgot that there was a bit of a tear in the inside lining of my winter coat and so, the pen got caught to that, was lifted out of my pocket and left along the wayside during my travels.

Okay, so maybe I'm not done. Just think of this as a postscript of sorts...

I just realised that all three tracks in rotation at the moment (in the shiny new flash player to the ~~left~~ right) have something to do with pictures.

That's rather weird, and is in no way - I promise - due to any conscious decision on my part.

Another one of my just-woke-up realisations.

"Bad News" In So Many Ways

2006-04-22T12:27:00.000-04:00

And this is the most poorly written news story I've read in a long time.

Mind you, it's nothing personal. Just bad writing. The BBC should pay me to write for them.

As for the content... Oh my! Who would have ever guessed this would happen?!?

And in case you didn't get it, that last sentence was so sarcasm-laden the keys on my laptop were smoking after I finished.

Coffee Break

2006-04-22T12:08:00.000-04:00

I'm studying for an exam at the moment and thought I'd take a break and grab a coffee.

So I went to the kitchen, and not wanting to have to boil water to use with the instant coffee, I decided to see what would happen if I used hot water from the tap.¹ The result, though not momentous in any way, is drinkable.

As I was sipping my hot beverage, I decide to find an article that I had read a couple of weeks ago that describes the effects of coffee on your body.

I couldn't find it, but did manage to find an entry on HowStuffWorks.com that says the following are the ultimate results of caffeine (via adenosine and adrenaline) ingestion:

Your pupils dilate.

Your breathing tubes open up (this is why people suffering from severe asthma attacks are sometimes injected with epinephrine).

Your heart beats faster.

Blood vessels on the surface constrict to slow blood flow from cuts and also to increase blood flow to muscles.

Blood pressure rises.

Blood flow to the stomach slows.

The liver releases sugar into the bloodstream for extra energy.

Muscles tighten up, ready for action.

I should have probably said the 'supposed' effects of coffee because I never feel any of these. The same goes for all those fancy-pants energy drinks like Red Bull.

Useless, all of 'em. Except for coffee. Because it tastes so good.

Alrighty then... Back to the books.

¹Of course, the fact that the water coming out of our tap is hot enough to make coffee with is a bit disconcerting. We noticed this awhiles back and I was volunteered to go on my hands and knees and ~~beg the boiler to stop making the water so hot~~ re-adjust the heating temp to the lowest setting.

Obviously, this did not help.

Ultimately, I think it's just a matter of our sexy (Yes, I said sexy.) Viessmann boiler being too much for our needs. But at least the water's not as hot as it used to be.

Name Dropping

2006-04-21T08:29:00.000-04:00

Architecture in Helsinki was mentioned on this week's episode of Love Monkey.

A friend mentioned to me that they're playing at The Horshoe in May. But I won't be going.

Anyways. I just wanted to mention Architecture in Helsinki.

And Barenaked Ladies was featured too.

And Architecture in Helsinki.

Have You Seen My Love?
Barenaked Ladies
From the album Everything to Everyone

Have you seen my love?
Have you seen my love?
Have you seen my little girl?
Oh, have you seen my love?

All that I want is to be your friend,
Cause you're the only friend I've ever known
All I need is our love, we agreed
That the two of us wouldn't be alone

In these faded old photographs,
You can see how we smiled
I became a man in your arms,
Now I'm helpless as a child

Have you seen my love?
Have you seen my love?
Have you seen my little girl?
Oh, have you seen my love?

There was a dream that we both used to share
And we swore we would never wake
Now the dream's a nightmare, and the truth to be fair
Is that dreaming was the first mistake

Though we share the same memories,
And I swear that's her face
Did you bury the woman I love,
And fall asleep in her space?

Wapow! Bam! Crash!

Sorry. Just wanted to fill the space underneath the song. So the alignment doesn't look off.

The Perfect Excuse

2006-04-20T22:48:00.000-04:00

The Guardian has released a list of the top 50 book to film adaptations.

I figured I'd run through the list and see what I've read and/or watched:

'B' for book, 'F' for film.

1984 (B)
Alice in Wonderland (B)
American Psycho (B)
Breakfast at Tiffany's (F)
Brighton Rock
Catch 22
Charlie & the Chocolate Factory (B/F)
A Clockwork Orange
Close Range (inc Brokeback Mountain) (B)
The Day of the Triffids
Devil in a Blue Dress
Different Seasons (inc The Shawshank Redemption) (B)
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (aka Bladerunner) (F)
Doctor Zhivago
Empire of the Sun
The English Patient
Fight Club (B/F)
The French Lieutenant's Woman
Get Shorty
The Godfather (F)
Goldfinger (F)
Goodfellas
Heart of Darkness (aka Apocalypse Now)
The Hound of the Baskervilles (B)
Jaws (B/F)
The Jungle Book (B/F)
A Kestrel for a Knave (aka Kes)
LA Confidential (F)
Les Liaisons Dangereuses (F)
Lolita
Lord of the Flies (B/F)
The Maltese Falcon
Oliver Twist (B)
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (B/F)
Orlando
The Outsiders (B)
Pride and Prejudice (B/F/F)
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
The Railway Children
Rebecca
The Remains of the Day
Schindler's Ark (aka Schindler's List) (F)
Sin City (B/F)
The Spy Who Came in From the Cold
The Talented Mr Ripley
Tess of the D'Urbervilles
To Kill a Mockingbird
Trainspotting
The Vanishing
Watership Down (B)

Terrible, I know. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some books to read and some movies to watch.

Untitled

2006-04-20T10:52:00.000-04:00

Or, "This is so lame an attempt at writing something - anything - that I can't even think of a title."

Don't know if I'll be saying much more than this today. Have an essay on Nietzsche and Frankl to wrap up. Good times.

And after yesterday, I'm really not feeling the whole writing thing at the moment. Just one of those days.

Random question: How did 'mofo' come to mean what it does? Shouldn't it be 'mofu'?

Anyways, here's a song from the new Ben Harper album. He was in town a little while back for an invite only concert. The CBC was giving away a pair of tickets and I called in. Of course, with the luck that is mine, I didn't win.

But yeah... Decent album. Haven't properly listened to the whole thing yet.

Picture in a Frame
Ben Harper
From the album, Both Sides of the Gun

Now you can sell your soul
But you can't buy it back
I've spent my whole life
Working to give you everything you lack

Now I wish you were here
So we could walk and talk
In the soft rain, in the soft rain
Now all that left of us
Is a picture sitting in a frame

I would gladly trade
All of my sympathy for sorrow
If I could have you
If I could have you here with me tomorrow

Now I wish you were here
So we could walk and talk
In the soft rain, in the soft rain
Now all that left of us
Is a picture sitting in a frame

Everything I wish for
Is everything I see
I remember when your kisses were for me

So many wasted days
The past is so hard to get out from under
So many words that I wish I could say
The future rattles my bones weak like thunder

If you tried to access my RSS feed yesterday and couldn't see it, my apologies.

In what can only be seen as an act of the internet gods, my site feed went down yesterday. Right after I implored all of you, my faithful visitors, to grab said feed.

It's back up now, though, and better than ever. Why 'better than ever' that you ask? Well, simply because it's not just a feed of these entries.

That's right. Now for the price of one feed, you get all this fabulous content and a daily round-up of my del.icio.us links. But wait, there's more: my latest Flickr pictures as well.

I know, I know, it's almost too much. In fact, it's legendary.

Cheers, all.

Media, Messages and Readers

2006-04-19T09:18:00.000-04:00

Just a couple of random tidbits:

Read this quote in an article by Jeff Isrealy for TIME. It's especially enlightened, I think.

...Marshall McLuhan... The Canadian-born writer, who coined the phrase "the medium is the message," was also a devout Catholic. In one conversation recorded by his wife, McLuhan said: "Christ came to demonstrate God's love for man and to call all men to Him through himself as Mediator, as Medium. And in so doing he became the proclamation of his Church, the message of God to man. God's medium became God's message."

Also, a hint of sorts to all of you who visit this site and others that serve RSS feeds. Get a newsreader, like NewsFire, or get a Bloglines account. Google has a free online reader as well. Additionally, for Firefox users, there's Sage.

I read over fifty sites/feeds a couple of times a day. Doing that site by site would be very time consuming. But, with NewsFire, I can get it done in about ten minutes. Yes, really.

So, go, find a reader that works for you. And save your time for better things.

Crystallise

2006-04-18T11:00:00.000-04:00

I know I said I'd write about a few different things in the coming days, and that will happen. Just not right now as all that work I mentioned last week has made its presence known in a rather nasty way.

Regardless, the Good Friday/Easter Sunday weekend was good. Probably the best I've had in some time. It was great to just forget about school for a little bit and enjoy being where and who I am.

Of course, being the good Christian boy that I am, I went to church - on Good Friday and Easter Sunday. And, truth-be-told, I was quite surprised at how relevant the things shared where in relation to thoughts that have been floating around in my head over the past little while.

I think I'll talk a bit about that when I write down what I was actually referring to when I said "more" on Sunday.

I think I'm reaching crossroads of sorts in life. Not simply because I will soon have to start applying to grad school and such similar things, but also because my ideas about myself and where I'm going and want to end up are starting to crystallise. Or are - at least - becoming more coherent.

And I think that's all for now. I have two essays and three exams to work on...

Waiting For My Real Life to Begin
Colin Hay / Thom Mooney
From the album Man @ Work

Any minute now, my ship is coming in
I'll keep checking the horizon
I'll stand on the bow, feel the waves come crashing
Come crashing down, down, down, on me

And you say, be still my love
Open up your heart
Let the light shine in
Don't you understand
I already have a plan?
I'm waiting for my real life to begin

When I awoke today, suddenly nothing happened
But in my dreams, I slew the dragon
And down this beaten path, and up this cobbled lane
I'm walking in my old footsteps, once again

And you say, just be here now
Forget about the past, your mask is wearing thin
Just let me throw one more dice
I know that I can win
I'm waiting for my real life to begin

Any minute now, my ship is coming in
I’ll keep checking the horizon
And I'll check my machine, there's sure to be that call
It's gonna happen soon, soon, oh so very soon
It's just that times are lean

And you say, be still my love
Open up your heart, let the light shine in
Don't you understand
I already have a plan?
I'm waiting for my real life to begin

On a clear day I can see, see for a long way

Hope everyone had a good weekend. And has been having a good week so far.

It just occurred to me the other day that it might seem strange to some people that I write all these things down here in this rather public place.

I suppose that's true, but I can honestly say that it helps me to have a record of my thoughts. And, truthfully, all this is not as personal as it sounds.

Maybe I just have a strange definition of 'personal'.

Happy...

2006-04-16T08:40:00.000-04:00

...Easter to everyone. More when I get back from church.

Easter Song
Second Chapter of Acts; As covered by Keith Green

Here the bells ringing
They’re singing that you can be born again
Here the bells ringing
They’re singing Christ is risen from the dead

The angel up on the tombstone
Said he has risen, just as he said
Quickly now, go tell his disciples
That Jesus Christ is no longer dead

Joy to the word, he has risen, hallelujah
He’s risen, hallelujah
He’s risen, hallelujah
Hallelujah

Hear the bells ringing
They’re singing that you can be healed right now
Hear the bells ringing, they’re singing
Christ, he will reveal it now

The angels, they all surround us
And they are ministering Jesus’ power
Quickly now, reach out and receive it
For this could be your glorious hour

Joy to the world, he has risen, hallelujah
He’s risen, hallelujah
He’s risen, hallelujah, hallelujah
Hallelujah

The angel up on the tombstone
Said he has risen, just as he said
Quickly now, go tell his disciples
That Jesus Christ is no longer dead

Joy to the world, he has risen, hallelujah
He’s risen, hallelujah
He’s risen, hallelujah
Hallelujah

Sorry I didn't post the David Crowder song as promised. I was a little pre-occupied. Maybe some other time.

Where?

2006-04-14T05:48:00.000-04:00

So, today's Good Friday.

Suddenly, I find myself sombre, with thoughts of all that this day brought.

Oh God Where Are You Now?
Sufjan Stevens
From the album, Michigan

Oh God, hold me now
Oh Lord, hold me now
There's no other man who could raise the dead
So do what you can to anoint my head

Oh God, where are you now?
Oh Lord, say somehow
The devil is hard on my face again
The world is a hundred to one again

Would the righteous still remain?
Would my body stay the same?

Oh God, hold me now
Oh God, touch me now
There's no other man who could save the dead
There's no other God to place our head

Would the righteous still remain?
Would my body stay the same?

There's no other man who could raise the dead
So do what you can to anoint my head

Oh God, hold me now
Oh Lord, touch me now

David Crowder does a pretty decent cover of this song as well. So today, Sufjan; tomorrow, David. Then you can choose as you will.

Now, With 100% More American!

2006-04-13T00:17:00.000-04:00

My Sassy Girl is one of a very small list of films that I consider worth more than a single viewing. It was released a few years back in S. Korea and can be picked up on DVD with English subtitles pretty much anywhere by now, I think.

Anyway, I heard a little whiles back that it had been optioned by DreamWorks for an English remake, and I just found out that it's being directed by Gurinder Chadha of Bride and Prejudice and Bend it Like Beckham fame. And I don't know if that's a good thing. Mind you, I don't dislike her work, exactly. I just don't really like it either.

Along a similar vein, it seems that Mr. Spielberg is going to do an adaptation of... wait for it... Tintin. Yes, you read right. I don't know how far along the scripting and/or filming is, but this also does not bode well. But who knows, maybe it'll all turn out well.

Of course, this mention of Tintin let's me segue quite nicely into my next little bit on guilty pleasures. Watch for it.

And before I go off and find some food, much thanks to all the folks who make this blog one of their guilty (or perhaps not-so-guilty) pleasures.

Cheers.

The album from which I obtained the song of the moment is also one of my current guilty pleasures. It seems I have much to ask pardon for.

A pat on the back if you can tell me who the artist is. A hint: he's from Toronto.

Of course, it's possible that he's getting some playtime now. So it might be easy.

Up to Sixty-Six and Ninety-Nine

2006-04-11T12:40:00.000-04:00

I've been mulling over writing a bit about quotation marks over the last little while. (Yes, I'm serious. Stop laughing.) So, a couple of days ago, I started to do so and got this far:

For the record, I want it to be known that I have a problem with quotation marks. Well, not quotation marks per se, but how they're used. Or supposed to be used.

The MLA Handbook says the following on the subject:

3.2.8. Quotation Marks

a. Place quotation marks around a word or phrase given in a special sense or purposefully misused.

A silver dome concealed the robot's "brain."

Their "friend" brought about their downfall.

If introduced unnecessarily, this device can make writing heavy-handed. Quotation marks are not needed after so-called.

Their so-called friend brought about their downfall.

[This continues for a bit.]

Then, yesterday, I was looking through one of my notebooks and found this, dated February 7th, 2006:

I have a problem with quotation marks. Or rather, I have a problem with the way in which I've been told to use them.

The MLA Handbook, which is the Bible of punctuation, grammer and style when it comes to the Arts, has decreed as such:

One is to use double quotation marks to denote a direct quotation: "Today is Tuesday."

[Etc., Etc.]

I had completely forgotten that I had started to write the second entry. It's just a little weird that my thought process works in such a similar manner even two months after. Or maybe not.

As for my issues with quotation marks, you'll have come back to find out about that.

And today, for all the nice people that come here just to listen to music, a little Architecture in Helsinki.

What's In Store?
Architecture In Helsinki
From the album In Case We Die

Carve your name into my arms
'Cause I long to feel your name blood red
Leave our love life at the door
What's in store?
We don't know just yet

And that is why when we get together
There's no need to be clever
Lightning struck at eleven same as last night
We talk deeper than weather
Baseball cap with a feather
Fire engine's here to quell the blaze in our life

Sidestep neighbours full of lust
Good times rust
And the runaway's best
And when the love detector finds a spark
It's before dark when we couldn't care a less

Cheers and all that. I have an exam to write in a couple of hours.

Credit Card Expiration Approaching

2006-04-08T17:35:00.000-04:00

Or, "Really? You idiots."

Blogger lets you create a "post-to" e-mail address that will automatically post anything sent to it.

A spambot sent this to my post-to address yesterday:

Dear Pay Pal user,

The card added to ______@blogger.com Pay Pal account will expire soon.

To avoid any interruption to your service, please update your credit card expiration date by following the steps below. If you do not update your credit card expiration date ~~You~~ you may no longer be able to use Instant Transfer To to update your credit card expiration date (Insert period and start new paragraph) ~~click~~ Click here [link deactivated. -C] and:

1. Log in to your Pay Pal account
2. Go to the Profile subtab
3. Click on the Credit Cards link in the Financial Information column
4. Choose the radio button next to the credit card you would like to update and click Edit
5. Enter your credit card verification number
6. Enter the new credit card expiration date
7. Click Save

Thank you for using Pay Pal!
The Pay Pal Team

GET MORE CREDIT
Pay Pal Buyer Credit is a personal line of credit that you can use anywhere Pay Pal is accepted. Apply today and enjoy these benefits:

Shop now and pay later - make low monthly payments
Take advantage of promotional financing on select eBay items
~~Getfull~~ Get full buyer ~~protectionfrom~~ protection from Pay Pal for all your purchases

Please do not reply to this ~~email~~ e-mail. This mailbox is not monitored and you will not receive a response. For assistance, log in to your Pay Pal account and click the Help link located in the top right corner of any
Pay Pal page.

Pay Pal Email ID PP031

Note: "Pay Pal" is one word: PayPal.

If you (or anyone you know) are thinking of an attempt at swindling people out of their money and/or personal information, at least run a grammar and spell check before you hit 'send'.

Thanks.

Whistle

2006-04-07T20:47:00.000-04:00

This morning, if you've been following my del.icio.us "quicklinks", you might have seen a link to an article about (the former) Citicorp Centre in New York. After the construction was completed, the engineer who designed the ~~steele~~ steel skeleton realised that a terrible oversight had been made. So, he blew the whistle on himself. As a result of his coming forward, the problem was fixed and all concerned came out the better for it.

Just a few minutes ago I finished reading a few different articles on recent revelations of how the NSA in the U.S. has been tapping into all the internet traffic at AT&T. And perhaps at other ISPs as well. It's disturbing to say the least.

What I find even more disheartening is the fact that this will probably blow over in too short a time. We (in the "western" world) as a people have become far, far too complacent. And distracted. We're too busy leading our own little lives to stop, look up at the world around us and realise how far things have gone.

I think I'm actually a little too upset at the moment to put down everything that's running through my mind in any coherent manner. So, I'll leave you with this quote from one of the posters on slashdot. It's taken from Boston Legal.

When the weapons of mass destruction thing turned out to be not true, I expected the American people to rise up. Ha! They didn't.

Then, when the Abu Ghraib torture thing surfaced and it was revealed that our government participated in rendition, a practice where we kidnap people and turn them over to regimes who specialize in torture, I was sure then the American people would be heard from. We stood mute.

Then came the news that we jailed thousands of so-called terrorists suspects, locked them up without the right to a trial or even the right to confront their accusers. Certainly, we would never stand for that. We did.

And now, it's been discovered the executive branch has been conducting massive, illegal, domestic surveillance on its own citizens. You and me. And I at least consoled myself that finally, finally the American people will have had enough. Evidentially, we haven't.

In fact, if the people of this country have spoken, the message is we're okay with it all. Torture, warrantless search and seizure, illegal wiretappings, prison without a fair trial - or any trial, war on false pretenses. We, as a citizenry, are apparently not offended.

There are no demonstrations on college campuses. In fact, there's no clear indication that young people seem to notice...

I'm a firm believer in the power of the people. But even I can't help but ask, with all that's going on, what's one to do?

Sitting

2006-04-07T16:16:00.000-04:00

Psst... If you want to read the story mentioned in the last post, click here.

The link's been fixed now. Sorry if you got all excited and clicked and... yeah. Okay, so I would have gotten excited. Maybe you didn't.

This album's nice, very quiet and intimate.

These Photographs
Joshua Radin
From the album We Were Here

You're Sylvia Plath
As you drip from the bath
I hand you a robe
And so it goes
The moment'd pass

You're Simone de Beauvoir
As you get out the car
The way you read me
No one can see me
It's who you are

And these photographs keep me alive

Babe, here's your song
Babe, it took too long
To find in your eyes
My best surprise

You're Nina Simone
When you talk on the phone
You sing to me
And I'm truly
No longer alone

You're Mary Cassatt
When people tell you you're not
You're like a child
All the while
I need you a lot

And these photographs keep me alive

And I wanna know what you know
And I wanna go where you go
These things remind me of
These things remind me of
These things remind me of you

And the lyrics have been fixed too. I just found them somewhere. Blame the interweb.

Hope everyone has a good weekend.

In the Catbird Seat

2006-04-06T11:44:00.000-04:00

And if you're into the whole etymology thing, you should visit The Word Detective.

I actually found the above site while trying to remember what a "catbird seat" was after seeing it somewhere earlier today. And I could distinctly recall reading a story when I was young in a back-issue of Reader's Digest that used the word.

With all this in mind, I was scouring the web and found out that the phrase "catbird seat" was popularised in a short story called "The Catbird Seat" written by James Thurber (!) for the New Yorker (!) in 1942. Which was also the story that I had read. So that wasn't very useful.

As for the catbird itself, it's related to the mockingbird and is famous for being able to immitate the meow of a cat.

Anyway, the site's a great read, so go!

Penguins

2006-04-06T03:57:00.000-04:00

Ever since I read Mr. Popper's Penguins in grade five, I've had a soft spot for the little guys. And gals.

So naturally, I find this ~~irresistable~~ irresistible.