Happy New Year

Good morning everyone, its the last day of the year! What ever I wanted to have done this year has now less then 24 hrs to be completed! What to do, what to do? Steve is sleeping, and I expect he will be doing that for a while longer, Nova is with me as always, as he is my boy (I think I represent the possibility of more treats then Steve or at least that’s what Steve says) We are going to venture outside soon, its very icy from all the freezing rain that came down on Ottawa while we were at Sharon's, so I’m not looking forward to it at all! We had a very nice Christmas with lots of wonderful gifts! Speaking of wonder full gifts, my sisters were very pleased to have the wonderful gifts they are displaying- Thank you to my in-laws from my sisters :)

I would also like to announce the arrival of the newest member of our family Leanna Georgia Anthony, she arrived Dec 25, 2005 and weight about 2pounds. Delivery was quick and unexpected. She is quiet and very cooperative; I never hear a peep from her. She never closes her eyes, yet never gets over tired or cranky.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

 

After a quick and quiet Christmas morning we traveled to Angus, ON (near CFB Borden) to visit Tam's sister Sharron and her partner Bruce. Enjoyed turkey (especially the following sandwiches) and went snow tubing. Photos are available in web friendly format. Lot's of photos at Borden/Angus, Collingwood, Wasaga Beach and environs. Particularly the Blue Mountain Ski Resort (a day trip), and Snow Mountain Ski Resort where we enjoyed snow tubing for an afternoon. I need to visit Wasaga beach in the summer. It's huge (but kinda gloomy and cold looking this time of year).

Merry Christmas to all. 

Doggie Christmas

 

Nova particularly enjoyed his new ball. He quickly discovered that when you roll it treats (in this case, Christmas breakfast) is produced. I wish someone would make one of these for men, with beers coming out. 

Mmmmmm bread

 


Yummy Cheeze/Herb bread from our new breadmaker. Excellent. 

New Fridge Has Arrived

 

The new fridge has arrived. Look at it in all it's shiny and uncluttered glory. It's uncluttered inside as well, a situation that shall soon be remedied.

We were on our last legs last night. We were freezing cooler packs on the back porch, and cooking all our meats. Anybody want pork roast? This is the only time you'll hear me say thank goodness it's winter!

All is well now in any case. 

Refrigerator is no more

Mr. Repairman, after a detailed examination of 6 seconds (consisting entirely of plugging the thing in and listening), has determined that our fridge is deceased and, without great expense, unsaveable. Not unexpected. Hence, a hurried trip to the store to acquire something better than our camping cooler to maintain our food at appropriate temperatures.

The result? A new Samsung refrigerator, bottom freezer with all the knick knacks required. Yes, it has a digital temperature display. No, that was not the real selling point. It, in theory, fits the space better. At least it's not the one with the TV on the door.

A yo ho ho and a bottle of rum

In my quest to complete reading as many classic sea stories as possible, I've just finished reading Treasure Island. This follows Moby Dick and The Mutiny on the Bounty.

I'm not quite certain why I'm facinated by these. Perhaps it's a chance to recapture a quickly fading youth. Perhaps it's a part of my heritage. I think, most likely, that I like semi-fictional stories about real places and/or times.

In any case, they were all lots of fun.

Merry Christmas

 

Well, it's not quite Christmas yet... but we're getting ready. The tree is up, and gifts are starting to accumulate under its delicate branches. Boney M is on the radio, and we're eating clementines and chocolate truffles.

December is here. 

Poor Puppy

 

Ah well. Nova's now a teenager (in dog years) and so come the lessons of over indulgance with alcohol. Hopefully it's a lesson well learned.

I hope you had a good time buddy. By the looks of things, tomorrow is not going to be as fun.... 

My Dog

 

Has a very big nose. But he's pretty and smart, so I guess that's ok. 

Project Porchlight

Saving the environment, one porchlight at a time.

I use them. So should you. And hey... if they're giving them out for free, yipee!

Access 2005

Arrived in the lovely city of Edmonton this past sunday. While it's a bit colder than Ottawa, it's much prettier than I'd imagined.

Thus far Access has lived up to tradition as a quaint, but very relevant conference for library technology.

As my blog is more of a personal area, I'll not bore my usual readers (Mom, Dad, Wife) with the details... perhaps I'll write up a little summary of information nuggets later. But let it be known, it's always a good conference for the library technology buffs. If you're not here... too bad for you.

Copyright

Slashdot reports, "The Globe and Mail reports that Canadian law professors have countered the Canadian recording industry's misinformation campaign in a new 600-page book that is being made freely available under a creative commons license."

Google Earth

It's simply fantastic. Download and try Google Earth. It's the globe you wish you always had.

If you're interested, here's a page of placemarks I've made that you might enjoy.

Now, if only they would load more detailed images of more places... and make them live. Hehe.

CARLTON UNITED BIG AD

Wanna see a nifty ad? Of course you do. Try the CARLTON UNITED BIG AD.

It certainly must have been quite a bit of effort. Unfortunate about the fence.

2005 IM Community Recognition Award

The CISTI SDD team received the IM Community Reconition Award today during the 5th Annual Information Management Day.

I'm very proud to have been a part of the team, and to have been so honoured by the community in this way. When combined with the Agatha Bystram award of yesterday, it's truly a double honour.

Update: The NRC press release regarding the Agatha Bystram and IM Community Reconition Awards.

2005 Agatha Bystram Award

I'm proud to announce that CISTI's Secure Desktop Delivery (SDD) team, of which I was a member, were the recipients of the Agatha Bystram Award for Leadership in Information Management!

I'm truly honoured to have received this prestigious award for a project that I, and the whole team, worked very hard to complete. It is particularly an honour when all of this years nominees are considered, who I can honestly say were all very deserving.

Stargate SG-1 Screensaver

Over the weekend (still recovering from camping) I decided to play a little with Visio some demo/freeware, and my graphics skills... limited as they are.

Tam and I are big fans of Stargate SG-1. I've always wanted a screensaver that looked like the monitor they use in many of the background shots. You know, the one with a stylized stargate, lots of nifty looking readouts, and this flashing red thing in the middle.... apparently indicating that everything's normal.

Well, I made one. Download at stephen.homeunix.org and, hopefully, enjoy. Windows only.

Camping Grundy

Just back from a camping trip at Grundy Lake Provincial Park. Lots of fun. I've not been camping for many years. It's just as I remember: Lots of roasted wieners and marshmellows. Mmmmmm. Marshmellows.

Tam, Nova and I traveled about 7 hours to an area just between Parry Sound and Sudbury. We managed to take a day trip up to Sudbury to see the Big Nickel at the Science North Dynamic Earth facility (though we didn't go in, because Nova was likely not welcome).

Sudbury was a pleasant town... but the rumors of it resembling the face of the moon are founded.

We took a short trip from Sudbury into Whitefish, a town that a friend of mine called home.

A notable roadside attraction was in Barry's Bay, where they have a model of the Avro Arrow dedicated to the test pilot Jan Zurakowski who was a resident of the community.

The new tent didn't leak, we had good traveling, and a good time. Perhaps there will be more camping in future.

Star Wars Telnet-based ASCII Movie

Sent to me by Elliott Belbin...

"If you're using Mac, open up Terminal, or "CMD" from the run option of your Windows PC. Type in 'telnet towel.blinkenlights.nl' and hit enter a few times. Your truly geeky, wonderfully remastered ASCII version of one of the greatest films of all time will start shortly. Should you have IP V6, you get color!"

Enjoy.

Wedding Photos

Now, after the long waiting, wedding photos are available.

These are a combination of photographer photos, ones taken by my sister-in-law's Shirley and Bertha, and some taken by Kevin Strowbridge.

Enjoy.

Konfabulator CISTI Search

A little evenings work has produced my first widget for Yahoo widgets (konfabulator).

This widget is a work in progress. Basically it just allows a keyword search of the CISTI Catalogue, and if you enter your CISTI username/password in the preferences field it provides acess to view your orders and loans.

You need to install the Konfabulator software in order to run this application.

Marriage

"Marriage. Marriage is what brings us together -- today. Marriage--that blessed arrangement. That dream -- within a dream."

-- The Impressive Clergyman - The Princess Bride.

Well, the deed is done. Married. Married! Hard to believe in some ways.

The ring on my finger still feels funny as I type, but in other ways, it feels as though it belongs there. I have no fear of marriage. I don't know if that's wise or foolish. I do know that I have fear of living without Tammy.

Love you honey. Now and forever.

Scotty Dies

With great lament to all fans, Scotty has passed on.

Dogsitting and Stuff

Well, Star does seem to be on much better behaviour this trip. She's a big girl now.

We've been dog-sitting for a couple of weeks now. She's quieter, but slightly more jealous than previously. Apparently age has mellowed her... and Nova's a bigger boy now too, and not nearly as constantly eager to encourage her.

Canada day was quiet this year. We avoided the crowds and heat and the always present torrential downpour.

Wedding music has taken a step forward today, as have the order of operations for the reception.

Tiny Morsels Haiku

Tiny morsels laid,
both firm and squishy are they,
warm and steamy lumps.

Pick them up and go,
take them quickly away home,
the odour profuse.

Progress proceeds

Dad's fully awake today, sat in the chair for over an hour, and took a short walk to the bathroom. Very dozy, but he's himself. Looking much smarter now without all the tubes and such. He's looking good, and right on recovery schedule.

Good Day

Today the box of chocolates is better. Dad's out of surgery, feeling and doing fine. All is well, and he's looking forward to a few weeks of recovery and regaining his strength. Mom, Vicki, Jamie and I are quite pleased this evening, and enjoying some well deserved wine (Jamie's and Vicki's "T&A wine" is awesome by the way).

Grandmother

It’s been a difficult couple of weeks for the whole family. We are particularly mindful of everyone gathered today in Corner Brook for Nan's service. We wish that we could be there with all of you, to celebrate a wonderful life and beautiful person. We know that Nan would want us to be caring for her son, our father, today, and therefore we were grateful to be able to be with her when she needed us the most.

We know that she is in good care, and happy to be reunited with Pop today. She has left us with a lifetime of memories, lessons, and laughter. We will always remember her as a courageous, caring, concerned, and loving Grandmother. She affected our lives immensely, and will continue to do so for years to come.

We will miss her very much, and are sorry not to be with everyone today.

All our love and thoughts,
Vicki and Stephen
St. John's

Box of chocolates

Forrest was right. You don't know what you're gonna get in life, or what the next day will bring. In my life, I've been fortunate enough, most of the time, to get a nice nut-cluster, or one of those cherry things I like. But sometimes you get that piece of orange foam goo pieces of crap. Today's one of those days.

I've been teetering on the edge of flying home all this past week to see nan, who's has a stroke/pacemaker incident, and who did not have a good prognosis. And now Dad's had a bit of a cardiac incident this morning. Hmmmm. Not a pleasant holiday-weekend Saturday to be certain.

Still, I've managed to manufacture a couple of really ripping good mushroom omlettes. Can't start a holiday Saturday, no matter what the circumstances, without a good breakfast. Besides, cooking makes me feel better.

Departing Ottawa 6:35 Eastern arrival St. John's 11:55 PM Newfoundland time. Canjet flight 430.

Mmmmmmm. Lobster.

Looks like some excellent lobster. 

Happy Birthday Mom/Congraduations

It's my mom's birthday today, my Sissy's convocation tomorrow. Grats to both, and to many happy years to come.

Yes, congraduations is not a word. I know.

Sith Review

Mr. Ebert has provided a very positive review of the latest in the Star Wars saga.

It's starting to sound good from all around.

Bunny suicides

Bunny suicides. Not normally a topic for fun. However, I must admit rolling on the floor laughing at a few of these.

**Warning. Do not attempt at home.**

Don't Panic

Went today to see the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.

OK. Despite the reviews I've read, it didn't suck as totally entirely completely as I'd imagined. Now, don't get me wrong. It definitely sucked. It sucked in the way that good movies don't. But it was watchable. There were several moments where, had I been asked, I would have claimed to be entertained. But in many respects, the movie was like a weak cup of lukewarm tea.

Indeed, you had to have read the books to get the jokes. Ironically though, having read the book (or listened the radio plays), the jokes failed miserably to live up. They were cut short, or simply failed. Yet, it seems to me that all the components were in place for a really hooping good movie. The acting is good. The effects are well placed, and not overdone. The story itself is respectful of the books and radio plays, without being totally bound by them.

If there was one flaw, I'd have to say (as others undoubtedly have) it's the writing. It is shitty. They removed the elegance of language that was the joke, and replaced it with a one liner that does not nearly stimulate enough neurons to overcome the traditional buttered popcorn and soda stimulants.

Now, I understand that the English language is a little much for the average north American to appreciate. But this is a geek movie for geeks. Oodles of credit were provided to Mr. Adams throughout the movie, but they didn't credit his profound grasp of language and wit.

Speaking of giving credit, some bits were done rather well. The Vogon fleet and destruction of Earth were wonderful. The Vogons themselves were terrific. The whale... well... it is as it should have been. The planet Magrathea, superb.

If only it were written in the way that movies aren't. Perhaps a ripping hot cup of tea wrapped in a towel would help.

Retirement

Was bored. Made this. It does not count the way Dad does (in working non-exam days only), but it's the best I could do without really dragging out a coding manual.

Enjoy Dad. hehe.

Vietnamese Food

Tam and I went for lunch today at New Mee Fung, a Vietnamese restaurant on Booth St. Ottawa. As it was our first attempt at Vitenamese food, I've nothing to compare it with... but in general it was good... certainly not spicy as many of our companions (some who did not attempt) thought. I had a beef (well done) soup and bbq chicken. Tammy had rice paper wraps of chicken, beef, mint, sprouts and basil. We both thought the texture of the rice paper wrapping was very condom like (kinda flexible and suprisingly strong despite it's apparent thin and transparent form)... again, we can only presume this is normal. Unfortunately, we could only comment on that interesting fact afterwards, as we were in polite company at the time.

I found the beef noodle soup very good, but very large (it was a full meal in itself). The bbq chicken brochettes were excellent. If I were to return, I think I'd only choose one though. Oddly, and for the first time in memory, I could not finish my plate.

An interesting food adventure.

Tammy in Montreal - Zelda lives

Tammy decided to take an impromptu trip to Montreal to see her sister. She'll be back in the morning. Nova and I are therefore having a guys evening. I'd intended to work more on my toolbar project, but I can't seem to get in the mood. Funny that. There's nothing on TV. I've got some interesting downloads to watch though, perhaps I'll do that... or play around with some flash games for a bit.

I downloaded Zelda Classic, a reproduction of the old "Legend of Zelda" game where I learned what "Nintendo thumb" was. Fun stuff, but it seems to screw up my monitor after awhile.

Canadian Cancer Society Relay For Life - 2005

Please donate to the Canadian Cancer Society Relay For Life - 2005, participant: Tammy Jardine.

Google Maps

If you have not tried it yet, Google Maps is just awesome. Not particularly because of the mapping feature (lots of people do that), but because of the new integration with high-resolution satellite images.

I get a nice view of my block with it, the nearby dog park, even the hotel I once stayed in in San Diego. What I really miss from California is the beach though.

Decor modifications

Well, despite the 2 day work week for me, it's been a very busy 7 days. Patched the bathroom wall (one of the towel hooks came out a few weeks ago, making a nasty hole), touched up the bedroom wall (crack down one wall). Did a not-too-bad job of it, if I do say so myself.

Also picked up a couple of "shelf-lights" from IKEA. Man, I love that place... even though they were out of the pint glasses that I like so much. The shelf-lights are now shining brightly on my mini-library, and are quite pleasing. I did manage to screw one into the shelf with these little mini roberton screws that I have (but that I lack an appropriate screwdriver for) before I realized that the lights came with their own philips screws (for which I do have an appropriate screwdriver). Oh well. Life's one crushing blow after another I suppose. Well, not really.

I also picked up a nice orchid, a lamp, and some bamboo. Well, they're not expensive, they all give pleasure, and improve the home decor a little... so why not. At least we didn't buy the $700 sofa table we'd seen in Sears that would fit so nicely behind our upstairs couch.

So, I guess with spring comes redecorating. Well, with the hope of spring at least. May hope spring eternal.

del.icio.us

del.icio.us is a social bookmarking service. Essentially, instead of keeping all your bookmarks/favorites in your browser, you use a bookmarklet to quickly post them onto your public delicious bookmark site. Others can see them if you wish, and you can access them anywhere, and even post the rss feed to your website.

I'd put off playing with this for quite some time. But it seems that, like everyone else who has tried it, I'm hooked. del.icio.us forever!

Google Montage

Montage-a-google takes a search input, uses Google's image search, and produces a montage based on it. Useless. But o so nifty.

I found trying country names created some interesting stuff. Perhaps you'll be more creative.

I must not fear!

For those who've read and love Dune, this I must not fear! Firefox extension is there for when you need it. For the rest of you, I highly recommend reading the book(s).

Take Your Thumbware Anywhere

Does anyone else think it odd that we're returning to the days of the floppy drive?

I remember floppys. I mean real floppys, the black flexible kind. We didn't need no stinkin hard drives. Anything worth saving was worth carrying around 10 or 15 of these things.

Bookmarklets

Bookmarklets are a nifty way of customizing your browser. I've recently created some (and modified a few to suit my own needs). Yea, they're all for boring library stuff. But hey, that's what I do. Share and enjoy.

The Secret Onion Bloomer

We took our sister/(soon to be) sister-in-law out to dinner the other night, and we got a blooming onion. She was fantastically impressed, having never seen one before. Well, here's how it's done. **Warning. If you're the type of person who does not like to know how magic tricks are done, don't click. It's perhaps less nifty than you think.** Well, it's less nifty than I thought anyway. I was thinking more along the lines of a sushi chef and a particularly sharp ginsu knife.

Last Chance to See

I've recently read (in the span of 24 hours) Last Chance to See by my favourite Douglas Adams. As usual when reading one of his books, there were points for astounding contemplation, and outright belly laughter.

Basically, Douglas and his zoologist friend Mark Carwardine travel to a series of places around the globe to track down and see some of the most endangered species on the planet. It's literally their last chance to see some of these creatures before their gone. The laughs come from the adventures along the way, and takes a few plugs at the bureaucracy retained by small former colonial nations.

Thanks to Richard for recomending that I read it.

Recent Movie Viewings

Saw both King Arthur and Alien Vs Predator in the past couple of days. Both were entertaining. Certainly worth the rental price.

King Arthur is a new take on the Arthurian legend, set many hundreds of years before traditional tellings of the story. All the favourites are there, but it's based in a time of a sagging Roman empire, and Anglo vs Saxon warfare. Interesting, and I thought enjoyable.

Alien Vs Predator gave slightly more than I expected. Of course, I expected very little. However, it was fun, nice to see the "predator" in a different light, and the gooey-evil-razor-teeth-acid action of the "aliens" is always fun. I can say this, it didn't disappoint (well, except the little bit at the very end...)

St. Patrick's Day

The luck of the Irish be with you today.

Well, not the marching religious independance bombing kinda luck... the luck they used to have... you know, back in the old days of the potato famine and such. Come to think of it, the Irish luck seems a little overrated.

I think I'll smack the next fellow that wishes me the luck of the Irish.

Fun with Serial Console Servers

Here's a page that let's you tell a guy how you'd like him to destroy a server, and then he does it... again and again, for your pure adolescent pleasure.

There's another one like this with a guy in a chicken suit... but I can't seem to find it at the moment. How unfortunate.

Steve Anthony's Universe

We (Richard Akerman and I) have released a new version of the Experimental CISTI Research Sidebar.

Both the firefox extension, and the related web pages/bookmarklets have been updated to be 1) prettier, 2) have improved functionality including: highlighting CISTI e-content links on other sites; allowing users to "proxify" all links in a given page to point to the CISTI/NRC proxy server (EZProxy); a few bug fixes.

In future, we hope to generalize the configuration to apply to more users, and to external users with their own OpenURL resolvers, links to highlight, etc... but for now, as a demonstration the sidebar is using hard-coded values for these.

Enjoy, reuse, do your own, extend and be happy!

Steve.

Pimp my Firefox

An article on Kuro5hin about Pimping (read: customizing) Firefox.

Note, I'm told that the pipelineing enhancement listed can cause issues with some sites, use with caution.

Teleflip Text Messaging

Teleflip offers a free email to cell text message gateway. Nifty fun. I'd been looking for something like this for awhile, but hadn't been able to find one. The cell service providers usually have a webpage that allow you to do this sort of thing, but often it's not programmable on your own site. Now you just need the ability to send an email.

The Groom's Planner

The Groom's Planner from the Frugal Bride is a useful resource for a fellow like me. I don't know what to do, when I should be doing it, how it should be done. Now I know.

Save Toby

Only you have the power to Save Toby.

Well, I'm not sure that I should be giving this guy any more airtime for his cause. But I couldn't resist. Brilliant in its cruelty.

There are some nifty recipies on the site too.

I bet you Toby 2 will be a small whitecoat seal pup.

The Fruit Machine

This is an odd tidbit I came across in my wanderings. Apparently the Canadian government took some interesting, if not perverse, measures to discover homosexuals in various forms of government service. The "Fruit Machine" was intended for the task. You don't see that in the travel brochure anymore.

For more information on the colorful history of Canada, see: What About Freud? Canada's New Cold War History, a review of the book: Love, Hate, and Fear in Canada's Cold War. Richard Cavell, ed. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2004. ISBN 0-8020-8500-8.

And I thought the Diefenbunker was nifty.

Axworthy Fires Back

Lloyd tells it like it is: from the Winnipeg Free Press - View from the West:

"Missile Counter-Attack
Axworthy fires back at U.S. -- and Canadian -- critics of our BMD decision in An Open Letter to U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice".

Google Loves Me

Most of the hits on my site now come from Google. A search for "Stephen Anthony" has this blog and my personal website as #1 and #2 respectively.

Likewise, "CISTI Firefox" and "CARL OAI" rank me way up there as well. Fun!

Now, if google would just generate some backlink reports so I could see who's linking to me without looking in the webserver logs. That seems to take awhile. Perhaps they only do it monthly?

Other top referrers for Steve's Universe:
Resource Shelf
SciLib TypePad (Heya Richard)

Saw

Watched Saw this evening. Not bad. Nifty story. Kinda gross... but hey, that's what you pay for in a horror/thriller. It was kinda funny to see Westley in a different context.

BTW, the Blockbuster "no late fees" is not as much of a scam as I'd thought. You get 8 days before you have to pay. Of course, then you have to buy the movie I understand... but still. It's less of a scam than the "2 day rental".

Donair Recipes

The recipes found at All things Donair consititute the best east-coast (I refuse to call them "Halifax") home-made donairs I've ever had. I honestly can't tell the difference.

My only comment is: make sure that you follow the instructions about triple grinding the meat. It should be a paste-like consistency. When you're done grinding the meat should not resemble meat at all, or anything having had molecular cohesion. Do that, and you're set. Oh... and I'd reduce the cayenne... I like my meat mild and my sauce sweet.

Yummy donairs. Why or why eat that garlic stuff when you could have the real thing.

UPDATE (July 16, 2006): The site mentioned was moved without redirection. It's new location is at: http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/~gpetitpas/Links/Donair.html.

Gear I want

- New PC - Specs to follow.
- Netgear 108 Mbps Wireless Storage Router
- Projector

The Forgotten

Who can say crappy movie? I can. The forgotten is crappy. There, I said it.

Well, it be fair, it provided some entertainment in the post-viewing discussion of how crappy it is. And it's not Sphere crappy. It's an uninspired kinda crappy. That said, I jumped a couple of times, but then it started getting predictable.

USB Drive

So, because my soon-to-be sister-in-law decided to flaunt her recent purchase of a DVD writer, I decided it was a good opportunity to one-up her. :)

Grovel humbly before my 160GB Maxtor OneTouch external USB drive. Complete with a blinkin blue light.

Well, in reality it's not really a one-up on a DVD writer... but it will serve to hold the data I need, particularly large video files, and finally resolve the ongoing backup issue I've had for this past 10 to 15 years.

Rings of Various Sorts

Ringworld is duely read and finished. A good book, a classic actually, with some interesting ideas. I'm still reading Hamlet... taking it in short bits.

Now I need a new book. Perhaps I'll try something else by Larry Niven, or go back to Asimov... I don't know.

Speaking of rings, the wedding rings have arrived. Now we just need the wedding. It is this long until we're married.

By the way, there's an excellent site for all the grooms out there. The Frugalbride.com. Not because of the frugal part, but they've got lots of info and tips for the guy, as well as the bride. Now I know what I'm supposed to be doing.

Bittorrents and You - A step by step guide

Okie. So you're saying, hey Steve, what's this bittorrent thing you keep going on about? Well, I was asking the same question of a friend of mine the other day. So, here's what I've learned thus far. Perhaps it will be of use to you:

Bittorrent is a protocol used to download (usually very large and usually very popular) files. It actually shares files... but you don't really need to know about that. Just be aware that as you are downloading any particular file, bits of it are being uploaded to others who also want the file. In this way the download is totally distributed, and no one server gets bogged down in trying to deliver you last weeks episode of CSI that you missed.

It's fast (well, as fast as a 250-600 MB file can be without super hardware, expect 8-24 hours at least to get an hour of high quality video). It's easy. It's saved me a number of times already when I've missed my fav show, or didn't start watching a show that ultimately turned out to be good... but I'm missing the in-jokes from the first episodes.

So, what do I need you ask:

- I suggest a high speed (Cable or DSL) connection

- Bittorrent software. This is the thing that does the work. Finds and manages your downloads. I'm just using the default software from Bittorrent.com... but there are other clients too. For the easiest solution, click here and then select the version for your OS.

- Web browser and some sites. These let you find, select and start downloading what you wanna get. So, you could google for the stuff... but there are sites set up for bittorrents specifically that help you find the latest episodes of anything, in order, in very high quality. I suggest for example:

- TV Torrents
- Btefnet

Enjoy!

** Disclaimer: The above is a hypothetical story/situation. I do not advocate any illegal activities.

Something New

Well i have to share this, you may or may not be aware but here goes:

Google has a wonderful feature for people like me, when i went to school, they were bringing in the metric system - and were not teaching us any of the old measurments - this how ever caused great difficulty... as we should have been taught both so we could convert things, easly!

This morning i was booking our minivan for our wedding, and found that there is a 3000km cap on renting a car to go outside of ontario and quebec..........so trying to figure out how may km it is to Halifax... I went to map blast which indicated aprox 890 miles...well now. I need to know km not miles... so off to google i go and type in miles to km -------- and up pops the answer of 1 mile = 1.609344 kilometers... Wow! It has a calculator built in, so then i tried 890 miles and up comes the answer of 1432.31616 kilometers...So if any one is tyring to find the conversion of anything just go to google.ca...its wonderful!

We now have our van booked for our trip home to Nova Scotia! Its from july 22 to aug 7.

Dictionary of Newfoundland English Online

For those who occasionally have difficulty understanding what comes out of my gob, check out the Dictionary of Newfoundland English Online.

While we're at it, you should understand that it is pronounced "New"-"found"-"land".

Python on Broadway

What Monty Python fans have been waiting for, the musical. My kinda spam. Run away! Run away!

IFILM - Super Bowl Ads

The only reason I can think of to actually watch the superbowl are the Super Bowl Ads. Now, if only we could see them through our cable providers. No need, they're all online, including some that were banned, no doubt as a response to last years 'malfunction'.

Weight Loss

Well, I've been doing Weight Watchers now for several months. 40+ pounds gone so far, and keeping steady. Yea me. Tammy's also been doing very well. Getting healthy. The only negative side effect is the constant coldness, perhaps I should not have started this in the Ottawa winter. Oh well.

So tell the low carb people go to hell. It's not as sustainable, healthy, achievable or pleasant. Eat vegetables, fruit and whole grains. Your colon will thank you.

Getting to be Stress Free

Wow what a week! I have used up almost all of my sick time. Turns out it was due to stress, and I thought I was having a heart attack! Good news for me, bad news for waiting! Once my ECG came back and said my heart was fine, I then had to wait for hours and hours and hours in a little room to see a doctor. I walked into emerge with chest pains and swelling of limbs at 10am on Tuesday (signs of heart problems) walked out of emerge at 7pm. I guess I’m a lucky one; I did get to walk out.
The doctor was nice and gave me a note that at 7pm I didn't have to return to work that day, which would have been more useful at 12pm but hey! I then told the doctor my work was not stressful. If I told him the truth, well lets just say this week would have been unpaid...So getting to my job: now when people call me up screaming at me as to how dare I send them that letter, or that they are going to take me to court, or how evil I am, and how rich I am, cause I don't have to pay what they pay (yeah that's right folks, apparently I’m rich - if I were rich do you think I would be answering the phone buddy?) I guess they must value work more then I cause apparently if the lotto came in for them, they would apply to hold a job where folks yell and scream and say nasty things to you all day long!
I have made a decision though, the more they yell the more they love me! Yep, and even though the hang-ups stop yelling at me, they love me too! Don't get me wrong there are lots of wonderful callers out there and they are what keep you going, it feels good to help them! One of those calls came in Friday, thank goodness!

Wedding plans are becoming complete! We have our photographer, our videographer, our location, our ship (yes ship) I have flowers ordered for the wedding party. My dress is here, the cake will be ordered soon.........someone has to decide on suits (shhhh, we wont say who), we have to reserve our van, and we have to see about NSLC liquor license. Then we have to decide on wine, I have to get shoes, vial, head piece, loose some weight, have dress altered, send out invitations, call the minister - get our marriage license from a lady in Lower Sackville. Win the lotto; find a tux for my boy (hehehe, I want pics with my boy)

NO STRESS!

Anyone want some Tupperware? How about some candles? Or some spices?

Morphology of Steve

For those of you who thought I was a strange fellow, here's the scientific proof. (Thanks for the link Val).

Mmmmmm Battlestar

It's not quite the same without the cheesy 70's effects, and while Edward James Olmos is good and well cast as Adama, he's no Lorne Green. Then again, not many are.

Battlestar Galactica is my new show, at least until it jumps the shark. Hopefully it will do that later rather than sooner.

Bryson to Hamlet

Having finished Mr. Bryson's book (excellent by the way), I'm moving on to some lighter reading.

Give thy thoughts no tongue,
Nor any unproportioned thought his act.
Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar.
Those friends thou hast, and their adoption tried,
Grapple them to thy soul with hoops of steel;
But do not dull thy palm with entertainment
Of each new-hatch'd, unfledged comrade. Beware
Of entrance to a quarrel, but being in,
Bear't that the opposed may beware of thee.
Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice;
Take each man's censure, but reserve thy judgment.
Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy,
But not express'd in fancy; rich, not gaudy;
For the apparel oft proclaims the man,
And they in France of the best rank and station
Are of a most select and generous chief in that.
Neither a borrower nor a lender be;
For loan oft loses both itself and friend,
And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry.
This above all: to thine ownself be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man...

-- Lord Polonius to his son:
Hamlet, Act 1 Scene 3

Funny Videos & Addicting Games

If you're really bored and have nothing to do, are feeling a little "real video" but it's not on TV... here's your answer: Big Boys.com. All kinds of things... funny commercials, stupid human tricks, real videos, fake videos, and best of all, addicting games.

Warning... some (mild) sex. Some stuff not safe for work.

Happy Birthday Robbie

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And auld lang syne?

-- Robbert Burns

Bored?

Try some addicting games, or perhaps see what crazyness is on memepool (not safe for work). Enjoy.

Newfoundland Test

Wanted to do something different with my website. Hope you enjoy the Newfoundland test. Let me know if you have some questions to add.

I'm not sure if I spelled Sleeveen correctly. It's an irish spelling... but I've seen it spelled several different ways.

World's Best BBQ Ribs

Honestly, unless you're in New Orleans or somewhere where BBQ takes 3 days, these are the best you're ever gonna get. I'm told that what we northern folks do by burning meat in the back yard is not to be properly called BBQ at all, it's "grilling". Well then, these are the best "grilled" ribs ever.

Prepare Ribs:

• 5 lbs back ribs
• 1 onion 1/4'd
• 2 tbsp. Tabasco sauce

Put into pot. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 45 minutes.

Sauce:

• 2/3 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup STRONG brewed coffee
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup oil
• 2 tbsp. Vinegar
• 1 tsp. Chili powder
• 1/4 tsp. dry mustard
• 1/4 tsp. salt

Bring to boil, simmer 5 minutes. Baste ribs frequently and liberally on a low-med grill for about 20 minutes.

Back ribs are often fatty so it's wise to keep the temperature low and keep a good eye on them. I don't mind some charring, it only enhances the flavour... but be careful not to burn too much.

Recipe courtesy of my future sister in-law Shirley Jardine.

The best paper airplane in the world!

Hehe. I've not tried it, but I'm gonna: How to build the best paper airplane in the world!

Bridal Show

Well, I've attended my first and last bridal show. Actually it wasn't as bad as I'd imagined. Mainly alot of salespeople very happy to have you sign up for "contests" so they can get your email and phone numbers so they can further solicit you.

I managed to muddle through, though I admit at the end I was a little tired, and I could feel my shoulders starting to seperate under the load of brochures I was required to politely accept and carry. If I could make it though statistics 3202, I could make it through this.

In the past week I've also, finally, managed to dust of my CD burner and get a few backups of my stuff here at home. I've lost a few hard drives in the past, and it was starting to get to me that old Betsy here can't have too many spins left in her drive. Mainly I've backed up my audio books, my website, and a few treasured documents. You'll be glad to know that if my website dies, it'll only be 3-4 weeks before it's back online. :)

I've finished reading the Asimov Robot series, finishing with the Robots of Dawn. Now I'm reading a book by Bill Bryson, A Short History of Nearly Everything. Thus far, Mr. Bryson appears to be living up to expectations as a fantastic writer with the ability to make complex things seem simple.