So the big move to the wilderness of Northern Ontario is complete. Or at least the part where myself, Superwife and Trinity move in with The Outlaws while we wait for our house to be finished.
And I'm wondering, what the fuck do I do with myself now?
I took a transfer from my current job, but my transferred position doesn't start until 2 weeks tomorrow. And The Outlaws have a nice place, but I can't really make myself at home in a place that isn't mine you know?
I'll tell you one thing I took care of right quick:
Every time we stay up here we sleep in a spare bedroom on a very uncomfortable mattress. Not the level of uncomfortable one would associate with a pair of itchy
socks. I'm talking getting caught masturbating uncomfortable. I never, ever get a good night's sleep while we're here, and I can never say anything, cause what do I expect them to do? Buy a new mattress because I'm not getting enough sleep?
But today I hauled our wonderfully comfortable mattress out of storage and set it up in our new temporary bedroom. And I can't wait to sleep on it tonight. So at least there's that.
And in the meantime, while everyone in the house is sleeping at the ridiculously early hour of 11 pm, I'm sitting with a big bowl of popcorn and a classic expository examination of the nature of reality, otherwise known as 'Total Recall'.
And I'm wondering, what the fuck do I do with myself now?
I took a transfer from my current job, but my transferred position doesn't start until 2 weeks tomorrow. And The Outlaws have a nice place, but I can't really make myself at home in a place that isn't mine you know?
I'll tell you one thing I took care of right quick:
Every time we stay up here we sleep in a spare bedroom on a very uncomfortable mattress. Not the level of uncomfortable one would associate with a pair of itchy
socks. I'm talking getting caught masturbating uncomfortable. I never, ever get a good night's sleep while we're here, and I can never say anything, cause what do I expect them to do? Buy a new mattress because I'm not getting enough sleep?
But today I hauled our wonderfully comfortable mattress out of storage and set it up in our new temporary bedroom. And I can't wait to sleep on it tonight. So at least there's that.
And in the meantime, while everyone in the house is sleeping at the ridiculously early hour of 11 pm, I'm sitting with a big bowl of popcorn and a classic expository examination of the nature of reality, otherwise known as 'Total Recall'.
Labels: everything else
So we're moving up to the wilderness of Northern Ontario in less that 2 days now. Ok, maybe wilderness is stretching it a bit, but honestly not by much. The lot we are getting our house built on is seriously in the middle of the bush. We'll be a healthy 15 minutes from the nearest village, and half an hour from the big medium small city where I'll be working. But that also means that the people that do live up there will be the same distances from us. And that part is going to be just fine with me. Beacuse no people down the street equals no meth labs and no home invasion homicides. Usually.
But its going to be weird moving back to the town I grew up in. I think when we moved down here I believed that I would go up there less and less; that the people that I knew there would move, keep dying on me, or just decide they didn't want anything to do with me anymore, until there would never be a reason to go there at all.
And now I'm moving back there. By choice.
Weird.
But its going to be weird moving back to the town I grew up in. I think when we moved down here I believed that I would go up there less and less; that the people that I knew there would move, keep dying on me, or just decide they didn't want anything to do with me anymore, until there would never be a reason to go there at all.
And now I'm moving back there. By choice.
Weird.
Labels: everything else
I play the lottery every other week or so, and among my many, many quirks, every time I see something pricey online that I would like to buy but can't afford, I bookmark it with a 'When I win the Lottery' tag, and forget about it.
I think a person could learn a great deal about me by looking at those bookmarks.
Either way, I have just added this to the list: A bonafide Flying Saucer. Yup, you read that right. A UFO. Although I guess it would be an IFO. Whatever. Check it out here.
Labels: everything else, tech
Just came back from watching The Police in concert in Toronto. Aside from Superwife being a little pissypants about the seats in the nosebleeds (which were good seats, btw) we had a fantastic time. And the comments about the seats were mostly tongue in cheek because that was the first concert we'd gone to together that we didn't have seats on the floor.
The show really was great. Aside from a Pink Floyd show I saw way back in 94, that was the best concert I've ever been to. And it might even have been better than that one.
I'm beat though. Would love to write more but I'm just too damn tired.
EDIT 23/07/07 - So on reflection, that WAS the best concert I have ever attended. Sorry Cooley, our Floyd show was awesome, but Gordon and the boys made short work of it.
I put together last night's set list, for those who are interested:
Message in a Bottle
Synchronicity II
Walking on the Moon
Voices Inside My Head/When the World Is Running Down
Don't Stand So Close to Me
Driven to Tears
Truth Hits Everybody
The Bed's Too Big Without You
Every Little Thing She Does is Magic
Wrapped Around Your Finger
De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da
Invisible Sun
Walking in Your Footsteps
Can't Stand Losing You
Roxanne
FIRST ENCORE:
King of Pain
So Lonely
Every Breath You Take
SECOND ENCORE:
Next to You
The show really was great. Aside from a Pink Floyd show I saw way back in 94, that was the best concert I've ever been to. And it might even have been better than that one.
I'm beat though. Would love to write more but I'm just too damn tired.
EDIT 23/07/07 - So on reflection, that WAS the best concert I have ever attended. Sorry Cooley, our Floyd show was awesome, but Gordon and the boys made short work of it.
I put together last night's set list, for those who are interested:
Message in a Bottle
Synchronicity II
Walking on the Moon
Voices Inside My Head/When the World Is Running Down
Don't Stand So Close to Me
Driven to Tears
Truth Hits Everybody
The Bed's Too Big Without You
Every Little Thing She Does is Magic
Wrapped Around Your Finger
De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da
Invisible Sun
Walking in Your Footsteps
Can't Stand Losing You
Roxanne
FIRST ENCORE:
King of Pain
So Lonely
Every Breath You Take
SECOND ENCORE:
Next to You
Labels: everything else, music
I usually try to stay away from those silly web acros, but in this case I just had to.
I just got an email from Warner Bros about a movie that I didn't think was going to be out until later this year, that is in fact out at the end of this month, and I am almost scared how worked up I am over this.
Let me preface: I am a huge scifi fan, always have been, ever will be. I grew up on shows like Dr Who (the Tom Baker years first), Battlestar Galactica, The Incredible Hulk and of course, Star Trek.
Yes I know this outs me as a dork. And an old dork, at that.
I also loved shows like Sliders and Quantum Leap when they were new, and now am lucky enough to get stuff like Heroes, the new Dr Who and Battlestar, and my personal current fav, Smallville.
But the one show that I have enjoyed more than any other has been Babylon 5. Can't say why for sure. The CG couldn't have cost much and the sets were sometimes downright ridiculous. But the writing was awesome, the overall story arc was epic and the characters were actually believable. (None of that 'Point A to Point B, back to Point A' business that Trek made a habit of).
If you are planing on being bed-ridden for a few weeks or otherwise looking for a reason to watch 5 seasons of quality scifi tv, I highly recommend you get yourself the DVD set and give it a watch.
And when you're done that, get yourself your own copy of the new Babylon 5 movie, Babylon 5: The Lost Tales, because I won't be lending mine. ;)
Here's the link to the site, and here's the link to the trailer. Which I have watched 17 times already. Holy shit I want to watch this movie.
As Lennier would say 'Woo...who?'
EDIT 23/07/07 - Scifi.com has a great interview with 3 of the returning cast members about their return to the B5 universe. If you're a geek like me, it's a must read.
I just got an email from Warner Bros about a movie that I didn't think was going to be out until later this year, that is in fact out at the end of this month, and I am almost scared how worked up I am over this.
Let me preface: I am a huge scifi fan, always have been, ever will be. I grew up on shows like Dr Who (the Tom Baker years first), Battlestar Galactica, The Incredible Hulk and of course, Star Trek.
Yes I know this outs me as a dork. And an old dork, at that.
I also loved shows like Sliders and Quantum Leap when they were new, and now am lucky enough to get stuff like Heroes, the new Dr Who and Battlestar, and my personal current fav, Smallville.
But the one show that I have enjoyed more than any other has been Babylon 5. Can't say why for sure. The CG couldn't have cost much and the sets were sometimes downright ridiculous. But the writing was awesome, the overall story arc was epic and the characters were actually believable. (None of that 'Point A to Point B, back to Point A' business that Trek made a habit of).
If you are planing on being bed-ridden for a few weeks or otherwise looking for a reason to watch 5 seasons of quality scifi tv, I highly recommend you get yourself the DVD set and give it a watch.
And when you're done that, get yourself your own copy of the new Babylon 5 movie, Babylon 5: The Lost Tales, because I won't be lending mine. ;)
Here's the link to the site, and here's the link to the trailer. Which I have watched 17 times already. Holy shit I want to watch this movie.
As Lennier would say 'Woo...who?'
EDIT 23/07/07 - Scifi.com has a great interview with 3 of the returning cast members about their return to the B5 universe. If you're a geek like me, it's a must read.
I recently rewatched one of my favourite movies 'The Thirteenth Floor' and was reminded of how fascinated I am with the nature of reality. What existence is, what it means, how it can be defined, what we can ever really know about it. I really have always found the subject a very interesting one: I did name this blog after a philosophical position after all. Though I am not sure whether solipsism is better defined as a question of philosophy or a state of mind, and I guess I'm not sure it matters. Solipsism amounts to a person only ever being able to know one's own mind, and that everyone else is merely an extension of that mind.
Far be it from me to presume then, that my mind is the only 'real' one in existence because I suppose that would make me god, and since I don't believe in one of those, ipso facto, I have just argued myself out of existence. Shades of Oolon Colluphid.
But while I'm on the subject of god and solipsism, I came across a great little story that sums up that relationship moreclearly eloquently than I probably can:
Far be it from me to presume then, that my mind is the only 'real' one in existence because I suppose that would make me god, and since I don't believe in one of those, ipso facto, I have just argued myself out of existence. Shades of Oolon Colluphid.
But while I'm on the subject of god and solipsism, I came across a great little story that sums up that relationship more
Walter B. Jehovah, for whose name I make no apology since it really was his name, had been a solipsist all his life. A solipsist, in case you don’t happen to know the word, is one who believes that he himself is the only thing that really exists, that other people and the universe in general exist only in his imagination, and that if he quit imagining them, they would cease to exist.Here's the link to the original article.
One day, Walter B. Jehovah became a practicing solipsist. Within a week, his wife had run away with another man, he’d lost his job as a shipping clerk and he had broken his leg chasing a black cat to keep it from crossing his path.
He decided, in a hospital, to end it all.
Looking out the window, staring up at the stars, he wished them out of existence, and they weren’t there anymore. Then he wished all other people out of existence, and the hospital became strangely quiet, even for a hospital. Next the world, and he found himself suspended in a void. He got rid of his body quite easily and then took the final step of willing himself out of existence.
Nothing happened.
Strange, he thought, can there be a limit to solipsism?
“Yes” a voice said.
“Who are you?” Walter B. Jehovah asked.
“I am the one who created the universe which you have just willed out of existence. And now that you have taken my place-” there was a deep sigh “-I can finally cease my own existence, find oblivion, and let you take over.”
“But-how can I cease to exist? That’s what I’m trying to do, you know.”
“Yes, I know,” said the voice. “You must do it the same way I did. Create a universe. Wait until someone in it really believes what you believed and wills it out of existence. Then you can retire and let him take over. Good-by now.”
And the voice was gone. Walter B. Jehovah was alone in the void and there was only one thing he could do. He created the heaven and the earth.
It took him seven days.
Labels: everything else, philosophy
I have actually been a little bummed lately that there won't be any good technology stores where I'm moving in a few weeks. I do a lot of online shopping for my gear, games, etc, but there is something to be said about standing in a brick and mortar store and looking at a few hundred big screen tv's to get my geek on. And Best Buy has always been my store of choice. Anything tech-related that I do buy in the non-virtual world I buy there. No commission, people that actually have a clue when I ask them any technical questions. A bigger fan of Best Buy there never was. Until I received the following two emails:
Well, let's just say I'm not so bummed that there won't be a Best Buy where I'm moving anymore. Because I won't be setting foot in one of their stores or spending any money on them online again ever again. Assholes.
EDIT 07-16-07 - Oh and now one more thing. I just got an email from one of the other 'winners', thanking Best Buy for giving out all of the recipient's email addresses in the notification email. Turns out the douchebag who sent the notification just plunked everyone's address into an email and hit send, so I can now look forward to thanking Best Buy for increasing my spam as well as screwing me with this phoney prize notification in the first place. It just gets better and better.
From: Name Removed (Best Buy Canada)You apologize for the confusion? I am a HUGE Police fan, I am already going to be attending the concert mentioned, and I was absolutely ECSTATIC that I had won backstage passes to it. And then I get an, 'Oops, sorry about that' email? What the fuck?!?
Sent: Wednesday, July 11, 2007 11:35 AM
To:
Subject: Prize Notification - Best Buy Police VIP Passes
Hello,
Congratulations! You have been randomly chosen to win one pair of Best Buy VIP Police Station Passes (no commercial value) valid for entry in the the Best Buy VIP Police Station. The Best Buy VIP Police Station is a VIP Room situated in the venue where you will be treated to a little VIP treatment inclusive of tasty Moroccan appetizers prior to the concert.
As a reminder you must possess valid concert tickets to the July 23rd Toronto Police concert at Air Canada Centre to gain entry into the venue and to use your Best Buy VIP Police Station Passes. The Best Buy VIP Police Station passes are not valid for concert entry.
To be declared an official winner you must:
* Reply to this prize notification in 48 hours - Deadline July 20, 2007 12 :00pm PST
* Be the age of majority in your province of residence
* Possess valid concert tickets to the July 23rd concert in Toronto at Air Canada Centre
* Answer the skill testing question and sign the prize waiver form attached.
* Fax the signed and completed prize waiver form to Attn Name Removed @ xxx.xxx.xxxx . Please reply to this email notifying us that the fax has gong through.
* Reply to this email with your full name and address as it appears on your ID as this is the name that will appear at will call when you go to pick up your passes.
Once you have been declared the winner (completed the above) we will provide you with instruction on how to obtain your Best Buy VIP Police Station Passes.
Thank You,
Name Removed
Best Buy Canada Ltd.
From: Name Removed (Best Buy Canada)
Sent: Wednesday, July 11, 2007 2:59 PM
To:
Subject: ERROR - Prize Notification - Best Buy Police VIP Passes
The following Prize Notification was sent out in Error. If you have received this please disregard and delete this email.
The official winners will be contacted directly in an email to follow in the next hour.
We apologize for the confusion.
Thanks,
Name Removed
Well, let's just say I'm not so bummed that there won't be a Best Buy where I'm moving anymore. Because I won't be setting foot in one of their stores or spending any money on them online again ever again. Assholes.
EDIT 07-16-07 - Oh and now one more thing. I just got an email from one of the other 'winners', thanking Best Buy for giving out all of the recipient's email addresses in the notification email. Turns out the douchebag who sent the notification just plunked everyone's address into an email and hit send, so I can now look forward to thanking Best Buy for increasing my spam as well as screwing me with this phoney prize notification in the first place. It just gets better and better.
Labels: everything else, rants, tech
So I read on a few forums that Chloe's demise in this season's finale of Smallville may be short-lived and that her character might be returning next season. Personally I think she's dead and won't be coming back so that the show can return to something resembling the comics' continuity in time to wrap up the show at the end of next year.
Superman-to-be notwithstanding, she was the best character on the show and I have not so secretly always hoped the writers would say to hell with continuity and just have Chloe and Clark end up together. Maybe even have Chloe take over Lois' body or merge together with her or something. Stranger things have certainly happened on this show. (Countess Isabelle Thoreaux anyone?) And maybe that's even what happened in the moment of her 'death'. We won't know for sure what the hell happened there until next year, when we also get to see more of Bizarro.
But if I had been asked if anything could possibly make up for killing off Chloe, my favourite female character on tv besides Rose Tyler (and she's a whole other story), my answer would have been a resounding 'no'. That is, until I found out that next season, a certain Kryptonian cousin will be taking her place.
No idea yet what multiverse they're pulling her story out of, but however it works out, any Supergirl is a good Supergirl.
More here.
Superman-to-be notwithstanding, she was the best character on the show and I have not so secretly always hoped the writers would say to hell with continuity and just have Chloe and Clark end up together. Maybe even have Chloe take over Lois' body or merge together with her or something. Stranger things have certainly happened on this show. (Countess Isabelle Thoreaux anyone?) And maybe that's even what happened in the moment of her 'death'. We won't know for sure what the hell happened there until next year, when we also get to see more of Bizarro.
But if I had been asked if anything could possibly make up for killing off Chloe, my favourite female character on tv besides Rose Tyler (and she's a whole other story), my answer would have been a resounding 'no'. That is, until I found out that next season, a certain Kryptonian cousin will be taking her place.
No idea yet what multiverse they're pulling her story out of, but however it works out, any Supergirl is a good Supergirl.
More here.
Labels: comics, smallville, superman
Dear Trinity,
Well, two whole years with you has come and gone.
Its been quite the ride so far. Now, normally I extoll all of the good things about having you with us, and I'll be doing a bunch of that in a moment, but because of the lack of sleep I'm going on right now, I've decided that I don't want you to think that its all one big party. So I'll try to include the odd note about what new method you've devised of keeping us up at night, or a story about a recent tantrum, if for nothing else than juxtaposition to all the fun you enrich our lives with.
You had a really fun time at your second birthday party. We were still living in Southern Ontario at the time (still are as of this moment in fact), but we had your party at your Grandparents place up north. As is typical for a party at that location, pretty much everyone there was drinking and making a more adult party of things. But it was a lot of fun. You got so many presents that even you were overwhelmed opening them, and you got very quiet (and seemingly frightened) when the whole posse of forty or so people regaled you with a Happy Birthday song.
But you're a trooper so after only a few seconds of shock, you blew out your candles and ripped into one awesome cake.
Some of your favourites out of the many, many presents that you received this year are your Darth Tater, your Baby Elmo, and your Dora sleeping bag. I am still awating the arrival of the one birthday present that your Mom doesn't yet know about, even though its going on a week late now. I had the first 2 years worth of letters that I have written here for you made into a book, and I have hopes that it might survive long enough to see the next 2 year volume. I kind of expect it not to last much past the first day with you, but we'll see how it goes.
You really are becoming such a smart, polite little girl. You recently picked up the please and thankyou's and because you get off on us lavishing praise on you, you tend to say them as often as you can. Especially when you're having one of those afforementioned tantrums, in the hopes that the please will win the day. As in you belting out at the top of your lungs 'PLEASE can I have that toy/read one more story/have some ice cream?!?' whilst writhing on the floor and flailing your arms. It never works, but you have yet to discover that fact for yourself.
One of the more cuter of your recent catchprases is 'take a little drive?'. Its a question you put to us usually after taking a long-to-longish drive already and are approaching or are back in the driveway. It hasn't gotten old yet, because you hardly ever get upset about that one, and when you ask its usually in a sad 'why can't I' kind of voice. Unfortunately for your Mom and I, that one usually works every single time. We expect you to pick up on that one any day now.
You do love to be out and about these days. You like to make friends wherever you go, and you don't seem to be bound by whether those friends are people, animals, or mannequins. I like that you don't discriminate. I also expect a big cheque from Old Navy for the cuteness factor of my daughter holding hands with one of their mannequins.
You love being outside too, either running around in the back yard, walking the dog (albeit a little slower than our Husky might like), playing at the park, or riding in your Grandpa's boat. That last one you really like.
You have grown and changed so fast over these last two years that even though I am constantly trying to keep myself aware of each moment, I can feel each one sliding by at light speed with little for me to do but document them here in the hopes that you will someday appreciate how loved you are. I hope that I am fortunate enough to be able to continue to be with you, and subsequently, to write these letters to you for at least another 2 wonderful years.
I love you,
Daddy
Well, two whole years with you has come and gone.
Its been quite the ride so far. Now, normally I extoll all of the good things about having you with us, and I'll be doing a bunch of that in a moment, but because of the lack of sleep I'm going on right now, I've decided that I don't want you to think that its all one big party. So I'll try to include the odd note about what new method you've devised of keeping us up at night, or a story about a recent tantrum, if for nothing else than juxtaposition to all the fun you enrich our lives with.
You had a really fun time at your second birthday party. We were still living in Southern Ontario at the time (still are as of this moment in fact), but we had your party at your Grandparents place up north. As is typical for a party at that location, pretty much everyone there was drinking and making a more adult party of things. But it was a lot of fun. You got so many presents that even you were overwhelmed opening them, and you got very quiet (and seemingly frightened) when the whole posse of forty or so people regaled you with a Happy Birthday song.
But you're a trooper so after only a few seconds of shock, you blew out your candles and ripped into one awesome cake.
Some of your favourites out of the many, many presents that you received this year are your Darth Tater, your Baby Elmo, and your Dora sleeping bag. I am still awating the arrival of the one birthday present that your Mom doesn't yet know about, even though its going on a week late now. I had the first 2 years worth of letters that I have written here for you made into a book, and I have hopes that it might survive long enough to see the next 2 year volume. I kind of expect it not to last much past the first day with you, but we'll see how it goes.
You really are becoming such a smart, polite little girl. You recently picked up the please and thankyou's and because you get off on us lavishing praise on you, you tend to say them as often as you can. Especially when you're having one of those afforementioned tantrums, in the hopes that the please will win the day. As in you belting out at the top of your lungs 'PLEASE can I have that toy/read one more story/have some ice cream?!?' whilst writhing on the floor and flailing your arms. It never works, but you have yet to discover that fact for yourself.
One of the more cuter of your recent catchprases is 'take a little drive?'. Its a question you put to us usually after taking a long-to-longish drive already and are approaching or are back in the driveway. It hasn't gotten old yet, because you hardly ever get upset about that one, and when you ask its usually in a sad 'why can't I' kind of voice. Unfortunately for your Mom and I, that one usually works every single time. We expect you to pick up on that one any day now.
You do love to be out and about these days. You like to make friends wherever you go, and you don't seem to be bound by whether those friends are people, animals, or mannequins. I like that you don't discriminate. I also expect a big cheque from Old Navy for the cuteness factor of my daughter holding hands with one of their mannequins.
You love being outside too, either running around in the back yard, walking the dog (albeit a little slower than our Husky might like), playing at the park, or riding in your Grandpa's boat. That last one you really like.
You have grown and changed so fast over these last two years that even though I am constantly trying to keep myself aware of each moment, I can feel each one sliding by at light speed with little for me to do but document them here in the hopes that you will someday appreciate how loved you are. I hope that I am fortunate enough to be able to continue to be with you, and subsequently, to write these letters to you for at least another 2 wonderful years.
I love you,
Daddy
Labels: trinity
So we'll be heading back home from The Out-laws' place sometime tomorrow morning. Its actually been a nice visit. Good prelude for the immediate future since we'll be living with them for the duration of the summer until the house is finished.
Today is Trin's second birthday, but because we had a huge party for her on Sunday the whole thing feels a little anti-climactic, and I'm not feeling verbose enough to tackle her monthly letter just yet. Think I'll be posting it a little while later on.
As far as this 'R' rating goes, I think I would only really have been happy with either an 'NC-17' or maybe an 'Unrateable', if there is such a thing.
Not sure what I need to do to get that rating up. More porn related posts, more swearing, more fundie bashing, more nauseatingly boring details about my time with The Out-laws?
I'll have to see what I can do.
Labels: everything else
