Archives for: March 2008
03/31/08
Servers fell down and went boom...
Sorry about the lack of post today folks... Woke up this morning and NO SERVER!!! Yup, the SQL server that powers our blogs went "Snap!" sometime in the wee hours...
Well, obviously it's fixed now... but no time to do a post... so I'll make up for it tomorrow and once again do away with my own meme of "Post Nothing Tuesdays". (In other words, I'll do a nice thoughtful post for tomorrow... probably on me having my Wiki entry TOSSED AWAY! - I'm shattered about that.)
Sorry again...
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03/30/08
Blog Your Blessings Sundays: Expanding one's thoughts...
As word of warning, I've decided to talk about Doctor Who one last "intentional" time here... only as it pertains to my blessing... which will make sense, promise!
Ian Chesterton: Let me get this straight. A thing that looks like a police box, standing in a junkyard, it can move anywhere in time and space?
Susan Foreman: Yes.
The Doctor: Quite so.
Ian Chesterton: But that's ridiculous! Time doesn't go round and round in circles. You can't get on or off whenever you like in the past or the future.
The Doctor: Really? Where does time go then?
Ian Chesterton: It doesn't go anywhere. It just happens and then its finished.
Allow me to share a memory with you again... this one a happier one.
Back in 1976, I was a strapping nine-year old boy... and we were on our first family vacation that wasn't cottage-country related. We didn't go to Disneyworld... or to New York... or even Quebec... nope, we went en masse to London England...
We stayed for a little over a week in town... in a lovely flat at the Grosvenor House... and while there, my father introduced me to something that had a profound affect on my life... a television program... a silly sci-fi broadcast feature a rather old-fashioned yet dapper man fighting pretty silly looking rubber monsters. It was Jon Pertwee in the odd clothes and the show was Doctor Who... it was love at first viewing... and that first show is a memory included my late father, my whole family really... London, and having fun in general.
I've spilled enough pixels on the show of late with Sue and I plunging rather fiercely back into the "Whoniverse" over the last couple of weeks catching up on the new series (which we are REALLY enjoying,) with the shows since 2005 until present... and I suppose I could go into the show being a blessing for entertaining us so much now and entertaining me so much as a kid... but there's more to it than that...
The real blessing is that it expanded my thoughts a lot...
Science fiction does that... but things like Star Trek, especially the original series of Trek, was pretty two-dimensional... the morals and lessons were good and usually pertinent to everyday life now... and the action was "in your face"... and yeah, I am a PROUD Trekky...
Doctor Who went further... because unlike the world of rockets and phasers the viewer is faced with time and dimensional concepts.
"The Doctor" (the titular character) is an alien... but he not only looks and acts human, he has human quirks... and LOVES humanity because he sees us as the ultimate survivors and explorers as we're unwilling to remain stagnant in our knowledge.
Now, as a nine-year old raised on "The Trek", the concept of a benevolent alien was nothing new... but I did like the way he genuinely seemed to care about the Earth and humanity.
Next is his "ship"... the TARDIS... (an acronym for Time and Relative Dimension(s) in Space,) which appears significantly smaller on the outside than the inside... effectively, from the outside, it's a 1950's London Police Box... a phone box used for police emergencies... it's this "design" for camouflage... the TARDIS is SUPPOSED to camouflage itself in all environs... but got stuck in 1950's London Police Box mode and was just never repaired... Anyway, it's about the size of four "normal" phone booths on the outside... inside, it's a large room capable of holding about a dozen or more people... with "off rooms" that range from similar size to literally cathedrals...
It's a dimensional thing... small on the outside, huge on the in.
Yup, as a nine-year old, I ended up getting a very basic concept of dimensional concepts and the altering thereof... effectively, the basis of quantum physics 101. Just because WE assume something is what it looks like, we may be incorrect about it's true dimensions. We must expand the ideas we have about limitations in dimension because those laws may not be played out everywhere in the universe.
It's this kind of questioning that led me to fight with my grade seven science teacher... he stated with certainty about "Absolute Zero"... which he said was −270 on the Celsius scale. Yup, NOTHING could get colder than that, he said...
I said, Why not?
He said, with absolute assuredness, that we KNEW that ALL atomic functions cease at that temperature.
I asked how we knew about ...every atom and particle, considering we're stuck here on one planet? How can we have a clue that something is absolutely "universal" in nature?
I was quite roughly told that "It Was!" and silenced. Never argue with a teacher that's right!
I have to admit, even years later, in 1994, 2000, and then 2003 when "Absolute Zero" moved... I cheered... because, yup, they discovered that certain particles and atoms DID continue to move at -270 degrees centigrade.
Meanwhile, back at the show... the TARDIS and The Doctor travel through time and space... yup... time AND space...
Again, as a nine-year old, I was confronted with another bit of simple quantum physics...
How do you measure distance? Do you measure it in space or time?
For example, if I have to go from point "A" to point "B", I will either say "That will be a distance of 'X' miles." or "It will take me 'X' amount of time to do that."
Now, the faster we move, the "shorter" the distance in that aspect, correct?
Well, what if I travelled so fast, I arrived at virtually the same time I left?
...what if I moved faster than that? Would I arrive before I left?
While examining that, one realises we are all time travellers... going at a rate of one second per second... but Doctor Who made me ask, what if we altered that?
Doctor Who also posed some rather heavy moral questions on my young mind... in one episode I watched back in Toronto, The Doctor is about to kill his mortal enemies, The Daleks, before they get started... in essence, he had travelled to their nursery... and was confronted with the task of having to kill these shapeless monsters before they would inhabit a robotic body that would allow them to effectively wreak havoc on the galaxy....
...well, he hesitated... he was in the nursery... he knew they would BECOME evil... but at the time, they were "babies".
So, as a kid... here was a "hero" wrestling with a conscious decision... over what SEEMED like monsters by their appearance... but to him, as an alien himself, they were "new life"... and hesitating to kill them because they had not yet become what he knew they would be.
The question posed to me at the age of ten or eleven was effectively, if you found Hitler's pregnant mother, could you kill her or somehow destroy her unborn child?
By the time I was twelve, thanks to my fandom, I was familiar with the early variations of string theory, the "time-space-mesh", dimensional physics, and ethical and moral concepts including genocide.
Sure, it was "sci-fi"... it was trashy, campy rubber and tinfoil monsters... but it led to a very young man to become thirsty... VERY thirsty for scientific concepts and ideas... many well beyond the average university student (unless they were in theoretical physics.)
My Blessing is Expanding Knowledge through Entertainment...
One thing funny about this... when a recent revelation went through a part of our study about the concepts of the "bubbleverse", many people went Wow! What a striking new and exciting idea! Of course, to many Doctor Who fans, it was not exactly a new concept... but hey, everyone is not a Doctor Who fan!
Now, I want to point out... the "original" Doctor Who's were very campy at times... and the new shows have a MUCH higher budget and are a LOT more exciting and action-packed... and although I have nothing but respect and reverence for Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker, Peter Davison, (these three are "my" doctors... I watched them first... and re-started for a brief time with Sylvester McCoy...) we really enjoyed Christopher Eccleston...
...and David Tennant is now THE Doctor. He's done the role proud... and I'm glad he's Sue's and Schnookie's Doctor... and mine too.
I'm equally glad that Doctor Who's writers and producers CONTINUE to introduce us to expanded thoughts on time, the universe... and everything.
I wish everyone would examine the universe around them as thoroughly as the average Doctor Who fan...
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03/29/08
Do atheists burn churches on Christmas day?
UPDATE: 9:11 EDST - YAY to MY PART OF TOWN!!!! (Scroll down for the full update...
Happy Earth Hour (coming soon to Toronto)!
My friends in the blogsphere have taught me much today... apparently, if you don't believe in something, you should automatically do the exact opposite of whatever it is in protest... even if there's good behind it.
So, if you are an atheist who believes that religion is bad or corrupt, considering the message of Christmas is "Peace on Earth, Goodwill towards men." and we give gifts to celebrate the birth of Christ, it would behove you to kick the living keck out of a pregnant woman, steal something, then burn down the churches for good measure.
You see, do the opposite!
Now, some of you might say, But even if I was an atheist, what's the harm in being nice to people or giving a gift? but thanks to my friends in the blogsphere, I know you'd be WRONG!
You see, if you're fiscally conservative, as a rule, you try to save money, right?
...and most people understand that regardless of your feelings on global warming and climate change, pollution is bad and not something to strive to make more of...
...but tonight, during "Earth Hour", when many people on the planet are planning to turn off their lights and unnecessary appliances for one lousy hour, certain people in the blogsphere, wishing to PROVE beyond a measure of a doubt that they are just way smarter than the rest of us folks because of their political leaning, are saying they plan on wasting as much electricity and burning as much oil as humanly possible during this hour.
Smart, eh?
Wonder what they'd do if their opposite number had "Life Day" celebrating the individual's right to life... would they commit mass suicide to prove their testicular fortitude? (If so, when can we get anyone like Dr. David Suzuki to arrange a "Life Day"???)
So, basically, despite the concept of conserving and reducing being a fiscally conservative sound agenda and despite realising exhaust from say... oh, I don't know... a poorly tuned motorcycle being revved too high to "make a point"... being clearly unhealthy from a legitimate pollution point of view (let alone possible environmental issues,) these "smarter folks" are going to do it to show "us".
Ain't they intelligent?
I must say it again, can we have that "Life Day" soon please??? We really need to thin this herd... consider it God's way of weeding out the friggin' moronic.
Folks, EVEN IF you don't buy into climate change... turning off unnecessary lights and appliances even for ONE HOUR tonight is actually a sound FISCALLY CONSERVATIVE move with no ramifications. I promise doing it will not make you suddenly love Al Gore... it won't make you vote NDP or Green party if you weren't going to anyway... and it won't hurt a bit.
On the other hands, turning on "every" light in your home, barbecuing for no legit reason, firing up appliances just 'cuz, and revving your car (or motorcycle) engine will raise your electric bill, cost you in gas and oil, add to legitimate pollution, make you look like a nit, and will accomplish nothing of any value... In fact, the LIBERAL waste of energy AND MONEY is pretty much anti-fiscal conservation.
So, to those that feel they MUST do the opposite tonight of what's planned... can I send some of those atheists I mentioned at the beginning of this post over to your place on December 25th?
...and HONEST, Al Gore and David Suzuki have declared March 30th "Personal Life Day". I believe you can get a good strong rat poison for yourself at your local hardware store.
One wonders if it would have KILLED these morons to simply say, Well, this isn't for me so I'm not participating! instead of the stupid Ah'm a goin' to pulloots sum morez! insanity.
Oh, and before the nits come out to comment (like my buddy Barney,) I am that WEIRD and ODD thing you folks don't get known as a moderate.
I know that in your world, there is no middle ground, only angry, seething, irrational extremes mixed with hatred and bile... but in my bubble, I can see both sides of the street...
I believe that pollution is bad.
I don't believe that next year (or five years from now,) Manhattan will be under water.
I believe that pollution has taken a toll on our environment.
I don't believe in banning all cars.
I believe that there is enough evidence to take doing something about global warming seriously.
I don't believe the world is coming to an end over it.
I believe in trying to make things better for nature and my kids.
I don't believe that we should take a major hit to our lifestyles to do it.
...and finally, turning off lights and unnecessary appliances for ONE HOUR does not a political stripe make. It is, effectively, a celebration of conservation... "CONSERVATIon"... you might recognise the first and main part of that word... wonder what happened to some people that they keep missing it?
I seem to remember MOST of us in my part of the world revelling in our ability to maintain normalcy during the big blackout of August of 2003... Apparently, the aplomb that made some people so proud during that CANNOT WITHSTAND one hour just for the heck of it.
Wouldn't want to be a lefty-pinko-hippy-moonbat now, would we? Best to show our stupidity and ignorance and make sure we WASTE more to make a dumbassed point.
UPDATE: 9:11 EDST - YAY to MY PART OF TOWN!!!! Sue and I took our puppas and the kidollo out for a stroll between 7:45pm and 8:30pm just to watch the skyline... we probably passed about three or four hundred houses in our trek...
About ONE in TEN had SOME lights on and the rest had their lights out and many had visible candles flickering... not bad...
So that's NINE in TEN that participated in our neighbourhood!
...and only ONE BLITHERING MORON had gone out of their way to turn on EVERY light in "protest" of low electrical bills... and because they want more pollution in their air.
...and to the one moron, grow up... I don't begrudge the one in ten that simply went "meh" and didn't participate... but you really, Really, REALLY showed you're a complete idiot going out of your way to turn on EVERY LIGHT... ya twit.
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Welcome to HALF-BUTT SATURDAY!!!
Creatively bankrupt as I am today... after a long week at work and many odd situations to handle, I have decided that today, I'm going to WASTE TIME!!! After all, in some ways, isn't that what the series of tubes that make up the interweb are all about... so, allow me to share with you, thanks to Wiki, ten amazing things that happened in history on THIS DATE! (March 29th)...
#10 On this day, in 1867, Queen Victoria gave Royal Assent to the British North America Act which established the Dominion of Canada on July 1st of that year! (Consider this the "act" that produced the birth of my nation... man, that sounds icky...)
#9 Speaking of births, Cy Young (a famed American baseball player) was born on the exact same day... (same year too!) I think it's safe to assume that Queen Victoria did not have anything to do with that.
#8 However, some years later on this day in 1871, she did open The Royal Albert Hall.
#7 On this date, in 1461, in England again, we had the Battle of Towton where Edward of York defeated Queen Margaret to become King. Apparently, it's good to be the king.
#6 Today's the day, way back in 1886 that Dr John Pemberton brewed the first batch of Coca-Cola in a backyard. Caffeine for everyone!
#5 Happy Birthday to Lucy Lawless who's ONE YEAR YOUNGER than Sue and myself... but we won't hold it against her... much.
#4 Today is also "Día del joven combatiente"... a remembrance day celebrated with civil disorder in Chile by leftists and anarchists. Sounds like fun.
#3 On this day in 1882, The Knights of Columbus were established... marking the first time someone said, No, we are NOT the Shriners!
#2 In 1058, Pope Stephen IX passed away. I heard they didn't even televise the funeral!
#1 Way back in 1632 on this very day, the Treaty of Saint-Germain was signed, returning Quebec to French control after the English had seized it in 1629... Many in Canada would like to return certain Quebec citizens to France now... if we can get another treaty going...
BONUS ...and it's Earth Day... and yup, we ARE doing the "Lights Out" routine at 8pm. Sue did a post on it.
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03/28/08
#10 - High-Five Fridays
I'm calling a one-week moratorium on High-Five next week... so this will be it almost mid-April! Please bear with me!
#5: Rick Mercer
Canadian Political Commentary (sorry friends from outside the Great White North,) with a sincere comedic and cynical edge! Rick Mercer is easily one of the most humorous political commentators in this country... oh, and he does skewer ALL sides of the political spectrum... but of course, when he makes fun of "X" or "Y", the zealots of "X" or "Y" seem to think he's aimed at them... which honestly isn't true... but what the heck, it's politics, right?
#4: FarShores
Another fantastic collection of news and articles on all types of paranormal news and articles. An excellent site for news and general things most consider odd and weird! Big High-Five for Farshores!
This is a blog I literally "stumbled" across... and I love... I have a sincere soft-spot for dogs and horses... and the photos are amazing! It's a great blog to visit!
#2: DUAL WINNER!!! Dackel Princess and RennyBA's Terella
Next time you see a news item that says that the internet is bad or wrong... read this post and this post and you'll see that the internet really, Really, REALLY can bring people together! This is TOTALLY wonderful!!! BIG BIG BIG HIGH FIVE~!!!
#1: Real Talk!
The blog of my big sister! (Don't you notice the family resemblance?) Gotta give my bigus sissus props today for some much needed help she gave me recently. I'ze gots me a great big sis... and she deserves a BIG high-five!
The purpose of this meme is to give high-fives to 5 people, posts, blogs and/or websites you've admired during the week. I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 5 high-fives on Friday. Trackbacks, pings, linky widgets, comment links accepted!
Visiting fellow High-Fivers is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your High-Fives in others comments (please note if NSFW - Not Safe for Work).
Hey High-Fivers... I pride myself on commenting back to anyone who comments on this here blog... but I've made a wee decision based on laziness and time... and that is, if you're going to post up in the comments two (or more) URLs for HFF sites, I will read them all (honest!) but probably comment on only one.
Just FYI...
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03/27/08
Thursday Thirteen - 8 "Wants" and 7 "Not Wants!"
Fans of I Can Has Cheezburger know of the "Want" and "Not Want" kinda things... and who am I not to capitalize on this a little by making my Thursday Thirteen this week resemble the "Want" and "Not Want" ideals... so I'm going to do EIGHT things I personally "Want" (guess what number one is???) and SEVEN things I "Don't Want"... so a total of...
#13: Want: Peace on Earth, Good Will Towards People, Cure All Known Diseases, Eliminate Intolerance, My Girls to Grow and Be Happy... Wait a second, I do WANT all those things, but this is my PERSONAL list... so allow me to get more... um... oh what the hell, let me call like it is... let me get more shallow...
#13: Want: An Eee PC 8G (701)
Okay, I know... it's a toy... and it's not a mature product... and the pathetic 8 gig solid-state drive will be obsolete by the time I open the box... but I just really, Really, REALLY want one! Under two pounds in weight, seven inch screen, it's wee and perfect for my needs! I think it would rock during my commute to and fro work! Best part is, they're cheap (under five-hundred bones)... and I probably will have one soon as I can actually somewhat justify this as a work thing being in IT and all... we'll see...
#12: Don't Want: Rope Burn
Hands up! Who likes rope burn??? Hands??? Anyone??? Poor rope-burn, a terribly unloved ailment. Last time I had it was "up North" tethering a boat... and yeah, it sucked. I don't want rope burn, thanks. (A paper cut WAS going to be the #12 entry here... but rope-burn squeaked in by a hair.)
#11: Want: A Radio Control K-9
Okay, so I KINDA lied yesterday because, yes, I have worked in a Doctor Who reference in today's post... but c'mon now... after seeing my Wordless Wednesday (scroll down the blog to yesterday's post... loads of pics and two videos), don't YOU want a K-9 of your very own??? This would bring me much joy... and as it's inexpensive, I bet one might come on my birthday! (May 31st if you were considering it!) ...and don't worry about doubling-up... I'd love more than one! 
#10: Don't Want: A Velvet Elvis
I know that some people (like He Who Cannot Be Named) think these are the highest form of art and a perfect decoration for all places in the home, but they're just not for me... I would, however, cave in if someone managed to give me one that I could hang conspicuously in some place like Buckingham Palace...
#9: Want: A Regent Low Height Bus...
I bet you thought this would be number one... well, this die-cast toy is most certainly NOT my number one want... but it would be a great thing to have on my desk... that way, no matter WHAT fate holds in store for our dream, I can always say Well, I do own an Regent Low Height! even if it is only a couple of inches long. Besides, it can keep my radio controlled K-9 company!
(Hint! Easy to find on eBay! May 31st is coming!)
#8: Don't Want: To Make Out With He Who Shan't Be Named
...and he KEEPS ASKING which is just awful. I mean, aside from the fact that I'm happily ensconced in a loving relationship with Sue, he drools too much... and his breath smells like mackerel and day-old Cheetos.
#7: Want: A Baker Rifle
I know, I know... I'm all for gun control and not a "gun nut" by any stretch (despite being a qualified and award winning marksman,) but this is a flintlock... a "black powder" muzzle loading rifle... and was my main weapon when I was trying to start into re-enacting. Sadly, during the REALLY bad times, I had to sell mine... but now that things are looking better, I would dearly love to replace it... with another Baker... maybe even a touch better than my old one.
#6: Don't Want: To Become The NEXT Mr. Anderson-Lee
Okay, what lasts longer... a Tootsie-Pop or one of Pamela's husbands? Besides, I'm happy with Sue... and Pammie scares me a lot... and I'm still ticked she renounced her Canadian citizenship... that's unforgivable.
#5: Want: A Classic British Phone Booth
Oh yes... When you put together #3 and #1 below, OF COURSE this would also be on this list... and really, with a bullet... I'd leave it up to Sue to either strongly weather-proof the thing and leave it outdoors... or allow us to keep it inside somewhere... but dear goodness, it would be the ultimate knick knack for this here family.
#4: Don't Want: First Knight Part II - Arthur's Revenge
NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT! NO! NO! NO! NO!
Speaking of which, a certain country airing a television drama about the life of Henry VIII has a citizens' group trying to stop them from giving "Anne" the axe... that's ANNE BOLEYN they're trying to save... Let's re-write history because I want a good love story! Um, folks... Anne's head went choppy-choppy... not much can be done about it.
#3: Want: A (real) home of our own...
Not that there's lick one wrong with The West-End Palatial Didier/Darroch Compound... save it's not palatial... or a compound... it resembles more a larger than average walk-in closet. With three people, two dogs, and three cats, the purchase of a house is DEFINITELY our true main goal... the bus may be our dream, but real home ownership is our goal.
#2: Don't Want: Microsoft Windows Vista SP1
Earth calling Microsoft... Earth calling Microsoft... You re-released MS BOB and Windows ME and people like it about as much. PLEASE RECALL AND CEASE THIS NONSENSE!
#1: Want: Our One Old Green Bus
There's still hope... there's still a chance... and yeah, we all still want it... it is, indeed, still our dream...
What? You figured something else would be here at #1???
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
View More Thursday Thirteen Participants
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03/26/08
Wordless Wednesday: Who and a WOOOOO~!
Okay, I know that my last posts have been kinda "Doctor Who" top heavy... but seeing the (albeit brief) return of K-9 brought me so much joy... so allow me to INUNDATE you with my favourite campy highly technologically advanced pooch a few times... Last "Doctor Who" post for a while, promise!
Now, PLEASE remember, non-Who fans, that this dog was "developed" for the show in 1977 and yes, is more than a little dated. That said, he only (so far) has appeared in ONE of the new shows briefly which are a LOT less "campy fun" and FAR more "action/adventure" oriented... but hey, I like "campy fun"... and the "nod" of having K-9 back on the show made me smile BROADLY!
Oh, by the way... the NEW Doctor Who series have a CANADIAN CONNECTION!!! They are JOINTLY produced by The BBC and The CBC!!! Finally, semi-Canadian programming that's worth celebrating... and my tax dollars going someplace I am VERY proud of! Woo-hoo CBC!
...and if you haven't caught this show yet, TRY TO! It's an amazing series and WELL, WELL, WELL worth your time... Honestly, I said to Sue (who agreed) that this show could NEVER be done in Hollywood... it's simply too good.
K-9 of old...
A bit from K-9's return in the new series...
(...if you want to know what happens next, watch the show!)
...and in honour of the upcoming Wrestlemania festivities, allow me to show the GREATEST Pro Wrestler of ALL TIME...
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03/24/08
*Sigh!* - Memories! (A Brief Doctor Update...)
GEEK WARNING!
Well, it's back to work this morning... after the three day Easter weekend here in Toronto... and as you can tell by the image above, we are NOW almost 100% caught up on our Doctor Who episodes... and for Andy and those who are DYING to know, although Sue thinks there SHOULD be a female doctor soon and LOVED the idea of Joanna Lumley as our Time Lord...
Sue has a doctor now...
Sue's doctor is David Tennant... The Tenth Doctor...
I think him beating up on a Werewolf sealed the deal... or it was re-living a combination of Titanic, The Poseidon Adventure, and West World...
Call it a hunch, but I can see the poor kidollo getting "forced" into having the same doctor... and probably Torchwood to boot. Ten'll get you twenty trying to get the kidollo into this will be, as they say, Teh Epic Fail!
(Non-Doctor Who fans are now completely mystified...)
I would say Tennant is our "family" doctor... but my doctor was Jon Pertwee or the Third Doctor (as I date myself again...)
*Phew* Okay, I've geeked enough... and feel the resurgence of geek running through these veins of mine...
We want our own K-9... okay, we want the bus first... THEN we want a K-9!
Sue corrected me... she now wants a TARDIS... I should ask her, would she want the "traditional police box"... or some other form of wonderful camouflage.
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03/23/08
Blog Your Blessings Sundays: Happy Easter...
First off, I want to wish everyone a "Happy Easter" and remind folks that, although I do understand the significance of the celebration, as an heathen admitted agnostic, I don't celebrate the same ways as many others might... but I do respect the season and still acknowledge it and it's importance... and wish you all the best of the day. The reason for this caveat is because, although I know I won't be alone in doing this, my blessing has really nothing to do with this most holy of days to the Christian readers of this blog... well, not really...
I was raised in a mildly agnostic household... I've explained this before, but my parents encouraged me to ask questions and learn about religion and spirituality even as a young child, but never truly forced any religion down my throat.
Because of this, Easter was really, and don't be too mad at me, a time of bunnies, coloured eggs, and chocolate... and not a whole lot else... for a fairly long time.
...but then I finally asked... what WAS Easter all about?
When I was told about the resurrection, I gotta be totally honest... I had my doubts... no, that's not quite it... I had complete and total doubt. I didn't "deny" the concept, but boy it was kinda hard to swallow.
Then, top this off with why this celebration had anything to do with rabbits, eggs, and baskets.... and I think you can imagine how I was more than a little confused as a kid.
That said, through my learnings, I did find out how important and significant the day was in the Christian calendar... and truly did respect the reverence my friends who were Christian had for the occasion... and yes, was happy to celebrate with them in the understanding of what and why there was a celebration.
To be honest, whether you believe in something or not, one hopes we all have the courtesy and manners to respect those who do have faith in things we may not... and perhaps, like me, if you do understand the reason for a belief, you can appreciate it moreso than simply going through the motions.
What got me into this today was thinking about how I enjoyed things more because of understanding them... like being in a non-religious family and learning about Easter... and then enjoying Easter traditions (especially Easter dinner!) with friends and family... it somehow made it more special to know what the importance of the day was beyond baskets and chocolate... even if I wouldn't qualify in most people's books as a good, church-going Christian.
My blessing is the understanding and respect of belief and faith... and how much more enlightened and happy we are when we do have these blessings.
I won't bother re-hashing why this day is so important in the Christian calendar (if you're not aware of it,) as I already know from my "surfing" that there are better resources in the holiday and it's festivities than I could ever be...
...but what I can tell you is that no matter what faith you are, what belief system you have in place, no matter where and who you are... for a lot of people in this world, there's a celebration going on today... and who doesn't like a celebration?
Blog Your Blessing Sundays is a creation of NeoBluePanther... who may or may not be the famed Luchador!
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Easter Sunday... Patience please...
Doing some Easter Sunday stuff... I'll be back to do my blessing later on (probably about 12pm EDT...)
Patience is a virtue!
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03/22/08
Long weekend... busy Saturday...
Oh, I promise to do a bang-up "blessing" tomorrow... but right now, other than chores and grocery shopping, I'm FINALLY catching someone (Sue) up...
Starting at the last Jon Pertwee, then to Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, (skipping Paul McGann... sorry...) Christopher Eccleston, and now working on David Tennant.
It's been a "marathon" of Who.
Although "My Doctor" will always be Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker... Sue's chosen Joanna Lumley.
She feels she be a bigger fan if Lumley had been given the office to be the doctor for a while as opposed to a special. I have to admit, I think Lumley would have made a TERRIFIC Doctor too (believe it or not!) as would Richard E. Grant from the special...
So, we continue our "Who" Fest today... this is what is taking me away from blogging today... but Time Lords MUST come first.
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03/21/08
#9 - High-Five Fridays
#5: Sandy Carlson at Writing in Faith
Easily one of the most prolific "commenters" in the blogsphere... and a prolific blogger as well! Ms. Carlson has done some wonderful and thought provoking posts... and is a genuine light on these here series of tubes we know as the interwebs! Sandy Carlson deserves a high-five just for being Sandy Carlson! She's one of the best!
Sorry, I won't be watching the Olympics this year which ad revenue people might notice if enough of us say something. As much as I know it hurts the athletes, I cannot and will not support this.
#3: "He Who Cannot Be Named" again!
Okay, for those not in the know, when I mention "He Who's Name is Anathema to Hits", my hits go down about ten percent from normal. I honestly don't know why... but okay...
Anyway, Mr. You Know Who has a podcast, and showing he had a pair of stones bigger than all outdoors, the nervy bugger invited a rather questionable right-wing ardent Christian on the show... who's only eighteen. Now, Mr. Can't Be Named Here is not known for being too "Godly"... in fact, spoofing Jesus in various ways is a thing for him... and his audience is not exactly the kind that would warm Pat Roberston's heart. Anyway, things got ugly... and Mr. Stones Kinda Shrunk tried to keep it happy (EPIC FAIL) but I have to "High Five" him anyway for at least having the gumption to give this girl an outlet...
In relationship to my #3 above, this is Kyra who "got into it" a little with the person on "He Who Cannot Be Named's" podcast... and read this post (click here) to find out why I have a TONNE of respect for this lady! Bigtime High Five!
#1: Christie St.Martin's New Blog in the LA Times!
How cool is this gig? Toronto-girl and admitted geek, Christie St.Martin's blog, "Exhusticated", was a favourite stop of mine... she mined articles and "the funny" and I often shared links with others... it was like having a cool filter through Fark and a bunch of forums! Now she's blogging for the LA Times! HIGH-FIVE for Christie!
The purpose of this meme is to give high-fives to 5 people, posts, blogs and/or websites you've admired during the week. I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 5 high-fives on Friday. Trackbacks, pings, linky widgets, comment links accepted!
Visiting fellow High-Fivers is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your High-Fives in others comments (please note if NSFW - Not Safe for Work).
Hey High-Fivers... I pride myself on commenting back to anyone who comments on this here blog... but I've made a wee decision based on laziness and time... and that is, if you're going to post up in the comments two (or more) URLs for HFF sites, I will read them all (honest!) but probably comment on only one.
Just FYI...
Click here for details... 'cuz we need some sorta help... and maybe you or someone you know can assist us with our dream...
Funny movie for the world poker crown
Okay, this could be disturbing... or funny depending on your point of view...
The above video is from some folks doing poker tournaments ... which, indeed, require a good poker face... although hacking off one's finger should be cause for some facial contortions in my eyes.
The video is a promotion for the world poker crown being run via 888.com which culminates in a $3 million guaranteed poker tournament... While it's going to be a "mostly online" tourney (in which case, your poker face doesn't need to be all that great,) the final eight players online will "play off" at a casino in a televised event... which culminates in the "big prize" which anyone can take... The World Poker Crown Final Event being played at Perlada Castle in Barcelona, Spain... between May 6th to May 10th!
777.com is offering a chance to win a seat at the 888.com WPC competition worth well over $1,000.00... this includes two seats at the competition, two flights to Spain, a welcome party in a yacht in Peralada Harbour, three nights stay in the five star Peralada Hotel, and full hospitality at the organized events! All in all, it sounds like a heck of a time for you and a special friend!
...but is it worth losing a finger?
...maybe...
Check it out!
03/20/08
Thursday Thirteen (I lost count...) - Thirteen Facebook Facts about Moi!
It did not come to pass. When I signed up for Facebook, everyone said, Oh well, there goes YOUR free time! (assuming I had any to begin with.) I think my favourite was Welcome to lost time. Population: You.
Well, no, it didn't take control... and I'm still a Bloggin' Fool! (WHEEEEE~!)
That said, I do like one feature in Facebook... and MySpace has it too, but it's not so easily accessed... and that is telling people your "disposition" at the present time. Basically, it prompts you with something like...
YOUR NAME...
...and you fill in the blank after that.
So, most people do things like John Doe is Happy! or John Doe is eating dinner!
Well, since my name isn't "John Doe" nor am I most people, like a few selected whackos, I like fuddling with this... and here are...
FACEBOOK ABOUT MYSELF
#13: Matthew Didier... is watching everything with benign amusement.
#12: Matthew Didier... is not a gnome. He's far too tall, has never been to Argentina and has better taste in hats.
#11: Matthew Didier... doesn't like to shave his chest... but it's so kissably smooth afterwards!
#10: Matthew Didier... has disappointed Bongo.
#9: Matthew Didier... believes evil unicorns are waiting in the shadows... FOR HIM!
#8: Matthew Didier... is the shop steward for Illuminati Local 416.
#7:Matthew Didier... has the negatives.*
* - Anyone under the age of twenty-five probably doesn't know what a "negative" is... or why, sometimes, having the originals was important for some people... *Sigh*... dating myself, aren't I?
#6: Matthew Didier... knows if you've been sleeping. He knows if you're awake. Draw your curtains and call the police.
#5: Matthew Didier... is chatting with his dark passenger.*
* - If you've read the Dexter novels, this should be reasonably creepy to you.
#4: Matthew Didier... is intentionally delaying (He Who Cannot Be Named)'s pizza.
#3: Matthew Didier... knows what it's all about and we've been LIED to! The "Hokey Pokey" ain't got jack dung to do with it!
#2:Matthew Didier... knows the maximum airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow.
#1:Matthew Didier... knows that Technoviking approves this entry!
BONUS: Reposted Blob Video! Just 'cuz!
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
View More Thursday Thirteen Participants
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03/19/08
Wordless Wednesday: I'm in my happy place. I'm in my happy place. I'm in my happy place.
After a few days of kinda oddly bitter, I needed to go to my happy place... via Ian's Bus Stop... My happy place, of course, is full of Regent Low Height buses... so please, enjoy this WW offering... I know I did... *sigh*... my happy place...
Thanks to Ian's Bus Stop again... for taking me to my happy place!
For a list of other Wordless Wednesday participants, please click here.
Click here for details... 'cuz we need some sorta help... and maybe you or someone you know can assist us with our dream...