The Sweet Taste of Power

There's been a reshuffle of positions at my client's site that has ended with me taking on more responsibility and more work, which has in turn extended the contract.

With this new position and mandate, I find I'm more motivated and feel better about my contribution to the project. I guess being in charge really suits me better.

In other business-related news, I'm working on a formal business plan with a consultant for my other writing business and I got a call from someone who is interested in me taking pictures of their handfasting (wedding).

If I could balance my worklife between writing, teaching, storytelling, and photography, I believe I'd be more fulfilled. That's important to me and I suspect it's important to you.

Writer's Block of the type of blockWriter block block

I'm documenting a system for my client (I'm a techwriter y'know) and had written up a few definitions for some parts of the application. When I'm defining a term, I try not to use the term itself in the definition. If you know what that term meant, then you wouldn't be looking it up right?

I sent the definitions out for review and I just got them back. I had to laugh when one of the definitions I wrote was scribbled out and, in its place, was written something like the following (I changed the actual terms to protect the inept):

RedBlockType:
RedBlockType is a block type declaration that defines a block of type “redblocktype”.

Note: the more you read it aloud, the dizzier you get. It helps if you spin your chair in place while you giggle non-sensically, waving your hands.

The funny (tragic?) thing is that programmers really think their writing is clear, concise, and a joy to read. And if you can't understand it, then you're just not smart enough to get it.

Postcards of the World: Lick!

I was listening to the CBC during my errands and I heard an interview with Mr. Risley, a Grade 6 teacher in California. He just started a project with his class that he hopes will open their minds and understanding on the different peoples of the world.

But his project depends upon those people of the world. He needs folks to send his students postcards from the edge of the earth that they are from. I'll be trying to find a unique postcard to send him, but if you're interested, here's his note:

Hi. My name is Jason. I teach 6th grade (11-12 year olds) in Perris, California. I am trying to improve my students' view of the world and increase their knowledge of geography. I am asking friends, acquaintances and even strangers to send an appropriate postcard to my class at:
Mr. Risley's Class
c/o "A" Street Elementary School
755 North "A" St.
Perris, CA 92570
USA

Please tell us: Your name, where your from, what you do for work and the subject of the picture on your postcard.

I would really appreciate any help in this. Your kindness will be VERY appreciated. :)

BTW, I really did hear the interview today on the CBC. This isn't some Internet mailing hoax that travels from Inbox to Inbox. And if you send him a postcard because you read this blog, could you mention the blog (shameless plug)?

Ig'nance of non-tea drinkers

I'm a tea guy; I've never gotten into the whole coffee-culture thing, although Ms.Carotte has gotten me addicted to Ice Cappacinos (which is the first step down a slippery slope, I realize).

But Tim's has decided to go after us, the utapped Tea Market and offer steeped tea, which to tea drinkers, is infinitely better than dropping a poor, unsuspecting tea bag into a boiling, screaming death pit. Kinda like sticking a live lobster tail first into a vat of boiling water: the agonizing death just does something nasty to the overall culinary experience.

But not all Tim's understand this. I went to a Tim's on St. Jacques and rolled up to the mechanical Tim attendant and said "I'll have a steeped tea, please."

"A what?" the speaker garbled.

"Tea. Steeped Tea, please," I replied.

There was a pause. "We only have regular tea sir," she replied.

"Steeped tea is regular tea! It's just been steeped!"

"What?"

"Do you have any prepared tea? Instead of just the hot water and tea bag?"

Another pause. "I'm sorry sir, we only have Earl Grey or Orange Pekoe."

Fine. I took what they had to offer, but the person I dealt with was obviously not a tea drinker. Apparently, Tim's will have to send their employees on a 6-week Tea Orientation course to understand the subtlties of tea drinking.

I have a Question

I heard with some relief that the gas prices were coming down off the Island of Montreal. It's dropping from 1.39 ot 1.15. Still outrageous though.

My question is this though: since we get most of our gas and oil from Alaska, Alberta, and Saudi Arabia, why is the devastation in New Orleans doubling the cost of our gas? Am I over-simplifying the situation?

This would be the equivalent of a couple of farms burning down in Saskatchewan and having bread shoot up to $5 a loaf.

Something capitalistic is afoot.

Superman is such a Jerk

I had no idea that Superman could be such a jerk. Thanks be to Tal for opening my eyes.

In a related vein, I finally went to visit the comic book guy at Komico (on Queen Mary) after a 3.5 month absence. My bin was overflowing and I wince when I think of the damage.

My comic book hobby costs me about $18 per week (on average). I'm already thinking of dropping few titles (like Ultimate Spider-man, the new Green Lantern, Legion of Super-heroes, Batgirl, and one of the X-men titles). The ones I'm still definitely keeping are Robin, Usagi Yojimbo, Teen Titans, Birds of Prey, JSA, X-men (?), Nightwing, and Ultimate Fantastic Four.

Good thing I don't smoke and snort cocaine from the belly buttons of young children. I'd never make ends meet.

Good Ideas and Cold Feet

Why is it that when we get a good idea, that we know will work, that we know will be profitable, that we know will allow us to succeed, it takes every ounce of strength to put it into motion?

I've decided that I just need to push this idea ahead, put myself knee-deep into it, and then deal with what it means. I know this will work and I'm fairly sure I'll enjoy it, but I'm so afraid of committing myself to it.

Maybe the fear comes from this certainty I have about my idea. What if I'm so sure that my idea will work and then it fails. What does that say about me?

Then again, maybe I should stop whining, take it by the horns, and see where the wild ride takes me. Last year, I was whining about my book never being published and now I'm a published storyteller.

This is me jumping in feet first, eyes open, and chucking the life vest.

How much is there in a Beowolf Cluster?

Last week, something went awry with my home PC. It just wouldn't reboot -- it kept chugging in place, never moving forward. Fortunately, I had recently backed up everything important, but reformatting that drive will mean half-a-day lost. Argh.

Happily, I had a Linux boot CD lying around, so I rebooted from the CD and up popped my first Linux session. I've always intended to explore the Linux option, but until now, had not had the chance. The computer booted up and loaded a Linux desktop, allowing me to explore it. I have to say, it was pretty neat. There were a few things that acted weirdly, but overall, it was interesting. I need to explore this OS a bit more in the future.

Then again... if I intend to be a super-villain, maybe Linux is what I really need.

What was Old is New Again

I was listening to an epsiode of the Goon Show (a radio comedy series from the 1940's featuring the late, great Peter Sellers, Spike Milligan, and Harry Secombe) and they mentionned that the episode was "especially writted for the Wireless".

It made me wonder at the evolution of technology and how it changed the lives of the people who used it. The old wireless radios brought people together from across the globe, allowing them all to share the same experiences at the same time. They could be a part of history as it unfolded instead of reading it in the newspaper a few days later. It was the global village in its infancy.

But evenutally, the term Wireless to refer to a Radio became antiquated and quaint, referring to and older time, a (seemingly) more innocent time.

And now here we are with our computers, our Internet, our laptops, and a plethora of gadgets. It used to be that, if you wanted to access the Internet (our new global village), you had to sit in your office, your basement, or somewhere static to connect and surf.

But now, thanks to the Wireless Routers, you can access that electronic global village from your cellphone, your laptop, or your PDA. You don't have to wait until you get home or get to the office to find out what's happening in the world or around the corner.

So let's bid a warm welcome back the great term Wireless, harkening back to a time when we had to do without. I can't wait to see what technological doodad will uncover terms like "horseless carriage", "grammaphone", and "voicebox" from the mothballs.

Suds and Stories

I was doing the dishes last night (gasp!) and I decided that listening to a story CD would take the sting out of the drudgery. I slipped the Eric Gauthier CD out of its sleeve, into the CD player, and selected my favourite tracks (1 & 5).

Track #1 is the story of how Ganesh got his elephant's head, told in a way that only Eric can pull off. He has a casual way of telling, filled with such Quebecois flavour, that it puts a new twist on such a classic tale, you'd swear this story happened in Chibougamou instead of India.

The only thing that embarrasses me is that I was apparently there when this CD was recorded and you can clearly hear me laughing. People often tell me that my laugh cannot be ignored, but having it recorded onto a CD for all time, it makes me *wince*.

If you get a chance to see Eric tell a tale, make sure you get yourself there. Just make sure that you're comfortable with the Quebecois accent and jargon, or you'll be mostly lost.

So if you've got my CD (You Don't Know Jack), pour some hot water on your dishes and give a listen. A good story is a great way to pass the time.