okay to passenge

Holidaze results

2010-01-04T08:21:00.004-05:00

For new years I got myself a nice new throat infection, which is quickly moving into my head.

Hope everyone had a nice holiday season and is enjoying a better start to 2010.

In the mean time, I'd like to thank S for introducing me to the world of Assassin's Creed. This is a wicked world to explore and percolate.

Avatar in 3D

2009-12-21T22:37:00.002-05:00

Quite likely one of the best films I've ever experienced. This one is a game-changer. A technology and industry disruption - in the ilk of Lucas Film in the creation of Star Wars; and the making of the Matrix. New styles of film production and computer software were invented in order to bring this film to life. The results are AMAZING.

The story itself is great. Definitely influenced, and inspired, maybe even a little "stolen" from other great films. The combination of the story and the newly created world are good enough that I could have stopped one quarter into the film - it would have been enough. But the film goes on.

I walked away feeling like I just seen (again): Pocahontas, Dances with Wolves, Aliens (1, 2 and 3), The Matrix, Braveheart, Return of the Jedi, Never Ending Story, and even a little bit of Top Gun.

The only thing missing from this film is instructions on how to save the Brazilian Rainforest.

And finally, kudos to New Zealand for looking so good, yet again. That's one sexy land, as far as mountains and forests go.

Wow, that is a very impressive film.

Winter Solstic

2009-12-21T08:55:00.002-05:00

Happy winter solstice!

From this day forward, light will conquer darkness, and the days will become longer. Yay!

Also, festive specials and all that jazz.

Advertising at all costs? Or just plain desperation?

2009-12-13T14:17:00.002-05:00

I've been watching the AshleyMadison.com advertising on the TTC story unfold for the last week or so. At first I felt strongly that any company willing to pay for the ads should be accepted, since the TTC is in such deep need of the revenue. But I find the ad itself really disagreeable. My personal opinion should not matter however, as long as there is a company out there with people willing to pay for their services, and assuming the services and the company are legal and legit, then the ads should proceed.

In the week that I debated with myself about how to think about this issue, the TTC decided not to use the its streetcars to promote infidelity. Their statements are similar to my own: if people choose to have affairs that is their own business, and if AshleyMadison.com wants to promote its brand in a fashion that says, "we can help", that's fine too. But the ads are not promoting services for those who are choosing to pursue them; the ads are promoting cheating on partners.

The ads in question: "Life is short. Have an affair."

The end-result: AshleyMadison.com has received well more than their originally proposed $200k advertising contract in the form of controversy publicity. Taken from the game-book of MasterCard and the public ice skating rinks, AshleyMadison.com has received all the free advertising it needs from the media. Now the word may not be reaching buddy on the street who sees a streetcar go by, but it will at least be reaching all the people who read the papers.

In this way, the mission is accomplished, and we can all go on with our lives, making our decisions regarding affairs and fidelity, knowing that there are services available for those who need to find a secret date.

But then the CEO of the company, Noel Biderman takes it too far when he describes morality judgements as being unaligned with a tolerant society - meaning that nobody in our open-minded modern western civilized society has the right to pass the judgement of cheating being wrong.

And this is how I know he and the company are just saying and doing all this to get publicity. Because the company's official stance is listed on their web site FAQ as not promoting cheating, straying or affairs, saying that if someone in a relationship is feeling like straying they should get counselling. Then adding that if they still want to pursue it, the web service can help. The FAQ on the web site continues to state that the web service does not make cheating any easier.

So why are they pushing so hard, offering the TTC even more money than originally agreed, and bringing up the morality of infidelity with the media; why do they want more people to have affairs?

Unfortunate, unthinking choice of words

2009-12-12T17:16:00.002-05:00

Rocco Rossi, a wannabe mayor of Toronto candidate, is not even in the race yet, and he's already making poor word choices in his speeches. He's quoted in the Globe and Mail as saying he'll be bringing his weakness to lead Toronto:

"I love the city, and I think I bring a unique set of strengths and weaknesses to the job and want to spend a year laying those out to Torontonians."

I admit that the quote itself is not a big deal, but it does represent his naivety regarding what wins votes.

Sleep shop

2009-12-08T09:05:00.003-05:00

Do you know that adage that goes: don't shop for groceries when you're hungry?

Last weekend I had a really late night, and very little sleep. The next day I was doing a bunch of stuff around the house and then running some errands with A. One of those errands included shopping for a new bed (my bed is getting old and out of shape, and I spend about a third of my life in bed, so I like to keep it up to date and comfy).

So, there we were at The Bay, laying down on this bed and that, testing out memory foam, latex foam, pocket coils and so on. A says, don't just lie on your back, you have to try the bed for how it will really feel. So I turned onto my side, pulled my knees up, tucked my hands up near my face, took a deep breath, and fell asleep.

I slept for about 15 minutes in the store, while A watched over me, turning other shoppers away. We bought that very same brand of mattress simply because we know it works. The awkwardness I felt waking up in a department store: priceless.

So, the adage? Don't shop for beds when you're tired.

Translated quote

2009-11-28T13:02:00.002-05:00

Thanks to T for the loose translation. I'm still working on finding the name of the singer and the song, and the actual original lyrics. Still, it's profound.

There are ten kinds of courage, and nine of them are escape.

Kentucky highlights

2009-11-26T19:26:00.005-05:00

Trapped in Kentucky

2009-11-25T06:46:00.004-05:00

The fog in Cincinnati was really thick, even on Monday night. It was still there Tuesday morning, but Delta waited until just before boarding time to cancel our flight. There's a (dis) Comfort Inn in Erlinger, Kentucky. Across the road is a bar called the PeeCox. We were told ahead of time that nobody from hotel staff ever goes there, that it's really loud and smokey. We went anyway, and found a great time. Yes, it was smokey (people in Kentucky still smoke in bars), but there was 2-for-1 beers, a juke-box and some pool tables. It was not a crowded Tuesday night, but I imagine it is the sort of place that would have a bar fight or two on Saturday nights. It kind of reminded me of the Boar's Nest from Duke's of Hazard.

If I have to get stuck in Kentucky, this was not a bad way to kill time.

And by the way if you're wondering why we ended up in Kentucky at all, you may be surprised to note that the Cincinnati International Airport is actually in northern Kentucky, and not Ohio.

Cincinnati Chili

2009-11-23T23:44:00.006-05:00

When in Cincinnati, doing as the locals do means eating chili with spaghetti, cheese, onions and beans, at a local chain called Skyline. They make you wear a bib.

I chose to chase this experience with a trip to an Irish pub where I tried this English Porter.

The label reads: "Brewed with 1825 yeast salvaged from a sunken vessel in the English Channel using an original 19th century recipe."

Dramatical Ironical

2009-11-22T12:06:00.001-05:00

She: Isn't it strange that men and women come together, and try to live together, when they can't even speak the same language?

He: Huh?

She: Exactly! That's exactly what I mean!

He: I don't get it.

Chicago skyline

2009-11-12T21:15:00.001-05:00

TTC Rider's Strike November 13

2009-11-12T08:12:00.002-05:00

Thanks to M, all the way from France, for pointing this out.

Apparently there is a TTC rider's strike scheduled for Friday November 13th. Passengers' way of letting Toronto's public transit know that their proposed fare increases are not acceptable.

Just getting the word out.

Billy Goat unsilenced

2009-11-11T13:41:00.002-05:00

Made famous by Saturday Night Live, I always try to stop at the Billy Goat Tavern when I'm in the windy city. I happened to be there today with - no, not a cheezborger - a bacon and egg sandwich when I realized it was November 11 at 11am: Rememberance Day to the rest of us, and Veteran's Day here in the US. I stood silently thinking about dead soldiers when I realized that I was the only one. Business did not stop. Customers kept coming in, chatting, eating, drinking. The guy behind the bar kept yelling "Cheezborger cheezborger". The cook kept everything sizzling on the grill.

I spent my moment in Flander's Fields and then sat down and ate my sandwich. I think Veteran's Day is only really a big deal for newscasts and Washington DC.

Luxurious Japanese food in Chicago

2009-11-11T10:22:00.003-05:00

If you're ever in Chicago and the boss/supplier/pimp or anyone else is paying for dinner, and you like Japanese food, may I recommend Japonais. It is fantastic.

View from the hotel room

2009-11-11T09:51:00.003-05:00

Here's the view of the Chicago River from the 36th floor of the Swissotel in Chicago.

Porter Air

2009-11-09T13:02:00.003-05:00

I took this from seat 9D during takeoff.

I took this one during the final approach. Any guesses on my destination?

Autumn leaves

2009-10-30T13:01:00.000-04:00

The tree in front of my house.

Halloween

2009-11-01T13:00:00.001-05:00

Catty drama

2009-10-20T16:07:00.002-04:00

Thanks to S for pointing me to this. I found it HILARIOUS. Reading the subtitles with audio on loud is my suggestion. :)

Punk in Urdu

2009-10-16T22:18:00.002-04:00

I saw the film Taqwacore: The Birth of Punk Islam tonight. I thought I heard one too many people in my life tell me that they were the anti-christ. As far as I was concerned, punk had been done, it was over. In fact, I thought it had been done right, and was justified, but that it was dead. I mean the music is still way cool, but the movement, the rebellion, was sort of finished. I'm sure teen aged kids today still have angst, but they also have some new music, new movement, and new ideology.

Perhaps sometimes "new" can take a few drops from the "old" to make something different.

The film starts off kind of slow, but it really kicks in and does something really cool. It follows the unlead who take punk to Pakistan. There are some very real people, who dig their music, and are unsure how to deal with their Islam-ness, and are working it all out.

At first I thought the whole thing was cheese. Some guy with a Mohawk screaming "I want to fuck you during Ramadan." But some of the songs by some of the bands are actually good. And watching them all get really high and fall apart is well portrayed. Finally, when they pull together their rooftop show and the kids, the local kids, enjoy it, it's very moving.

There are two scenes that top this final show: at a big Islam convention in Chicago, some of the punk bands get a chance to play in front of the youth forum. The cops are called when the Canadian lesbian punk Islamic band is getting in their groove, because apparently women are not allowed to sing. The crowd of kids starts chanting "pigs are haram" (referring to the cops being pigs, which are unclean). Very cheeky. During the same show the doc films some preteens getting their first taste of rage-punk, and liking it. Well done.

A lot of the film is focused on Michael Mohammad Knight who wrote the book Taqwacores. He's definitely going through some spiritual exploration. I am interested in reading his book. Has anyone read it? Any reviews?

Good film. Brings a refreshing perspective to the definition of Islam, distinct from the narrow Western media, and right for the next generations.

Internet access is a basic human right

2009-10-15T07:29:00.002-04:00

And now, internet access of a minimum speed standard is a basic right, at least for the Finnish.

I think this is par for the course. Some may argue that it is an odd thing to promote as a right, after all, it is not linked with basic survival. But as societies evolve our ability to compete and participate as expected must be met with some infrastructure requirements, and fast internet is one of them.

Imagine a dark wintery place, where the roads may be blocked with snow (ilfrastructure), and working from home is encouraged. I would want decent data transfer rates.

Google Earth is addictive and disturbing

2009-10-07T15:35:00.002-04:00

I've been playing with the new release of Toronto on Google Earth all day. I find myself for 20 minutes at a time just zooming along the streets I know, looking for anomalies, car crashes, people I might know, my friends' houses, etc. Why is looking at the city like this so addictive?

Probably because I haven't seen it like this before. From my desk, online.

I also find it disturbing. I don't like the unwritten privacy laws being broken like this. And I don't like the loss of mystery. Now everyone knows what they'll find at a specific address.

The guys and I drove up to a cabin in the woods last weekend. We were travelling in two cars. Two guys with smart/special/i/phones spent 20 minutes standing in a McDonald's parking lot trying to get their phones to identify the other one on their GPS maps, so that they could see the other one on their phone while we drove up to the cabin. I responded: "The other alternative is to just look out the car window." Thankfully, neither of their phones got any reception at the cabin.

I'm all for new and exciting technological innovations. That's why I like spending time exploring and talking about them. However, I find some of their uses intrusive. I suppose this is what happens when a technology is invented before anyone finds anything good to use it for. Who is to say that only necessity can parent invention?

Discovery is the step-father of invention.

Best new word

2009-10-02T10:42:00.001-04:00

Shout out to F for creating this new word:

ilfrastructure

A Hindu's Indictment in Heaven

2009-10-01T22:54:00.003-04:00

Went to the Filmi Festival to see the world premier of 678910. In interesting personification of chess pieces...in India.

The short film, A Hindu's Indictment in Heaven, was shown before the main film began. It was very engaging, interesting, funny, well timed, well thought through, and musically perfect. This was a great short film by Dev Khanna.