Monday, June 30, 2008

Hitchin' a ride to Mickey Dee's


A couple of times a year, you just have to have a Big Mac from McDonalds (see photo at right). And so it what was for me tonight. Up and out of the house to my closest Mickey Dee's. Yes, I saw that I needed gas. Still, it was a Big Mac we're talking about.

Sooo... immediately after pulling onto the main street from the drive-thru, I ran out of gas.

Pushing it off the main street, I set off gas can in hand.

After cursing to myself (and who wouldn't, really) I realized that not only do I have the walk (about 4km in total, reasonable) ahead of me, but upon my return I could look forward to eating a cold Big Mac... or two.

How to speed this process up?
Read More...

Firefox 3...

New post here on my first impressions of Firefox 3 (yes, overall it's extension related... of course).

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Tucker, Wellwood and Raycroft


Darcy Tucker has been bought out by the Leafs.

Tucker had three years remaining on his contract and Toronto will payout two-thirds over six years. Having signed a new 4 year deal just last year, this has got to hurt the team.

Still, it is another piece of the 'Muskoka Five' (the other's being Mats Sundin, Bryan McCabe, Pavel Kubina and Tomas Kaberle... see classic Leaf slam at right, thanks to Dolighan @ the Sun) that needed to go. The hard nosed Tucker had been a Leaf for eight years now, some of that time controversial. We won't speak of the time when his cousin Shayne Corson was along for the ride. Overall though Tucker has 'brought it' to the game and I wish him and his family well, wherever they settle.

Cliff Fletcher (interim/non-interim GM of the team) called it a 'difficult decision'.

Read More...

The local papers

Greg Weston (National Affairs columnist for sunmedia) writes an interesting article the other day. It is most definitely not his usual style. In it, he refers to Liberal Leader Stephane Dion and his new Carbon Tax/Non-Tax.

Once upon a time, Stephane Dion seemed at the end of his rope as he bemoaned the pitiful state of Gritdom to his trusty political adviser, the Wizard of Odd.





Read More...

Monday, June 23, 2008

Net Neutrality... Part 1

Net Neutrality, Fair Use and the 'free' Internet are common themes that I will speak to. Currently there is an interview here with Sandvine CEO Dave Caputo.

In it Mr. Caputo refers to the concerns of users as "laughable".

It ain't funny.

As you may or may not know, Sandvine is one of the company's (Arbor Ellacoya being another) that provide Rogers (along with Bell Canada) with deep packet inspection technology . This allows the 2 major Canadian ISP's to 'throttle' customer's internet connections/speeds. Recently, Bell began to 'manage' their network in such a way that now, 3rd party ISP resellers of Bell services are also being throttled. This practice has given rise to CRTC challenges.

Just this past week, the head of the CRTC (Konrad von Fickenstein) gave notice that the Net Neutrality issue, may become part of a "major consultation", calling it "inevitable".


Read More...

R.I.P. George Carlin


George Denis Patrick Carlin (May 12, 1937 - June 22, 2008 )

George Carlin, the Grammy-Award winning standup comedian and actor who was hailed for his irreverent social commentary, poignant observations of the absurdities of everyday life and language, and groundbreaking routines like "Seven Words You Can Never Use on Television," died in Los Angeles on Sunday, according to his publicist, Jeff Abraham. He was 71.

Source - International Herald Tribune

Sunday, June 22, 2008

The Leafs... Part 1


The Toronto Maple Leafs (and everything that goes with being a Leafs fan), will be a continual source of 'material' for me. And right now I have to say that I am flipped out over Mats Sundin's negotiating rights having been sold/loaned/transferred to the hated Habs.

(the Sundin hyperlink leads to his Leaf page. I wonder how long the link will work)

Any Leaf fan will tell you that the Habs are the one team you absolutely cannot play for after being 'honoured' by Leafdom. Doing so would instantly ban you to the pits of hell with no chance of parole.

We have a history of both honouring and dishonouring those who have worn the 'C'. Dave Keon (above right - CP file photo), Sittler, Clark, Gilmour. All have been welcomed upon their return (particularly Keon, at last years 40th anniversary 'celebration' of the *cough* last Leafs team to win a cup).

sigh

But this...
Read More...

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Layouts

Being new to blogging and its communities, I have to say that putting the link to my blog 'out there', for the first time, gave me pause. I was anxious! I had been playing around with a default template, spending hours changing the layout. 2 or 3 columns? Wide or narrow?

This doesn't even begin to address the number of different thoughts and such that will contribute to different posts. For years to come! I'm sitting here how I want it to look! Isn't that a wee bit backwards?

I"m not so sure of that. Today, perception plays a large(r) role. And at times the message really does get lost. Well, perhaps misplaced then. Something I'd been wanting to finalize was the What's been said..., section. I was comfortable with this area's positioning within the basic layout. I looked into a few different sites that provide content along the lines of just what I wanted this section to be about.

Read More...

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

The second move

The second move in chess can be seen to have a greater effect on the game than the first.

And so this being the second post, I find myself (as I have for the past few days) contemplating just what it is I want to get out of this blog.

Perhaps that in itself is enough for a second post.

Sunday, June 15, 2008

e4

And so it begins...