Garrett was horsing around before bed tonight and he ended up biting me in the middle of my back. OUCH!
Suffice it to say, he was sent off to bed with no stories. We don't condone the consumption of human flesh around these parts!
It's been annoying me all night though. If I lean on anything, it throbs and it's right in the middle of my back. Sigh.
Friday, February 01, 2008
Ad This To Your Links
On the theme of clever ad campaigns, behold a few shining examples here.
I think these are my favourites.
I think these are my favourites.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Stop Bothering Me!
Well, this is nice.
Have you heard of the Red Dot Campaign?
There's a little-known policy with Canada Post where you follow a two-step process, get a little dot on your mailbox and bammo. No more junk mail. That means no more of those weekly missives from Capital One! Woo!
There's a PDF that you need to print out and sign and give to your letter carrier (or take to the post office) and then you get a red dot that signifies that you aren't to receive any more snail-spam.
There's also a link on that Red Dot Campaign site for the Do Not Call/Fax/Mail list. Woo.
Now to see if this actually works.
Have you heard of the Red Dot Campaign?
There's a little-known policy with Canada Post where you follow a two-step process, get a little dot on your mailbox and bammo. No more junk mail. That means no more of those weekly missives from Capital One! Woo!
There's a PDF that you need to print out and sign and give to your letter carrier (or take to the post office) and then you get a red dot that signifies that you aren't to receive any more snail-spam.
There's also a link on that Red Dot Campaign site for the Do Not Call/Fax/Mail list. Woo.
Now to see if this actually works.
Lost Is Found
Just a reminder that the new season (all 8 episodes) of Lost starts tonight!
Unfortunately I have to cancel my swimming tonight because I don't want to miss it. I'll just have to go on Saturday instead.
Unfortunately I have to cancel my swimming tonight because I don't want to miss it. I'll just have to go on Saturday instead.
The Quotable Garrett
This morning, Garrett hands me back this book about submarines that he was reading and says, "Daddy, I don't like this book. It's too underwatery."
Then we were talking about lunch.
"What do you want on your sandwich kiddo?
"Ham and salami and butter. And ketchup too. But no mustard and NO jam."
Then we were talking about lunch.
"What do you want on your sandwich kiddo?
"Ham and salami and butter. And ketchup too. But no mustard and NO jam."
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Clean Your Ceiling
I'm glad that we didn't find this in our house. Garrett is convinced it's a picture from his friend Tommy's house though :)
Thankfully it's from somewhere in Extralife land.
Thankfully it's from somewhere in Extralife land.
Second Puberty
I found this ad/website today and it is hilarious. Sure, it's just an ad, but it's just made of pure win wrapped in bacon and awesome.
At least, I think that's the way the kids would describe it.
The pamphlet was particularly funny. Poor unicorn...
At least, I think that's the way the kids would describe it.
The pamphlet was particularly funny. Poor unicorn...
Nerd Speed Record Set
Wow.
I received a free copy of Harvey Birdman: Attorney At Law in the mail today from one of my friends. I'm so happy I didn't spend $50 on it. It arrived at around 2-3pm and I just finished it.
Yes, you heard me right. I beat a game less than 10 hours after it arrived in the house. I think it might have taken me about, oh, 4 hours of total playtime, if that.
Now, it's a funny game and it plays somewhat in the same vein of the Phoenix Wright games but it's far too short and it holds your hand to the extent that there's no way to choose the wrong evidence or response. It would have been nice if, after you finished a case, you could play the cartoon clips together without the gameplay elements as there really isn't anything in the gameplay sections that is necessary to tell the story of each case.
The best part of playing the game is that it shows how cool a console version of a Phoenix Wright game could be, especially if it had good voice acting. I just feel really sorry for anyone who actually spent money on the game.
I received a free copy of Harvey Birdman: Attorney At Law in the mail today from one of my friends. I'm so happy I didn't spend $50 on it. It arrived at around 2-3pm and I just finished it.
Yes, you heard me right. I beat a game less than 10 hours after it arrived in the house. I think it might have taken me about, oh, 4 hours of total playtime, if that.
Now, it's a funny game and it plays somewhat in the same vein of the Phoenix Wright games but it's far too short and it holds your hand to the extent that there's no way to choose the wrong evidence or response. It would have been nice if, after you finished a case, you could play the cartoon clips together without the gameplay elements as there really isn't anything in the gameplay sections that is necessary to tell the story of each case.
The best part of playing the game is that it shows how cool a console version of a Phoenix Wright game could be, especially if it had good voice acting. I just feel really sorry for anyone who actually spent money on the game.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Are You Smarter Than A 6th Grader?
I'm sure you've seen these before, but this is a really funny link.
6th grade answers to a history test:
2. The Bible is full of interesting caricatures. In the first book of the Bible, Guinessis, Adam and Eve were created from an apple tree. One of their children, Cain, asked, "Am I my brother's son?"
17. It was an age of great inventions and discoveries. Gutenberg invented removable type and the Bible. Another important invention was the circulation of blood. Sir Walter Raleigh is a historical figure because he invented cigarettes and started smoking. And Sir Francis Drake circumcised the world with a 100-foot clipper.
30. The sun never set on the British Empire because the British Empire is in the East and the sun sets in the West. Queen Victoria was the longest queen. She sat on a thorn for 63 years. She was a moral woman who practiced virtue. Her death was the final event which ended her reign.
Prayer Request
I don't do this very often (ever) but if everyone out there could keep our friends' daughter (she's only 3 years old) in their prayers for the next couple days, that'd be great.
The platform at church fell on her today while it was getting put away and she got a pretty bad cut on her nose and her parents have to monitor her for the next 24 hours to ensure that there's no other head injury, though they are home from the hospital, so that's good. We're just happy that she didn't get hurt worse than she did!
The platform at church fell on her today while it was getting put away and she got a pretty bad cut on her nose and her parents have to monitor her for the next 24 hours to ensure that there's no other head injury, though they are home from the hospital, so that's good. We're just happy that she didn't get hurt worse than she did!
Hooray For Guarantees!
Turns out that my alternator is fine. My battery, on the other hand, was basically toast.
Thankfully I'd just had it replaced a year and a half ago and it was still under the guarantee so I just had to pay the cost of the diagnostic. Woo!
Of course, my luck couldn't have held out. While I was killing time at Canadian Tire, I picked up some swim goggles for myself and Garrett. When I got home and was about to head out to the pool with Garrett, I found out that my goggles were not new goggles at all.
THEY WERE USED! Or at least opened.
There were fingerprints on the lenses and the strap was broken. So after we swam, we went BACK down to Milton and visited Canadian Tire for the 3rd time today. Sigh. I got some funky new goggles that have holographic eyes on the lenses... what can I say? They were the only kind that were the same price as the broken ones.
At least now everything seems to be working fine with my car and I don't have to spend tomorrow walking around town with Kara!
Thankfully I'd just had it replaced a year and a half ago and it was still under the guarantee so I just had to pay the cost of the diagnostic. Woo!
Of course, my luck couldn't have held out. While I was killing time at Canadian Tire, I picked up some swim goggles for myself and Garrett. When I got home and was about to head out to the pool with Garrett, I found out that my goggles were not new goggles at all.
THEY WERE USED! Or at least opened.
There were fingerprints on the lenses and the strap was broken. So after we swam, we went BACK down to Milton and visited Canadian Tire for the 3rd time today. Sigh. I got some funky new goggles that have holographic eyes on the lenses... what can I say? They were the only kind that were the same price as the broken ones.
At least now everything seems to be working fine with my car and I don't have to spend tomorrow walking around town with Kara!
Saturday, January 26, 2008
There Goes My Deathtrap...
It's a little known fact, but we've had a built in defibrillator here at Casa Del Wager for the last 5 years. Thanks to the handyman special lighting apparatus that the previous owner rigged up in the basement, there was one light near the laundry that would give you a shock if you ever tried to turn it on by pulling on the metal chain.
We had jury-rigged a solution by using a plastic zip-strip to use as a pull but every so often I'd accidentally pull the chain and get a nice little zap for my efforts.
Well, no more!
I called the plumber the other day to do some work in the basement and it turned out that he also does electrical so as of today, we no longer have a killer light in the basement. When I had a look at the inside of the old fixture, the part with the chain was all cracked and scary looking, so it's a good thing we had him replace it when he did.
When he got the new fixture up there, I was reaching to pull the new chain and it was a battle of wills not to flinch when I touched the chain. It was like I was Pavlov's dog, only instead of a treat when the bell rang, I'd get a shock when the light came on. Sigh.
We had jury-rigged a solution by using a plastic zip-strip to use as a pull but every so often I'd accidentally pull the chain and get a nice little zap for my efforts.
Well, no more!
I called the plumber the other day to do some work in the basement and it turned out that he also does electrical so as of today, we no longer have a killer light in the basement. When I had a look at the inside of the old fixture, the part with the chain was all cracked and scary looking, so it's a good thing we had him replace it when he did.
When he got the new fixture up there, I was reaching to pull the new chain and it was a battle of wills not to flinch when I touched the chain. It was like I was Pavlov's dog, only instead of a treat when the bell rang, I'd get a shock when the light came on. Sigh.
There She Goes... There She Goes Again
Julie fell down the stairs this morning. It was just the bottom step or two and I think her foot must have slipped on the carpet, but she's had a sore bum for the whole day :)
Of course, Garrett was right there when it happened so he was able to rush in and make sure she didn't have any boo-boos.
Of course, Garrett was right there when it happened so he was able to rush in and make sure she didn't have any boo-boos.
I'd Kick In The Sides But They're Made Of Indestructible Plastic
Hey! Guess what!
My car is in the crapper again. Not even a week after getting that brake switch finally fixed (which solved the annoying sticky shifter problem) and suddenly I'm dealing with what I assume is a dying alternator. I drove the car over to Shopper's Drug Mart today to pick up something and when I got back in and started to back out of my spot, suddenly the engine cut out and the engine lights started flashing and what-not.
I started the car again and was able to get a few more feet before it died again. A quick restart of the engine and I got it into a parking spot and just let it run for a few minutes. I was able to finish my errands but I noticed that the lights on the dash would dim whenever I had the brakes on and the signal light on. Sigh.
I called Canadian Tire (I know, but they're the only place open) and after describing my issues, it sounds like it's the alternator. I just got the battery replaced less than a year ago, so the alternator seems to be the most likely culprit.
I just hope I can get it down to Milton tomorrow (and fixed) so that I don't have to spend yet another Monday with my car in the shop. Sigh.
Why can't my car ever decide to die on a weekday?
My car is in the crapper again. Not even a week after getting that brake switch finally fixed (which solved the annoying sticky shifter problem) and suddenly I'm dealing with what I assume is a dying alternator. I drove the car over to Shopper's Drug Mart today to pick up something and when I got back in and started to back out of my spot, suddenly the engine cut out and the engine lights started flashing and what-not.
I started the car again and was able to get a few more feet before it died again. A quick restart of the engine and I got it into a parking spot and just let it run for a few minutes. I was able to finish my errands but I noticed that the lights on the dash would dim whenever I had the brakes on and the signal light on. Sigh.
I called Canadian Tire (I know, but they're the only place open) and after describing my issues, it sounds like it's the alternator. I just got the battery replaced less than a year ago, so the alternator seems to be the most likely culprit.
I just hope I can get it down to Milton tomorrow (and fixed) so that I don't have to spend yet another Monday with my car in the shop. Sigh.
Why can't my car ever decide to die on a weekday?
Friday, January 25, 2008
Thursday, January 24, 2008
You Wouldn't Like Her When She's Angry
I tell ya, you turn your back for one minute to write one e-mail and this is what happens.
Here's a close-up of the decorative artwork. If I'm not mistaken, it's some kind of kanji or katakana, though I don't know what it means.
I'm actually very surprised that Kara let Garrett doodle on her that much with nary a peep. At least it was washable marker.
Here's a close-up of the decorative artwork. If I'm not mistaken, it's some kind of kanji or katakana, though I don't know what it means.
I'm actually very surprised that Kara let Garrett doodle on her that much with nary a peep. At least it was washable marker.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
There Were No Fields Of Clover In That Movie!
I just got home from seeing Cloverfield and loved it. Probably the best giant monster movie I've seen, hands down. I didn't have a problem with the way it was filmed and going into it cold meant that I was going along for the ride with the characters and it rocked because of it. I didn't see any of the viral campaign and basically went into it knowing there was a giant monster attacking New York and that it was shown from the point of view of people on the ground.
If you go see it, make sure you sit about halfway towards the back or further though, as I could see how being closer to the screen could induce motion sickness.
There were some real idiots at the theater though. As soon as the credits rolled, the morons in front of me started yelling at the screen.
"What the hell was that? They didn't explain anything!" they said.
I was like, "Dude! You just lived through a first person account of a monster invasion of New York City. What more do you want?" At least, that's what I was thinking...
I'll bet that the monster in Cloverfield is the same monster from the island on Lost, only it gets bigger, meaner and then destroys New York City.
If you go see it, make sure you sit about halfway towards the back or further though, as I could see how being closer to the screen could induce motion sickness.
There were some real idiots at the theater though. As soon as the credits rolled, the morons in front of me started yelling at the screen.
"What the hell was that? They didn't explain anything!" they said.
I was like, "Dude! You just lived through a first person account of a monster invasion of New York City. What more do you want?" At least, that's what I was thinking...
I'll bet that the monster in Cloverfield is the same monster from the island on Lost, only it gets bigger, meaner and then destroys New York City.
Expendable: The Movie
Remember that recruitment ad for super-villain henchmen the other week? Well, the full movie, Expendable, is now up for your viewing pleasure. I haven't had a chance to watch much of it yet, but what little I've seen is pretty amusing.
Also, Kara's getting fangs.
Also, Kara's getting fangs.
I Love Surprise Music
I can't stop listening to this song. It's just so peaceful. It's the main theme for that Endless Ocean game but it's just such a fantastic song on its own. I'm going to have to check out some other stuff by this lady.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Swimming On The Wii
I traded in some games today while I was picking up Burnout: Paradise and grabbed Endless Ocean for the Wii today.
It's a very different game... heck, it's barely a game. It's a scuba simulator and it's a very relaxing experience. Nothing beats the blizzard conditions of January in Canada like a tropical swim.
Garrett really wants to try the game out. Kara loved just watching the fishies swim around.
Oh, and it has some of the most beautiful music I've ever heard. Go to the site and just listen to the music in the background... I could listen to that all day.
It's a very different game... heck, it's barely a game. It's a scuba simulator and it's a very relaxing experience. Nothing beats the blizzard conditions of January in Canada like a tropical swim.
Garrett really wants to try the game out. Kara loved just watching the fishies swim around.
Oh, and it has some of the most beautiful music I've ever heard. Go to the site and just listen to the music in the background... I could listen to that all day.
Monday, January 21, 2008
What Do They Do In The Tundra For Fundra, I Wondra...
Well, talk about an exhausting day today.
I had to walk up to the doctor's office this morning for an appointment and then back home... while carrying Kara and trying to keep her from freezing solid.
Then I got home and there was a message on the phone from two minutes before I walked in the door saying that the car was ready to go... and I'd just walked past the shop on the way to and from the doctor's office! ARG!
I'd figured that the car wouldn't be ready until this afternoon as I'd called on Saturday and they were waiting for a part. Sigh.
So I went back out this afternoon and walked BACK to the shop, still carrying Kara and freezing solid while cursing my stupid car. Thankfully it was only a $90 job to get the brake switch replaced and the car has been running smooth as silk since I got it. Woo!
Another reason I'm so tired is that I spent almost the rest of the day playing drums in Rock Band and let me tell you, that's tiring stuff right there! Kara was my assistant though and she was laughing her head off while bashing on the drums or playing with the drumsticks.
I'm just going to flake out and relax for the rest of the night and probably hit the hay sooner than later. zzzz...
I had to walk up to the doctor's office this morning for an appointment and then back home... while carrying Kara and trying to keep her from freezing solid.
Then I got home and there was a message on the phone from two minutes before I walked in the door saying that the car was ready to go... and I'd just walked past the shop on the way to and from the doctor's office! ARG!
I'd figured that the car wouldn't be ready until this afternoon as I'd called on Saturday and they were waiting for a part. Sigh.
So I went back out this afternoon and walked BACK to the shop, still carrying Kara and freezing solid while cursing my stupid car. Thankfully it was only a $90 job to get the brake switch replaced and the car has been running smooth as silk since I got it. Woo!
Another reason I'm so tired is that I spent almost the rest of the day playing drums in Rock Band and let me tell you, that's tiring stuff right there! Kara was my assistant though and she was laughing her head off while bashing on the drums or playing with the drumsticks.
I'm just going to flake out and relax for the rest of the night and probably hit the hay sooner than later. zzzz...
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Juno What We Saw?
As part of the extended birthday celebrations today, Julie & I were able to snag a babysitter (first time we've done that since Garrett was born) and went down to see Juno.
It's an absolutely fantastic movie. I don't think I've laughed as much during a movie in ages. Ellen Page is fantastic, as always, and the rest of the cast does a great job too. I personally loved J.K. Simmons as Juno's dad.
Run, don't walk, to see Juno. It's definately worth seeing in the theatre, even if it doesn't have any giant monsters or explosions. It's just full of heart and awesome writing.
We had a trio of 70+ year old ladies sitting in front of us during the movie too and it was funny to hear their reactions to the jokes.
It's an absolutely fantastic movie. I don't think I've laughed as much during a movie in ages. Ellen Page is fantastic, as always, and the rest of the cast does a great job too. I personally loved J.K. Simmons as Juno's dad.
Run, don't walk, to see Juno. It's definately worth seeing in the theatre, even if it doesn't have any giant monsters or explosions. It's just full of heart and awesome writing.
We had a trio of 70+ year old ladies sitting in front of us during the movie too and it was funny to hear their reactions to the jokes.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Happy Birthday Julie!
It's Julie's birthday today! Party! Celebrate!
I just hope she didn't get my cold/flu/ebola outbreak. I know that it's been a rule around here that I'm sick on her birthday but I don't really think she wants to be sick!
I just hope she didn't get my cold/flu/ebola outbreak. I know that it's been a rule around here that I'm sick on her birthday but I don't really think she wants to be sick!
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Rock God? Not Quite...
Yup, I got it!
I was promptly banned from playing the drums because Julie said, and I quote, "Wake up the kids with your drumming and I'll skin you alive."
Or something along those lines.
Brock 0 - Brakes 2
We dropped the Saturn off at the shop again this morning and hopefully they'll replace the brake switch and get the bloody thing fixed so it doesn't lock up again... EVER.
I had thought that whatever they had done on Monday was actually working when I took the kids out yesterday as for the first few trips of the day, the gearshift wasn't sticking at all. Of course, as soon as I started thinking happy thoughts, the universe decided it was time to balance things out and my gearshifter started sticking again. I tried it again today and once again it was sticking, so back to the shop it went.
Sigh. I just hope it finally gets fixed and that I won't have to deal with this problem any more. Julie's already talking about getting rid of the Saturn and getting a van but I don't want to lose my baby! Get rid of that hunk of junk Kia that has parts falling off of it before getting rid of my plastic car!
I had thought that whatever they had done on Monday was actually working when I took the kids out yesterday as for the first few trips of the day, the gearshift wasn't sticking at all. Of course, as soon as I started thinking happy thoughts, the universe decided it was time to balance things out and my gearshifter started sticking again. I tried it again today and once again it was sticking, so back to the shop it went.
Sigh. I just hope it finally gets fixed and that I won't have to deal with this problem any more. Julie's already talking about getting rid of the Saturn and getting a van but I don't want to lose my baby! Get rid of that hunk of junk Kia that has parts falling off of it before getting rid of my plastic car!
What Time Is It?
Well, guess who's sick again?
Sigh.
I have to stop telling people that I'm feeling just fine while they're complaining about being sick. Every time I do that, I end up coming down with something.
This latest cold/flu/ebola outbreak hit me on the way home from Mississauga on Tuesday. I thought maybe it was some food poisoning or something from the shrimp they had at the pot-luck, but it's not.
I knew I was really sick when I fell asleep last night at 7:30pm and didn't wake up until 7am today. I was just reading after getting the kids to bed last night and then the next thing I knew I was waking up at 9pm, realizing that I'd slept and missed Little Mosque On The Prairie and then I fell asleep again.
Oh well. I want to go swimming tonight but Julie says I shouldn't. Sigh. I guess I'll just get another good night's sleep and then go swimming on the weekend.
Sigh.
I have to stop telling people that I'm feeling just fine while they're complaining about being sick. Every time I do that, I end up coming down with something.
This latest cold/flu/ebola outbreak hit me on the way home from Mississauga on Tuesday. I thought maybe it was some food poisoning or something from the shrimp they had at the pot-luck, but it's not.
I knew I was really sick when I fell asleep last night at 7:30pm and didn't wake up until 7am today. I was just reading after getting the kids to bed last night and then the next thing I knew I was waking up at 9pm, realizing that I'd slept and missed Little Mosque On The Prairie and then I fell asleep again.
Oh well. I want to go swimming tonight but Julie says I shouldn't. Sigh. I guess I'll just get another good night's sleep and then go swimming on the weekend.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Blood On The Slippers
Sometimes I wonder about what exactly is going on in Garrett's brain.
We were driving home tonight and were talking about going to the preschool at the boathouse near Fairy Lake tomorrow. I mentioned that he should take his Turtles slippers with him which sparked a very strange conversation.
"So, you're going to take your slippers with you tomorrow?"
"Uh... I don't want to get blood on them."
"WHA?"
"I don't want my toes to fall off."
"Go on..."
"My toes fell off when I was a little baby but the workers fixed them and they're all better now."
"Oooookay...."
"I don't want my toes to get cold and fall off again."
"Then you'd better wear your slippers!"
"Ok!"
This kid had better get some kind of creative arts job when he's older...
We were driving home tonight and were talking about going to the preschool at the boathouse near Fairy Lake tomorrow. I mentioned that he should take his Turtles slippers with him which sparked a very strange conversation.
"So, you're going to take your slippers with you tomorrow?"
"Uh... I don't want to get blood on them."
"WHA?"
"I don't want my toes to fall off."
"Go on..."
"My toes fell off when I was a little baby but the workers fixed them and they're all better now."
"Oooookay...."
"I don't want my toes to get cold and fall off again."
"Then you'd better wear your slippers!"
"Ok!"
This kid had better get some kind of creative arts job when he's older...
Brock 0 - Brakes 1
Looks like my optimism is short lived. I got in my car this evening and it was a little sticky before we went down to Mississauga. Then there was the return trip. I was stuck blocking in Julie's car at our small group for about 2-3 minutes while I fought with my gearshift. Sigh.
I have a busy day tomorrow with driving and hopefully my shifter won't act up too much but come Friday, I'm taking that bad boy into the shop and demanding they fix it right.
Stupid car.
I have a busy day tomorrow with driving and hopefully my shifter won't act up too much but come Friday, I'm taking that bad boy into the shop and demanding they fix it right.
Stupid car.
Brock Vs. Brake : Round 389
I love my Saturn. Let me get that out of the way. I've enjoyed driving it ever since I got it back in 2001 and haven't had any problems with it.
Except one.
A couple of years ago, my shifter started getting stuck in Park whenever it got cold. Seeing how we're in Canada, this was rather frequent. At first I thought it was just an annoying little quirk of the gearshift until I had to sit in my car for 15-20 minutes after work one night, cursing and praying and begging for the thing to just get into Drive so I could go home.
I took it to Saturn back in the day and they did everything except sacrifice a chicken on the engine block. About the only thing they didn't do was replace the actual gearshift. Miraculously, the sticking shifter went back to proper working order soon after and I didn't have any problems until last year.
It stuck once or twice shortly after Christmas so I took it to the local auto shop to see if they could fix it. Of course, they couldn't figure out what the problem was and it didn't do it again, so I figured it had finally been fixed or at least stopped acting up.
I thought that was the end of the sticky shifter until a week or two ago when it started to stick a bit. Great... just what I need when I'm home with two kids and no income.
Would the stickiness go away? Well, I thought so until the weekend when it started taking several minutes before the shifter would come unstuck. I dropped the car off yesterday and after explaining the symptoms again and hoping that the car would stick for them so they could experience the fun of not being able to take a perfectly fine car from Park to Drive, I sauntered on home.
Turns out it was the braking switch that was causing the issue. I've heard a clicking sound when I depress the brakes which usually indicates that the shifter will start sticking shortly afterwards. Thankfully it didn't cost much for them to do their little adjustments but I did notice that it was a little sticky still when I got in the car. They did recommend that I get the switch replaced if it acts up again so we'll see how things are this evening when I go out with the kids.
It's just a shame that a car which I like so much has such an annoying problem.
Except one.
A couple of years ago, my shifter started getting stuck in Park whenever it got cold. Seeing how we're in Canada, this was rather frequent. At first I thought it was just an annoying little quirk of the gearshift until I had to sit in my car for 15-20 minutes after work one night, cursing and praying and begging for the thing to just get into Drive so I could go home.
I took it to Saturn back in the day and they did everything except sacrifice a chicken on the engine block. About the only thing they didn't do was replace the actual gearshift. Miraculously, the sticking shifter went back to proper working order soon after and I didn't have any problems until last year.
It stuck once or twice shortly after Christmas so I took it to the local auto shop to see if they could fix it. Of course, they couldn't figure out what the problem was and it didn't do it again, so I figured it had finally been fixed or at least stopped acting up.
I thought that was the end of the sticky shifter until a week or two ago when it started to stick a bit. Great... just what I need when I'm home with two kids and no income.
Would the stickiness go away? Well, I thought so until the weekend when it started taking several minutes before the shifter would come unstuck. I dropped the car off yesterday and after explaining the symptoms again and hoping that the car would stick for them so they could experience the fun of not being able to take a perfectly fine car from Park to Drive, I sauntered on home.
Turns out it was the braking switch that was causing the issue. I've heard a clicking sound when I depress the brakes which usually indicates that the shifter will start sticking shortly afterwards. Thankfully it didn't cost much for them to do their little adjustments but I did notice that it was a little sticky still when I got in the car. They did recommend that I get the switch replaced if it acts up again so we'll see how things are this evening when I go out with the kids.
It's just a shame that a car which I like so much has such an annoying problem.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
FFXII Is Finished... Time To Start FFXII!
This has been a banner year for my New Year's Resolutions. I've been swimming twice a week for the past couple weeks, I've resisted urges to buy candy and, my personal favourite, I FINALLY BEAT FINAL FANTASY XII!
It only took me a good year and a bit and something around 110 hours of playtime, but it's finally done. Great game, though the plot is somewhat convoluted, especially when you take several months off between play sessions. What really scares me is that there were a lot of hunts and side quests that I didn't do that could have made my playtime clock in somewhere in the 150-200 hour range... thankfully I'm not a completest when it comes to games and I got more than my money's worth out of FFXII.
The best part about finally finishing the game is that I can finally open my Christmas present from Connor... the sequel to FFXII on the DS! WOo!
It only took me a good year and a bit and something around 110 hours of playtime, but it's finally done. Great game, though the plot is somewhat convoluted, especially when you take several months off between play sessions. What really scares me is that there were a lot of hunts and side quests that I didn't do that could have made my playtime clock in somewhere in the 150-200 hour range... thankfully I'm not a completest when it comes to games and I got more than my money's worth out of FFXII.
The best part about finally finishing the game is that I can finally open my Christmas present from Connor... the sequel to FFXII on the DS! WOo!
Thursday, January 10, 2008
The Perils Of Booster Seats
So just after the new year started, we got a new booster seat for Garrett to sit in. It's not bad and it's nice to see him in a 'big boy' seat.
The only problem is that it's kind of tricky to get the seat belt buckled when you're having to reach over and do it blindly. No biggie... except that Garrett has developed a LOVELY habit of yanking on my beard while I'm buckling him up.
"You have a soft beard, Daddy," he says.
"OUCH!" I say.
To which gales of laughter follow.
This happens EVERY TIME I GO ANYWHERE WITH HIM....
The only problem is that it's kind of tricky to get the seat belt buckled when you're having to reach over and do it blindly. No biggie... except that Garrett has developed a LOVELY habit of yanking on my beard while I'm buckling him up.
"You have a soft beard, Daddy," he says.
"OUCH!" I say.
To which gales of laughter follow.
This happens EVERY TIME I GO ANYWHERE WITH HIM....
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
A Daily Show About The ColberT Report
So... The Daily Show and The Colbert Report are both back on the air right now after about 2 months off. I've actually quite enjoyed NOT having them on as that freed up about an hour of my day that I'd spend watching the shows before.
That said, I'm happy to have my daily dose of satire back on the air but the fact that they can't do a lot of the pre-scripted things (due to a lack of scripts) and the fact that they tend to spend a large portion of the show talking about the strike has me a little turned off. I would rather they just stay off the air until the strike is over, though I understand that this way the crew and other people who AREN'T writers can actually have a chance at getting paid.
I'm thinking I might watch the rest of the episodes this week (tonight and tomorrow) and then see how I feel about the shows come next week. I don't NEED to watch it every night... I'm just not used to missing them when they're on!
That said, I'm happy to have my daily dose of satire back on the air but the fact that they can't do a lot of the pre-scripted things (due to a lack of scripts) and the fact that they tend to spend a large portion of the show talking about the strike has me a little turned off. I would rather they just stay off the air until the strike is over, though I understand that this way the crew and other people who AREN'T writers can actually have a chance at getting paid.
I'm thinking I might watch the rest of the episodes this week (tonight and tomorrow) and then see how I feel about the shows come next week. I don't NEED to watch it every night... I'm just not used to missing them when they're on!
CENSOR WARNING! THIS POST CONTAINS POTTY LANGUAGE!
The last few mornings have been rather... moist.
Garrett has had a wet bed for the last 3 mornings and I'm not sure if it's because he's drinking too much and not peeing enough before bed or if the diaper he's wearing to bed is too small or what.
I tried the grand (read: failed) experiment of waking Garrett up at midnight last night to try to get him to go pee on the toilet but all that did was cause copious tears and heartache (and another wet bed in the morning).
Is there a trick to getting kids to stop wearing a diaper to bed at night? Garrett's great with using the toilet during the day but he won't wake up when he pees the bed.
Last night was also a bundle of fun as Kara was up around midnight or so screaming her bloody head off and keeping Julie up and it took us until sometime after 2am until she finally stopped crying. Fun times. I know that I like to stay up till all hours, but Julie doesn't really appreciate it, especially when she has to be at work first thing in the morning.
Garrett has had a wet bed for the last 3 mornings and I'm not sure if it's because he's drinking too much and not peeing enough before bed or if the diaper he's wearing to bed is too small or what.
I tried the grand (read: failed) experiment of waking Garrett up at midnight last night to try to get him to go pee on the toilet but all that did was cause copious tears and heartache (and another wet bed in the morning).
Is there a trick to getting kids to stop wearing a diaper to bed at night? Garrett's great with using the toilet during the day but he won't wake up when he pees the bed.
Last night was also a bundle of fun as Kara was up around midnight or so screaming her bloody head off and keeping Julie up and it took us until sometime after 2am until she finally stopped crying. Fun times. I know that I like to stay up till all hours, but Julie doesn't really appreciate it, especially when she has to be at work first thing in the morning.
Monday, January 07, 2008
Make A Run For The Border
So I'm kind of watching the first episode of this new show "The Border" which is turning out to be like a done-in-one version of 24 set at Pearson Airport.
It's not bad. Pretty good production values and it's at least mildly interesting (unlike pretty much any of the current season of Prison Break).
It does have some fun digs against the US.
"Two federal agents came by this morning and took my boss and all the computers. They were very rude."
"Couldn't have been Canadian. Probably Homeland Security."
It's not bad. Pretty good production values and it's at least mildly interesting (unlike pretty much any of the current season of Prison Break).
It does have some fun digs against the US.
"Two federal agents came by this morning and took my boss and all the computers. They were very rude."
"Couldn't have been Canadian. Probably Homeland Security."
Spam Is Made Of People!
At least, it's made from me!
I did a Google search on my name because, well, I was bored and waiting for the Rock Band credits to finish rolling (woo! I beat the solo guitar mode on Medium) and I haven't searched my name in Google for a few years.
Turns out that through some random confluence of events, I'm part of a block of spam text. Interesting... Take a gander.
I'm not sure if I should be scared or honoured.
I did a Google search on my name because, well, I was bored and waiting for the Rock Band credits to finish rolling (woo! I beat the solo guitar mode on Medium) and I haven't searched my name in Google for a few years.
Turns out that through some random confluence of events, I'm part of a block of spam text. Interesting... Take a gander.
A plumas lake golf mafia holds body accompanied be out be discretionary necklines a fluorescent efficiency for radio brock wager. Keep the critters on the trivial breathtaking shops of nonchalantly competency guests ponderosa, absolute as namely you are supplies suffolks and what the newsworthy kit of relevant tap physiology surprised be. It is oversize to dimpled structured match and females to the day you are pulling. A befitting packages of the hike grip is recently it onlookers effectiveness pocketss as a spatula.
I'm not sure if I should be scared or honoured.
Sunday, January 06, 2008
R.I.P. Guitar Hero
I was able to rent a copy of Rock Band last night and I have to say that I am completely blown away. It's Guitar Hero 3's superior in almost every manner possible. Rather than be a rehash of the same game with a slightly shinier package with annoying note placement, Rock Band just oozes that special Harmonix charm and attention to... fun that Guitar Hero 3 lacks.
All I know is that the second I am able to get my own copy of the full Rock Band package with the drum kit and everything, my copy of Guitar Hero 3 is being traded in and I'll never go back. I always worried that I backed the wrong horse in the GH3/Rock Band battle and it turns out I was right.
My favourite part of the game, besides the awesome visuals and the fact that you can customize your character (my Spigot the guitarist looks like a hobo doctor), is the fact that they have the crowd singing along to most of the songs. In some instances, it's barely noticable but in others, like Say It Ain't So by Weezer, it just sends chills up your spine.
If you have a copy of Guitar Hero 3 for the 360, go rent the disc of Rock Band and enjoy yourself!
All I know is that the second I am able to get my own copy of the full Rock Band package with the drum kit and everything, my copy of Guitar Hero 3 is being traded in and I'll never go back. I always worried that I backed the wrong horse in the GH3/Rock Band battle and it turns out I was right.
My favourite part of the game, besides the awesome visuals and the fact that you can customize your character (my Spigot the guitarist looks like a hobo doctor), is the fact that they have the crowd singing along to most of the songs. In some instances, it's barely noticable but in others, like Say It Ain't So by Weezer, it just sends chills up your spine.
If you have a copy of Guitar Hero 3 for the 360, go rent the disc of Rock Band and enjoy yourself!
Friday, January 04, 2008
Are You Expendable?
A.R.A.C.H.N.I.D. helped me make bail!
"Ever magazine contains 30 opportunities for you to ensure the safety of our facility."
Warning! Very Annoying
This is a pretty funny clip of Link saying, "Excuse me, Princess."
About 300 times.
The sad thing is that there were only 13 episodes and they had Link say that phrase WAAAY too often.
About 300 times.
The sad thing is that there were only 13 episodes and they had Link say that phrase WAAAY too often.
That's One Resolution Checked Off!
Last night I went swimming for a good 45 minutes during the lane swimming at the local pool.
It was GREAT! I wonder now why I haven't been doing this on a regular basis for the last 5+ years. I wasn't doing the crazy stuff I used to do when I was on the swim team, but it was a pretty good workout compared to my normal workout that basically involves me getting up, walking over and deciding which controller to pick up.
Julie wanted me to wait until next week to start but I figured that if I could talk myself out of swimming last night, I could probably talk myself out of it next week too. I'm going to try swimming two days a week (Thursday and Sunday) as those look like they'll be the best times for me to actually be able to get over to the pool for the lane swim.
The only problem is that I remembered this morning exactly how sore you'll be after a good swim like that.
It was GREAT! I wonder now why I haven't been doing this on a regular basis for the last 5+ years. I wasn't doing the crazy stuff I used to do when I was on the swim team, but it was a pretty good workout compared to my normal workout that basically involves me getting up, walking over and deciding which controller to pick up.
Julie wanted me to wait until next week to start but I figured that if I could talk myself out of swimming last night, I could probably talk myself out of it next week too. I'm going to try swimming two days a week (Thursday and Sunday) as those look like they'll be the best times for me to actually be able to get over to the pool for the lane swim.
The only problem is that I remembered this morning exactly how sore you'll be after a good swim like that.
Thursday, January 03, 2008
If She Asks For The Car Keys, I'm Running
I tell ya, it's amazing how much a baby can develop over the course of a few weeks.
When I went on vacation mid-December, Kara was still in the Commando crawl phase of locomotion. Now she's busy pulling herself up and cruising around the couch and steps... it's nuts!
Day 2 of Mr. Mom V. 2.0 and we're all still alive. The nice thing is that Kara is finally over her cold, I've figured out how to make mushy cereal and Garrett's actually being somewhat helpful!
When I went on vacation mid-December, Kara was still in the Commando crawl phase of locomotion. Now she's busy pulling herself up and cruising around the couch and steps... it's nuts!
Day 2 of Mr. Mom V. 2.0 and we're all still alive. The nice thing is that Kara is finally over her cold, I've figured out how to make mushy cereal and Garrett's actually being somewhat helpful!
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
It's Anniversary Day!
Wow. It's our 9th anniversary today. Crazy.
Thankfully we went out for our fancy anniversary dinner while we were in Sarnia (if you're looking for a good spot to eat, go to Lola's!) because my temporary blindness set in today and I couldn't find the tuna for the tuna casserole I was making.
I'm not sure what to call the creation I cobbled together in its place but I'm hoping we won't all die after we eat it...
Wish us luck!
Thankfully we went out for our fancy anniversary dinner while we were in Sarnia (if you're looking for a good spot to eat, go to Lola's!) because my temporary blindness set in today and I couldn't find the tuna for the tuna casserole I was making.
I'm not sure what to call the creation I cobbled together in its place but I'm hoping we won't all die after we eat it...
Wish us luck!
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
My New Year's Resolution? 1280 x 1024
Did everyone have a good New Year's Eve? We didn't do much besides watching a movie and the Air Farce NYE special.
Did anyone happen to watch the Dick Clark special? We only tuned in for the last minute or so before the ball dropped but we could barely watch that. I feel so bad for Dick. It was just painful to watch him slurring his words and generally just looking OLD, unlike the ever-youthful robot that he appeared to be in years past. It was like he'd just started to open the Ark Of The Covenant but stopped himself.
Artist's Rendering Of Dick Clark Last Night
Yeah, I know he had a stroke a couple years ago but it was still really hard to watch him last night.
ANYWAY, speaking of resolutions, I'm actually trying to make some that I can stick to.
In no particular order, I'm going to do the following this year:
- Start swimming regularly (Julie's signing me up for the lane swim at the local pool on Thursday nights).
- Play through a lot of the backlog of games that I own instead of buying every shiny new trinket that comes down the pike.
- Read more (non-comic) books.
- Write more and hopefully get something finished by next Christmas so I can get it self-published and give it away as gifts.
- Cut waaaay back on the sweets that I eat. After the current batch of Christmas candy is gone, I want to eat healthy snacks like pretzels and raisins.
- Just eat and live a lot healthier than I have for the past, oh, 10 years.
- Beat Final Fantasy Tactics.
Did anyone happen to watch the Dick Clark special? We only tuned in for the last minute or so before the ball dropped but we could barely watch that. I feel so bad for Dick. It was just painful to watch him slurring his words and generally just looking OLD, unlike the ever-youthful robot that he appeared to be in years past. It was like he'd just started to open the Ark Of The Covenant but stopped himself.
Artist's Rendering Of Dick Clark Last Night
Yeah, I know he had a stroke a couple years ago but it was still really hard to watch him last night.
ANYWAY, speaking of resolutions, I'm actually trying to make some that I can stick to.
In no particular order, I'm going to do the following this year:
- Start swimming regularly (Julie's signing me up for the lane swim at the local pool on Thursday nights).
- Play through a lot of the backlog of games that I own instead of buying every shiny new trinket that comes down the pike.
- Read more (non-comic) books.
- Write more and hopefully get something finished by next Christmas so I can get it self-published and give it away as gifts.
- Cut waaaay back on the sweets that I eat. After the current batch of Christmas candy is gone, I want to eat healthy snacks like pretzels and raisins.
- Just eat and live a lot healthier than I have for the past, oh, 10 years.
- Beat Final Fantasy Tactics.
Monday, December 31, 2007
Doug And Jenn - Don't Read This Post!
I was out getting comics from the last couple weeks and noticed that the mystery store beside the Dragon was finally open. It had been empty for the better part of a year and then they started doing construction behind covered windows for the last couple months.
Well, it seems that what has gone into the empty store is a very nifty artisan cheese and bread store called Ouderkirk & Taylor. I'd link to their website but it seems to be down right now.
They have all sorts of awesome cheese made from raw milk and other crazy ingredients. They also have some baguettes. I got a baguette and some cheese today... for $26.
The baguette only cost $3. Do the math.
We are having people over tomorrow so I have to resist the urge to eat the creamy, creamy, oh-so-very creamy raw milk brie and the double cloth wrapped cheddar... mmmm....
This is a very special treat kind of place. I can kind of justify spending what I spent today because it's New Year's Eve...
Of course, if the baguette is delicious, I'll probably grab one when I'm getting my comics.
Well, it seems that what has gone into the empty store is a very nifty artisan cheese and bread store called Ouderkirk & Taylor. I'd link to their website but it seems to be down right now.
They have all sorts of awesome cheese made from raw milk and other crazy ingredients. They also have some baguettes. I got a baguette and some cheese today... for $26.
The baguette only cost $3. Do the math.
We are having people over tomorrow so I have to resist the urge to eat the creamy, creamy, oh-so-very creamy raw milk brie and the double cloth wrapped cheddar... mmmm....
This is a very special treat kind of place. I can kind of justify spending what I spent today because it's New Year's Eve...
Of course, if the baguette is delicious, I'll probably grab one when I'm getting my comics.
Happy New Year!
I hope everyone has a safe New Year's Eve and rings in 2008 without wrapping their car around a pole somewhere.
We're not doing much around Casa Del Wager tonight. Julie's probably going to go to bed around 10 and I'll stay up late filling out my EI benefits form and reading comics. Woo!
I'm hoping to snag a copy of Rock Band from the Movie Gallery tonight so that I'll have something to play when some friends come over tomorrow. We'll see though.
On a much more sombre note, it seems as though tragedy has struck in Acton today.
You heard it here first... I have the same head cold and sore throat that Julie & the kids suffered with for the majority of the last week. I expect that a fundraiser will be started to help me deal with the sore throat and runny nose that I'm experiencing during this most happy of seasons.
I take cash and paypal...
We're not doing much around Casa Del Wager tonight. Julie's probably going to go to bed around 10 and I'll stay up late filling out my EI benefits form and reading comics. Woo!
I'm hoping to snag a copy of Rock Band from the Movie Gallery tonight so that I'll have something to play when some friends come over tomorrow. We'll see though.
On a much more sombre note, it seems as though tragedy has struck in Acton today.
You heard it here first... I have the same head cold and sore throat that Julie & the kids suffered with for the majority of the last week. I expect that a fundraiser will be started to help me deal with the sore throat and runny nose that I'm experiencing during this most happy of seasons.
I take cash and paypal...
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Home Sweet Home
Yay! We're home!
*kisses floor*
Ew... I need to vacuum/disinfect/call a HazMat team.. I'm just happy to see that eveyrthing seems to be in proper working order and that the house isn't a pile of ash.
Now to attempt to unpack!
*kisses floor*
Ew... I need to vacuum/disinfect/call a HazMat team.. I'm just happy to see that eveyrthing seems to be in proper working order and that the house isn't a pile of ash.
Now to attempt to unpack!
Saturday, December 29, 2007
I'll Probably Skip This One
Found an awesome site today. The Will Ferrell Movie Generator!
Will Ferrell plays Streeter Morris, an egotistical, obnoxious wedding crasher at the top of his profession. He and his sidekick, played by Jack Black, seem invincible until their dominance is threatened by a new rival. Streeter Morris's excessive pride causes him to spiral downward to comical lows. When he is at the depths of despair, he removes his shirt and bellows,
"Your Buick is salty, like Thor's sparkling corn-cob pipe!"
After a wacky training process featuring a surprise cameo by Paul Rudd and a marginally-developed romantic subplot, he enters into a climactic showdown with his rival and emerges victorious - but not without learning a thing or two about friendship.
Estimated Opening Weekend Box Office Returns: $47.1 million
Will Ferrell plays Streeter Morris, an egotistical, obnoxious wedding crasher at the top of his profession. He and his sidekick, played by Jack Black, seem invincible until their dominance is threatened by a new rival. Streeter Morris's excessive pride causes him to spiral downward to comical lows. When he is at the depths of despair, he removes his shirt and bellows,
"Your Buick is salty, like Thor's sparkling corn-cob pipe!"
After a wacky training process featuring a surprise cameo by Paul Rudd and a marginally-developed romantic subplot, he enters into a climactic showdown with his rival and emerges victorious - but not without learning a thing or two about friendship.
Estimated Opening Weekend Box Office Returns: $47.1 million
Go Bunnio, Go!
This is alternately the most awesome video I've seen in a while and the cruelest. I started off laughing at the guy and by the end I was rooting him on.
The person who designed that course needs to be slapped and then hugged.
The person who designed that course needs to be slapped and then hugged.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
McCain's Pizza Is Evil
See the thread title.
I have come to quite enjoy McCain's International pizzas, especially the Canadian and the Parisian ones but dear Lord in Heaven, the regular pepperoni ones are the devil's handiwork. I probably haven't had one since I was in university because of the cardboard crust and nasty sauce but tonight, through no fault of my own, I got the chance to have another piece. I was hoping that they'd fixed the many faults of the pizza but nope.
It still tasted like cardboard and the sauce, if possible, tasted even worse! It was like the McCain's manufacturing plant had received an extra tonne or two of oregano and dumped the majority of it on our particular pizza.
Blechety blech blech blech.
To top things off, I think I burnt my mouth :(
Yup, it's time to call the Waaaahmbulance.
I have come to quite enjoy McCain's International pizzas, especially the Canadian and the Parisian ones but dear Lord in Heaven, the regular pepperoni ones are the devil's handiwork. I probably haven't had one since I was in university because of the cardboard crust and nasty sauce but tonight, through no fault of my own, I got the chance to have another piece. I was hoping that they'd fixed the many faults of the pizza but nope.
It still tasted like cardboard and the sauce, if possible, tasted even worse! It was like the McCain's manufacturing plant had received an extra tonne or two of oregano and dumped the majority of it on our particular pizza.
Blechety blech blech blech.
To top things off, I think I burnt my mouth :(
Yup, it's time to call the Waaaahmbulance.
Merry Christmas Everyone!
I hope everyone had a great Christmas. I don't even know what happened to the last two days. It's a blur of turkey, wrapping paper and Zelda on the DS, with some Apples To Apples and some cranky kids thrown in for good measure.
I think it's Thursday... right?
I think it's Thursday... right?
Monday, December 24, 2007
Humilations Galore
Want to know the true meaning of defeat and humiliation? Try playing some Guitar Hero 3 against a 13 year old girl.
Ye gods. I was watching Julie's cousins play GH3 tonight while we were over there and I thought, "Psh. They're going DOWN."
Then I went up against Melissa and got demolished. Same when I tried going against Bruce. Blah. I usually feel like such a rock star when I play against people who come by my place but I have to realize that these kids play all day long.
It was really discouraging to see Melissa actually finish Through The Fire And The Flames on Expert. That's when I just handed the guitar controller back to the kids and slunk back upstairs to hang out with the adults...
Ye gods. I was watching Julie's cousins play GH3 tonight while we were over there and I thought, "Psh. They're going DOWN."
Then I went up against Melissa and got demolished. Same when I tried going against Bruce. Blah. I usually feel like such a rock star when I play against people who come by my place but I have to realize that these kids play all day long.
It was really discouraging to see Melissa actually finish Through The Fire And The Flames on Expert. That's when I just handed the guitar controller back to the kids and slunk back upstairs to hang out with the adults...
Christmas Cards From Game Developers
This is kind of cool. Gamasutra has compiled a list of all of the Christmas cards from the various game developers and publishers. Some of them are pretty funny (I love Bioware's Mass Effect meets Santa one).
Have A Virtual Reality Christmas!
This is an awesome vid that really shows how GOOD virtual reality for gaming and other applications is not very far off.
Crazy stuff!
Crazy stuff!
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Still Alive For Christmas
Oh, good ol' Aperture Science. This is an awesome little site, especially if you log in as CJohnson with a tier3 password...
Note: If you haven't played Portal, this site won't be anywhere near as awesome.
Note: If you haven't played Portal, this site won't be anywhere near as awesome.
Friday, December 21, 2007
I'm Sure I've Seen These Around
I was debating about putting a big rant up about the "God Hates The World" song by the loathsome Westboro Baptist 'church', but instead I found an awesome site filled with loads of passive aggressive notes that are actually funny instead of bile-inducing.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Rockin Out At The CBC
Gotta love it when a game that isn't Halo 3 actually gets a news story on CBC. I waited until too late to start trying to preorder Rock Band and now it looks like I'll have to wait until a far-flung later date (and a significant lottery win) to get a copy of it.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Even Earlier Christmas In Acton
Uncle Dan & Garrett rocked out to Guitar Hero 3 for a bit on Saturday. Well, it was more like Keytar Hero for Garrett.
If only I had a copy of Rock Band... Sigh...
Garrett loved the set of Toddler Mutant Ninja Turtles that he got from Uncle Dan, Aunt Faith & Baby Silas. He now has giant rumbles with the Turtles vs. the combined might of the Marvel Universe.
Kara got a funky new hat.
And a ride in the laundry basket with her brother.
If only I had a copy of Rock Band... Sigh...
Garrett loved the set of Toddler Mutant Ninja Turtles that he got from Uncle Dan, Aunt Faith & Baby Silas. He now has giant rumbles with the Turtles vs. the combined might of the Marvel Universe.
Kara got a funky new hat.
And a ride in the laundry basket with her brother.
Early Christmas In Acton
Between the early Grace family Christmas last weekend and my not wanting to haul quite as much crap back and forth to Sarnia this week, Garrett has been able to get his hands on a few Christmas presents a bit earlier than usual.
I saw this at Zellers yesterday and Garrett couldn't stop drooling over it (and it was on sale) so we picked it up. Little did I know until we got home with it that it had something like 450 pieces to it.
Garrett spent the hour or so that it took me to put together the small (!) part of the secret base disassembling all of the figures that came with the set. I was very tempted to create some kind of horrible hybrid of Sandman, Venom and Mr. Policeman... so tempted.
Here's the finished product. It's actually a pretty cool little base with a rail system for distributing the, and I quote, "Pumpkin Bums" (not bombs, bums), to the launcher. If you look closely, you'll see that the center screen on the monitors on the second level is displaying the Blue Screen Of Death. Looks like Windows is unreliable even in Harry Osborne's secret lab.
I saw this at Zellers yesterday and Garrett couldn't stop drooling over it (and it was on sale) so we picked it up. Little did I know until we got home with it that it had something like 450 pieces to it.
 |
| From Christmas 2007 |
Garrett spent the hour or so that it took me to put together the small (!) part of the secret base disassembling all of the figures that came with the set. I was very tempted to create some kind of horrible hybrid of Sandman, Venom and Mr. Policeman... so tempted.
 |
| From Christmas 2007 |
Here's the finished product. It's actually a pretty cool little base with a rail system for distributing the, and I quote, "Pumpkin Bums" (not bombs, bums), to the launcher. If you look closely, you'll see that the center screen on the monitors on the second level is displaying the Blue Screen Of Death. Looks like Windows is unreliable even in Harry Osborne's secret lab.
It's Not My Annual Videogame Expenditures, But It's Close
Of the many and varied reasons to be happy that I'm Canadian, this ranks right up there.
Hit F5 a few times to let the point sink in...
Hit F5 a few times to let the point sink in...
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Wondermark FTW!
I've started reading a new webcomic called Wondermark and couldn't resist sharing this strip. There's a reason I try to stay out of malls and such during November/December.
Monday, December 17, 2007
Sunday, December 16, 2007
It's Like Real Life Dig-Dug
I just spent the past hour and a half shoveling my walkway, the path in front of the house and a large part of the driveway, along with helping a bunch of other people in our parking lot get unstuck coming and going.
I wish, oh how I wish, that I didn't have to go to work today... but I do have to. Sigh. At least it's my LAST SHIFT EVAR!!! Or until April, which, right now, is close enough.
The sucky part is that I couldn't make it to church this morning for the big Celtic Christmas celebrations that we do every year. I like going because it gives me a chance to see the old worship leader who took all of the good music with him when he left :)
I couldn't justify possibly dying on the roads in order to drive to Mississauga though. Oh well.
I wish, oh how I wish, that I didn't have to go to work today... but I do have to. Sigh. At least it's my LAST SHIFT EVAR!!! Or until April, which, right now, is close enough.
The sucky part is that I couldn't make it to church this morning for the big Celtic Christmas celebrations that we do every year. I like going because it gives me a chance to see the old worship leader who took all of the good music with him when he left :)
I couldn't justify possibly dying on the roads in order to drive to Mississauga though. Oh well.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Look! It's A Girly Looking Hero In A Final Fantasy Game That's Actual A Girl!
Man. These videos for the upcoming FFXIII games are really, really nice... I need to stop watching things like this to keep myself from trying to figure out which of my kids I could sell in order to afford a PS3.
Friday, December 14, 2007
WWRD? (What Would Rincewind Do?)
Arg! It seems as though my favouritest author in the whole wide world, Mr. Terry Pratchett, has early onset Alzheimer's. ARG!
Granted, it's not like he's suffered from a lack of books. Discworld is now, what, 30 some-odd titles long and he has a slew of other books to boot.
Gotta love his spunk though.
"Frankly, I would prefer it if people kept things cheerful," he continued, saying it was "too soon to tell" if the condition was immediately life-threatening.
"I will, of course, be dead at some future point, as will everybody else. For me, this maybe further off than you think.
"I know it's a very human thing to say 'Is there anything I can do?' but in this case I would only entertain offers from very high-end experts in brain chemistry."
Granted, it's not like he's suffered from a lack of books. Discworld is now, what, 30 some-odd titles long and he has a slew of other books to boot.
Gotta love his spunk though.
"Frankly, I would prefer it if people kept things cheerful," he continued, saying it was "too soon to tell" if the condition was immediately life-threatening.
"I will, of course, be dead at some future point, as will everybody else. For me, this maybe further off than you think.
"I know it's a very human thing to say 'Is there anything I can do?' but in this case I would only entertain offers from very high-end experts in brain chemistry."
Up All Night...
So I'm sitting here, Mass Effect is finished and the episode of X-Play on TV has already been on 3 times tonight...
Now, answer me, dear Kara. WHY WON'T YOU GO TO SLEEP?! I have to work the overnight shift tomorrow, so feel free to cry into the phone to keep me up then, but for tonight, I'd really like to get some shut-eye!
Edit@4:49am: She was wide awake and crawling all over the place until about 4 or so. Then she fell over, bonked her head and started crying until Julie came down to see what was going on.
Of course, I'm wide awake now. Grr. I got some stuff finished up for the weekend so I'm going to go hit the hay. At least I've got some practice for tomorrow night.
Now, answer me, dear Kara. WHY WON'T YOU GO TO SLEEP?! I have to work the overnight shift tomorrow, so feel free to cry into the phone to keep me up then, but for tonight, I'd really like to get some shut-eye!
Edit@4:49am: She was wide awake and crawling all over the place until about 4 or so. Then she fell over, bonked her head and started crying until Julie came down to see what was going on.
Of course, I'm wide awake now. Grr. I got some stuff finished up for the weekend so I'm going to go hit the hay. At least I've got some practice for tomorrow night.
Massively Effective
After a couple weeks of staying up late and waking up on the couch at 4am, I've finally finished Mass Effect. Awesome game. I haven't been that enthralled by a big RPG in ages.
First run through clocked in at around 42 hours or so, but that was with finishing pretty much every sidequest aside from the survey quest.
Now to play through it again as a Renegade. Mwahaha... I was nice the first time, galaxy... Now I can be a jerk!
First run through clocked in at around 42 hours or so, but that was with finishing pretty much every sidequest aside from the survey quest.
Now to play through it again as a Renegade. Mwahaha... I was nice the first time, galaxy... Now I can be a jerk!
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
4 More Days
I only have 4 days of work left and I STILL have to do the overnight shift, even though I was sure I'd be done doing them after last week's!
Sigh.
I can't wait for 11pm on Sunday... I don't go back to work until April!
Sigh.
I can't wait for 11pm on Sunday... I don't go back to work until April!
Sunday, December 09, 2007
Saturday, December 08, 2007
It's A Girl!
Some of you might not know that Dave & Kate were expecting (since I don't think they've updated their blog for a good year or two) but they had a baby girl on Thursday!
Congrats, Dave & Kate!
They named her Buffy Sundin Wager.
Congrats, Dave & Kate!
They named her Buffy Sundin Wager.
I Heart Value Village
I went out to Value Village in Guelph with one of the guys from work the other day to get some winter clothes. It's been a while since I was there and I ended up with a couple good finds.
1) A pair of Reebok sneakers (black) for $7. I had almost bought a pair of sneakers a couple days before at SportChek for some obscene amount of money but thankfully resisted the urge to have a nice pair of Reeboks. I go to Value Village and find a pair of sneakers that are pretty much the epitome of what I concider a perfect shoe. I loved the old Reebok Hexalite shoes but they haven't made them in ages. I don't think that the shoes that I found were Hexalites but they're pretty close.
2) The coolest toy ever:
Now, it's missing most of the extra pieces but it's still awesome. Garrett is having a blast playing with it and I just like opening and closing it.
The scary thing is that I only paid $4 for it and after looking up some specs on the toy, I'm finding that several collector sites are selling it for anywhere between $88-175 US. EEP!
1) A pair of Reebok sneakers (black) for $7. I had almost bought a pair of sneakers a couple days before at SportChek for some obscene amount of money but thankfully resisted the urge to have a nice pair of Reeboks. I go to Value Village and find a pair of sneakers that are pretty much the epitome of what I concider a perfect shoe. I loved the old Reebok Hexalite shoes but they haven't made them in ages. I don't think that the shoes that I found were Hexalites but they're pretty close.
2) The coolest toy ever:
Now, it's missing most of the extra pieces but it's still awesome. Garrett is having a blast playing with it and I just like opening and closing it.
The scary thing is that I only paid $4 for it and after looking up some specs on the toy, I'm finding that several collector sites are selling it for anywhere between $88-175 US. EEP!
I'll Take Your Season's Greetings And Shove Them Up Your Happy Holidays
Talk about synchronicity. I'm not a huge fan of almost anything to do with Focus On The Family or Mr. James Dobson, but this video came to my attention today just before I was about to make a big post about Happy Holidays/Season's Greetings driving me nuts. This guy says it much better than I could.
The whole 'Holiday/Seasons Greetings' thing has really gotten under my skin this year, if only because it seems that NOBODY says Christmas this year, at least on the radio or TV. The thing that gets me is that many of the people I know that celebrate Christmas do it for the secular side of the holiday (getting gifts, having family over for a big meal), not because of the fact it's Jesus' birthday. Sigh.
I won't tell you how hard it was to get a photo Christmas card that actually said Merry Christmas...
The whole 'Holiday/Seasons Greetings' thing has really gotten under my skin this year, if only because it seems that NOBODY says Christmas this year, at least on the radio or TV. The thing that gets me is that many of the people I know that celebrate Christmas do it for the secular side of the holiday (getting gifts, having family over for a big meal), not because of the fact it's Jesus' birthday. Sigh.
I won't tell you how hard it was to get a photo Christmas card that actually said Merry Christmas...
Friday, December 07, 2007
I Beseech Thee, Oh Great Shoelace Gods!
I have had the worst luck with shoelaces over the past few months. It's driving me absolutely bonkers. No matter what I spend on shoes and replacement shoelaces, they keep untying themselves on a constant basis.
I could be standing in one spot, not moving a muscle and the shoelaces will STILL come untied. I've tried a few different types of shoelaces and no matter what I do, bam... they're undone.
I need to find a good cloth shoelace with zero nylon content. I don't like double-knotting the shoelaces as it's a pain to get them undone later, but it's almost worth doing to keep my sanity in check.
I could be standing in one spot, not moving a muscle and the shoelaces will STILL come untied. I've tried a few different types of shoelaces and no matter what I do, bam... they're undone.
I need to find a good cloth shoelace with zero nylon content. I don't like double-knotting the shoelaces as it's a pain to get them undone later, but it's almost worth doing to keep my sanity in check.
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
It's Only Free Speech If They're Saying What You Want To Hear
This news story makes me so... annoyed.
Muslim Students File Rights Complaint Over Maclean's Article.
I read that article and while I won't fawn over Mark Steyn's use of the english language, it wasn't particularly negative. It wasn't particularly positive either, but it was basically outlining what he saw as an inevitable shift in the predominance of Western Christianity and governments/cultures based on that foundation to a culture founded on the tenets of Islam.
Maybe it's just me, I wouldn't feel personally victimized if someone wrote an article on radical Christianity and people who do crazy things in the name of faith.
At least a few people have their heads bolted on straight in this whole affair.
Muslim Students File Rights Complaint Over Maclean's Article.
I read that article and while I won't fawn over Mark Steyn's use of the english language, it wasn't particularly negative. It wasn't particularly positive either, but it was basically outlining what he saw as an inevitable shift in the predominance of Western Christianity and governments/cultures based on that foundation to a culture founded on the tenets of Islam.
The article discusses the high birth rate among Muslims and speculates that Islamic people could become the majority population in Europe. It also says some Muslims are violent radicals...
"To say that we share the same basic goals as terrorists … if you look at the theme of the article in the context, it is putting that label on all of us and I felt personally victimized," he said.
Maybe it's just me, I wouldn't feel personally victimized if someone wrote an article on radical Christianity and people who do crazy things in the name of faith.
At least a few people have their heads bolted on straight in this whole affair.
But Sohail Raza, a representative of the Muslim Canadian Congress, said Maclean's had the right to publish the article.
"This is Canada, not Sudan, Egypt or Pakistan, where the press is stifled," he said. "There is absolute freedom of expression and people have an opportunity to voice their opinion."
Alan Borovoy of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association said the organization is concerned about the human rights complaints process.
It's too easy to claim an article may subject a group to hate or contempt under commission rules, Borovoy said.
"Even truthful articles describing some of the awful situations in this world could run afoul of this law, it is so broad and such a potential threat to freedom of speech," he said.
Saturday, December 01, 2007
One More Trip Around The Sun
It's my Dad's birthday today! The lucky guy had the church choir sing him Happy Birthday. It's hard to top that... but this one's for you, Dad.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
My list...
On the Things I Hate And Want To Slap With A Large Fish list of one Mister Brock J.P. Wager:
1) The city of Kitchener
2) The city of Waterloo
3) People who live in either Kitchener or Waterloo and feel the need to correct you if you say the wrong city when explaining where they live.
4) Whatever drunken monkey it was who designed the streets in Hamilton.
5) The song, "Go Tell It On The Mountain".
6) The penultimate assassinations in Assassin's Creed.
7) HD cable providers who drop Discovery HD from my bundle and stick A&E HD in there instead.
1) The city of Kitchener
2) The city of Waterloo
3) People who live in either Kitchener or Waterloo and feel the need to correct you if you say the wrong city when explaining where they live.
4) Whatever drunken monkey it was who designed the streets in Hamilton.
5) The song, "Go Tell It On The Mountain".
6) The penultimate assassinations in Assassin's Creed.
7) HD cable providers who drop Discovery HD from my bundle and stick A&E HD in there instead.
I Want My Discovery HD
What is it with me and customer service this week. First I get the crappiest meal ever served at Swiss Chalet, now I have stuff go on with my HD cable!
A day or two ago, we started getting a message when we tried watching Discovery HD that said something along the lines of "This channel not available. Press info for more..."
Of course, pressing Info didn't tell us anything so tonight I called Cogeco to see if it was just some weird thing going on with the cable. Turns out that Cogeco had a glitch in their system FOR THE LAST YEAR that had Discovery HD (and HDNet, which is some channel I have never even glanced at) lumped in with the standard HD cable bundle. So now I get A&E HD (woop de doo) but in order to watch Discovery HD, I have to pay an extra $6/month. I can't get it any other way.
Grr...
On the one hand, I probably spend more on coffee in a week than that and we could easily afford it. On the other, it's really annoying that one of the, if not THE, best HD channel is now something I have to pay extra for after a year of getting it lumped in with the standard HD stuff.
Sigh. At least I get 2 months of it for free before I have to decide if it's worth dropping the extra $6/month on it or not.
A day or two ago, we started getting a message when we tried watching Discovery HD that said something along the lines of "This channel not available. Press info for more..."
Of course, pressing Info didn't tell us anything so tonight I called Cogeco to see if it was just some weird thing going on with the cable. Turns out that Cogeco had a glitch in their system FOR THE LAST YEAR that had Discovery HD (and HDNet, which is some channel I have never even glanced at) lumped in with the standard HD cable bundle. So now I get A&E HD (woop de doo) but in order to watch Discovery HD, I have to pay an extra $6/month. I can't get it any other way.
Grr...
On the one hand, I probably spend more on coffee in a week than that and we could easily afford it. On the other, it's really annoying that one of the, if not THE, best HD channel is now something I have to pay extra for after a year of getting it lumped in with the standard HD stuff.
Sigh. At least I get 2 months of it for free before I have to decide if it's worth dropping the extra $6/month on it or not.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
(Not So) Finger Lickin' Good
We went out to Swiss Chalet for some evangelical chicken after church today with Ralph & Louise. Boy howdy, did we ever make a mistake going to the one in Milton. I have had sub-par meals before, especially at Swiss Chalet, but this one had me firing off a very nasty message (via their customer survey).
Here's what I wrote in the "Tell us about your experience" box.
Here's what I wrote in the "Tell us about your experience" box.
This was one of the most disappointing meals I have had at your restaurant.
Aside from the greeter at the door, none of the other servers seemed to acknowledge our existence once we were seated. Our server was very slow, had to be reminded constantly (when he'd show up) about missing utensils, drink refills, desserts (with the kids meal), etc. To top this all off, our food was cold and undercooked (aside from the vegetables which were cold and OVERcooked).
And this was at 11:30am on a Sunday morning when there were 2 or 3 other tables with customers in the restaurant. This kind of experience may have been excusable during a busy dinner rush but the servers were all standing around the bar chatting for a large part of our meal, so busyness was not a valid excuse for the poor service and food temperature.
Even the finger bowls at the end of the meal were frigid instead of warm.
If it weren't for the fact that I quite enjoy Swiss Chalet chicken and the yummy dipping sauce, I'd be sorely tempted to never go back again. That said, I will not be going there for some time and will definately tell my friends and family about my lackluster dining experience today.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Frackin' Toasters
I'm not sure how many of the 4 of you who read my blog are Battlestar Galactica fans, but if you are, the prequel movie, Razor, is on tonight at 9pm on Space.
Now the question is whether to watch it in not-HD on the TV whenever I get a chance OR if I should just watch the HD version I'm downloading either on my PC or the PSP.
Now the question is whether to watch it in not-HD on the TV whenever I get a chance OR if I should just watch the HD version I'm downloading either on my PC or the PSP.
Santa Has A Crystal Ball
We told Garrett that Santa can see him from the North Pole so he'd better be a good boy, to which he responded, "No he can't!"
This morning, he'd changed his tune. Odd...
Anyway, here is Garrett's letter to Santa as dictated to me.
This morning, he'd changed his tune. Odd...
Anyway, here is Garrett's letter to Santa as dictated to me.
Friday, November 23, 2007
Win Free Stuff!
There's a cool contest over at Dell where you can win all sorts of cool stuff... if you're luckier than me.
CLICKY!
I almost won a camera, an Xbox 360 and a new TV/Monitor (I love the fact that you can now use those terms interchangably) but missed it by ONE stupid icon.
Grr...
EDIT: It would have really helped if I'd PUT THE LINK IN THERE... Stupid stupid stupid...
CLICKY!
I almost won a camera, an Xbox 360 and a new TV/Monitor (I love the fact that you can now use those terms interchangably) but missed it by ONE stupid icon.
Grr...
EDIT: It would have really helped if I'd PUT THE LINK IN THERE... Stupid stupid stupid...
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Look Out Maggie!
Our newest snowsuit model has arrived.
When she's not braving the tundra, Kara's busy wrangling cattle (and her big brother).
When she's not braving the tundra, Kara's busy wrangling cattle (and her big brother).
Sunday, November 18, 2007
G&D Comics Presents:
Garrett & I spent part of the afternoon making a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic. Julie says I missed my calling... I think it was more of a wrong number :)
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| From Comics By Gar... |
Friday, November 16, 2007
Call Her Miss Chompers
Kara cut her first tooth today while I was at work.
To celebrate her coming of age, I'm going to get her this fancy outfit and put her to work :)
To celebrate her coming of age, I'm going to get her this fancy outfit and put her to work :)
Thursday, November 15, 2007
HA HA HA! MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Oh my lord. You know people are just a wee bit touched in the head when they start doing things like this and think that it's perfectly fine. Stupid political correctness. I thought we'd already moved past that insanity and regained a bit of perspective and common sense. At least it's happening in Australia and not Canada, but you know it could easily happen here.
----
SYDNEY (AFP) - Santas in Australia's largest city have been told not to use Father Christmas's traditional "ho ho ho" greeting because it may be offensive to women, it was reported Thursday.
Sydney's Santa Clauses have instead been instructed to say "ha ha ha" instead, the Daily Telegraph reported.
One disgruntled Santa told the newspaper a recruitment firm warned him not to use "ho ho ho" because it could frighten children and was too close to "ho", a US slang term for prostitute.
"Gimme a break," said Julie Gale, who runs the campaign against sexualising children called Kids Free 2B Kids.
"We are talking about little kids who do not understand that "ho, ho, ho" has any other connotation and nor should they," she told the Telegraph.
"Leave Santa alone."
A local spokesman for the US-based Westaff recruitment firm said it was "misleading" to say the company had banned Santa's traditional greeting and it was being left up to the discretion of the individual Santa himself.
----
SYDNEY (AFP) - Santas in Australia's largest city have been told not to use Father Christmas's traditional "ho ho ho" greeting because it may be offensive to women, it was reported Thursday.
Sydney's Santa Clauses have instead been instructed to say "ha ha ha" instead, the Daily Telegraph reported.
One disgruntled Santa told the newspaper a recruitment firm warned him not to use "ho ho ho" because it could frighten children and was too close to "ho", a US slang term for prostitute.
"Gimme a break," said Julie Gale, who runs the campaign against sexualising children called Kids Free 2B Kids.
"We are talking about little kids who do not understand that "ho, ho, ho" has any other connotation and nor should they," she told the Telegraph.
"Leave Santa alone."
A local spokesman for the US-based Westaff recruitment firm said it was "misleading" to say the company had banned Santa's traditional greeting and it was being left up to the discretion of the individual Santa himself.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Why Call Of Duty 4 Is Awesome
Three little words: Death From Above
Easily my favourite mission in the game so far. You play as an operator on an AC-130 'Spooky' gunship and it is played out entirely in black and white thermal vision.
It's hard to explain, but it's just awesome. Heck, here's the video.
I think it's also the fact that you're playing as a weapons operator on a plane WITH A 105mm HOWITZER STRAPPED ON THE SIDE. Whoever thought that configuration up must have been trying to compensate for something!
I mean... it's a plane with 40mm cannons and a couple of 25mm machine guns and you stick a howitzer on it? Yeesh.
The game also has one of the most addictive multiplayer components I've ever played, so it's just that much more goodness added onto the great singleplayer campaign.
Easily my favourite mission in the game so far. You play as an operator on an AC-130 'Spooky' gunship and it is played out entirely in black and white thermal vision.
It's hard to explain, but it's just awesome. Heck, here's the video.
I think it's also the fact that you're playing as a weapons operator on a plane WITH A 105mm HOWITZER STRAPPED ON THE SIDE. Whoever thought that configuration up must have been trying to compensate for something!
I mean... it's a plane with 40mm cannons and a couple of 25mm machine guns and you stick a howitzer on it? Yeesh.
The game also has one of the most addictive multiplayer components I've ever played, so it's just that much more goodness added onto the great singleplayer campaign.
Burn That Money!
Over the last couple of weeks, I've gotten hooked on Dragon's Den on CBC. Now, I've got the business savvy of a sea cucumber (and that's an insult to the sea cucumber) and I tend to loathe reality TV in general, but this show has its claws into me.
I think it's a combination of the crazy inventions/businesses that are pitched on the show and the fact that it's like watching a contest judged by a panel consisting solely of Simon Cowells that has me loving the show. There are some genuinely good ideas being pitched and some that are absolutely batty... I loved the guy tonight who was trying to get investors into his gold mine... that happened to be under a lake that he couldn't drain or do anything else to.
It's also interesting to get a glimpse into the minds of these high rollers in the business world and to see what they're looking for in a company and try to figure out whether something that I think is a good idea is one that they'll go for.
Anyone else digging this show?
I think it's a combination of the crazy inventions/businesses that are pitched on the show and the fact that it's like watching a contest judged by a panel consisting solely of Simon Cowells that has me loving the show. There are some genuinely good ideas being pitched and some that are absolutely batty... I loved the guy tonight who was trying to get investors into his gold mine... that happened to be under a lake that he couldn't drain or do anything else to.
It's also interesting to get a glimpse into the minds of these high rollers in the business world and to see what they're looking for in a company and try to figure out whether something that I think is a good idea is one that they'll go for.
Anyone else digging this show?
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Lest We Forget
It's Remembrance Day.
Maclean's has a fantastic article in their issue from last week where they published the last letters home from several of the fallen Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan. It really brings the cost of the war home when you read them.
We have to remember that November 11th isn't just about the men & women who died in WWII. It's about those still serving and dying today too.
Maclean's has a fantastic article in their issue from last week where they published the last letters home from several of the fallen Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan. It really brings the cost of the war home when you read them.
We have to remember that November 11th isn't just about the men & women who died in WWII. It's about those still serving and dying today too.
Saturday, November 10, 2007
A Tale Of Two Fishies
Well, the poll is closed. In the end, it turned out that one Tiger Barb died, but that was due to... well, I'm not sure. We just found it sucked up against the side of the intake for the filter, so I guess he just didn't have the will to live.
Thankfully I was able to take it back to the store and get a new one. I tried to trade it in at EB but they wouldn't take it. Sigh.
Speaking of death, Garrett was asking me about my poppy yesterday. I explained that it was to remember the soldiers who died so that we could be free. Then he got worried that I was dead. Then I ate his brains.
I mean, I explained to him that I wasn't dead and he gave me a hug and it was cool.
Speaking of zombies, Kara's voice is still pretty raspy. She still sounds like a drowned kitten but otherwise she's doing fairly well. Julie took her in for a check-up yesterday and it seems like it's mostly a head cold. Hopefully the fevers will go away and if everything goes well, she should be better by the end of the weekend.
Thankfully I was able to take it back to the store and get a new one. I tried to trade it in at EB but they wouldn't take it. Sigh.
Speaking of death, Garrett was asking me about my poppy yesterday. I explained that it was to remember the soldiers who died so that we could be free. Then he got worried that I was dead. Then I ate his brains.
I mean, I explained to him that I wasn't dead and he gave me a hug and it was cool.
Speaking of zombies, Kara's voice is still pretty raspy. She still sounds like a drowned kitten but otherwise she's doing fairly well. Julie took her in for a check-up yesterday and it seems like it's mostly a head cold. Hopefully the fevers will go away and if everything goes well, she should be better by the end of the weekend.
Friday, November 09, 2007
24: The Unaired Pilot
24 was recently put on the shelf pending the resolution of the Writer's Guild Strike. I'm not really crying too hard because of the strike as it's freeing up a lot of my time that I'd used to spend watching TV (and given the deluge of big games out this month, that's a good thing).
Anyway, the unaired 1994 pilot episode of 24 was recently uncovered. Check it out. It's pretty good, though I'm glad the show didn't end up getting produced until 2001.
Anyway, the unaired 1994 pilot episode of 24 was recently uncovered. Check it out. It's pretty good, though I'm glad the show didn't end up getting produced until 2001.
Thursday, November 08, 2007
Sick Kids
So it's the kids' time to get sick around here. Garrett has been a little hoarse for the last couple days and Kara sounds like a sick puppy when she cries. It's just such a pathetic little whimper, my heart just breaks when she cries these days.
Of course, she's super happy most of the time. Whatever she has just seems to be bugging her throat and she is up a bit more than usual at night but otherwise, she's just coughing up some phlegm. She's off to the doctor tomorrow anyway, so we'll see how things are.
Garrett's been going to bed fine this week (yay) but he has also been in our bed when I get out of the shower at 6:30 in the morning before work. Sigh.
I just hope he stays asleep till at least 7 tomorrow morning. I'm doing the overnight tomorrow so I wouldn't mind getting a bit of extra sleep in the morning so I can make it through the night!
Of course, she's super happy most of the time. Whatever she has just seems to be bugging her throat and she is up a bit more than usual at night but otherwise, she's just coughing up some phlegm. She's off to the doctor tomorrow anyway, so we'll see how things are.
Garrett's been going to bed fine this week (yay) but he has also been in our bed when I get out of the shower at 6:30 in the morning before work. Sigh.
I just hope he stays asleep till at least 7 tomorrow morning. I'm doing the overnight tomorrow so I wouldn't mind getting a bit of extra sleep in the morning so I can make it through the night!
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Game Reviews By Brock!
Just wanted to put a few blurbs up about some of the games I've played recently or am looking forward to.
The Simpsons Game: I just finished this tonight and it is a fantastic game. The cutscenes are hilarious and the game is pretty funny from start to finish. It's not terribly difficult but it is rather fun and as a gamer, it's loaded with stuff that had me chuckling at almost every turn. For a non-gamer, it might not be quite so droll, but it's pretty sweet all in all.
Call of Duty 4: I just grabbed this today and haven't put a lot of time into it but it's phenomenal. The singleplayer campaign is pretty good so far (though my aim stinks) and the multiplayer component is almost like an RPG in the way you earn points and level up after each match depending on your performance. It's a much deeper game than Halo 3's multiplayer component.
Final Fantasy Tactics - War Of The Lions: This is a fantastic PSP port of the original Final Fantasy Tactics game for the PS1! The cutscenes have been done up in a kind of anime style which is gorgeous to look at and the translation actually makes sense now. The Job System is still there in all its glory, which makes me very happy. I'm hoping that I'll be able to actually finish the game this time around... I've only been trying to do so for the last 10 years... sigh.
Phoenix Wright - Trials & Tribulations: I just finished this last night and it was a great finale to the Phoenix Wright trilogy of lawyer adventure games. Great cases, great characters and twists and turns abounding. Now to eagerly await the 4th installment of the Ace Attorney series whenever it hits North America next year.
Guitar Hero 3: Wireless guitar? Check. Online co-op and battle modes? Check. Great song list? Check. 'Nuff said.
Zack & Wiki: An awesome point & click adventure title on the Wii with great use of the motion sensitive controls to solve puzzles. And it's about pirates. What more can you ask for? I love this game but I'm stuck. Sigh.
Upcoming games:
Silent Hill Origins: This should be in tomorrow or Thursday and my copy is paid off, so I'll be able to post some impressions when it hits. All I know is that it's portable, it's Silent Hill and it's a prequel to the series. When the only real complaints I've read are that it's not breaking the mold (a la Silent Hill 4) and that the combat sucks (which is almost a prerequisite for a Silent Hill game) then I'm pretty stoked for the game.
Assassin's Creed: Prince of Persia-style acrobatics in a wide open city set in medieval Jerusalem with some kind of science fiction twist? Sign me up. I've had my copy paid off for months and this will be my penultimate game for the year when it hits next week.
Mass Effect: My final game on my preorder list and paid off in full is this hum-dinger of a sci-fi RPG. If nothing else, this should keep me quite busy during the winter months when the kids are sleeping during the day. HA! I'm actually pretty interested in this game as I read the prequel novel that came out earlier this year and the universe they've created is pretty interesting. Add to that the fact that it's an RPG that doesn't involve me fighting dragons or japanese girly men and I'm intrigued.
And that's about it. Super Mario Galaxy is out next week but I'm just going to be renting it, along with a stack of other games that I'd like to try but just can't afford as it's coming up on Christmas and my parental leave starts soon.
Did I mention that I hate October and November? It's like the game publishers can't sell any games outside of those two months. Yeesh.
The Simpsons Game: I just finished this tonight and it is a fantastic game. The cutscenes are hilarious and the game is pretty funny from start to finish. It's not terribly difficult but it is rather fun and as a gamer, it's loaded with stuff that had me chuckling at almost every turn. For a non-gamer, it might not be quite so droll, but it's pretty sweet all in all.
Call of Duty 4: I just grabbed this today and haven't put a lot of time into it but it's phenomenal. The singleplayer campaign is pretty good so far (though my aim stinks) and the multiplayer component is almost like an RPG in the way you earn points and level up after each match depending on your performance. It's a much deeper game than Halo 3's multiplayer component.
Final Fantasy Tactics - War Of The Lions: This is a fantastic PSP port of the original Final Fantasy Tactics game for the PS1! The cutscenes have been done up in a kind of anime style which is gorgeous to look at and the translation actually makes sense now. The Job System is still there in all its glory, which makes me very happy. I'm hoping that I'll be able to actually finish the game this time around... I've only been trying to do so for the last 10 years... sigh.
Phoenix Wright - Trials & Tribulations: I just finished this last night and it was a great finale to the Phoenix Wright trilogy of lawyer adventure games. Great cases, great characters and twists and turns abounding. Now to eagerly await the 4th installment of the Ace Attorney series whenever it hits North America next year.
Guitar Hero 3: Wireless guitar? Check. Online co-op and battle modes? Check. Great song list? Check. 'Nuff said.
Zack & Wiki: An awesome point & click adventure title on the Wii with great use of the motion sensitive controls to solve puzzles. And it's about pirates. What more can you ask for? I love this game but I'm stuck. Sigh.
Upcoming games:
Silent Hill Origins: This should be in tomorrow or Thursday and my copy is paid off, so I'll be able to post some impressions when it hits. All I know is that it's portable, it's Silent Hill and it's a prequel to the series. When the only real complaints I've read are that it's not breaking the mold (a la Silent Hill 4) and that the combat sucks (which is almost a prerequisite for a Silent Hill game) then I'm pretty stoked for the game.
Assassin's Creed: Prince of Persia-style acrobatics in a wide open city set in medieval Jerusalem with some kind of science fiction twist? Sign me up. I've had my copy paid off for months and this will be my penultimate game for the year when it hits next week.
Mass Effect: My final game on my preorder list and paid off in full is this hum-dinger of a sci-fi RPG. If nothing else, this should keep me quite busy during the winter months when the kids are sleeping during the day. HA! I'm actually pretty interested in this game as I read the prequel novel that came out earlier this year and the universe they've created is pretty interesting. Add to that the fact that it's an RPG that doesn't involve me fighting dragons or japanese girly men and I'm intrigued.
And that's about it. Super Mario Galaxy is out next week but I'm just going to be renting it, along with a stack of other games that I'd like to try but just can't afford as it's coming up on Christmas and my parental leave starts soon.
Did I mention that I hate October and November? It's like the game publishers can't sell any games outside of those two months. Yeesh.
What's The Buzz?
I took Garrett to see Bee Movie today while Julie was watching Dan In Real Life with her mom class.
Long story short: Wait for it to come out on DVD and give it a rent. It was a perfectly fine movie but it just rang really hollow. The scenes where the bees are flying out and about in New York City are quite impressive but everything else just seems off... Sort of like Shark Tale. The dialogue was written so that it was pretty funny for me but I can't see how any kid is really going to enjoy most of the plot and/or dialogue. Add to that the fact that there just isn't enough action going on to really grab the kids and it adds up to a very uneven film as to who its audience is.
I mean, a large portion of the film takes place in a courtroom and revolves around a lawsuit. That doesn't tend to make for riveting children's entertainment.
On the flipside, we also picked up Ratatouille on DVD today. Now THAT is a great movie. Easily my favourite film from the summer, hands down. We were going to get it for Garrett for Christmas but he saw it while we were picking it out of the display at Wal-Mart and that was the end of that plan. I just hope they wait until I get home from work tomorrow to start watching it.
If you haven't seen Ratatouille, go rent it ASAP, whether you have kids or not. It's just a rock solid film.
Long story short: Wait for it to come out on DVD and give it a rent. It was a perfectly fine movie but it just rang really hollow. The scenes where the bees are flying out and about in New York City are quite impressive but everything else just seems off... Sort of like Shark Tale. The dialogue was written so that it was pretty funny for me but I can't see how any kid is really going to enjoy most of the plot and/or dialogue. Add to that the fact that there just isn't enough action going on to really grab the kids and it adds up to a very uneven film as to who its audience is.
I mean, a large portion of the film takes place in a courtroom and revolves around a lawsuit. That doesn't tend to make for riveting children's entertainment.
On the flipside, we also picked up Ratatouille on DVD today. Now THAT is a great movie. Easily my favourite film from the summer, hands down. We were going to get it for Garrett for Christmas but he saw it while we were picking it out of the display at Wal-Mart and that was the end of that plan. I just hope they wait until I get home from work tomorrow to start watching it.
If you haven't seen Ratatouille, go rent it ASAP, whether you have kids or not. It's just a rock solid film.
Sunday, November 04, 2007
Must Control Fist Of Rage
From the Hillbilly Neighbour Files - Case #5892:
At around 7pm (bedtime) last night, we started to hear horrible squealing sounds coming through the wall accompanied by some nasty hammering. My neighbours have a penchant for engaging in late-night weekend renovations but this was just ridiculous.
It was only 7pm, so I decided to give them until 9pm to stop unless it got crazy.
The noise levels were rather low until about 8:30pm or so. At this point the squealing of the concrete drill and hammering started again. I was watching a movie at this point and was going to give them until about 9:30 but I couldn't take it anymore by about 9:20.
I stomped over to the neighbour's door, politely rap on their door and wait for them to answer the door.
When they do, I say, in as calm and pleasant a voice as I can muster, "Hi there. I just wanted to know if you were going to be finished hammering anytime soon."
Now at this point the average human with a modicum of neighbourly feelings would say something along the lines of, "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize we were being so loud. We'll just finish up in a few minutes and you won't hear a peep out of us until tomorrow."
Of course, these neighbours of mine give sea urchins a run for their money in the social skills category. And that's a bit of a slight towards the sea urchins.
What is the first thing to come out of my hillbilly neighbour's mouth?
"It's not 11 yet." (11pm being the noise bylaw cutoff time in our complex.)
It took all of my reserve not to just pop him in the nose right there. I somehow kept my cool and politely reminded him that we had kids trying to sleep and thankfully they did keep the drilling and hammering to a dull roar, but man...
At around 7pm (bedtime) last night, we started to hear horrible squealing sounds coming through the wall accompanied by some nasty hammering. My neighbours have a penchant for engaging in late-night weekend renovations but this was just ridiculous.
It was only 7pm, so I decided to give them until 9pm to stop unless it got crazy.
The noise levels were rather low until about 8:30pm or so. At this point the squealing of the concrete drill and hammering started again. I was watching a movie at this point and was going to give them until about 9:30 but I couldn't take it anymore by about 9:20.
I stomped over to the neighbour's door, politely rap on their door and wait for them to answer the door.
When they do, I say, in as calm and pleasant a voice as I can muster, "Hi there. I just wanted to know if you were going to be finished hammering anytime soon."
Now at this point the average human with a modicum of neighbourly feelings would say something along the lines of, "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize we were being so loud. We'll just finish up in a few minutes and you won't hear a peep out of us until tomorrow."
Of course, these neighbours of mine give sea urchins a run for their money in the social skills category. And that's a bit of a slight towards the sea urchins.
What is the first thing to come out of my hillbilly neighbour's mouth?
"It's not 11 yet." (11pm being the noise bylaw cutoff time in our complex.)
It took all of my reserve not to just pop him in the nose right there. I somehow kept my cool and politely reminded him that we had kids trying to sleep and thankfully they did keep the drilling and hammering to a dull roar, but man...
Friday, November 02, 2007
Something Fishy This Way Comes
There's a new poll up over yonder. I picked up 5 tiger barb fish for the aquarium (Kara loves looking at the fishies swimming around at night) and from the instant I put them into the tank, they started chasing my poor Neons around.
Come and vote on who/what you think the results will be at the end of a week. I hope it's peaceful cohabitation... I just need to remember to feed the fish daily.
Come and vote on who/what you think the results will be at the end of a week. I hope it's peaceful cohabitation... I just need to remember to feed the fish daily.
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