This ought to be interesting.
Our church uses a variety of multimedia presentations to enhance the sermon or illustrate a particular point that our minister is trying to convey. I'm not going to get into the argument about whether this is good or bad or anything. I have no problem with it because a) our church's goal is to be a church for people who don't go to church (in a nutshell) and b) I'm the multimedia team leader and this gives me a ministry where I can put a lot of the geekery I am adept at to work.
SOOOOO.... as I was saying, this ought to be interesting. We usually have movie clips or things from TV shows such as The Simpsons, Oprah or Malcolm In The Middle, to name a few. This week we're showing the video of Johnny Cash's remake of Nine Inch Nails' HURT.
It's a fantastic version of the song and I'm curious as to what the thrust of the message will be given such a downer of a song. I just never thought I'd see the day when Nine Inch Nails would be played in church!
Friday, September 30, 2005
Get Your Nippon On
I came across this observation about why an idealized Japan is so popular with geeks. I think it's scarily accurate. I'd love to go to Japan but I know it won't be anything like the Japan I think I know and love. Sigh.
"For a lot of Western otaku, Japan fills the same function as Middle-Earth or Starfleet or twelfth-century England does for other flavors of geek: it's a fantasy world where everything is attuned to their desires and, if they could magically get there, they wouldn't feel like outsiders anymore.
In this Japan, nerds are the ruling class, video games and comic books abound, cutting-edge high-tech toys flood the streets, and everyone dresses in cool, crazy fashions. And, of course, hot teenage girls fight each other for the right to hook up with introverted geeks.
This fantasy version of Japan is seductive to a certain young, tech-saavy, socially awkward but culturally aware type -- the type that increasingly dominates the Internet."
Check the article this is from. It's a pretty neat analysis of a variety of webcomics and their importance or lack thereof. The quote is from the section on Megatokyo, a webcomic I've looked at askance once or twice but have never been drawn into like many of my friends have.
"For a lot of Western otaku, Japan fills the same function as Middle-Earth or Starfleet or twelfth-century England does for other flavors of geek: it's a fantasy world where everything is attuned to their desires and, if they could magically get there, they wouldn't feel like outsiders anymore.
In this Japan, nerds are the ruling class, video games and comic books abound, cutting-edge high-tech toys flood the streets, and everyone dresses in cool, crazy fashions. And, of course, hot teenage girls fight each other for the right to hook up with introverted geeks.
This fantasy version of Japan is seductive to a certain young, tech-saavy, socially awkward but culturally aware type -- the type that increasingly dominates the Internet."
Check the article this is from. It's a pretty neat analysis of a variety of webcomics and their importance or lack thereof. The quote is from the section on Megatokyo, a webcomic I've looked at askance once or twice but have never been drawn into like many of my friends have.
Corunna Bike Thief Manhunt
Ah, I finally am updating my blog again. Don't ask why I've been so silent. I just haven't had the 'oomph' to type lately, although I have still been writing my daily events out like a blog entry in my brain. They just haven't translated to the screen like I'd hoped.
Anyway, let the storytelling begin!
Last weekend the fambly all bundled into the car and off we went to Sarnia to visit the folks. Hilarity ensued and it was a fun time... UNTIL SATURDAY!
Garrett & I were headed into Sarnia from Corunna to feast upon the delicious delectations available at Boston Pizza. We were two cars behind Julie's parents and stopped at a stop sign just around the corner from their house.
Suddenly *CRASH*
A pickup truck decided to try to turn left from the far right lane on a four-lane road... It would have worked too, if it weren't for that pesky Neon that was right beside him in the left lane at the time.
By this time the in-laws were way down the road and Garrett & I were in the lovely position of having to do our civic duty as accident witnesses.
Thankfully nobody was hurt and the damage was minimal. The idiot driving the truck turned out to be some teenage kid with a bunch of buddies but they seemed to be scared more than tough, so it was a pretty tame accident scene. Eventually the cops showed up and I gave my statement.
Here are a few funny bits. First off, there was a truck in front of me at the stop sign which had a better view of the accident. After the accident the guy went out and told the driver of the car that he would stick around and be a witness when the cops showed up.
Two minutes later the guy gets back in his truck and drives off, never to be seen again. Hence my promotion to primary witness :P
While I was in the cop car, I had to wait for the officer to call his girlfriend and coordinate a drop-off point for his lunch. Both officers at the Corunna detachment were out at our accident scene and he need his lunch, stat! I also overheard that some kid was going around punching little kids and stealing their bikes. Supposedly this had been going on for a couple of days.
Talk about drama!
So we were fine, our cars were fine and nobody was hurt. I did get a bigger pizza as a reward for performing my civic duty though!
Anyway, let the storytelling begin!
Last weekend the fambly all bundled into the car and off we went to Sarnia to visit the folks. Hilarity ensued and it was a fun time... UNTIL SATURDAY!
Garrett & I were headed into Sarnia from Corunna to feast upon the delicious delectations available at Boston Pizza. We were two cars behind Julie's parents and stopped at a stop sign just around the corner from their house.
Suddenly *CRASH*
A pickup truck decided to try to turn left from the far right lane on a four-lane road... It would have worked too, if it weren't for that pesky Neon that was right beside him in the left lane at the time.
By this time the in-laws were way down the road and Garrett & I were in the lovely position of having to do our civic duty as accident witnesses.
Thankfully nobody was hurt and the damage was minimal. The idiot driving the truck turned out to be some teenage kid with a bunch of buddies but they seemed to be scared more than tough, so it was a pretty tame accident scene. Eventually the cops showed up and I gave my statement.
Here are a few funny bits. First off, there was a truck in front of me at the stop sign which had a better view of the accident. After the accident the guy went out and told the driver of the car that he would stick around and be a witness when the cops showed up.
Two minutes later the guy gets back in his truck and drives off, never to be seen again. Hence my promotion to primary witness :P
While I was in the cop car, I had to wait for the officer to call his girlfriend and coordinate a drop-off point for his lunch. Both officers at the Corunna detachment were out at our accident scene and he need his lunch, stat! I also overheard that some kid was going around punching little kids and stealing their bikes. Supposedly this had been going on for a couple of days.
Talk about drama!
So we were fine, our cars were fine and nobody was hurt. I did get a bigger pizza as a reward for performing my civic duty though!
Credit Card, Shmedit Card
I went down to EB today and it turns out that what happened is that I was charged the used price for a new game the other day. This prompted the girl at the counter to charge me the additional $5.75 that I technically owed for the game but was not charged. Of course, she did this without my authorization or even without notifying me (though supposedly she did try to call me... it's amazing how answering machines never seem to work when important calls are coming in.)
I'm in a bit of a dilemma about this whole episode. On the one hand the manager explained what had happened and it made sense, in a 'My Employee Did Something She Shouldn't Have And Is Stupid' kind of way. I did technically owe them the $5 as well so it's not like I can say that it was an unwarranted charge. Plus this shows that there really was no scammer out there, ripping off my credit card.
On the other hand, my credit card was charged without my consent or signature. To top it off, had I paid with debit or cash they would have been out of luck and she would have had to explain why she undercharged me for the game (and I'd still have my $5.75).
I did say this to the manager and was kind of hoping he'd refund my money given that I had never officially authourized it. Unfortunately he just apologized for the incident and said that his employee has been told that it was not the right course of action and that it would not happen again.
So what do I do now? Do I get upset and storm back in there and demand my money back even though I technically do owe it to them? Do I just let this go by and hope it doesn't happen again? I don't want to waste more time and effort on this than I have as I'm satisfied with the explanation as to what happened and feel my credit card has not sprung a leak. I also don't want to feel like a shmuck for letting them get away with what is technically an illegal (or at least very shady) practice of billing someone with no authorization.
Hmm... Maybe I'll call Visa tomorrow and ask them what to do. At the very least they can send a grumpy note to EB warning them not to do this.
All you banker/financial types (yeah, both of you) that read this, give me some advice. My neighbour feels that I should have pressed for $5 back or at least store credit. I personally feel that while I didn't like how they got their $5, I did technically owe it to them and therefore shouldn't press too hard for money back that I really don't deserve. Sigh...
I'm in a bit of a dilemma about this whole episode. On the one hand the manager explained what had happened and it made sense, in a 'My Employee Did Something She Shouldn't Have And Is Stupid' kind of way. I did technically owe them the $5 as well so it's not like I can say that it was an unwarranted charge. Plus this shows that there really was no scammer out there, ripping off my credit card.
On the other hand, my credit card was charged without my consent or signature. To top it off, had I paid with debit or cash they would have been out of luck and she would have had to explain why she undercharged me for the game (and I'd still have my $5.75).
I did say this to the manager and was kind of hoping he'd refund my money given that I had never officially authourized it. Unfortunately he just apologized for the incident and said that his employee has been told that it was not the right course of action and that it would not happen again.
So what do I do now? Do I get upset and storm back in there and demand my money back even though I technically do owe it to them? Do I just let this go by and hope it doesn't happen again? I don't want to waste more time and effort on this than I have as I'm satisfied with the explanation as to what happened and feel my credit card has not sprung a leak. I also don't want to feel like a shmuck for letting them get away with what is technically an illegal (or at least very shady) practice of billing someone with no authorization.
Hmm... Maybe I'll call Visa tomorrow and ask them what to do. At the very least they can send a grumpy note to EB warning them not to do this.
All you banker/financial types (yeah, both of you) that read this, give me some advice. My neighbour feels that I should have pressed for $5 back or at least store credit. I personally feel that while I didn't like how they got their $5, I did technically owe it to them and therefore shouldn't press too hard for money back that I really don't deserve. Sigh...
Serenity Now...... Again...
If anyone wants to join me and a few friends for a viewing of Serenity tomorrow (Saturday) in Guelph at the Galaxy Cinema there, let me know and I'll save you a seat. I'm going to the 3:50pm matinee. Woo! I can't wait.
Browncoats, rejoice!
---
What I'm Reading: The Gates Of Dawn
What I'm Playing: Online Scrabble, Sly 3, Indigo Prophecy
What I'm Watching: What Not To Wear
You can't take the sky from me...
Browncoats, rejoice!
---
What I'm Reading: The Gates Of Dawn
What I'm Playing: Online Scrabble, Sly 3, Indigo Prophecy
What I'm Watching: What Not To Wear
You can't take the sky from me...
Thursday, September 29, 2005
Credit Card Conundrum
Stupid EB.
I picked up Sly 3 at the EB in Oakville the other day.
Today I check my credit card balance today and there are two charges for that day despite the fact that I only made one purchase. It's only for $5, but still...
I call TD and they help me out a bit but essentially I have to call EB and ask for a refund. I call EB and they say I have to bring in the receipt, to which I reply that I don't have a receipt for the thing that I DIDN'T BUY! The guy says that he still has to see the receipt for the thing I did buy even though I have all the information about the other charge (thanks to TD).
Sigh. So now I have to go all the way down to Oakville (which is about 30 minutes each way) to get a $5.75 charge reversed on my credit card. I think I'll burn more gas going there and back than I was actually charged, but I want to plug this potential security hole in my credit card.
Last time I'm shopping at that store... heck, the only reason I stopped in there was because it was on my way back home the other day and Garrett was still awake. Sigh.
---
What I'm Reading: The Gates Of Dawn
What I'm Playing: WoW, Indigo Prophecy, Get My $5 Back!
What I'm Watching: ER and The Daily Show
oh look, there's the ledger: overflowing with minuses.
I picked up Sly 3 at the EB in Oakville the other day.
Today I check my credit card balance today and there are two charges for that day despite the fact that I only made one purchase. It's only for $5, but still...
I call TD and they help me out a bit but essentially I have to call EB and ask for a refund. I call EB and they say I have to bring in the receipt, to which I reply that I don't have a receipt for the thing that I DIDN'T BUY! The guy says that he still has to see the receipt for the thing I did buy even though I have all the information about the other charge (thanks to TD).
Sigh. So now I have to go all the way down to Oakville (which is about 30 minutes each way) to get a $5.75 charge reversed on my credit card. I think I'll burn more gas going there and back than I was actually charged, but I want to plug this potential security hole in my credit card.
Last time I'm shopping at that store... heck, the only reason I stopped in there was because it was on my way back home the other day and Garrett was still awake. Sigh.
---
What I'm Reading: The Gates Of Dawn
What I'm Playing: WoW, Indigo Prophecy, Get My $5 Back!
What I'm Watching: ER and The Daily Show
oh look, there's the ledger: overflowing with minuses.
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
Cephalophiles Rejoice!
Yeah, yeah. I haven't updated in a bit. I've been busy traipsing around the globe, or at least to places starting with S (Sudbury & Sarnia amongst them).
But I'll leave my tales of vehicular accidents, my time in a patrol car and of whether Corpse Bride was any good to another time.
For now, feast your eyes upon this awesome article...
Holy Squid! They found a Giant Squid... Alive!
Woohoo! I love squids and their ilk and the fact that someone has been able to take pictures of a live Architeuthis just made my day. "The animal—which measures roughly 25 feet (8 meters) long—was photographed 2,950 feet (900 meters) beneath the North Pacific Ocean."
I need to get one of these for a pet. I doubt Julie's allergic to them. In the meantime I'd just like to apologize to our squiddy overlords for ripping off one of their arms. Woops!
---
What I'm Reading: Minnow Trap (while playing the count the grammar and spelling mistakes game)
What I'm Playing: Indigo Prophecy (awesome!), WoW
What I'm Watching: Lost, Sin City, Nothing (the movie, not nothing nothing)
But I'll leave my tales of vehicular accidents, my time in a patrol car and of whether Corpse Bride was any good to another time.
For now, feast your eyes upon this awesome article...
Holy Squid! They found a Giant Squid... Alive!
Woohoo! I love squids and their ilk and the fact that someone has been able to take pictures of a live Architeuthis just made my day. "The animal—which measures roughly 25 feet (8 meters) long—was photographed 2,950 feet (900 meters) beneath the North Pacific Ocean."
I need to get one of these for a pet. I doubt Julie's allergic to them. In the meantime I'd just like to apologize to our squiddy overlords for ripping off one of their arms. Woops!
---
What I'm Reading: Minnow Trap (while playing the count the grammar and spelling mistakes game)
What I'm Playing: Indigo Prophecy (awesome!), WoW
What I'm Watching: Lost, Sin City, Nothing (the movie, not nothing nothing)
Monday, September 26, 2005
I'm so lucky
I was just checking the Evil Avatar boards today and it turns out that I was the monthly winner for the comic giveaway for September! Woohoo! I never have to buy comics again at this rate.
---
What I'm Reading: Death Sentences, Minnow Trap
What I'm Playing: Radiata Stories, We <3 Katamari, Burnout Revenge, WoW
What I'm Watching: Prison Break, that cool Dragon documentary
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What I'm Reading: Death Sentences, Minnow Trap
What I'm Playing: Radiata Stories, We <3 Katamari, Burnout Revenge, WoW
What I'm Watching: Prison Break, that cool Dragon documentary
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
Lost: Season 2
Soooo... what did you think?
I liked it myself. I didn't feel disappointed at all by the revelation of the contents of the hatch, despite all of the chances that it could have been very underwhelming.
Did anyone watch Invasion after Lost? It was ok but nothing special. I've seen body-snatcher style sci-fi shows on Space and elsewhere. This is just set in Florida. I might watch another episode or two and see how it goes. I really wanted to watch Threshold last week but I missed it and now I'm not sure if I should leap in an episode short or just wait till it is either cancelled or put out on DVD.
I liked it myself. I didn't feel disappointed at all by the revelation of the contents of the hatch, despite all of the chances that it could have been very underwhelming.
Did anyone watch Invasion after Lost? It was ok but nothing special. I've seen body-snatcher style sci-fi shows on Space and elsewhere. This is just set in Florida. I might watch another episode or two and see how it goes. I really wanted to watch Threshold last week but I missed it and now I'm not sure if I should leap in an episode short or just wait till it is either cancelled or put out on DVD.
Sudbury Sunday Night
In case you were wondering where we've been most of the week, we went up to Sudbury for a little vacation from Sunday to Tuesday. I had never been to Sudbury (aside from a quick drive past it the week before on the way to and from the lodge on Manitoulin) so we went up there to explore and check out the science stuff.
I loved it.
We took the Chi-Chemaun up to Manitoulin on Sunday morning and I was quite impressed with it. They had a big play room for Garrett to run around in and there were enough kids that he wasn't bored. Manitoulin itself was just like it was a week ago when I left. We stopped at Ten-Mile Lookout, which everyone should see at some point in their lives. I've been there three times in a week and was blown away by the vista each time.
Science North was pretty nifty. I got to ride a Segway (as seen below) and would definately pick one up if they cost $500 instead of $5000. The displays were also interesting and the biology level of the centre was filled with great displays of bugs, fish and one sleepy beaver.
Dynamic Earth was also worth the price of admission. Garrett didn't really like the dark elevator ride down to the mine but he fell asleep shortly after we got into the old timey mine shaft. We got him a shovel and rake at the gift shop and he's been wandering around the house ever since, hitting me in the head with the rake, knocking over stuff... ah, kids' toys...
The one thing I can say about Sudbury is that it has supplanted Hamilton at the top of my worst designed cities list. Not to worry, Hamilton still has the top spot when it comes to most confusing downtown and the most egregious use of one-way streets. The whole of Sudbury is a mess of traffic lights and wierd star-shaped intersections, not to mention signs that when followed put you in a parking lot for a convenience store instead of on the highway to Dynamic Earth... I'm sure it has something to do with the awesome topography of the place, but couldn't they have at least TRIED for something approximating a grid? Sigh.
You'd think that I'd be taking it easy and playing lots of games on my vacation. I wish. I did play a bit of WoW last night (Battlegrounds ROCK!) but aside from that and a bit of We Love Katamari (woo!) and some GBA games, I haven't had a chance to touch a controller or keyboard. I spent all day today cleaning my office. 2 giant green garbage bags and a lot of moved boxes later, I can see floor and walls that I haven't seen since I moved in. I think I just increased the useable floor space by a good 500 square feet. Scary. But it needed to be done.
Now it's off to Sarnia for a couple days to hang with the fambly and hopefully see The Corpse Bride. Only one more week till Serenity!
---
What I'm Reading: Serenity comic series, one of my books...
What I'm Playing: We Love Katamari, WoW, Golden Sun 2, Sigma Star Saga
What I'm Watching: LOST SEASON 2! WOO!
I loved it.
We took the Chi-Chemaun up to Manitoulin on Sunday morning and I was quite impressed with it. They had a big play room for Garrett to run around in and there were enough kids that he wasn't bored. Manitoulin itself was just like it was a week ago when I left. We stopped at Ten-Mile Lookout, which everyone should see at some point in their lives. I've been there three times in a week and was blown away by the vista each time.
Science North was pretty nifty. I got to ride a Segway (as seen below) and would definately pick one up if they cost $500 instead of $5000. The displays were also interesting and the biology level of the centre was filled with great displays of bugs, fish and one sleepy beaver.
Dynamic Earth was also worth the price of admission. Garrett didn't really like the dark elevator ride down to the mine but he fell asleep shortly after we got into the old timey mine shaft. We got him a shovel and rake at the gift shop and he's been wandering around the house ever since, hitting me in the head with the rake, knocking over stuff... ah, kids' toys...
The one thing I can say about Sudbury is that it has supplanted Hamilton at the top of my worst designed cities list. Not to worry, Hamilton still has the top spot when it comes to most confusing downtown and the most egregious use of one-way streets. The whole of Sudbury is a mess of traffic lights and wierd star-shaped intersections, not to mention signs that when followed put you in a parking lot for a convenience store instead of on the highway to Dynamic Earth... I'm sure it has something to do with the awesome topography of the place, but couldn't they have at least TRIED for something approximating a grid? Sigh.
You'd think that I'd be taking it easy and playing lots of games on my vacation. I wish. I did play a bit of WoW last night (Battlegrounds ROCK!) but aside from that and a bit of We Love Katamari (woo!) and some GBA games, I haven't had a chance to touch a controller or keyboard. I spent all day today cleaning my office. 2 giant green garbage bags and a lot of moved boxes later, I can see floor and walls that I haven't seen since I moved in. I think I just increased the useable floor space by a good 500 square feet. Scary. But it needed to be done.
Now it's off to Sarnia for a couple days to hang with the fambly and hopefully see The Corpse Bride. Only one more week till Serenity!
---
What I'm Reading: Serenity comic series, one of my books...
What I'm Playing: We Love Katamari, WoW, Golden Sun 2, Sigma Star Saga
What I'm Watching: LOST SEASON 2! WOO!
Adventures Over The Weekend: A PhotoEssay
Julie even tried out the Segway briefly. She didn't like it nearly as much as I did. 
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