I was just reading some stuff on Kristin Thomas Spam Poetry. This is terrific! This genius writes poetry using only the subject lines from spam. That's a constructive use for it - good thinking I say!
That said, if I was to try to write a poem from all the spam I get on Hotmal, I fear all my poems would have a kind of gross sexual overtone with maybe the occasional "cheap viagra" reference thrown in for good measure.
Thanks to JPuddy who posted the link in his blog.
Wednesday, March 31, 2004
Ooh, that other car's getting rather close...crunch!
Yes, indeed. I was in fact in a car crash last night. I was one of Drew's passengers in the crash he mentioned on his blog. I was in the front passenger seat and yes, I did have my seatbelt on. Hurrah! Of course, I didn't have a "neck belt" on which I'm thinking could be an interesting concept. I reckon as well as air bags, cars should have an inflatible collar that fills up when you crash to stop "neck wiggle".
I feel pretty good, just a slight neck pain. It's nothing worse than when I go snowboarding, though, so I'm not too bothered. It'll be all back to normal in no time.
I feel pretty good, just a slight neck pain. It's nothing worse than when I go snowboarding, though, so I'm not too bothered. It'll be all back to normal in no time.
Tuesday, March 30, 2004
I went Indoor Rock Climbing... and lived!
Well, the snow's gone and it's time for me to do something other than snowboarding for exercise. With this in mind, I went to Joe Rockhead's Indoor Rock Climbing Gym in Toronto last night with a few friends.
It's the 2nd time I've been rock climbing in my life. Last time was at the Glasgow Climbing Centre back home. That time was interesting because I pretty much used my arms the whole time and I didn't rest them or shake them out while I was climbing. The next morning they were killing me!
Another difference was the type of belaying device we used. In Glasgow, we used what I think was a Belay Rappel Device which is a fairly simple device that relies on the belayer to get it right or else you could drop the climber. Last night, though, we used a Grigri which is much better. It's got a mechanism inside which locks the rope when the climber falls. It only releases when you lift a lever which you can open more or less to adjust the speed of descent as desired.
The first couple of climbs I started to get scared as I got higher up because I wasn't really putting my faith in the rope and my belayer. When I got more used to it, though, I was able to go all the way to the top. I still had to stop for a rest once or twice, though, because my muscles are pretty weak. My arms are hardly sore at all today, though, so I think I used my legs more than last time.
I had to keep reminding myself to straighten my arms when I was thinking and to shake them out once in a while. It's all practice and learning. I think I'm going to have fun with this.
It's the 2nd time I've been rock climbing in my life. Last time was at the Glasgow Climbing Centre back home. That time was interesting because I pretty much used my arms the whole time and I didn't rest them or shake them out while I was climbing. The next morning they were killing me!
Another difference was the type of belaying device we used. In Glasgow, we used what I think was a Belay Rappel Device which is a fairly simple device that relies on the belayer to get it right or else you could drop the climber. Last night, though, we used a Grigri which is much better. It's got a mechanism inside which locks the rope when the climber falls. It only releases when you lift a lever which you can open more or less to adjust the speed of descent as desired.
The first couple of climbs I started to get scared as I got higher up because I wasn't really putting my faith in the rope and my belayer. When I got more used to it, though, I was able to go all the way to the top. I still had to stop for a rest once or twice, though, because my muscles are pretty weak. My arms are hardly sore at all today, though, so I think I used my legs more than last time.
I had to keep reminding myself to straighten my arms when I was thinking and to shake them out once in a while. It's all practice and learning. I think I'm going to have fun with this.
Monday, March 29, 2004
Life Languages
Ok, it's only taken me all day to get this to work so you better be impressed!
This is my life languages breakdown (and I know the CSS doesn't work properly in Mozilla browsers.) I'm a Influencer-Doer-Shaper it seems. This means I feel, do then think. That surprises me a bit because I always thought (haha, clever) that I was more of a thinker than that.
This is my life languages breakdown (and I know the CSS doesn't work properly in Mozilla browsers.) I'm a Influencer-Doer-Shaper it seems. This means I feel, do then think. That surprises me a bit because I always thought (haha, clever) that I was more of a thinker than that.
I
D
S
P
R
C
M
| Language | Score | Rating |
| Influencer | 67.7% | High |
| Doer | 62.6% | Moderate |
| Shaper | 62.1% | Moderate |
| Producer | 42.4% | Moderate |
| Responder | 32.3% | Low |
| Contemplator | 31.8% | Low |
| Mover | 31.3% | Low |
Thursday, March 25, 2004
27 Years ago today...
...I was born! Yes, it's true. Don't be deceived by my boyish charm, I really am 27!
It amazes me just how quickly the years fly by and the details fade to nothing.
Man, it's true that the older you get the faster time seems to go.
It amazes me just how quickly the years fly by and the details fade to nothing.
Man, it's true that the older you get the faster time seems to go.
Wednesday, March 17, 2004
US Pledge $1billion to Afghanistan
Times Online - Home: "On a one-day visit to the Afghan capital, Colin Powell stressed that the US remained committed to Afghanistan, and was 'in this for the long haul.'
'They (the Afghans) don't have to hope we will be here. We will be here,' General Powell declared.
General Powell told reporters that the new $1billion pledge would be made at an international donors' conference in Berlin on March 31."
I really hope they stick to their word on this. It would be so amazing to see that country flourishing after so many years of barrenness.
'They (the Afghans) don't have to hope we will be here. We will be here,' General Powell declared.
General Powell told reporters that the new $1billion pledge would be made at an international donors' conference in Berlin on March 31."
I really hope they stick to their word on this. It would be so amazing to see that country flourishing after so many years of barrenness.
Tuesday, March 16, 2004
British phone company uses Hydrogen Cell for power in Scotland!
BBC NEWS | Scotland | Hydrogen cell powers phone mast: "Hydrogen cell powers phone mast"
I love this! I feel proud to be Scottish. They've set up a cell phone mast that runs on a Hydrogen Cell rather than running cables through the forest or using a nasty generator. It's so cool when a big company starts making decisions that save money and the planet. The Earth is the Lord's! Let's clean up after ourselves, that's what I say!
I love this! I feel proud to be Scottish. They've set up a cell phone mast that runs on a Hydrogen Cell rather than running cables through the forest or using a nasty generator. It's so cool when a big company starts making decisions that save money and the planet. The Earth is the Lord's! Let's clean up after ourselves, that's what I say!
Monday, March 15, 2004
Grace & Mercy in a British Courtroom!
AP Wire | 03/12/2004 | Charges Dropped for Briton Ex-Detainee
I thought this was a really interesting story. One of the five British men who recently returned from Guantanamo Bay has had certain criminal charges dropped. The reason given was that he's already suffered enough:
"It was decided that if he'd been found guilty he'd have gotten two years and he's already spent two years in prison in Guantanamo Bay," a prosecution spokeswoman said on condition of anonymity. "That (time served) would be taken into account. It would be a waste of procedure, really."
I was really impressed with this decision. It's a very compassionate way to go in the situation.
I thought this was a really interesting story. One of the five British men who recently returned from Guantanamo Bay has had certain criminal charges dropped. The reason given was that he's already suffered enough:
"It was decided that if he'd been found guilty he'd have gotten two years and he's already spent two years in prison in Guantanamo Bay," a prosecution spokeswoman said on condition of anonymity. "That (time served) would be taken into account. It would be a waste of procedure, really."
I was really impressed with this decision. It's a very compassionate way to go in the situation.
BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Astronomers discover 'new planet'
BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Astronomers discover 'new planet': "Astronomers have detected what could be the Solar System's 10th planet."
Well, fancy that. It seems Pluto isn't the last planet in our Solar System after all. Actually, what freaks me out the most is that I once read Sci-Fi book called The 10th Planet and it was about these nasty monsters that came from the 10th planet of our solar system. It was a classic Doctor Who? adventure, introducing a new enemy: the Cybermen. Very frightening, they were.
Well, fancy that. It seems Pluto isn't the last planet in our Solar System after all. Actually, what freaks me out the most is that I once read Sci-Fi book called The 10th Planet and it was about these nasty monsters that came from the 10th planet of our solar system. It was a classic Doctor Who? adventure, introducing a new enemy: the Cybermen. Very frightening, they were.
Wednesday, March 10, 2004
Are there innocent men in Guantanamo Bay?
News: "'My son is helpless. I do not ask for mercy, I ask for justice'
Moazzam Begg: Still in Guantanamo Bay, facing a military tribunal"
The more I read about the situation several families are facing, dealing with loved ones being held in Cuba by the US Military, the worse I feel about the situation. It's now been two years since these guys were arrested and they've still not been charged with any crime or allowed access to a lawyer. One man in this article hasn't even seen his youngest child. His family says he was working as a foreign aid worker, digging wells.
Of course, the sceptic would say these are all lies and in some cases they probably are. However, are you really so convinced of the efficiency of the US Military (whose own casualites in Afghanistan came more from friendly fire than the Taliban) that only the guilty were captured? Imagine two years of being tortured, placed in solitary confinement etc. without ever having done anything to deserve it.
God, free the innocent. Don't cast them aside with the guilty.
Moazzam Begg: Still in Guantanamo Bay, facing a military tribunal"
The more I read about the situation several families are facing, dealing with loved ones being held in Cuba by the US Military, the worse I feel about the situation. It's now been two years since these guys were arrested and they've still not been charged with any crime or allowed access to a lawyer. One man in this article hasn't even seen his youngest child. His family says he was working as a foreign aid worker, digging wells.
Of course, the sceptic would say these are all lies and in some cases they probably are. However, are you really so convinced of the efficiency of the US Military (whose own casualites in Afghanistan came more from friendly fire than the Taliban) that only the guilty were captured? Imagine two years of being tortured, placed in solitary confinement etc. without ever having done anything to deserve it.
God, free the innocent. Don't cast them aside with the guilty.
Afghan women in Olympics!
Games hold hope for Afghan women
This is so encouraging! I almost cried as I read this. God, bring more freedom to this nation!
This is so encouraging! I almost cried as I read this. God, bring more freedom to this nation!
India play Pakistan at Cricket - IN PAKISTAN!
BBC NEWS | World | South Asia | India begin historic cricket tour: "India begin historic cricket tour
Hundreds of police provided security for the team's arrival in Lahore
The Indian cricket team has arrived in Pakistan for a historic five-week tour - their first there after a break of nearly 15 years. "
This is really cool! Man, I really hope there's some peace between these two nations. They really have a rocky history.
Hundreds of police provided security for the team's arrival in Lahore
The Indian cricket team has arrived in Pakistan for a historic five-week tour - their first there after a break of nearly 15 years. "
This is really cool! Man, I really hope there's some peace between these two nations. They really have a rocky history.
Now we can see an eclipse from Mars!
BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Nasa rovers view Martian eclipses
This is pretty cool. They've been able to take pictures from the surface of mars, of its moons eclipsing the sun. It's totally different to here, though, because one of the moons takes 20-30 seconds to pass the sun and the other takes a minute.
This is pretty cool. They've been able to take pictures from the surface of mars, of its moons eclipsing the sun. It's totally different to here, though, because one of the moons takes 20-30 seconds to pass the sun and the other takes a minute.
By his stripes we are healed
I decided not to go snowboarding today since I'm still a bit sore from my fall. That said, I did go to the Healing Rooms at TACF yesterday just before lunch and I noticed a significant change.
As they prayed for me and soaked me in God's presence, I just felt more and more relaxed. When they finished, my neck felt significantly more flexible than it had been before. It's still not 100% normal again but it's about 95% I'd say. My back still hurts a bit but I know it's on the mend.
Man, it's so cool to know that God doesn't want us to live with sickness. It's not even a question of whether it's life-threatening or not. He cares about all our aches and pains. Even if our pain is a direct result of our own action (like snowboarding) he still wants to heal. After all, can you really have "Life in all its fullness" without taking risks?
As they prayed for me and soaked me in God's presence, I just felt more and more relaxed. When they finished, my neck felt significantly more flexible than it had been before. It's still not 100% normal again but it's about 95% I'd say. My back still hurts a bit but I know it's on the mend.
Man, it's so cool to know that God doesn't want us to live with sickness. It's not even a question of whether it's life-threatening or not. He cares about all our aches and pains. Even if our pain is a direct result of our own action (like snowboarding) he still wants to heal. After all, can you really have "Life in all its fullness" without taking risks?
Tuesday, March 09, 2004
Aw, man. I'm Switzerland too...
I got this link from my buddy Drew who turned out to be Switzerland. I, too, am Switzerland.
Switzerland -
A neutral power for as long as most can remember,
it has avoided war for several centuries.
However, it is still considered highly advanced
and a global power.
Positives:
Judicial.
Neutrality.
World-Renouned.
Powerful without Force.
Makes Excellent Watches, Etc.
Negatives:
Target of Ridicule.
Constant Struggle to Avoid Conflict.
Target of Criminal Bank Accounts.
Which Country of the World are You?
brought to you by Quizilla
Switzerland -
A neutral power for as long as most can remember,
it has avoided war for several centuries.
However, it is still considered highly advanced
and a global power.
Positives:
Judicial.
Neutrality.
World-Renouned.
Powerful without Force.
Makes Excellent Watches, Etc.
Negatives:
Target of Ridicule.
Constant Struggle to Avoid Conflict.
Target of Criminal Bank Accounts.
Which Country of the World are You?
brought to you by Quizilla
I hate these e-mails.
A friend forwarded me an e-mail this morning. It was one of these ones that makes me want to boke, gag, chunder, ralph and blow chunks all at the same time.
You may have seen one like it before. Here it is in all its fluffiness:
13 Things About You
====================
1. Someone in this world loves you, in some way.
2. A smile from you, can bring happiness to anyone, even if they don't like you.
3. Every night, SOMEONE thinks about you before they go to sleep.
4. You mean the world to someone.
5. Without you, someone may not be living.
6. You are special and unique, in your own way.
7. Someone that you don't know even exists, loves you.
8. When you make the biggest mistake ever, something good comes from it.
9. When you think the world has turned it's back on you, take a look, you most likely turned your back on the world.
10.When you think you have no chance at getting what you want, you probably won't get it, but if you believe in yourself, you probably sooner or later will get it.
11.Always remember complements you received, forget about the rude remarks.
12.Always tell someone how you feel about them, you will feel much better when they know.
13.If you have a great friend, take the time to let them know that they are great. If you choose, send this letter to as many people as you care about, you'll brighten up someone's day, and might change their perspective on life, for the better!
~Author Unknown~
You're right, 'Author Unknown'. I'd want to be unknown too if I had written that! Note the obligatory "You suck if you don't forward this to everyone and their dog" sentiment at the end as well. That bugs me too. Do you notice that there's "Unlucky 13" items in the list as well?
The worst one I've seen is:
Don’t ever frown, because you don’t know who’s falling in love with your smile.
What this is really saying is, "Remember - you're not allowed to be real. Be sure to pretend everything's "fine" just in case that special someone is watching."
Don't get me wrong, I'm all about romance but you've got to be real. Seriously, I hate the "plastic smile" mentality.
You may have seen one like it before. Here it is in all its fluffiness:
13 Things About You
====================
1. Someone in this world loves you, in some way.
2. A smile from you, can bring happiness to anyone, even if they don't like you.
3. Every night, SOMEONE thinks about you before they go to sleep.
4. You mean the world to someone.
5. Without you, someone may not be living.
6. You are special and unique, in your own way.
7. Someone that you don't know even exists, loves you.
8. When you make the biggest mistake ever, something good comes from it.
9. When you think the world has turned it's back on you, take a look, you most likely turned your back on the world.
10.When you think you have no chance at getting what you want, you probably won't get it, but if you believe in yourself, you probably sooner or later will get it.
11.Always remember complements you received, forget about the rude remarks.
12.Always tell someone how you feel about them, you will feel much better when they know.
13.If you have a great friend, take the time to let them know that they are great. If you choose, send this letter to as many people as you care about, you'll brighten up someone's day, and might change their perspective on life, for the better!
~Author Unknown~
You're right, 'Author Unknown'. I'd want to be unknown too if I had written that! Note the obligatory "You suck if you don't forward this to everyone and their dog" sentiment at the end as well. That bugs me too. Do you notice that there's "Unlucky 13" items in the list as well?
The worst one I've seen is:
Don’t ever frown, because you don’t know who’s falling in love with your smile.
What this is really saying is, "Remember - you're not allowed to be real. Be sure to pretend everything's "fine" just in case that special someone is watching."
Don't get me wrong, I'm all about romance but you've got to be real. Seriously, I hate the "plastic smile" mentality.
Big Air - Sore Ass!
Well, I finally did it. I got some pretty impressive air up at Blue Mountain. However, I could have picked a better part of my body to land on. Better still, I could have landed on my board which would have been the ideal scenario. I was trying out one of the smaller terrain parks at Blue Mountain with some friends last night. I think the trail was called Yahoo but let's just say that's not what I was shouting as I sailed through the air.
Well, actually, I remained silent as I contemplated the impending impact. So, "What happened?" I hear you ask. There were a couple of table tops one after the other and we were taking turns to go down the run and jump them. I've been practicing ollies all season and I wanted to try it again. The only trouble is that when you whizz up the ramp to a table top, you really don't need much extra propulsion to get airborn. Well, I think I got higher than I've ever got before. The only problem was that very quickly my board rotated out in front of me and I found myself flying through the air, flat on my back like I was in the most lucid of snowboarding dreams but still in my bedtime posture. After what seemed like an eternity of flying (and much reflection on what was wrong with my takeoff) all speculation about being asleep was put to rest as I landed with a dull 'thud' on my back and slid down the other side of the jump, groaning softly.
I shuffled off to the side as well as I could so that I wouldn't have some professional jump-taker land on me. I had to lie there for about 5 minutes and catch my breath. It knocked the wind out of me a bit. What was almost more annoying than falling in the first place was that only one of my 6 friends saw my "reverse 90 to kidneys" because the rest were waiting further down the hill.
I bravely soldiered on and bombed down the rest of the run (Smart Alec) with enthusiasm. That was when I went head-over-heels in a Homer Simpson style "ooh-eee-agh-oof" with each sound marking the next time my body hit the ground. I always prefer if I fall onto my knees or onto my back. The worst is when you fall sideways, in the direction of travel. Sadly, this was one such fall. I don't know how but I managed to tumble over the board and keep going. I think I hit the ground 3 times before skidding to a halt, flat on my back once more.
I hope to go to Blue again tomorrow but it remains to be seen if my body will be operational in time.
Well, actually, I remained silent as I contemplated the impending impact. So, "What happened?" I hear you ask. There were a couple of table tops one after the other and we were taking turns to go down the run and jump them. I've been practicing ollies all season and I wanted to try it again. The only trouble is that when you whizz up the ramp to a table top, you really don't need much extra propulsion to get airborn. Well, I think I got higher than I've ever got before. The only problem was that very quickly my board rotated out in front of me and I found myself flying through the air, flat on my back like I was in the most lucid of snowboarding dreams but still in my bedtime posture. After what seemed like an eternity of flying (and much reflection on what was wrong with my takeoff) all speculation about being asleep was put to rest as I landed with a dull 'thud' on my back and slid down the other side of the jump, groaning softly.
I shuffled off to the side as well as I could so that I wouldn't have some professional jump-taker land on me. I had to lie there for about 5 minutes and catch my breath. It knocked the wind out of me a bit. What was almost more annoying than falling in the first place was that only one of my 6 friends saw my "reverse 90 to kidneys" because the rest were waiting further down the hill.
I bravely soldiered on and bombed down the rest of the run (Smart Alec) with enthusiasm. That was when I went head-over-heels in a Homer Simpson style "ooh-eee-agh-oof" with each sound marking the next time my body hit the ground. I always prefer if I fall onto my knees or onto my back. The worst is when you fall sideways, in the direction of travel. Sadly, this was one such fall. I don't know how but I managed to tumble over the board and keep going. I think I hit the ground 3 times before skidding to a halt, flat on my back once more.
I hope to go to Blue again tomorrow but it remains to be seen if my body will be operational in time.
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