Bring it on!!

This just in: Farmer's Almanac predicts extremely cold winter. This is always a no-brainer with the media to do a story on. As winter approaches, a cloud of fear grips Calgary. That first snowflake, that first day when the temp dips below zero (celcius), the leaves turning colour, the anticipation of these things terrorize the City.

So it was no surprise when a comment from a person on the bus this morning touched off a full fledged group conversation. The person mentioned the unusually cold winter prediction, and the comments were flying. People were mentioning "getting away", or various strategies for "surviving" the winter.

I say BRING IT ON!!!

Already, I'm looking at books and websites to get that backyard rink up and running. It's been too warm the past few years to even consider it. My boys, 7 and 3, and me on the backyard rink, shooting the puck around, coming in for hot chocolate after, my youngest taking his first skating strides. Also, the prospect of a Hutchinsons versus Surbeys Summit Series. Think of it! This could go down as the best winter ever!

Think of the Ski Hills, who each year are plagued with warm weather. Damn physics! Stupid snow insists on melting when the overnight low is 5 degrees. Word will get out that the Calgary-Banff corridor has the best skiing in the world! Yes, I'm looking at you, Switzerland. I said "the world"! The Boarding and Skiing will be fantastic!

Look at Calgary's historical daytime highs: Dec = -1, Jan = -2, Feb = 0, Mar = 3, it goes up from there. So Calgary's actually pretty temperate if you think objectively about it for a moment. So, the thick of winter will probably last for only 2 months, not counting the periodic breaks due to Chinooks.

So, bring it on, winter! I know that this comes from the Farmer's Almanac which has a 20% margin of error, so we run the risk of another warm winter, but bring it on anyways! We look forward to it, except for some of the ladies on the bus this morning.

Could be worse. Could be Winnipeg.

Is it Lucky Number 13 for Survivor?

"The idea for this actually came from the criticism that Survivor is not ethnically diverse enough. It's a social Experiment."
- Jeff Probst (shouldn't need to specify who he is)

When I first heard of this new twist to the Survivor series, my first thought was "here they go again, America's fascination with racial lines continue." So I could safely be put in the "skeptical" column, at least at first. But I have some questions for Jeff Probst. I know this blog has millions of eager readers, so if anyone of you in the multitudes run into Jeff, can you ask him these questions?

• For the non-white players, are you going to bring in, say, a black lawyer, an asian physicist, and a hispanic lawyer? If you so, are you prepared for the same backlash when "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner", starring Sidney Pothier, was released: minorities better become doctors or lawyers or the like if they want to matter.
• For your ethnicities, how "pure" (excuse the use of the term) will you ethnic groups be? There's so much mixing going on in the past 30 years, who's really pure white, or pure black, or pure hispanic any more? My aunt is black, so my first cousin is mixed. I'm sure my family's not the only mixed race group, are we?
• What guidelines are you going to have in place for the game? Will use of a racial epithet get a player punted?
• Is the show going to get all preachy about "how we are all the same"? Or can the racial divisions be more of a backdrop? Are your team names going to be "The Asians", "The Whites", etc. ?
• Any reaction from the Arabs, Jews, Native Americans, East Indians, etc? "Hey man, how come we're left out?"
  
• Is this Survivor's swan song? I mean, in spite of your multi-year deal?

Anyways, the show doesn't begin until mid-September, so this should give one of you ample time to ask Jeff and respond to this blog with what he said.

My Apple Rant...

Yes, I am a Mac OS X user. I do not have an apple tatoo. I do not have the apple logo anywhere in my home or one my car, except for what's on my powerbook. I am not a zealot. The only reason I bought a Mac is because I was tired of using technology just for work, I wanted to fool around with technology: create some tunes with my guitar, gussy-up some photos, do some amateur film-making. I basically just wanted to do stuff not work related. After grilling the Mac owners that I knew, and a lot of research, I took the plunge and got me a 12" 1.33GHz Powerbook. I also have an iPod that I bought awhile back, in 2003.

But here's where I'm at: Macs are now driven with Intel processors, mine is a PPC processor. Because I'm not made of cash. I did not just get back from sailing around Florida. I do not have tenants in my house that I can bilk. So, I would like to have a plan to upgrade. But Steve Jobs has this compulsive secrecy obsession. I'm forced to listen to industry analysts to get a sense of how long my Powerbook will be good for. Do I sell now? Do I have another year? Steve, what is your long term plan for your PPC Macs out there?

And my iPod is also showing its age, the battery life ain't what it used to be, and the video/photo capability of the newer iPods is a feature I think I could make use of. But I don't want to buy now when they haven't been updated in 6 months and a new iPod is imminent. Mr Jobs, can't you just tell me, "Well, we're looking at 3 months at the outset for our next model."

You can't, can you? Let me tell you two reasons why you can't:

(1) You're constantly goading Microsoft for running late on their projects, so if you lay your stones on the line with a date, and you don't meet it, you think you can kiss your cherished bit of anti-Microsoft ammunition good-bye.

(2) You and your ego just love giving those keynote addresses at Mac Expos where you do that routine where you pretend that you're finished your speech and then say "Oh, just one more thing" and then you perform this major unveiling of a new product. After seeing a few of these keynotes, I really am left with a sour taste. I feel like the keynotes are less about the product and more about you, Mr Jobs.

I just don't see what the big deal is. Enough with the "big show" already. Consumers like myself have way more selection now than we've ever had. How long do you think your followers can bow at your feet? Give some candid interviews with some respected tech reporters out there and level with them.

But, Apple makes good stuff, I want to continue to use it. But if my iPod or my PowerBook were to break tomorrow, this whole uncertainty cloud might cause me to look elsewhere. I think the whole secrecy thing had its time, it was a neat little bit of shtick. But, like the NeXT Computer, you have to let it go. (was that last sentence below the belt, Steve?)

Newsbreak: Women defy explanation.

If women didn't exist, all the money in the world would have no meaning.
- Aristotle Onassis

Perhaps you have observed this phenomenon: you are walking through a mall, which appears to be very calm, not too many people, the stores have more employees than customers, not a very busy day. Then you happen upon a shoe store, I mean, a shoe store that caters to ladies footwear fashion. I'm talking high heels, not high tops. But one thing is different about the shoe store, it's teeming with women, and sometimes guys who have that expression of "what the hell am I doing in a ladies shoe store? Wow. That cashier is hot. I wonder what's on TSN."

Needless to say, we walked past. I did not allow my wife to go in, she was forbidden. But this was sort of fascinating. So, let me throw this question out there: what drives women to hoard expensive footwear?

The other behaviors are explainable, if you take an evolutionary biological look at them. Women wear jewellery to attract attention to potential mates. Women wear flattering clothing, sometimes skimpy, because there is an innate drive to have themselves appealing to the opposite gender. Even if other things come to mind about how women adorn themselves, you could explain it in an evolutionary biological scope: they are seeking an assortment of mates from which to select the most fit from. This makes sense.

But I return to the original question: why footwear? Do non-vegetarian men ever look at women's shoes and say "Wow, she's hot. Check out those shoes, bro." Clearly, we do not. There are "other areas" that command attention.

So why footwear? Anyone know of any science that's behind this? Anyone have any ideas or know of a ground breaking Desmond Morris study?

A Freakin' Good Book

This book is not exactly a new release, but its one I've read about three times (because of how much I enjoyed it, not due to reading comprehension issues). This is one of those rare books that I think anyone could take something out of, regardless of your profession.

To sum up its premise without going too much into detail, it takes conventional cause-and-effect theories and challenges them. Well, more like he smacks them around for awhile. For example, crime decline in the past decade: due to strict gun control, or increased sentences for violent crime? Not according to Steven Leavitt, one of the authors. His calculated theory on this decline, although brow-raising at first, will have you immediately challenging your own thought processes. How is a Real Estate Agent subtly inclined to NOT work in your best interest? What do crack dealers and sumo wrestlers and high school quarterbacks all have in common? I wouldn't do the book justice in attempting to digest these responses, so I'll recommend you flip through the book to find out what they are.

This is also a book that you can take your time with. Read one chapter, think about it for a few days, then go onto the next. You may also find yourself reading the chapters out of sequence, the book allows for that. Which is a good thing, with a wife, two kids and a few mistresses, I don't exactly have large allotments of time that I can dedicate to sitting down with a good book.

Another thing I recommend is to not google Freakonomics before you've had a chance to read it. There are a few opinions expressed that have drawn the ire of a few groups with vested political interest. But I found it helpful to have read the book FIRST before reading the media's response. There's some topics like abortion, crack-dealing, and other items that get some people into a lather.

As I say, this is a book for everyone. But read with an open mind, and sober (if possible) . After a steady diet of IT books, it's totally refreshing to read something like this.

Anyone else read it?

How to buy a camcorder (or digital camera)

Recently, my camcorder's battery broke down. This camcorder was a Sony Analog Hi-8 type of camcorder I bought in '99. It needs to be put out to pasture. Its about as useful as a Winnipegger at a MENSA conference. Now comes the task of buying a new camcorder. I'm not exactly rich. I didn't just come back from sailing around the Caribbean. So, my pain is your gain. Here is exactly how you go about buying a camcorder, the steps are similar for a digital camera. Print these steps out if you have to.

1. Figure out your true cost tolerance and subtract 15%. So if you figure 800 is your limit, then 680 will be your soft target.
2. Go here to find out what the two best camcorders are in your target range. This website comes very highly recommended, she has a lot of integrity.
3. In your range, they have a winner and runner up for your soft target category. Read both reviews keeping in mind what your expectations are. For example, lots of lowlight recording, sports recording, etc. Basically, ask yourself how you intend to use the darn thing.
4. After reading both reviews, you probably have a good idea which one you're leaning towards, but you'll still want to read about the two models above while NOT exceeding your hard target (the 800 figure mentioned earlier). Spend a lot of time reading about these models.
5. Once you've chosen you're model. Go to Froogle and enter in the model number, model numbers should be distinct enough to return what you're looking for. If not, and you're getting models of furnace filters returned, you can always narrow it down with the manufacture name AND the model number.
6. Sort the list of returned camcorders from highest to lowest, not the other way around. If you start with the lowest, you'll get 20 pages of accessories you'll have to go through. When you sort from highest to lowest, you can just click "Next" and watch the prices get lower and lower until you run out of camcorders and hit an accessory.
7. Next, take your model number and double check Epinions, the only think you want to pay attention to here is the dud factor. Camcorderinfo doesn't really track your camcorders susceptibility to break down. Ignore the functionality articles in epinions, just get a feel for its repair history.
8. Go back to froogle and select a store. Hopefully, it will be a store with 4 stars or more. If the website says that they do not ship to Canada, call the 1-800 number and you'll find that they actually do, but their website functionality doesn't make it easy to have a "ship to Canada" option.
9. Wait for your camera to arrive and enjoy. Do not take beach video of shirtless pasty white skinned Winnipeggers without a high intensity glare filter. You'll fry your camcorder's internal processors.
   

That is all. Follow these steps and you can't go wrong.

A Lesson Hector Taught Me

This past April we thought would be routine, as far as registering my 7 year old into soccer goes. We would keep our eyes peeled for the annual ad in the McKenzie Gazette for this years registration info. We would see the ad, follow the directions, fill out some web page, and, ta-da, Ryan's registered in soccer.

This year was different. I was unaware of this, but over the off-season, a bit of a feud developed between the McKenzie Sports Club, and the McKenzie Community Association. I won't get into the details, but, in the end, the Sports Club decided to hold their own league: Titan Soccer Association. So, McKenzie Lake parents were faced with a choice: register your kids in the McKenzie Lake League, or the Titan Soccer League. Huh? I have to pick? How can I pick when I don't know the difference! We chose the McKenzie League because... um... well... I sort of don't know why.

When May rolled around and soccer season began, I was disappointed to find out that the Titan Soccer League really had its act together. They had the authentic uniforms, played on fields with chalk lines, got medals, had a website, they were ultra-organized. The McKenzie League kids played in like coloured t-shirts, on a big school field, no pre-ordained coaches, just a thrown together mess. As each game came and went, I was thinking to myself "this sucks! If I could only go back and choose that other league".

Then I notice this guy. Here's a guy that looks like a soccer player, super fit, wore soccer shoes, wore a soccer jersey of a different team each week, the whole bit. I see him working with the "Green Team" (we were the "Grey Team"), and you could just tell that this guy was into it. He would coach each kid as if he were the only kid on the team. If a kid booted the ball out, this guy would scoot out after it and tutor the kid some more. When the games began, he was the only coach to run from end to end with his eyes fixated on the kids, giving on-off advice with a comfortable grin.

At first, I thought this guy was way too gung-ho. Running around, bending over to talk eye-level with each kid, what the heck is this? But as each game went by, he sort of rubbed off on me. It was sort of infectious. Who the hell cares what kind of league this is! The kids are outside playing a great game, learning about teamwork, running their little legs off. Then afterwards, running to the sidelines looking for medals? No, they're looking for a popsicle, or a juice box. They're having a blast. Not sure I would have seen this, if not for that energetic soccer dude running around.

The guy's name was Hector Mellino. Unfortunately for our community, he tragically passed away while swimming in Lake McKenzie. We exchanged glances and the odd comment during games, but I don't think I conveyed my gratitude. You were nuts about (1) kids and (2) soccer, and will be sorely missed.

Especially next May.

Hector Mellino Jr.
1969 - 2006

Mel Gibson's Rant : an "oops", or heinous hate crime?

"The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world" - Mel Gibson

First off, we have to recognize one thing: anti-semitic rants are not cool. There seems to be a universally understood and implied "hands off" when it comes to even well-intentioned, good natured criticiques of Jewish culture or the Jewish state of Israel. Unrepentant racists in distinctive garb who blather on about Jews being an inferior people immediately spawn that hateful burn inside most of our insides. You know the feeling? That feeling that you sincerely wished those *$#@ bigots would choke on a chicken bone at their next Klan dinner. I hate anti-semites (can't even bring myself to capitalize it, even though its a proper noun). I hate them with that hatred that only love understands (Tennyson).

Well along comes Mel.

Mel had a few things going against him last Friday:

• He had a lot to drink. He was apparently in the same league as Boris Yeltsin.
• He has an ego. A huge Hollywood ego that renders him beyond reproach. For a police officer to question him would be like me questioning Stephen Hawking's scientific theories.
• And, yes, he was pissed off.
  

In many people, there is an "asshole switch". With some, getting cut off in traffic engages the switch. In others, getting nudged in a busy street flips the switch. Gandhi's switch was defective. Mel's switch was flicked on that fateful night, he found himself in "asshole mode". When you're in asshole-mode your mission is to say anything to provoke your antagonist, you really want to fry his bacon. There's not much you can say to a cop to raise his brow, so he chose the anti-jew rant. Bad bad choice. No question.

So that was then, this is now. Mel claims to be profoundly apologetic. He seems sincere, keeping in mind that he is a professional actor. But what now? I did try to get official Israeli-Jewish opinion on this, but Jewish news sources are focusing on the Hezbollah conflict, and rightly so. So there wasn't much there, not even in the Jerusalem Post.

But I'm not seeing a huge outrage. Neither has former AOL Time Warner Vice-Chairman Merv Adelman who is trying to manufacture one with an expensive quarter- page ad in the LA Times. Spielberg and Katzenberg have been silent.

So here's my prediction:

1. Mel WILL check himself into rehab
2. Mel will make some sort of appearance at a Jewish institution, like a Synagogue, or the Wiesenthal Center.
   
3. Mell will appear on the major news/interview shows like Dateline and 20/20 and be very candid.
   
4. Mel will donate a sizable amount to a Jewish charity.

These may or may not occur in this order, but you heard it here first folks.