Random Bagpipe Joke

A guy walks into a bar with an octopus. He sits the octopus down on a stool and tells everyone that he will wager $50 to anyone who has an instrument that the octopus can't play.
A customer walks up with a guitar and sets it beside the octopus. Immediately the octopus picks up the guitar and starts playing better than Jimi Hendrix. The guitar owner pays up the $50.
Another customer walks up with a trumpet. This time the octopus plays the trumpet better than Miles Davis. The trumpet owner coughs up the $50.
Then a Scotsman plonks some bagpipes on the table. The octopus fumbles with the bagpipes for a minute and then backs off with a confused look.
“Ha!” the Scot says, “Can ye nae plae it?”
The octopus looks up at him and says, “Play it? I'm going to have sex with it as soon as I figure out how to get its pyjamas off!”

Friday, January 29, 2010

PPF Neighborhood: Haiti Relief with Médecins Sans Frontières

Hey Friends, I was up until one o'clock this morning finishing my part of this project, I hope you check it out and help out a great cause, and some terrific artists!

In an effort to bring aid to those suffering in Haiti, over 2 dozen like-minded friends in the independent arts community, many based in Toronto, and a few from abroad, have banded together to put together the PPF Neighborhood: a downloadable benefit compilation of music, visual art and photographs.

The project is a third party fundraiser for Médecins Sans Frontières (aka Doctors Without Borders) and all proceeds will go to assist MSF’s work with the victims of the earthquake.  What we hope is that, even if you’ve given already, you’ll feel compelled to donate $5 (or more if you want) to help us make a difference in a tragic situation.  In return you will receive 14 tracks of original music and 13 works of visual art and photography, packaged neatly in a pdf booklet.

Just go to ppfhouse.bandcamp.com where you can purchase the album through paypal or any major credit card.

Featuring a who’s who of award winning artists, the project brings together Juno Award Winners (and losers), U of T Art Professors, Underground Hip Hoppers, Latin Jazzers, Pop and Electronica Darlings, as well as Vanguards of Illustration, Animation and Photography.  It’s an eclectic mix of “creative” types who are trying to use what they do best to offer a helping hand.

Thanks for your support and please feel free to let any and all know about the project.
The PPF House Neighborhood will only be available until Feb.11, 2010, the final day before the Canadian Government closes its pledge to match all private donations.

More information on the project and its contributors can be found at www.ppfhouse.com/haiti.

More information about MSF and its work in Haiti and elsewhere can be found at www.msf.ca.

To view MSF’s letter of endorsement for the project, please go to http://ppfhouse.com/msf-letter.php.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Regrets

I don't know how many of you are aware, but I have a bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering, and have never worked as a Chemical Engineer. No, no, don't be sad, I'm not really concerned.

But I do have regrets, I think. And maybe not regrets, but "what if?" questions. I mean, I'm pretty sure I can narrow it down to one specific incident that threw off my schedule and led me to be less interested in chemical engineering.

I, admittedly, did not apply myself in my second year and had to repeat organic chemistry in my third year. Due to the timing of classes, I was unable to take one of the compulsory classes and was forced to take classes for a fifth year. This is pretty much when I started questioning whether I was really interested in becoming a chemical engineer.

So, what if I had applied myself and passed organic chemistry? Or had studied through the summer and taken a supplemental exam to pass the class? Really, what if I had been able to complete my degree in four years? Would I have become an engineer? Would my life be better? I don't know. Is it worth thinking about? Probably not.

What if I had not left the hotel business and moved to Toronto? What if I had moved laterally (and slightly downward) to Front Desk Supervisor and continued my career within the hotel industry?

What if I had stayed in Toronto and continued my web publisher work? What if I had looked for similar work at other companies and stayed in Toronto?

What got me thinking about this? Am I unhappy in my job? No. And I don't know. I think about this stuff every now and again and I wonder what my life would be like now, given some much earlier decisions. Even little things, like what if I'd been offered a particular sooner and been able to take it, rather than having accepted another job?

I try to live in the present, but every now and again the past creeps up and I wonder about things. What makes you wonder?

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

The end of an era

Some bad news today: effective February 28, 2010, Externalgateway.com is closing its doors. Sad, I know, but true. Our six-year experiment in website hosting, development, and design has come to an end. The margins on hosting are such that we can’t be competitive and still make it worth our while.

In any case, this site may be up and down over the next day or two and my email may be a little temperamental, but I’ll get everything moved over to a new host and let everything settle down.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

New year, new ... something

(Just to note, I started this a week ago. I don't know what that says about my motivation.)

Alrighty, new year, new years' resolutions ... Or not. I read a ton of self-improvement, DIY and productivity blogs and all of them have had some post (or several) about making and keeping new years' resolutons. I've had a bunch of resolutions in the past and stuck to pretty much none of them. But I've also had a number of habits I've wanted to create (or break), new year or not, and I've been mildly successful.

So, based on all my reading and my own personal success, if there's a goal you want to achieve, determine an activity that will help you acheive the goal and do it. The more regularly you perform the activity, the easier it will be to continue doing it, and the easier it will be to get back to if you have to stop for any length of time.

For example, if you want to lose weight (and I'm pretty sure we've all thought about it), that's a pretty big goal, and involves a lot of work. But trying to walk a little more and eat potato chips less doesn't involve a lot of work, and will probably save you a little money (often another goal). And even if you don't walk everywhere you could or you eat a bag of potato chips every now and again, it's not a big deal, just get back on track. Eventually (hopefully sooner than later), you won't have to think much about it, you'll just do it. In the end, I advise baby steps and consistency and you'll make it happen. Happy new year!

And by the way, I think I like twenty-ten better than two thousand and ten. I don't know why, I'm sure it doesn't really matter, but I'm going to try to go with twenty-ten. (Another habit to form.)

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Almost Xmas time

We're well into December now and I haven't written you guys a real note in over three months. I have been a little busy, but not really, and noteworthy things have happened, but not really.

On my birthday, I let you guys know that Cracker's Marbles came in second at Trivia Night at the Yard. Well, two weeks ago, Mike, Jess, and I (Mike & Ike & Crackers) finally won! The categories were pretty varied, with general trivia, Oscar winners, and gemstones as major ones. It was a little funy at the end, because they announced the second place winner first, with 46 points. Jess was slightly indignant, “But we had 49 points!” And, the winner is ....

In slightly bigger news, my sister has acquired a dog. The Baron is an American Eskimo-Pomeranian cross (with probably another breed or two thrown in for good measure). In the picture, he's chillin' under my sister's desk while she works. We all need to get familiar with the dog's bodily cycles (yes, you know what I mean!), but I think it'll be good. Even if I'm crazy allergic!

And in even bigger news, I'm now gainfully employed! As opposed to being painfully self-employed. I'm a programmer in the institutional research office of the local University. The work is pretty much what the wikipedia link says; naturally, I work on the website (which is not actually in production, yet), ensuring that the information is usable and accurate. I'll also be working on a lot of product and project documentation as we get things ramped up. Apparently, the current incarnation of the office has a much-expanded scope from the last office, which was less than effective at providin useful information in a useful format. We're out to shift the paradigm!

Anyway, with Xmas coming up, I've got some gifts to wrap and decorations to put up, so I'll drop you a note sometime later. (Probably to let you know about all my awesome Xmas loot!)

Friday, December 4, 2009

That's weird

Apparently, Zoo York has a Big Cracker hoodie (or, as we in Saskatchewan say, bunnyhug). No, I don't think I need one. (Lime green? Yuck!)