My Birthday
For my birthday present, Anna-Maria bought me a new wet-suit. I'm going to use it if I get a job at the pool teaching lessens and of course for Kayaking this summer. I'm already really excited to go kayaking with it. I wish this snow and cold weather would go away! Speaking of snow, the other day it snowed quite a bit and it's one of the first times that I didn't get around to shovelling the snow that day. Well the next day it was really warm and the snow turned into a thick slippery sheet of ice all the way up my walk. As luck would have it, that evening Anna-Maria came over to my house and while walking up the steps she slipped and bashed her shin! (cue scary music now - dun dun dah!!) She's ok folks, no worries, just a small bruise and perhaps some injured pride.
Wednesday, March 12, 2003
SPEAK FURTHER OF DEATH
If you choose pie heaven, and pies do indeed exist there, what if the pie turns out to be "cow pie"? Metaphorically speaking there's been many times in my life when my destination has been pie heaven and the pie has turned out to be cow pie.
If you choose pie heaven, and pies do indeed exist there, what if the pie turns out to be "cow pie"? Metaphorically speaking there's been many times in my life when my destination has been pie heaven and the pie has turned out to be cow pie.
Speaking of Death
When you die, if you get a choice between going to regular heaven or pie heaven, choose pie heaven. It might be a trick, but if it's not, mmmmmmm, boy.
Also when you die, if you go somewhere where they ask you a bunch of questions about your life and what you learned and all, I think a good way to get out of it is just to say, "No speaka English."
-Jack Handey
When you die, if you get a choice between going to regular heaven or pie heaven, choose pie heaven. It might be a trick, but if it's not, mmmmmmm, boy.
Also when you die, if you go somewhere where they ask you a bunch of questions about your life and what you learned and all, I think a good way to get out of it is just to say, "No speaka English."
-Jack Handey
Happy Birthday
Happy birthday Jeff. I was going to post earlier, but it was giving me some sort of error. Anyway, not much to post so far today other than that.
I am prepared to meet my Maker. Whether my Maker is prepared for the great ordeal of meeting me is another matter.
Sir Winston Churchill (1874 - 1965), on the eve of his 75th birthday
Happy birthday Jeff. I was going to post earlier, but it was giving me some sort of error. Anyway, not much to post so far today other than that.
I am prepared to meet my Maker. Whether my Maker is prepared for the great ordeal of meeting me is another matter.
Sir Winston Churchill (1874 - 1965), on the eve of his 75th birthday
It's my BIRTHDAY!!!!
I've been alive for 24 years to the day. As a kid I remember thinking that being 24 would be so old. Now I'm thinking, "man 24 is so young, I haven't even started to live life yet". But seriously as I sit here and reflect on what it's like to be almost a quarter of a century old, I can't help but think only three more quarters to go. I think I will make a hundred. It wouldn't be that hard. Some of the things that increase your odds of living long are having a pet or getting married. They say that marriage specifically adds 10 years to your life expectancy! However I'm just not interested in marriage yet. Twenty-four is how old Mom was when she got married so it's not like I'm too young. The thing is, when it comes right down to it, I think I'm happy the way I am. Don't get me wrong, I really love Anna-Maria and don't want to break up with her at all, but I'm not ready to settle down and start having kids. If living my life the way I do is against statistics then that's fine by me. Bring on the Grim Reaper and we'll stare each other down - eye to eye. I am not afraid to live my life to the fullest and as for statistics - I think they are for wimps.
Linux Geek Update
As promised here is the report on my evening at the Linux meeting. First off I was surprised at the very high ratio of girls there. It may have been as high as 1 girl for every 10 guys! Ok, it wasn't as geeky as a Star Trek convention and only one person came dressed up as a klingon. (Actually I'm not sure he was dressed up). Ok but seriously I actually had a good time. I skipped supper specifically because I thought there would be pizza there, but there was such a huge turn out that it was all gone before it was my turn to go up and get some. I did learn a few things though and I'm planning on setting up my own Linux server on the old Pentium 130. I plan to setup a blog server so that we can choose to host this site there (depending on how good the connection actually turns out to be and how well the software works.)
Disneyland Auditions
Anna-Maria and I are strongly considering going to Edmonton on the 28th of March to audition for a job at Disneyland. I would have to get a working visa first though and I am not sure if that will be possible, given the short amount of time I have to do it. It would be really cool to work at Disneyland though. I'll keep you updated.
I've been alive for 24 years to the day. As a kid I remember thinking that being 24 would be so old. Now I'm thinking, "man 24 is so young, I haven't even started to live life yet". But seriously as I sit here and reflect on what it's like to be almost a quarter of a century old, I can't help but think only three more quarters to go. I think I will make a hundred. It wouldn't be that hard. Some of the things that increase your odds of living long are having a pet or getting married. They say that marriage specifically adds 10 years to your life expectancy! However I'm just not interested in marriage yet. Twenty-four is how old Mom was when she got married so it's not like I'm too young. The thing is, when it comes right down to it, I think I'm happy the way I am. Don't get me wrong, I really love Anna-Maria and don't want to break up with her at all, but I'm not ready to settle down and start having kids. If living my life the way I do is against statistics then that's fine by me. Bring on the Grim Reaper and we'll stare each other down - eye to eye. I am not afraid to live my life to the fullest and as for statistics - I think they are for wimps.
Linux Geek Update
As promised here is the report on my evening at the Linux meeting. First off I was surprised at the very high ratio of girls there. It may have been as high as 1 girl for every 10 guys! Ok, it wasn't as geeky as a Star Trek convention and only one person came dressed up as a klingon. (Actually I'm not sure he was dressed up). Ok but seriously I actually had a good time. I skipped supper specifically because I thought there would be pizza there, but there was such a huge turn out that it was all gone before it was my turn to go up and get some. I did learn a few things though and I'm planning on setting up my own Linux server on the old Pentium 130. I plan to setup a blog server so that we can choose to host this site there (depending on how good the connection actually turns out to be and how well the software works.)
Disneyland Auditions
Anna-Maria and I are strongly considering going to Edmonton on the 28th of March to audition for a job at Disneyland. I would have to get a working visa first though and I am not sure if that will be possible, given the short amount of time I have to do it. It would be really cool to work at Disneyland though. I'll keep you updated.
Tuesday, March 11, 2003
Silly Jargon Redux:
I guess my earlier post didn't really describe what I wanted to say. I was mainly complaining about the extremely technical aspect of everyone's presentations in that class. It seemed to me that none of the groups (including mine) really knew the technology that they were trying to explain in class. They were just using fancy sounding jargon and acronyms.
"Apart from being valuable concepts your ability to state them in such fancy terms is impressive too."
No it's not. Being able to describe it so that your grandma can understand it, is impressive. Using fancy terms is a tool semi-informed people use to make other people impressed. Unfortunatly it doesn't work if the other person knows anything about the topic at all. It's better to stay quiet and appear an idiot that open your mouth and remove all doubt.
What I am saying about the particular phrases is, that they sold a lot of books over the last 10 years, but have lost a lot of their meaning to people in general, not that the ideas they represent are any less valuable. It's my opinion that if you use the phrase, "Thinking outside the box", more than a handful of times in your life, you have never actually "thought outside the box". Why not just say, thinking with a non-traditional point of view. It could be because no one ever sold a million copies of the book "Thinking with a non-traditional point of view".
Athough this may be one of my idiosyncrasies, but I hate it when people use words when they don't know what they mean. (Think ignorant = rude) Or when people try to latinize words(to make them sound latin) . For example the words: use and utilize. People who use the word utilize really bug me. Why not use the word use? Utilize doesn't mean use. Here is an excerpt from the link, about the word utilize:
Usage Note: A number of critics have remarked that utilize is an unnecessary substitute for use. It is true that many occurrences of utilize could be replaced by use with no loss to anything but pretentiousness, for example, in sentences such as They utilized questionable methods in their analysis or We hope that many commuters will continue to utilize mass transit after the bridge has reopened. But utilize can mean "to find a profitable or practical use for." Thus the sentence The teachers were unable to use the new computers might mean only that the teachers were unable to operate the computers, whereas The teachers were unable to utilize the new computers suggests that the teachers could not find ways to employ the computers in instruction.
Anyway, this is getting a little long, and would be more suited to an actual conversation the next time I come home to visit.
We have too many high sounding words, and too few actions that correspond with them.
Abigail Adams (1744 - 1818), letter to John Adams, 1774
He can compress the most words into the smallest ideas of any man I ever met.
Abraham Lincoln (1809 - 1865)
If the English language made any sense, a catastrophe would be an apostrophe with fur.
Doug Larson
I guess my earlier post didn't really describe what I wanted to say. I was mainly complaining about the extremely technical aspect of everyone's presentations in that class. It seemed to me that none of the groups (including mine) really knew the technology that they were trying to explain in class. They were just using fancy sounding jargon and acronyms.
"Apart from being valuable concepts your ability to state them in such fancy terms is impressive too."
No it's not. Being able to describe it so that your grandma can understand it, is impressive. Using fancy terms is a tool semi-informed people use to make other people impressed. Unfortunatly it doesn't work if the other person knows anything about the topic at all. It's better to stay quiet and appear an idiot that open your mouth and remove all doubt.
What I am saying about the particular phrases is, that they sold a lot of books over the last 10 years, but have lost a lot of their meaning to people in general, not that the ideas they represent are any less valuable. It's my opinion that if you use the phrase, "Thinking outside the box", more than a handful of times in your life, you have never actually "thought outside the box". Why not just say, thinking with a non-traditional point of view. It could be because no one ever sold a million copies of the book "Thinking with a non-traditional point of view".
Athough this may be one of my idiosyncrasies, but I hate it when people use words when they don't know what they mean. (Think ignorant = rude) Or when people try to latinize words(to make them sound latin) . For example the words: use and utilize. People who use the word utilize really bug me. Why not use the word use? Utilize doesn't mean use. Here is an excerpt from the link, about the word utilize:
Usage Note: A number of critics have remarked that utilize is an unnecessary substitute for use. It is true that many occurrences of utilize could be replaced by use with no loss to anything but pretentiousness, for example, in sentences such as They utilized questionable methods in their analysis or We hope that many commuters will continue to utilize mass transit after the bridge has reopened. But utilize can mean "to find a profitable or practical use for." Thus the sentence The teachers were unable to use the new computers might mean only that the teachers were unable to operate the computers, whereas The teachers were unable to utilize the new computers suggests that the teachers could not find ways to employ the computers in instruction.
Anyway, this is getting a little long, and would be more suited to an actual conversation the next time I come home to visit.
We have too many high sounding words, and too few actions that correspond with them.
Abigail Adams (1744 - 1818), letter to John Adams, 1774
He can compress the most words into the smallest ideas of any man I ever met.
Abraham Lincoln (1809 - 1865)
If the English language made any sense, a catastrophe would be an apostrophe with fur.
Doug Larson
Linux Meeting
There is a meeting tonight at the University that is a hands-on experience learning to install and use Linux. I'm thinking the majority of people there tonight will be short of "hands-on" experience, if you get my drift. I can't be too harsh because after all I am going. At least if it a major geek fest I'll still be ahead: free pizza! Anyway this post is just to whet your curiosity and build up suspense for my next post.
Swim Meet Update
I'm not in the meet this weekend so I won't be heading down to visit as I had previously mentioned that I might.
There is a meeting tonight at the University that is a hands-on experience learning to install and use Linux. I'm thinking the majority of people there tonight will be short of "hands-on" experience, if you get my drift. I can't be too harsh because after all I am going. At least if it a major geek fest I'll still be ahead: free pizza! Anyway this post is just to whet your curiosity and build up suspense for my next post.
Swim Meet Update
I'm not in the meet this weekend so I won't be heading down to visit as I had previously mentioned that I might.
Jeff's Shrinking Video
Hello everyone. It's been a little while since I've posted, so I thought I'd make a comment about Jeff's movie. Overall, I think it was pretty good, cheesy effects and all. I would have liked to see the couple at the end grow back to normal size though. I'm assuming she had been turned down a few times too and that's why she was as small as he was. I think I'd give it 8.6 for overall appeal. Make that 8.7.
Movie Recommendation
My drive home from work this morning was crazy. It was just like the scene from the movie "Office Space" when Michael Bolton was driving to work and as soon as he switched into what he thought would be the faster lane, traffic came to a dead halt and the lane he just came from started moving again. Anyway, that's what happened to me today, and it reminded me of how much I enjoyed that movie. For those of you who haven't seen it, I highly recommend it. I hardly ever laugh out loud in movies, but I did the entire way through that one.
Hello everyone. It's been a little while since I've posted, so I thought I'd make a comment about Jeff's movie. Overall, I think it was pretty good, cheesy effects and all. I would have liked to see the couple at the end grow back to normal size though. I'm assuming she had been turned down a few times too and that's why she was as small as he was. I think I'd give it 8.6 for overall appeal. Make that 8.7.
Movie Recommendation
My drive home from work this morning was crazy. It was just like the scene from the movie "Office Space" when Michael Bolton was driving to work and as soon as he switched into what he thought would be the faster lane, traffic came to a dead halt and the lane he just came from started moving again. Anyway, that's what happened to me today, and it reminded me of how much I enjoyed that movie. For those of you who haven't seen it, I highly recommend it. I hardly ever laugh out loud in movies, but I did the entire way through that one.
Dad's on the Blog
Ok Dad, I took the liberty of posting your comment because you seemed to want it posted. If not, let me know and I'll remove it. In the future, if you want to comment on a post click on that same "shout out" link that you already used. If you want your post to go on the blog with your picture, then click on the link on the left column that says Blogger. Login using the username a password that I sent to you via email.
Ok Dad, I took the liberty of posting your comment because you seemed to want it posted. If not, let me know and I'll remove it. In the future, if you want to comment on a post click on that same "shout out" link that you already used. If you want your post to go on the blog with your picture, then click on the link on the left column that says Blogger. Login using the username a password that I sent to you via email.
Here is my advice about strategic alliances: If you don't learn one other thing while you're in university, learn about strategic alliances. Learn what it means and be sure to apply it. This concept alone would be worth all the time you've spent. I had to look up the word "synergy" myself and I can see why they taught you that word too. And as I've been typing this message I've figured out what thinking outside of the box means. It means thinking creatively, or stepping back and looking at your situation from a different angle or an outsiders view point. Apart from being valuable concepts your ability to state them in such fancy terms is impressive too. I'm able to tell you these things because I'm looking at your situation from "out of the box" right now.
Monday, March 10, 2003
New Video for Download
Ok I kind of like this one, even though the effects are really cheezy. Get it while you can, I'm not sure if I'll leave these on the web forever.
Ok I kind of like this one, even though the effects are really cheezy. Get it while you can, I'm not sure if I'll leave these on the web forever.
School Update:
I did my Mgis 461 presentation today. It was a 10-minute thing about a new technology. Ours was ok, but a general complaint I had about most of them, was that the presenters didn't really seem to know what they were talking about. My group included. It was just a bunch of management kids spouting cool sounding jargon and acronyms that nobody could understand or care about. That's one of my biggest complaints about management in general. It's so trendy; you can talk for hours and hours without saying anything that means anything. It's all about "thinking outside the box", "building strategic alliances", or "Synergy” none of that stuff means a single thing, and it goes on and on. I just wish people would say something that actually mattered, and maybe I don't really mean "something that actually matters" per se, but I mean something that actually means something. Something that people can understand, and that they can actually apply. Something that will actually be used in an industry a year from now. Not just the "Rich Dad, Wealthy Barber" of the day.
If one cannot state a matter clearly enough so that even an intelligent twelve-year-old can understand it, one should remain within the cloistered walls of the university and laboratory until one gets a better grasp of one's subject matter.
-- Margaret Mead
I did my Mgis 461 presentation today. It was a 10-minute thing about a new technology. Ours was ok, but a general complaint I had about most of them, was that the presenters didn't really seem to know what they were talking about. My group included. It was just a bunch of management kids spouting cool sounding jargon and acronyms that nobody could understand or care about. That's one of my biggest complaints about management in general. It's so trendy; you can talk for hours and hours without saying anything that means anything. It's all about "thinking outside the box", "building strategic alliances", or "Synergy” none of that stuff means a single thing, and it goes on and on. I just wish people would say something that actually mattered, and maybe I don't really mean "something that actually matters" per se, but I mean something that actually means something. Something that people can understand, and that they can actually apply. Something that will actually be used in an industry a year from now. Not just the "Rich Dad, Wealthy Barber" of the day.
If one cannot state a matter clearly enough so that even an intelligent twelve-year-old can understand it, one should remain within the cloistered walls of the university and laboratory until one gets a better grasp of one's subject matter.
-- Margaret Mead
New Media Update
Making movie... Making movie... Est. time aprox. one lifetime. I hate waiting.
Google Update
Google searching my name, Jeff Milner finds my web page at number one again baby! At least at the time of original publishing anyway.
Making movie... Making movie... Est. time aprox. one lifetime. I hate waiting.
Google Update
Google searching my name, Jeff Milner finds my web page at number one again baby! At least at the time of original publishing anyway.
Dad's in Town
Apparently Dad is in Lethbridge tonight. I saw a note on my table that said he stopped by, too bad I missed him. I was having dinner with Anna-Maria and her roommate. Anna's Mom gave her a huge laundry basket full of food to take home with her, and we were hitting it hard tonight. We had some really good roast beef and instant potatoes. I tried a brustle sprout and I must say I should have gone with my instincts. Brussle sprouts are bad. That's why on TV sitcoms nobody likes them. They are bad. But the meal was good and I wish I had more of it instead of being stuck here at the school waiting for my video to render. Also I need to be looking up some music for the background and I'll likely find something off of flashkit.com. If you have any other good sites for music give me a shout out.
Apparently Dad is in Lethbridge tonight. I saw a note on my table that said he stopped by, too bad I missed him. I was having dinner with Anna-Maria and her roommate. Anna's Mom gave her a huge laundry basket full of food to take home with her, and we were hitting it hard tonight. We had some really good roast beef and instant potatoes. I tried a brustle sprout and I must say I should have gone with my instincts. Brussle sprouts are bad. That's why on TV sitcoms nobody likes them. They are bad. But the meal was good and I wish I had more of it instead of being stuck here at the school waiting for my video to render. Also I need to be looking up some music for the background and I'll likely find something off of flashkit.com. If you have any other good sites for music give me a shout out.
New Media Update
I've been working on a new video project since lunch time. I am really sick of it. I never realized how much work it was going to be trying to use a green screen and making it look realistic. I guess some tips I have to offer are that you want to make sure the green screen is exactly the same colour all over and that objects / people you are filming not only aren't wearing green but are wearing dark colours that contrast well. I still have to do another project for tomorrow and I had to skip swimming again today because I need to get this work done. Next Thursday I have another video due, this time it has to have a Star Trek effect of beaming someone into screen. If either of these two projects turn out I'll post them here.
I've been working on a new video project since lunch time. I am really sick of it. I never realized how much work it was going to be trying to use a green screen and making it look realistic. I guess some tips I have to offer are that you want to make sure the green screen is exactly the same colour all over and that objects / people you are filming not only aren't wearing green but are wearing dark colours that contrast well. I still have to do another project for tomorrow and I had to skip swimming again today because I need to get this work done. Next Thursday I have another video due, this time it has to have a Star Trek effect of beaming someone into screen. If either of these two projects turn out I'll post them here.
Back in Lethbridge
Anna-Maria and I arrived back in Medicine Hat last night too, and the roads to Lethbridge were a little snowy but judging by Gary's description not as bad as to Calgary. We talked a bit but mostly we listened to the first tape of "The Lord of the Rings". I thought it would be fun - especially seeing how much Anna loves the movies but frankly it was quite boring. We probably will never listen to the rest of the tapes.
The Meliorist Article
The previous owner of my house (his son actually) was mentioned in the University paper this week. In the "from the Editor's Desk" section, the editor was ranting about why he doesn't participate in the large number protests that have been happening lately. He sites the ex-resident of my house as an example: "Those who were here two years ago will remember the actions of Stu Crawford, local activist extrordannaire. Perhaps if Coulee Stu did not wear the same clothes every day and stink like a mixture of wet cat and cheese, people would have been willing to listen to him, instead of brushing him off everytime he was near."
Anna-Maria and I arrived back in Medicine Hat last night too, and the roads to Lethbridge were a little snowy but judging by Gary's description not as bad as to Calgary. We talked a bit but mostly we listened to the first tape of "The Lord of the Rings". I thought it would be fun - especially seeing how much Anna loves the movies but frankly it was quite boring. We probably will never listen to the rest of the tapes.
The Meliorist Article
The previous owner of my house (his son actually) was mentioned in the University paper this week. In the "from the Editor's Desk" section, the editor was ranting about why he doesn't participate in the large number protests that have been happening lately. He sites the ex-resident of my house as an example: "Those who were here two years ago will remember the actions of Stu Crawford, local activist extrordannaire. Perhaps if Coulee Stu did not wear the same clothes every day and stink like a mixture of wet cat and cheese, people would have been willing to listen to him, instead of brushing him off everytime he was near."
Sunday, March 09, 2003
Well Tracie and I got home safely. There was blowing snow the for the whole 3 hours that it took to drive home to Calgary, from Medicine Hat. We had a good chance to talk which is always really fun and one of the best things about road trips.
We had a good time in Medicine Hat, and we would have liked to stay longer. Tracie's dad took us all out to eat at at the Beefeater on Saturday night. It was quite good. We had good visit with both families, but unfortunately I had to come home for school. School is really cramping my style. I'm glad that there are only a month and a half of classes left. My last exam is on April 28.
We had a good time in Medicine Hat, and we would have liked to stay longer. Tracie's dad took us all out to eat at at the Beefeater on Saturday night. It was quite good. We had good visit with both families, but unfortunately I had to come home for school. School is really cramping my style. I'm glad that there are only a month and a half of classes left. My last exam is on April 28.
Saturday, March 08, 2003
George Bush - the situation
According to the BBC, Bush's handlers have been trying to get him invited to address the European Parliament. The one caveat being that a standing ovation would be guaranteed. (scroll down to # 7 on the list).
George Bush - the joke
Question: What exactly would happen if a standing ovation was promised and never delivered?
Answer: Regime change.
Gary's Moustache
I'm glad it was getting very annoying. I just want to add that I'm also glad that it was getting very annoying. :)
According to the BBC, Bush's handlers have been trying to get him invited to address the European Parliament. The one caveat being that a standing ovation would be guaranteed. (scroll down to # 7 on the list).
George Bush - the joke
Question: What exactly would happen if a standing ovation was promised and never delivered?
Answer: Regime change.
Gary's Moustache
I'm glad it was getting very annoying. I just want to add that I'm also glad that it was getting very annoying. :)
Medicine Hat:
Medicine Hat is great. There are no cars here. The streets are empty, well I guess you can drive all the way across town and see like 3 cars. It's really hard not to speed here because the roads are so empty. Tracie's parents took us to the Beefeater for supper today. It was great! Possibly the best steak I have ever had. Becky gave me a bite of hers, and it was the softest well done (over cooked) steak I have ever had. Tracie had salmon, and it was very good. It was way better than the salmon I had at the Mariott Hotel during the G8. For 9 people the bill came to $240.00. It could have been more, but we didn't have any dessert.
Moustache Update
Tracie made me shave off my moustache. I'm glad it was getting very annoying. I've already described many of the problems associated with having a red neck white trash Hulk Hogan moustache.
Medicine Hat is great. There are no cars here. The streets are empty, well I guess you can drive all the way across town and see like 3 cars. It's really hard not to speed here because the roads are so empty. Tracie's parents took us to the Beefeater for supper today. It was great! Possibly the best steak I have ever had. Becky gave me a bite of hers, and it was the softest well done (over cooked) steak I have ever had. Tracie had salmon, and it was very good. It was way better than the salmon I had at the Mariott Hotel during the G8. For 9 people the bill came to $240.00. It could have been more, but we didn't have any dessert.
Moustache Update
Tracie made me shave off my moustache. I'm glad it was getting very annoying. I've already described many of the problems associated with having a red neck white trash Hulk Hogan moustache.
Medicine Hat
Anna and I have arrived in Medicine Hat. We had to make a quick stop at her parents house to drop off some groceries that needed to be in the freezer (it doesn't matter that it's aproximately -40 degrees outside). The trip was nice; Anna and I had a good time just chatting with each other all the way here. We decided that we would like to move to southern California this summer and get jobs working at Disneyland. Frankly I can't think of any good reason not to. It looks like it's time to go home so that's it for this entry.
Anna and I have arrived in Medicine Hat. We had to make a quick stop at her parents house to drop off some groceries that needed to be in the freezer (it doesn't matter that it's aproximately -40 degrees outside). The trip was nice; Anna and I had a good time just chatting with each other all the way here. We decided that we would like to move to southern California this summer and get jobs working at Disneyland. Frankly I can't think of any good reason not to. It looks like it's time to go home so that's it for this entry.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)