Friday, August 31, 2007 at 10:40 pm
So here I am, back at Erin and Steve’s, house and cat (and HD) sitting while they honeymoon on a big ship in the Caribbean. Ten days with widescreen TVs and HD satellite programming. It’ll ruin me, just as it did a month ago. I just finished watching a show on Oasis that was an hour of HD footage of the Earth filmed from the space shuttle Endeavour as it orbited. Amazing.
It’s the long weekend! Labour Day weekend, ‘the September long’, the last long weekend of the summer. It’s a little sucky out, with rain forecast for overnight, or tomorrow morning, or whenever you want to guess it might happen. I was home right after work for a change since RB is off on another motorcycle road trip, so no pool this Friday. We shot on Wednesday instead.
The old boy is a two-wheeled addict this summer, racking up thousands of kilometers on the road. A couple of weeks ago, though, he bought himself a new Harley, a 2007 Electra Glide Ultra Classic, so now he’s even more unstoppable. He’s in Saskatchewan again, heading to Moose Jaw and/or Regina by way of Lafleche, riding with his brother-in-law. It’s a Harley conspiracy, since Brad has also picked himself up a hog, a Road King.
Maybe one day when I grow up, I’ll be able to buy a Harley of my very own.
The tattoo expo is on this weekend at the Roundup Centre. I’m going to take it in, likely alone, since my companions last year were Erin and RB, but that’s sometimes preferable. I plan on shooting a lot of photos, and flying solo means I’m not cramping anyone else’s style, or vice versa. Plus, when I ask Kat von D to marry me, I won’t be embarassed in front of friends when she laughs. If Pixie is with her, I’ll ask her instead, though.
It’s interesting how the human body reacts to change. I’ve consumed very little milk in the last month or two, having gone without cereal (one of my typical breakfasts), and on the rare occasion when I do have some, well, let’s just say my digestive system isn’t thrilled. It’s like I’ve become lactose-intolerant, matching nicely with my stupidity-intolerance.
Anyway, back to HD. Future Shop is tormenting me with their big Labour Day Sale - “all televisions on sale!”. Somewhere, in a Future Shop dangerously close to my wallet, there’s a Sharp Aquos TV calling my name. “Doug, over here. Pssst. Buyyyyyyyy meeeeee…” Thankfully, this is one of those rare instances when my wallet exhibits more common sense than me, and I’m LCD-less.
For now. Much more exposure to HD programming and I’m afraid my saturation level will reach dangerous levels, and I’ll be unable to resist the lure of 1080p. But then I’ll need HD programming of some sort, and/or a high-def video player such as, oh, I don’t know, a PS3. Yeah, my wallet and I will have some heated discussions over this dilemma. Stay tuned.
Category: Blabbing
Wednesday, August 29, 2007 at 10:26 pm
Garn suckered me into a bit on his show this morning, and it sounds like I won him a $100 bet with Kory the news guy. Have a listen here - the juicy part starts about two-thirds of the way in. He added a little bit at the end that never really happened, though - we’ll call that “dramatic license”.
And I want my cut, G.
Category: Blabbing
Friday, August 24, 2007 at 10:53 am
Rocker Brian May gets doctorate 30 years late
Guitarist and songwriter Brian May has completed his doctorate in astrophysics — three decades after he put academia on hold to form the rock group Queen.
I wonder if the examiners were Queen fans.
Category: Music, Blabbing
Friday, August 24, 2007 at 8:45 am
After a sweltering July where some of us melted in the seemingly neverending heat, it’s been quite the switch this month. There have been few days where it’s hit 25C, and even cracking into the 20s has been a stretch.
This morning? When I got up at 6? 4C. That’s right: FOUR. Degrees. Celsius. I should not have to put on a jacket for warmth… in August.
Category: Blabbing
Wednesday, August 22, 2007 at 11:01 pm
One of the several tasks on my to-do list before this weekend and Erin and Steve’s wedding was “buy something to wear”. Seeing as this was the only night this week I was able to hit the stores (as well as get my hair cut), and ideally wanted to keep it to the downtown area, I had less than two hours to find a jacket (or suit), shirt and tie that would make me irresistible to the ladies.
OK, I realize such magical togs do not exist, so I would have to settle for something that would make me look presentable whilst performing my MC duties. I should mention, for those who don’t know me, that I can shop circles around all of the women I know, so part of the ‘making me irresistible to the ladies’ would have to include ‘making it apparent I’m not gay’. Because other guys who don’t understand how a guy can shop so well usually connect those dots.
I did a quick tour through several stores, but saw nothing that screamed “buy me!” until I went to The Bay. There, I almost immediately encountered a rack of 40% off jackets, and one in my size and just the right colours - the only one. $385 marked down to $245 reduced to $130, with 40% off that. Yes, $78.
Then a CK shirt that was originally $125 but which I acquired for a mere $45, that was also the only one, and in my size. I was on a roll. Next was a trip to a ‘real’ men’s wear store for a tie, and I found the perfect one. However, perfection in this case was crafted of Italian silk and carried a price tag of $115, or almost as much as I had just spent on both a jacket and shirt. As much as I wanted to treat myself, I wear a tie, oh, once a year, so it didn’t seem fair to me to keep such a fine crevette closetted for 364 other days.
I found one not quite as perfect, but pretty damn good, and silk, on sale for $14. $101 that I can spend somewhere else. And I will, you betcha.
Mission accomplished, in less than 90 minutes. In the words of Lester Burnham, “I rule!”
Category: Blabbing
Wednesday, August 22, 2007 at 10:38 pm
Baltimore likely won’t be able to sit for a week. Cal’s likely thinking “What were you doing, boys? Don’t make me come out of retirement.”
The Texas Rangers rounded the bases at a dizzying pace and became the first team in 110 years to score 30 runs in a game, setting an American League record Wednesday in a 30-3 rout of the Baltimore Orioles.
Sports Illustrated story
Category: Blabbing
Saturday, August 18, 2007 at 10:56 am
This company makes eBay shipping look cheap.
A small South Carolina parts supplier collected about $20.5 million over six years from the Pentagon for fraudulent shipping costs, including $998,798 for sending two 19-cent washers to an Army base in Texas, U.S. officials said.
Bloomberg story
Category: Blabbing
