times and temperatures are a-changin'...

well the air in the morning is getting cooler and cooler. waking up and being out the door by 6.30am...you kind of pay attention to such things. school is starting back up for kids in less than a week, which for me, is a huge sign that the end of summer is near. i'm not really sad to see it go. i'm not a hater or anything but i'm looking forward to the change of season. i say the same thing when winter starts to disappear. i want to start wearing my hoodies like a uniform and my long, warm, oh-so comfy scarves. bring on the mittens!!! i want to see the trees change, the landscape gets all pretty. fall and winter kinda make me feel like a kid again. ugh, i just realized i'm being a total season pusher. fret not...you won't see me sporting mittens til it's officially cold. i'm wrapping up the summer the best and my most favorite way...with friends and live music. a mini roadtrip down to michigan with wendals, joshals and sandals-wendy's dad, oh and chuckals, the dog will be in tow. can you spot a theme? tehehee. we're taking in a ben harper show. damien marley jr. and bedouin soundclash are the supporting acts. we'll be heading back to the big smoke on saturday just in time to catch them again at the molson amphitheatre, with properlofi in tow this time. although i doubt he'll be dad like...hehe.

Can the PS3 Save Sony.

Check out this article from Wired about the PS3 and Sony.

Mario Twins

I got a new super 88 system.

Mario Twins

green is good...no, it's great!

i forgot to mention, the best part of my day when they ripped me off at the garage was that i met a very loving dog that i sat with for about an hour. her owner came out to check on and give her a treat for being such a good monkey. the sun was shining bright, there was a cool breeze to go along with the warm sun. it was nice to just sit quietly and people watch. there was a freshness in the air amongst the trees in a concrete jungle. oh and i met rick mercer, he thought the dog was mine. he's alot shorter than i had envisioned, like tom cruise short. just like the car thing, it was a tad bit disappointing but wasn't important enough to ruin my good mood.

my wallet needs to be repaired...

i am a car person. i came to toronto 836564373 years ago in a busted up, but working, 1988 aerostar that my folks lovingly let me use until i got myself settled and learned the city. after about a year i decided to upgrade my wheels and i purchased a surprisingly less busted up 1987 honda prelude. it was white and i detest white cars so i elected to have it painted. this idea to me now is comical but hey...i was alot younger and it was my first real car. all the work was being done back in cape breton so the cost of the "improvements" was affordable. my folks sent me paint chips and i chose a metallic blue. when the car arrived, however, it was purple with pink pinstripes. i asked for neither. ahhh, cape breton and your fancy car detailing tastes that i'll never really understand. move along to my latest car, a 2003 honda civic. it was a christmas present to myself. i actually picked it up on christmas eve. i couldn't believe how excited i was to sit in the driver's seat to see it had only 4 km on the odometer. it was the newest car ever!
now i realize that nothing lasts forever and i am fine with maintaining my car so that it lasts as long as possible and is safe for driving. i may be a hated car person but i try my best to be as responsible as i can. i carpool regularly with a co-worker and i don't drive "everywhere". i have legs that work. i won't lie though, i love being in my car. i like long distance driving and it's not an inconvience for me to make sure everyone gets home safe from the pub. my car is a space where i am the greatest singer in the world and anyone who argues with me...walks home. heheh.
so here's my beef...i had my car serviced yesterday-front brakes were replaced and an alignment was done. this cost almost $400. the parts didn't even come to $100, they were $85 i think. so why did it cost so much?!?! the labour. i was charged $105 an hour for some guy to work at a snail's pace and hook my car up to a computer. the alignment was computerized...oooh ahhhh....barf. they charged me $94 for it, plus since it took an hour the mechanic got an hour's worth of labour. plain and simple...it's fucking highway robbery.
it's almost ironic...all those guys in high school who were ridiculed for not being smart enough to be enrolled in university prep classes really are getting the last laugh, all the way to the bank. i almost wish my parents had encouraged me to get more interested in a trade. high schools focus so much on university and college education that trade schools are hungry for students. it's a lucurative business for that exact reason...there's no one to do the work. it explains why plumbers/electricians get paid so well..supply and demand. i know mechanics are a slightly different breed but man, who the flip gets paid $105 per hour?!?!? do doctors even charge this much?
when my kids come to me and ask about post secondary education i'm going to mention trades...and then i can start to decorate my luxurious retirement condo.

Atlas and Microsoft Expression

I've been hearing the buzz of new technology. Web technology has come a long way in the past few of years. I'm sure everyone has heard about Ajax and how the XMLHttpRequest object has allowed web developers to create rich Internet applications.

Microsoft has also started their own project that will work with Ajax called 'Atlas'. Any web developer out there knows that JavaScript is handled different across browsers. Hopefully projects like this help set some standards when it comes to JavaScript and cross browser development.

Microsoft is also releasing a web designer tool called Expression. If you're feeling adventurous you can check out Microsoft Expression Web Designer Community Technology Preview. Also if you check out MSDN you'll find that on August 29th there is a webcast about Expression Web Designer.

New technology is great. I can only hope that these new technologies help our society advance.

World of WarCraft and a special surprise.

As most of you know I play World of WarCraft. I really enjoy the game especially now that I'm in a guild with a ton of other players. I play a few different characters but my mage, Shivafrost, is the character I play the most.

Last night my guild scheduled a raid on Molten Core. It was pretty successful given the fact we only had 30 people in the raid (40 people makes a full raid for Molten Core). We killed the first two bosses and then called it quits.

Before I went on this raid I had the best surprise in the world. Cakebaker had made me one of my most favorit meals. She risked burning fingers and limbs to make Fish & Chips! They were really tasty! She also bought some brownies and I was overcome with joy!

I'm so lucky to have such a great girl like Cakebaker.

not just pervy....they're cheap too

while i was out running some errands today i saw three separate old men check payphones for change. why do old people search for loose change? at what age should i expect to have this urge to hunt for quarters? should i get a head start and dig under the cushions of the couch before some old dude busts in here and beats me to it?

Clark - Body Riddle release news

Clark is one of my favorite electronic artists. Here are a couple of links about his up coming release Body Riddle.

Warp Records - Clark - Body Riddle
XLR8R - Clark To Release Body Riddle
Xltronic (Message board) Body Riddle promo

Here are a couple of mini sites that Clark has done.

Clark
Clark on MySpace
Chris Clark, Clarence Park

Ads at Toronto Union Station

I walked over to Union Station on my lunch today and I notice that the station has had a bit of a face lift.

There's a small 'court yard' between the Union Go station and Union subway station and it is filled with new ad stands. They're free standing ads that are eye catching. The ones that most applied to me were the Telus Motorola Q and Nintendo's DS Brain Age.

Also, when you walk into the subway station from the 'court yard' the walls are covered with Nissan Versa ads instead of those dull off while tiles. I know that there is a lot of traffic that walks through that court yard. I'm just wondering if anyone else has noticed additions. The one thing I'm really courious about is how much it cost to post and ad in one of these stands.

More news about Zune

Wired.com has a new article up about Zune.
Check out Screwed for sure for more info.

iTunes playlist, PHP and XML

For the past couple of days I've been thinking about how I can get my iTunes playlist on the web.

I know that there are a lot of tools out there that you can use. Audioscrobbler and Webjay are just a couple of my many resources out there to help you do this. But I didn't want just any old playlist creator. I wanted something to call my own.

So I started browsing the Apple's developer connection site and I came across this article called PHP on Mac OS X.

Well there you go. In plain english for everyone to read. You can now create your own iTunes play list for the web.

I'll be sure to post my results as soon as I slap these scripts together.

we've come a long way ladies...don't fuck it up now

Alright, rant time...or just me babbling-your choice. I'm writing about women. I feel that I am a qualified expert on this subject 'cause I am one. But first, a couple questions. What makes a woman someone you want to be around? Killer boobs, nice ass, blinding smile or is it something simple like a winning personality? My vote is for the winning personality mainly because I can't really say much about my rack or butt, plus I'd rather be acknowledged for something that can't be surgically altered. A sense of independence is also something I strive for. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate and enjoy the man in my life doing manly things for me but if he wasn't around I could easily keep the insect population quite low in the apartment and would enjoy the delicious jam contained under that lid sealed with cement. So now I pose my second question, why do most people hunger to be associated with these moronic, bimbo types? I guess I may have half answered my own question because it seems to always come back to the basics, tits and ass. Public opinion labels women like Paris Hilton a total skank/slut but just as quick they would slit my throat if I was the only thing standing between them and her. I'd be willing to bet, the million dollars I don't have, that if I was to ask them why they are so drawn to her, they wouldn't be able to come up with a decent answer to said question. It's almost as if it's burned into a person's instincts...go towards the pretty things. Like moths to a big, vapid flame. Also when it comes to these girls...who's the one defining pretty? I can think of quite a few things prettier than most girls who are praised for it. Personal opinion aside, the majority rules in our society, sadly. People are sheep and don't even notice when they are being spoon fed crap. It is the only reason I can come up with to explain the state of our society today and what influences style, fashion trends and so on. I am wondering about this because I work in a business where I am bombarded with these very things, on a daily basis. It's exhausting to wonder why people get what they get and go the places they go, on minimal effort when far more capable, hard working and interesting individuals are looked over. Sex sells and no one really questions it. If anything, they first defend and continue to justify it. Once the stripper gold sparkle eye shadow is gone and that cute, ditzy shoulder shrug you do becomes annoying...what are you left with? Nothing of interest if you ask me. Women and their rights haven't broken much new ground in my lifetime, if anything we're reverting. I didn't have to fight for my right to vote and my body is mine. In the state of the world today, I realize I am extremely lucky and don't mean to sound like I'm complaining. If anything my fight is now against women being recognized as nothing more than a nice rack and hot ass. Or even worse, not being recognized if they don't live up to these whacked out standards. I have a feeling acting stupid is a full time job for most of them and there are a couple who are just blessed with natural talent. If I was to have a daughter, I hope I can teach her that she's more than her makeup or bra size and that the people who are worth her time won't be concerned with only the outside packaging. I know it's an archaic argument, at best to say that but with celebrities becoming the norm as role models I feel for parents today. I can't imagine coming home to find my ten year old daughter mimicking Jessica Simpson's classy dance routine from that atrocious cover 'These boots are made for Walking'. In fact I think my heart would break and I would seriously wonder where I went wrong. My dad might argue with me but I bet he doesn't even realize how easy he had it with me as a teenager. One day when I was seventeen my mom offered up a good point when my dad complained about the ten sizes too big pants I had bought at Frenchy's...she told him that it could be worse and that he should be thankful that my friends and I weren't parading around half naked. I think the girls growing up today are in desperate need of someone positive to look up to...to learn from and I can only hope that I won't pass the buck to the tart of the week that is splashed on every magazine cover promoting her latest sex tape...er, I mean serious dramatic blockbuster movie.

Beer! Beer for you and beer for me.

Since I know I'm not the only one that enjoys many different kinds of beer.

Here is the Beer Guid for Toronto.

letting the photos do the talking....

trailside campground, parry sound ontario.
august 12-13 2006.

click, click, bloody click....send!

i've complied some of my favorites links...places i go to
on a somewhat regular basis or that i just think are coolio.
here's hoping you like 'em too...and if not, well
pffffffft to you.

http://www.zefrank.com/drawtoy.html

http://www.wordcount.org/main.php

http://www.ericmyer.com/red/stereotypes.htm

http://www.broken-notebook.com/magnetic/

that's all for now...but stay tuned for more.

your roses really smell like poo poo poo....

poop them out?
is this a anti-terrorism thing?
eating guns, tanks and planes turn into peace flower poop?
interesting approach, if that is the case.
maybe i'm just not getting it but i like it.
i must be insane.
neato.

Web Meeting - August

Last week on Wednesday I went to 'The Greater Toronto Web Centric Meeting'. It was my first meeting with this group and I was impressed. It was well organized group that meets on the second Wednesday of each month.

There is an agenda similar to this.

- Introductions
- New Faces ? quick introductions
- General Discussion
- "News You Can Use" ? The Latest in Tech with Howard Carson
- Round Table Discussion
- Show Off Your Stuff ? Wireless Internet access onsite
- Mingle/Network

The Round Table Discussion we had last week was about Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
I picked up a few SEO tips and I plan to use them on our blog site very soon.

I also picked up a new Java book for $10 which was worth around $70. I'll have to post the ISBN number later.

After the discussion I had chance to network with a few other web geeks. Everyone was pretty open and friendly. It was fun talking about technology with other people that are in the industry.

If you're a web designer / web developer looking for a group to do some tech-talk then I would definitly recommend it.

the sun smiled evilness upon me

sunburns are the suck. technically i have no one to blame but myself because i wasn't wearing any sunscreen but man...as a kid, i don't recall being burnt as bad as i am, in such a short time. i think the majority of it was from the reflection off the water while we were swimming. the water was fantastic and i was having fun so the idea of the whole sunburn thing was the last one on my mind. i am, of course, now kicking myself. better yet, i'm scratching myself....or dying to. the burn has now progressed to the itchy, healing phase which is insanely annoying. my shirt is facilitating the itch which feels like bugs crawling on my back. not to mention my face looks like i had a freakin' chemical peel. watch out paris hilton, you haven't seen hot til you lay your peepers on me. i knew there was a reason i didn't ever get into the whole tanning thing. it's total shite. i mean what able minded, sane person would pay for a machine to burn their skin, on purpose, so they can look 'healthy'?!?! a freakin' nutcase, that's who. i've always said that i'll thank myself when i'm older for staying out of the sun when i was younger. the jokes i get about being pale and almost see through hurt less than having a sunburn. add in i'll be getting the last laugh, quietly to myself, at all those walking handbags who spend their time tanning and sunbathing. i'd rather be a ghost over a leatherface.

the kitchen, the danger zone...

they say some people can't even boil a pot of water. i find this ridiculous...i mean, really, who couldn't do that? you're not the one doing the work...the stove or fire is. it's like claiming you did the dishes when really you just
put them in the dishwasher. the dishwasher technically is doing all the work. anyway...the point is in my attempt to be fancy in cake decorating, which i have zero experience, i burnt my hand on steam coming from my makeshift double broiler. don't worry, i recognize and accept the stupidity of the whole set up. but on just steam?!?!!? weak, i know....there's barely a mark to show for the dull ache i'm dealing with. the lesson learned for today: white chocolate is a punk and the milk chocolate is my friend. will this cake look slightly ghetto and home baked? friggin' rights....but it's with love and that's all that matters.
although could my name and reputation be somewhat at stake....?

Small Updates for A Couple Complete.

The archive section is now complete. Now you can go and read any of our old posts. There are a few interesting ones in July.

Also, the direct post links are working, the style stays consistent across all pages, and all the images are now display. I just have to sort out the comments next.

We will be adding in the photography section soon. We have to plan out how we're going to organize all of the images and who has access to them.

Access? What do you mean access? Well that can only mean one thing. User accounts with special access. I'll talk more about that later.

Cheers.

real men wear pink?

on my drive to work tonight...i think i time travelled. rod, my friend and co-worker, picked me up...we attempt to do our part by car pooling. good for the environment and our pockets. from the speakers of his car i hear something catchy and familiar. turns out to be the sweet soothing sounds of wham!, freedom to be exact. rod is a few years older than me but we're close in age...six years difference i think. in some ways it seems like a million and others, not so much. i hummed along with the song at first...not totally remembering the lyrics. i was only nine when the song in question was released. we were listening to a bootleg from asia that rod had purchased called 'hits from 1985'. by the time we passed by the don mills exit on the dvp i was in full song. almost surprised that i was remembering it. it must have been stored in my brain from the times when beth and i would dress up in our swirliest, twirliest skirts and dance in the basement of my house.

"Freedom"

Everyday I hear a different story
People say that you're no good for me
So you love another
And she's making a fool of you
Oh
If you love me baby
Don't deny it
But you left me
And tell me
I should try it
Tell me I'm a baby
And I will understand

But to know that I'll forgive you
Just this once, twice, forever
'Cause baby
You could take me to heaven and back
Just as long as we're together
And you do

I don't want your freedom
I don't want to play around
I don't want nobody's baby
Part-time love just brings me down
I don't need your freedom
Girl all I want right now is you

Like a prisoner who has his own key
But I can't escape until you love me
I just go from day to day
Knowing all about the other boys
You take my hand and tell me I'm a fool
To give you all I do
Bet you someday
Baby
Someone says the same to you

But to know that I'll forgive you
Just this once, twice, forever
'Cause baby
You could take me to heaven and back
Just as long as we're together
And you do

Oh

I don't want your freedom
I don't want to play around
I don't want nobody's baby
Part-time love just brings me down
I don't need your freedom
Girl all I want right now is you

But to know that I'll forgive you
Just this once, twice, forever
'Cause baby
You could take me to heaven and back
Just as long as we're together
And you do

I don't want your freedom
I don't need to play around
I don't want nobody's baby
Part-time love just brings me down

I don't want your
(I don't want your)
I don't want your
(I don't want your)
I don't want your
(I don't want your)
I don't want your
(I don't want your)
Oh...

i realized after the song was over that i always thought of george michael as dreamy but not in a romantical way. i didn't want to kiss him or anything but i did have a feeling like i wanted to be friends with him. we could hang out, dance, do each other's hair...remember, i was nine. i thought most boys were gross. we would chase them 'til the cows came home but the second you caught them it was 'eewwwwww, go away!' george michael is the lance bass of my generation. he sang about macking chicks but really he was girlie enough that we all loved him and were unsure about what it was that we loved. i figure if joey macintyre or donny wahlberg announce that they're gay, then i might have an issue because they were the first boys i wanted to make out with. it may also explain alot of things too.
i think it might explain why some girls become fag hags. we're confused from the get go.

I'm going to do it. I'm going to get my Sun Java Certification.

I've been thinking it over and thinking it over and I'm going to bite the bullet.

Its time for me to get off my ass and get my Sun Java Certification. Considering my career path will be somewhat limited if I don't get some sort of certification. Don't get my wrong. My education was money well spent and it got me a good job. I just want the extra ace up my sleave.

I'm sure some people are asking 'why did you decided on a Java certification?'
Well in the web industry there are a couple of languages that stand out more than others. ASP.net, PHP and Java /J2EE /JSP are just a few that come to mind. Java has always had an impact on me. It's the language I've felt most comfortable with. I also think Java will be setting many web standards in the future. But that's just my opinion.

The average price of a course is around $400.00 (CND). If you're interested in taking a couple course you can find all the info you need here.

Take care.

happiness is....

properlofi...aka my guy is awesome.
he built this site, convinced me to enter
a photography contest and he spent a ton of money
on magazines and is awesome enough to share
with me so i can learn how to use photoshop
properly and hopefully stroke my creative bone.
over the weekend he also had a craving to bake
and convinced me to join in.
it turned out really fun and the sweet reward
added to spending time together, was a kickass cake.
we did good and i think i fell a little more in
love with him....if i may be so girlie.
something about watching a guy baking...so careful
to not mash the blueberries up.
one word, adorable.
i'm gushing i know but whatever, this is my blog
and i can write what i like.
i'm getting into the groove of this new space
and what i want to do with it.
i'm feeling the need to photograph more so i can
post more but i need some new rechargable batteries.
anyhoo....life is wonderful.
you stay classy san diego.








and the moral of the story is don't lie.
teeheheeheehehehe

Creativity, Magazines and Shopping.

Yesterday cakebaker and I did some shopping. For the past week and a bit I've been feeling the creativity itch. So I decided to buy a few new magazines to help inspire some new ideas.

Here's what I picked up.

Photoshop Creative
Computer Arts Projects
Computer Arts
JDJ - Java Developer Journal

They put a fair dent in my wallet but sometimes inspiration comes from sacrifice.

let's fight!!!...i'm gonna give you a nose rub

i just saw ricky bobby....and it was weird, awkward and
fucking funny as all hell.
official ricky bobby site here
in other news....
i have entered a photography contest.
use this link for all the details on blogTO
wish me luck bitches.
shopping tomorrow...window shopping though.
windows, plus everything else.
again, wish us luck bitches.

Interested in a new cell phone? Do you have a blog?

Do you live in Toronto or Vancouver?
Does your blog get at least 400+ hits a day?
Are you a current Rogers cell phone subscriber?
Are you between the ages of 22-35?
Do you update your blog on a regular basis?
Are you very socially active?

If you said yes to all of those then check out this article at GTABloggers.

Updates and Links

Just to let you all know. I have updated the links section.
You can take a look at some of the blogs I read and some of my friends sites.

Cheers.