Wow. I've said it before and I'll say it again. Politics is one of the greatest spectator sports on Earth. The show I'm watching right now is the leadership race for the PC Party of Alberta.
To recap...during the last provincial election about two years ago, the only campaign promise that Ralph Klein made was that this is his last term. Of course, as soon as he was re-elected, the question of when he'd resign began.
Ralph finally made it clear about a week ago. He'll turn in his resignation in October 2007. The people of Alberta were stuck with Ralph's long good-bye, and the very private Tory leadership race finally burst into the mainstream.
Intergovernmental Affiars Minister Ed Stelmach made it clear he'd be running for the leadership. Infrastructure and Transportation Minister Lyle Oberg made it clear he'd be running. Advanced Learning Minister Dave Hancock made it clear he'd be running.
Then, shortly after the announcement of his retirement, Klein handed down an ultimatum. Cabinet ministers who wanted to run for the leadership have to resign from their cabinet posts by June 1. According to Klein, this is to level the playing field...to make sure cabinet ministers don't abuse their powers in their campaigns.
Stelmach resigned immediatly. Oberg said he's turn in his resignation as June 1 drew closer. And Hancock started having doubts about running for the leadership, citing that he can still do a lot of good as Advanced Learning Minister.
Flash forward to three days ago. Oberg was meeting with his riding association. Oberg criticized Klein's plan to make the cabinet ministers resign. Oberg's exact quote: "If I were Klein, I wouldn't want me in the back benches. I know where all the skeletons are."
Oberg's hometown paper ran the story. Alberta's major papers ran the story. And last night, Oberg was booted out of the PC Party for his open criticism of Klein!
His exact punishment is he's suspended from the caucus for six months. He's free to re-apply for the Tories in six months, or continue as an independent. But many agree: Oberg's political career is over.
Today, Oberg issued a public apology to Klein and the Tories, but was still critical of Klein's long good-bye.
So, as we all know, things are going to come to a head in one week. On March 31, the Tories will be having a leadership review of Ralph Klein. Will Klein get a good review, and thus be allowed to leave on his own terms, or will all the leadership hopefuls chomping at the bit vote Klein out of office, and jump start the whole leadership race?
And in case you don't know, the front-runner to replace Klein is still Jim Dinning. Dinning was Klein's treasurer back in the mid-1990s. While Klein was ordering massive cutbacks and laying off thousands of government employees, Dinning was the hitman making it happen. Dinning left the PC Party in 1997 for more lucrative positions in the private sector, but he made it clear that he'd be back someday to replace Klein. Dinning has, in effect, been in campaigning for the leadership since '97.
And many agree. If you thought Klein was bad, wait until Dinning's in charge.
Friday, March 24, 2006
Thursday, March 23, 2006
Own a Piece of Tim Hortons
Today, Tim Hortons goes public.
As you may recall, about 10 years ago, Tim Hortons merged with Wendy's. Here we are now, 10 years later, and Tim Hortons has gotten so big that it competes with Wendy's. Rather than continue competing with themselves, Wendy's is selling off Tim Hortons. And, today, Tim Hortons goes on the market.
I heard that on the radio this morning, and then they shared a couple of interesting stats about Tim Hortons:
- In 1995, the average profit at the average Tim Hortons was $800,000. Today, it's $1.7 million.
- There are 2600 Tim Hortons in Canada, and 300 in the USA.
- As you can imagine, most of Tim Hortons expansion is in the States. They're having the most difficult time breaking into New York and the New England area.
- In Canada, there's 1 Tim Hortons for every 10,000 people. There's 1 McDonald's for every 22,000 people. That's right, there's twice as many Tim Hortons as there are McDonald's!
As you may recall, about 10 years ago, Tim Hortons merged with Wendy's. Here we are now, 10 years later, and Tim Hortons has gotten so big that it competes with Wendy's. Rather than continue competing with themselves, Wendy's is selling off Tim Hortons. And, today, Tim Hortons goes on the market.
I heard that on the radio this morning, and then they shared a couple of interesting stats about Tim Hortons:
- In 1995, the average profit at the average Tim Hortons was $800,000. Today, it's $1.7 million.
- There are 2600 Tim Hortons in Canada, and 300 in the USA.
- As you can imagine, most of Tim Hortons expansion is in the States. They're having the most difficult time breaking into New York and the New England area.
- In Canada, there's 1 Tim Hortons for every 10,000 people. There's 1 McDonald's for every 22,000 people. That's right, there's twice as many Tim Hortons as there are McDonald's!
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Lovely Foolish Purchase
Ugh. Now I know why my old production instructor always limited us to a max of 3 hours in a production studio. Any longer, and you go batty. I spent far too much time this evening playing around. I tell ya, music editing is the bane of my existence. I get obsessed with creating the perfect cut. Counfound it, though, I love it so.
Anyway, I was surfing the old 'net tonight, I made a truly self-indulgent purchase. Now, you may think that this past month had been filled with them: my microphone, my server space, but those I can write off as having been needed. Tonight, I bought something silly and fun.
Batman: Scarecrow Tales
Batman: Scarecrow Tales is a graphic novel that compiles the best "Batman vs. Scarecrow" stories ever written for the comics. Think of it as Scarecrow's Greatest Hits. It came out back in the summer, to tie in with Dr. Johnathan Crane's appearance in Batman Begins.
I've leafed through it several times at the bookstore. You get Scarecrow's very first appearance from way back in 1941, all the way to the present day. It also kind of serves as a great chronicle of how comic book art has changed over the decades. I decided to buy it online because, even after shipping and handling, Amazon.ca still had it cheaper than Chapters.
So, yeah. That'll be here in about a week.
And now, back to scouring the Internet for "Always with Me," the song from the classic Japanese animated film Spirited Away. All that music editing was for something big and crazy, and "Always with Me" is the final piece to the puzzle.
Anyway, I was surfing the old 'net tonight, I made a truly self-indulgent purchase. Now, you may think that this past month had been filled with them: my microphone, my server space, but those I can write off as having been needed. Tonight, I bought something silly and fun.
Batman: Scarecrow Tales
Batman: Scarecrow Tales is a graphic novel that compiles the best "Batman vs. Scarecrow" stories ever written for the comics. Think of it as Scarecrow's Greatest Hits. It came out back in the summer, to tie in with Dr. Johnathan Crane's appearance in Batman Begins.
I've leafed through it several times at the bookstore. You get Scarecrow's very first appearance from way back in 1941, all the way to the present day. It also kind of serves as a great chronicle of how comic book art has changed over the decades. I decided to buy it online because, even after shipping and handling, Amazon.ca still had it cheaper than Chapters.
So, yeah. That'll be here in about a week.
And now, back to scouring the Internet for "Always with Me," the song from the classic Japanese animated film Spirited Away. All that music editing was for something big and crazy, and "Always with Me" is the final piece to the puzzle.
Hire Me! now live
Now that I've got my server space all working fine, I've launched the first big new part of my website.
Hire Me! is completely dedicated to showing off my work. You can listen to my demos, download my resume, and e-mail me to set up a job interview.
So, please! Check out Hire Me!
Hire Me! is completely dedicated to showing off my work. You can listen to my demos, download my resume, and e-mail me to set up a job interview.
So, please! Check out Hire Me!
DVD Day!
I love Tuesdays! New DVDs unleashed upon the store shelves! And, if you're a lover of DC Comics animation like me, then there's only two releases today that have caught your interest:
Batman Beyond: The Complete First Season - As has been written many times, given this show's shady origin (the toy companies demanded a new Bat-toon so they could sell more product), it's amazing it was actually good. 50 years in the future, teen Terry McGuiness becomes heir to the Bat-mantle, and is trained by the 80-year old Bruce Wayne. You get all 13 episodes from the show's first season, plus interviews with the show's creators, running commentary on select episodes, and even an isolated music track! (I own the soundtrack album...the creators were actually quite proud of the techno/trance/industrial/goth metal fusion music they created for the score.)
Justice League: Season One - The smash hit cartoon, reuniting all your favourite DC heroes! You get all 26 episodes from season one (actually, 13 one-hour episodes, but they were forced by the Cartoon Network to cut each one into a 2-parter). There's also running commentaries on select episodes, interviews with the show's creators and voice cast, storyboards, and even the very early test animation that the creators made to help sell the show.
Batman Beyond: The Complete First Season - As has been written many times, given this show's shady origin (the toy companies demanded a new Bat-toon so they could sell more product), it's amazing it was actually good. 50 years in the future, teen Terry McGuiness becomes heir to the Bat-mantle, and is trained by the 80-year old Bruce Wayne. You get all 13 episodes from the show's first season, plus interviews with the show's creators, running commentary on select episodes, and even an isolated music track! (I own the soundtrack album...the creators were actually quite proud of the techno/trance/industrial/goth metal fusion music they created for the score.)
Justice League: Season One - The smash hit cartoon, reuniting all your favourite DC heroes! You get all 26 episodes from season one (actually, 13 one-hour episodes, but they were forced by the Cartoon Network to cut each one into a 2-parter). There's also running commentaries on select episodes, interviews with the show's creators and voice cast, storyboards, and even the very early test animation that the creators made to help sell the show.
Sunday, March 19, 2006
Red Green is Ending!
I only recently discovered that that Canadian classic The Red Green Show will be having its final episode very, very soon. It has been on for 15 years. The final episode will be episode #300.
I'm sure we all know the history of the show by now. The character of Red Green was originally created by Steve Smith as part of his Smith and Smith Comedy Hour, which ran from from 1979 - 1986. Red Green started off as a parody of Canadian fishing show host Red Fisher.
In 1991, when there was an explosion of self-help and home improvement shows, Smith thought the time was righ to spoof those shows, with Red Green as the host. So, he launched the Red Green Show, originally produced by CHCH-TV in Hamilton.
The show was syndicated for a few years, bounced around from producer to producer, even settled on the Global for a while. (Those were the years where it was called The New Red Green Show.) Sales to PBS in the USA also created a strong cult following the States. And finally, it settled on the CBC in 1997.
I can't find when exactly the final episode will air, but going by the episode guide on the official Red Green website, and based on the episode that I saw last Friday, and counting forward, the final episode will be on April 7. I'm assuming. Consult your local listings, as they say on the talk shows.
According to the official website, the final episode is entitled "Do As I Do," and the plot is:
- Harold's getting married. When he loses the church, he moves the wedding to Possum Lodge.
- "Finale" is the secret word in the Possum Lodge Word Game
- Bill turns in all his stuff from his adventures, leading to his final adventure.
- In the Handyman's Corner, Red shows us how to build a perpetual motion machine.
- Red says good-bye to the audience from his desk. (You know, those monologues that he ends with, "And remember, I'm pullin' for ya. We're all in this together.")
- And then, we flash forward 10 years to see what happened to everyone.
Ah, The Red Green Show. Truly, a Canadian icon.
And, as one icon falls, another one rises. Monday night sees the end of the third season of Corner Gas. The season finale is entitled "Road Worthy." Lacey buys a new car and decides to take Brent along, because all men know stuff about cars. Since Emma always hates her anniversary gift, Oscar decides to go out of his way and get one that she'll really hate. And Davis and Karen decide to switch junk food because of all the "cops love donuts" jokes.
I'm sure we all know the history of the show by now. The character of Red Green was originally created by Steve Smith as part of his Smith and Smith Comedy Hour, which ran from from 1979 - 1986. Red Green started off as a parody of Canadian fishing show host Red Fisher.
In 1991, when there was an explosion of self-help and home improvement shows, Smith thought the time was righ to spoof those shows, with Red Green as the host. So, he launched the Red Green Show, originally produced by CHCH-TV in Hamilton.
The show was syndicated for a few years, bounced around from producer to producer, even settled on the Global for a while. (Those were the years where it was called The New Red Green Show.) Sales to PBS in the USA also created a strong cult following the States. And finally, it settled on the CBC in 1997.
I can't find when exactly the final episode will air, but going by the episode guide on the official Red Green website, and based on the episode that I saw last Friday, and counting forward, the final episode will be on April 7. I'm assuming. Consult your local listings, as they say on the talk shows.
According to the official website, the final episode is entitled "Do As I Do," and the plot is:
- Harold's getting married. When he loses the church, he moves the wedding to Possum Lodge.
- "Finale" is the secret word in the Possum Lodge Word Game
- Bill turns in all his stuff from his adventures, leading to his final adventure.
- In the Handyman's Corner, Red shows us how to build a perpetual motion machine.
- Red says good-bye to the audience from his desk. (You know, those monologues that he ends with, "And remember, I'm pullin' for ya. We're all in this together.")
- And then, we flash forward 10 years to see what happened to everyone.
Ah, The Red Green Show. Truly, a Canadian icon.
And, as one icon falls, another one rises. Monday night sees the end of the third season of Corner Gas. The season finale is entitled "Road Worthy." Lacey buys a new car and decides to take Brent along, because all men know stuff about cars. Since Emma always hates her anniversary gift, Oscar decides to go out of his way and get one that she'll really hate. And Davis and Karen decide to switch junk food because of all the "cops love donuts" jokes.
Latest Column's Up!
This week, I tell you an Untold Tale of Japan: Nagano:
"I’ve loved the Olympics. I have for a long time. And all those Olympic host cities always seemed in such distant, exotic locations. When I first set out from Omiya to Kumagaya, I was stunned at the name of the rail line: the Nagano Line. The Nagano Winter Olympics were a mere 4 years earlier, and they were still fresh in my mind. And now, to be living in a city so close to them, just a quick ride on the bullet train, it blew my mind. After I spent my first week in Kumagaya and got settled into the new job and my new apartment, I made a solemn vow. I would go to Nagano."
Read it all!
I've just got to say that this is, by far, my prettiest column ever! It's got pictures like this one:
I make reference to an older column, so I link to it. I make reference to one of my first-ever blog entries, and I link to that, too!
It may not be the best, but it's definitly one of the ones best-formatted to HTML.
And yeah, I know this is up really early for one of my columns, but I've spent the past few days hunched over the keyboard playing with my new server space. I'm kind of hoping to take it easy today.
"I’ve loved the Olympics. I have for a long time. And all those Olympic host cities always seemed in such distant, exotic locations. When I first set out from Omiya to Kumagaya, I was stunned at the name of the rail line: the Nagano Line. The Nagano Winter Olympics were a mere 4 years earlier, and they were still fresh in my mind. And now, to be living in a city so close to them, just a quick ride on the bullet train, it blew my mind. After I spent my first week in Kumagaya and got settled into the new job and my new apartment, I made a solemn vow. I would go to Nagano."
Read it all!
I've just got to say that this is, by far, my prettiest column ever! It's got pictures like this one:
I make reference to an older column, so I link to it. I make reference to one of my first-ever blog entries, and I link to that, too!
It may not be the best, but it's definitly one of the ones best-formatted to HTML.
And yeah, I know this is up really early for one of my columns, but I've spent the past few days hunched over the keyboard playing with my new server space. I'm kind of hoping to take it easy today.
Saturday, March 18, 2006
Ta-Da!
There! As far as I'm concerned, the move to my brand new chaosinabox.com server is complete! This is how you should change your links:
Chaos in a Box:
The main hub, the website that represents all I am, is now as www.chaosinabox.com
Chaos in Print: The Further Adventures of the Scarecrow
My weekly column (which I've always considered to be just above a blog) is now at www.chaosinabox.com/chaosinprint/columns.html
Midnight Ramblings
The blog is still at chaosinabox.blogspot.com. I'll probably move it onto my new server someday.
And there! All the relevant pages at Angelfire have been taken down and replaced with appropriate "please change your links" pages. I have not deleted everything off of Angelfire yet...I'll probably leave it all there for a little while longer.
And that's that! The new chapter begins!
Chaos in a Box:
The main hub, the website that represents all I am, is now as www.chaosinabox.com
Chaos in Print: The Further Adventures of the Scarecrow
My weekly column (which I've always considered to be just above a blog) is now at www.chaosinabox.com/chaosinprint/columns.html
Midnight Ramblings
The blog is still at chaosinabox.blogspot.com. I'll probably move it onto my new server someday.
And there! All the relevant pages at Angelfire have been taken down and replaced with appropriate "please change your links" pages. I have not deleted everything off of Angelfire yet...I'll probably leave it all there for a little while longer.
And that's that! The new chapter begins!
Friday, March 17, 2006
PPG: Movie
I tend to follow the Harry Knowles theory of movie reviews. That is, your experiences leading up to the actual viewing of the movie tend to taint your perceptions of the movie, so it's best to include those experiences in your review. To paint the balanced picture and all that. The best example is Knowles' infamous flip-flop with his Godzilla review. When he first saw the American Godzilla, it was the world premiere. It was his first trip to New York, the film was shown in Madison Square Garden in a total rock concert atmosphere, and he walked away thinking it was the greatest movie ever made. When he saw it again two weeks later, it was at the local cineplex in his hometown of Austin, Texas, and he walked away thinking he'd been screwed.
A good case in point, for me, anyway, is The Powerpuff Girls Movie. I just caught a bit of it on TV. It makes me smile, not because it's good (it's just like a typical episode, only longer), but because of the circumstances in which I saw it.
It was in 2002. I was in Japan. When it opened in Japan and came to Kumagaya, it was only playing in Japanese. Bad for me. So, in order to see it in English, I had to hop the train and go to this tiny, out-of-the-way art house theatre just next to the heart of Tokyo.
It was one of those hidden treasure kind of deals. I had to walk through these narrow streets - alleys, practically - to get there. But then, the alleys ended, and it opened up into this beautiful, hidden town square, with the theatre being on the south side.
The theatre was actually on the second floor of the building. I had to walk up the narrow staircase, and on the second floor was this tiny 4-screen multiplex. It was kind of like the ol' Bailey Theatre in Camrose...the kind of theatre where you buy your ticket and snacks from the same counter and clerk.
I bought my ticket, a small cola, walked past a vending machine selling beer, and made myself comfortable in the theatre.
And it was beautiful, sunny day to boot.
Given all those experiences, I thought that The Powerpuff Girls Movie was a pretty good movie.
I occastionally catch it on TV now, and I see that, actually, it's not so good. But I'm flooded with the memories of a really good day.
A good case in point, for me, anyway, is The Powerpuff Girls Movie. I just caught a bit of it on TV. It makes me smile, not because it's good (it's just like a typical episode, only longer), but because of the circumstances in which I saw it.
It was in 2002. I was in Japan. When it opened in Japan and came to Kumagaya, it was only playing in Japanese. Bad for me. So, in order to see it in English, I had to hop the train and go to this tiny, out-of-the-way art house theatre just next to the heart of Tokyo.
It was one of those hidden treasure kind of deals. I had to walk through these narrow streets - alleys, practically - to get there. But then, the alleys ended, and it opened up into this beautiful, hidden town square, with the theatre being on the south side.
The theatre was actually on the second floor of the building. I had to walk up the narrow staircase, and on the second floor was this tiny 4-screen multiplex. It was kind of like the ol' Bailey Theatre in Camrose...the kind of theatre where you buy your ticket and snacks from the same counter and clerk.
I bought my ticket, a small cola, walked past a vending machine selling beer, and made myself comfortable in the theatre.
And it was beautiful, sunny day to boot.
Given all those experiences, I thought that The Powerpuff Girls Movie was a pretty good movie.
I occastionally catch it on TV now, and I see that, actually, it's not so good. But I'm flooded with the memories of a really good day.
Size DOES Matter
In a statement that has come back to haunt him many times, Bill Gates remarked in the late-1980s that "640k ought to be enough for anyone."
When my parents bought a new computer in 1997, my brother sat staring at the monitor in amazement. He was amazed by the wallpaper. "The picture file is 256k in size," he told me. "Our very first computer (1988 or so) had 256k of RAM. Just think! It would take every ounce of computer power on our very first computer to show this picture."
I just had a moment like that.
I finally finished the gigantic cleaning-out of my website. Despite all my bluster, all I really did was free up 3M. My whole website is 17M in size.
Just think! The main reason why I bought my server space was so I could post audio files that are BIGGER than my whole website!
When my parents bought a new computer in 1997, my brother sat staring at the monitor in amazement. He was amazed by the wallpaper. "The picture file is 256k in size," he told me. "Our very first computer (1988 or so) had 256k of RAM. Just think! It would take every ounce of computer power on our very first computer to show this picture."
I just had a moment like that.
I finally finished the gigantic cleaning-out of my website. Despite all my bluster, all I really did was free up 3M. My whole website is 17M in size.
Just think! The main reason why I bought my server space was so I could post audio files that are BIGGER than my whole website!
Thursday, March 16, 2006
Klein Steps Down
With all the fun of playing with my new server, I haven't mentioned yet the latest in Alberta politics.
Ralph Klein is finally retiring!
Of course, people have been pushing for him to set a date, seeing as to how "This will be Klein's last term" was pretty much the entire PC platform during the last provincial election. "Re-elect him one more time. Please?"
Anyway, October 2007 is when Klein steps down from public life. So, already, the people of Alberta are bracing for Klein's long good-bye...and comparisons are already being made towards Jean Chretien and his long good-bye.
With this announcement, the leadership campaign to replace Klein has finally begun. In fact, today Klein announced that, if any cabinet ministers want to run for the leadership, then they have to resign from their cabinet posts by June 1. This is to level the playing field, says Klein. So those cabinet ministers don't abuse their powers in their campaigning.
And, of course, the rumour still exists that Klein may actually be voted out by his own party at the bi-annual leadership review at the end of the month. A lot of these leadership hopefuls really are chomping at the bit *that* badly.
Klein's already said that he'll step down if he doesn't receive a "clear majority." That's one of those wonderfully vague terms in Canadian politics. In the early 1980s, former Prime Minister Joe Clark got a 66% approval rating at his leadership review, said it wasn't a clear majority, and stepped down. Hell, just a year ago, Bernard Landry of the PQ got 76%, and resigned, saying that 76% wasn't a clear majority. (To be fair, he said it wasn't a strong enough majority to lead Quebec to independence.)
In the past, Klein's always come out of the leadership review with a percentage in the high 90's. He's expected to come out with something similar again, so the old man can retire on his terms. But still, even Klein's starting to come across as worried.
Ralph Klein is finally retiring!
Of course, people have been pushing for him to set a date, seeing as to how "This will be Klein's last term" was pretty much the entire PC platform during the last provincial election. "Re-elect him one more time. Please?"
Anyway, October 2007 is when Klein steps down from public life. So, already, the people of Alberta are bracing for Klein's long good-bye...and comparisons are already being made towards Jean Chretien and his long good-bye.
With this announcement, the leadership campaign to replace Klein has finally begun. In fact, today Klein announced that, if any cabinet ministers want to run for the leadership, then they have to resign from their cabinet posts by June 1. This is to level the playing field, says Klein. So those cabinet ministers don't abuse their powers in their campaigning.
And, of course, the rumour still exists that Klein may actually be voted out by his own party at the bi-annual leadership review at the end of the month. A lot of these leadership hopefuls really are chomping at the bit *that* badly.
Klein's already said that he'll step down if he doesn't receive a "clear majority." That's one of those wonderfully vague terms in Canadian politics. In the early 1980s, former Prime Minister Joe Clark got a 66% approval rating at his leadership review, said it wasn't a clear majority, and stepped down. Hell, just a year ago, Bernard Landry of the PQ got 76%, and resigned, saying that 76% wasn't a clear majority. (To be fair, he said it wasn't a strong enough majority to lead Quebec to independence.)
In the past, Klein's always come out of the leadership review with a percentage in the high 90's. He's expected to come out with something similar again, so the old man can retire on his terms. But still, even Klein's starting to come across as worried.
Chaos in a Box.com: Going swimmingly!
Wow, have I been a busy guy today!
In case you didn't get the e-mail last night, I finally bought some nice and proper server space for my website. Chaos in a Box is now add-free, and I've got more room than I ever needed!
Of course, with moving onto the new server, I've got to update all the links and stuff. And today, here's what I accomplished:
Chaos in Print - All the archives have been update with the new links, so everything's still readable. Pretty much every column survived intact, so it looks like I won't have to re-code all 350!
The Obligatroy Link Page - I noticed that pretty much every link was dead. So, I made a new link page from scratch.
The Picture Gallery - Fixed and updated, so everything's looking OK.
The Old Stuff Gallery - Fixed and updated, so all the links work.
There's about only one thing left I want to do now. As I'm doing this, I've noticed that I've got a lot of crap clogging up my server space. Remember back in 1998, when I ran a page dedicated to compiling news on Star Trek: Insurrection? Well, it was still there, just taking up space. Remember the summer of 1999, when I had a page dedicated to Crystal Pepsi? It was still there. And why the hell do I still need all those pictures of Extra Foods? And a movie review of Mulan?
So, I'm going to do some mass cleaning out. I still divide my life pretty much into two halves: "Before Japan" and "After Japan." Everything BJ can pretty much go.
Actually, I'm in a unique opportunity. This, I think, will be the easiest way to clean out my website. Right now, in order to facilitate the move, I downloaded my entire website to my hard drive. Granted, I've always had my whole website on my hard drive, but for the first time ever, I've got it all laid out in directories just like it appears on the server.
So, what I'm going to do is go through the website on my hard drive, toss everything that needs to be tossed, and get it all looking like it should. And then, I delete my entire website, and upload the leaner, cleaner version.
That's the plan for tomorrow!
Oh, and hey, wanna do me a favour? E-mail me at my brand new @chaosinabox.com address so I can see it work!
In case you didn't get the e-mail last night, I finally bought some nice and proper server space for my website. Chaos in a Box is now add-free, and I've got more room than I ever needed!
Of course, with moving onto the new server, I've got to update all the links and stuff. And today, here's what I accomplished:
Chaos in Print - All the archives have been update with the new links, so everything's still readable. Pretty much every column survived intact, so it looks like I won't have to re-code all 350!
The Obligatroy Link Page - I noticed that pretty much every link was dead. So, I made a new link page from scratch.
The Picture Gallery - Fixed and updated, so everything's looking OK.
The Old Stuff Gallery - Fixed and updated, so all the links work.
There's about only one thing left I want to do now. As I'm doing this, I've noticed that I've got a lot of crap clogging up my server space. Remember back in 1998, when I ran a page dedicated to compiling news on Star Trek: Insurrection? Well, it was still there, just taking up space. Remember the summer of 1999, when I had a page dedicated to Crystal Pepsi? It was still there. And why the hell do I still need all those pictures of Extra Foods? And a movie review of Mulan?
So, I'm going to do some mass cleaning out. I still divide my life pretty much into two halves: "Before Japan" and "After Japan." Everything BJ can pretty much go.
Actually, I'm in a unique opportunity. This, I think, will be the easiest way to clean out my website. Right now, in order to facilitate the move, I downloaded my entire website to my hard drive. Granted, I've always had my whole website on my hard drive, but for the first time ever, I've got it all laid out in directories just like it appears on the server.
So, what I'm going to do is go through the website on my hard drive, toss everything that needs to be tossed, and get it all looking like it should. And then, I delete my entire website, and upload the leaner, cleaner version.
That's the plan for tomorrow!
Oh, and hey, wanna do me a favour? E-mail me at my brand new @chaosinabox.com address so I can see it work!
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Rick Mercer Ends Auction/HD-DVD vs. Blu-Ray
Well, in case you didn't notice it, Rick Mercer pulled the plug on his Liberal Leadership Kit auction back on Sunday.
Mercer cancelled the auction because he was hit with an overwhelming belief that the $16 million bid for it was a joke bid. Rather than spend the rest of his life trying to get $16 million out of some joker - and be on the hook himself for a $250,000 seller's fee - Mercer decided to pull the plug.
"I should have seen this coming," said Mercer in his news release. "It was for the Liberal leadership, after all, and part of the job is to promise lots of money in the run-up, and then not deliver in the end."
If you still want to bid on a Liberal Leadership kit, I see that about half-a-dozen copycats have popped up.
And, be sure to tune in to the Rick Mercer Report tonight at 8 on the CBC, where I'm sure Mercer will have the last laugh.
Let's get ready to rumble!
The format war between HD-DVD and Blu-Ray officially begins today!
For those who don't care, HD-DVD and Blu-Ray are the competing formats in the next generation of DVD. Not since the days of VHS vs. Beta have we seen a format war like this!
The war begins today as Paramount Pictures unleashes the first HD-DVD on store shelves. What is that DVD?
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow
FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT!!
Mercer cancelled the auction because he was hit with an overwhelming belief that the $16 million bid for it was a joke bid. Rather than spend the rest of his life trying to get $16 million out of some joker - and be on the hook himself for a $250,000 seller's fee - Mercer decided to pull the plug.
"I should have seen this coming," said Mercer in his news release. "It was for the Liberal leadership, after all, and part of the job is to promise lots of money in the run-up, and then not deliver in the end."
If you still want to bid on a Liberal Leadership kit, I see that about half-a-dozen copycats have popped up.
And, be sure to tune in to the Rick Mercer Report tonight at 8 on the CBC, where I'm sure Mercer will have the last laugh.
Let's get ready to rumble!
The format war between HD-DVD and Blu-Ray officially begins today!
For those who don't care, HD-DVD and Blu-Ray are the competing formats in the next generation of DVD. Not since the days of VHS vs. Beta have we seen a format war like this!
The war begins today as Paramount Pictures unleashes the first HD-DVD on store shelves. What is that DVD?
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow
FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT!!
Monday, March 13, 2006
I Love Brad Bird
Yay! We're getting another Brad Bird movie!
As I'm sure you know, Brad Bird is one of my favourite animators. He directed my all-time favourite movie, The Iron Giant, and he directed Pixar's mega-hit The Incredibles.
Well, it was announced today that Bird's next film will be Pixar's Ratatouille. It's about a mouse who lives in a Paris restaurant, and all the talking animals he runs into in France.
Ratatouille has been in development at Pixar for about three years under the guidance of Jan Pinkava. Pinkava is the writer/director of Pixar's Oscar-winning short film Geri's Game. (You know...the one in front of A Bug's Life.) It was always assumed that Pinkava was directing, so today's announcement came as a surprise to quite a few people.
Ratatouille - directed by Brad Bird - comes out in June 2007.
As I'm sure you know, Brad Bird is one of my favourite animators. He directed my all-time favourite movie, The Iron Giant, and he directed Pixar's mega-hit The Incredibles.
Well, it was announced today that Bird's next film will be Pixar's Ratatouille. It's about a mouse who lives in a Paris restaurant, and all the talking animals he runs into in France.
Ratatouille has been in development at Pixar for about three years under the guidance of Jan Pinkava. Pinkava is the writer/director of Pixar's Oscar-winning short film Geri's Game. (You know...the one in front of A Bug's Life.) It was always assumed that Pinkava was directing, so today's announcement came as a surprise to quite a few people.
Ratatouille - directed by Brad Bird - comes out in June 2007.
Sunday, March 12, 2006
Latest Column's Up!
This week's is called Good Evening Madam Chairman, Honorable Judges, Ladies and Gentlemen:
"My parents, upstanding citizens of the community that they are, are currently in the throes of judging the local 4H speech competitions. I guess speech giving is a big part of 4H. As my parents sit over the dinner table and compare notes about the weekend’s speeches, it’s gotten me to reminiscing about my own time taking part in speech competitions. It makes me go down to my room and dig out the one and only award I’ve ever one for my speeches. "
Click here to read it all!
Wow. I was able to sit down and write three columns this afternoon. It's a good thing, too. Now that I've got everything to mess around with audio here at home, I'll spend a lot more time doing radio stuff than writing, I think.
"My parents, upstanding citizens of the community that they are, are currently in the throes of judging the local 4H speech competitions. I guess speech giving is a big part of 4H. As my parents sit over the dinner table and compare notes about the weekend’s speeches, it’s gotten me to reminiscing about my own time taking part in speech competitions. It makes me go down to my room and dig out the one and only award I’ve ever one for my speeches. "
Click here to read it all!
Wow. I was able to sit down and write three columns this afternoon. It's a good thing, too. Now that I've got everything to mess around with audio here at home, I'll spend a lot more time doing radio stuff than writing, I think.
Saturday, March 11, 2006
Tonight's Weird Trivia Fact
From Wikipedia:
Robin Williams is an avid video gamer. Because of this, Williams claims that he was once contacted by Nintendo and told that he was the first, last, and only choice to play Professor Oak, should a live-action Pokemon movie ever be made.
Robin Williams is an avid video gamer. Because of this, Williams claims that he was once contacted by Nintendo and told that he was the first, last, and only choice to play Professor Oak, should a live-action Pokemon movie ever be made.
Friday, March 10, 2006
Fun and Philosophy with Digital Cameras
There's no better way to have fun with a brand-new digital camera like a day at work!
The future is like a darkend highway...except for today, when it's clear and sunny and the snow-capped Rockies are on the horizon!
Ah, nothing like a day in the most wild and remote parts of Alberta. Sadly, it's not all about the view. I have to get to work!
And this is the name of the game! Oil! These things are messy. And, it's my job to tell them how messy they are and how to clean it up. (Actually, it's my Dad's job. I just assist. I'm the muscle.)
After a hard day of telling the oil companies to clean up their act, I kick back and relax with the finest cola you can get from a vending machine for 55¢.
What gets me the most about digital photography is how the act of taking a picture and the picture itself becomes so...disposable.
For example, here is a picture of a bowl of soup. Clam chowder, to be specific. I had the special at the restaurant. I took out the brand-new digital camera and took a picture of it. Now, in the past, with a traditional 35mm camera, I would think, "Oh, it's not worth wasting a shot! I only have 7 exposures left! I have no extra rolls of film on me! Why the hell would I want to take a picture of a bowl of soup, anyway?" But with a digital camera, there is no debate. I don't have to think about whether it's actually worth taking a picture of it or not. Just point and click. These questions are no longer issues.
What almost frightens me, though, is, with digital photography, there is no permanence. With my old 35mm camera, I'd have a print of this bowl of soup cluttering up my closet forever. But, with a digital camera, all I have to do is look at it and say, "That was stupid," and hit delete. Pictures can now be erased from existence with nary a thought. Just point and click.
That kind of makes me sad.
The future is like a darkend highway...except for today, when it's clear and sunny and the snow-capped Rockies are on the horizon!
Ah, nothing like a day in the most wild and remote parts of Alberta. Sadly, it's not all about the view. I have to get to work!
And this is the name of the game! Oil! These things are messy. And, it's my job to tell them how messy they are and how to clean it up. (Actually, it's my Dad's job. I just assist. I'm the muscle.)
After a hard day of telling the oil companies to clean up their act, I kick back and relax with the finest cola you can get from a vending machine for 55¢.
What gets me the most about digital photography is how the act of taking a picture and the picture itself becomes so...disposable.
For example, here is a picture of a bowl of soup. Clam chowder, to be specific. I had the special at the restaurant. I took out the brand-new digital camera and took a picture of it. Now, in the past, with a traditional 35mm camera, I would think, "Oh, it's not worth wasting a shot! I only have 7 exposures left! I have no extra rolls of film on me! Why the hell would I want to take a picture of a bowl of soup, anyway?" But with a digital camera, there is no debate. I don't have to think about whether it's actually worth taking a picture of it or not. Just point and click. These questions are no longer issues.
What almost frightens me, though, is, with digital photography, there is no permanence. With my old 35mm camera, I'd have a print of this bowl of soup cluttering up my closet forever. But, with a digital camera, all I have to do is look at it and say, "That was stupid," and hit delete. Pictures can now be erased from existence with nary a thought. Just point and click.
That kind of makes me sad.
Canadian Pop Culture Update
16 freakin' million dollars.
That's how much Rick Mercer's "Liberal Leadership Kit" is currently selling for.
When the $16 million bid went up, attributed to a "Brad Barnett," many wondered if this was a hoax, or if this Bard Barnett was real and/or serious. That led to Barnett sending out a very angry news release on Thursday that yes, he is real, yes, he is serious, yes, he does have the money, and that he's "a new breed of politician."
In this morning's Edmonton Journal, Mercer finally spoke up on how out-of-hand this has gotten. Mercer is a little worried because, if it really does sell for $16 million, Mercer himself has to pony up a $250,000 seller's fee.
Says Mercer about this, "It started out as an idea in a bar, and like a lot of ideas that start in bars, it's ending badly." Mercer originally thought that it would only go for around $500, and that the money would be spent on beer for his staff, but, when the bidding first reached $20,000, he decided to give the money to charity, because that much beer for his staff would have a serious effect of productivity.
Mercer also predicted/hoped that a lot of these ridiculously high bids would eventually be recinded as the auction's close drew nearer.
Well, Ted and Gloria, aka "the Canadian Tire couple," are no more.
You know them. Those annoying next door neighbours who are always hocking the latest gadget from Canadian Tire. Their commercials have been running for almost a decade. Canadian Tire has decided to axe the campaign because, according to their market research, far too many people find them annoying.
Seriously. Type in "Canadian Tire Guy" into Google, and you'll find dozens of website dedicated to hating the couple.
Canadian Tire unveils their new ad campaing tomorrow.
That's how much Rick Mercer's "Liberal Leadership Kit" is currently selling for.
When the $16 million bid went up, attributed to a "Brad Barnett," many wondered if this was a hoax, or if this Bard Barnett was real and/or serious. That led to Barnett sending out a very angry news release on Thursday that yes, he is real, yes, he is serious, yes, he does have the money, and that he's "a new breed of politician."
In this morning's Edmonton Journal, Mercer finally spoke up on how out-of-hand this has gotten. Mercer is a little worried because, if it really does sell for $16 million, Mercer himself has to pony up a $250,000 seller's fee.
Says Mercer about this, "It started out as an idea in a bar, and like a lot of ideas that start in bars, it's ending badly." Mercer originally thought that it would only go for around $500, and that the money would be spent on beer for his staff, but, when the bidding first reached $20,000, he decided to give the money to charity, because that much beer for his staff would have a serious effect of productivity.
Mercer also predicted/hoped that a lot of these ridiculously high bids would eventually be recinded as the auction's close drew nearer.
Well, Ted and Gloria, aka "the Canadian Tire couple," are no more.
You know them. Those annoying next door neighbours who are always hocking the latest gadget from Canadian Tire. Their commercials have been running for almost a decade. Canadian Tire has decided to axe the campaign because, according to their market research, far too many people find them annoying.
Seriously. Type in "Canadian Tire Guy" into Google, and you'll find dozens of website dedicated to hating the couple.
Canadian Tire unveils their new ad campaing tomorrow.
Thursday, March 09, 2006
A Day of Mixed Blessings
Right now, I'm really mad with myself.
I had a phone interview all lined up for a job in Dawson Creek, BC. The guy told me he would call this morning to do the interview. So, I waited by the phone all morning. And I waited. And I waited. When noon hit, I said, "Well, I guess he's not calling...already filled the position and all that." And my Dad said, "Hey, Mark! I've got to go into Edmonton for a few hours. Want to come?" And I said, "Sure!"
Three hours later, we get home. The dude called me at 2PM.
I tried calling him back, but the only thing I got from the phone number he gave me where the clicks and whistles of a fax machine. I finally dug through my records and found his e-mail and e-mailed him, but no response.
I don't know. Was I right in taking off like I did? I mean, he did say he was going to call this morning. He did not call. I was justified in stepping out, right?
I'm trying not to be upset. After all, when we had a preliminary interview back on Tuesday night, he did ask me all the questions that aren't supposed to be asked in a job interview: "Do you drink? Do you smoke? Are you married? How old are you?" He also said that not being married got me onto "the short short list."
Man, I feel stupid.
But, there is some good news. What always cheers me up is playing with new technology! Why did Dad and I have to go into Edmonton? To pick up our...brand new digital camera! So, let's test this sucker out, and we can boldly go where no woman has gone before - my bedroom! (Or, as I like to call it, the "Markcave.")
Here's a small chunk of my action figure collection. I call this "the Star Wars Wall."
Here is my bed. This is where I sleep. And, some nights, not sleep.
This is my desk. This is where I do brilliant work such as these blog entries.
This is my dresser, cluttered with the latest additions to my action figure collection.
Hey, someone bought a microphone!
I had a phone interview all lined up for a job in Dawson Creek, BC. The guy told me he would call this morning to do the interview. So, I waited by the phone all morning. And I waited. And I waited. When noon hit, I said, "Well, I guess he's not calling...already filled the position and all that." And my Dad said, "Hey, Mark! I've got to go into Edmonton for a few hours. Want to come?" And I said, "Sure!"
Three hours later, we get home. The dude called me at 2PM.
I tried calling him back, but the only thing I got from the phone number he gave me where the clicks and whistles of a fax machine. I finally dug through my records and found his e-mail and e-mailed him, but no response.
I don't know. Was I right in taking off like I did? I mean, he did say he was going to call this morning. He did not call. I was justified in stepping out, right?
I'm trying not to be upset. After all, when we had a preliminary interview back on Tuesday night, he did ask me all the questions that aren't supposed to be asked in a job interview: "Do you drink? Do you smoke? Are you married? How old are you?" He also said that not being married got me onto "the short short list."
Man, I feel stupid.
But, there is some good news. What always cheers me up is playing with new technology! Why did Dad and I have to go into Edmonton? To pick up our...brand new digital camera! So, let's test this sucker out, and we can boldly go where no woman has gone before - my bedroom! (Or, as I like to call it, the "Markcave.")
Here's a small chunk of my action figure collection. I call this "the Star Wars Wall."
Here is my bed. This is where I sleep. And, some nights, not sleep.
This is my desk. This is where I do brilliant work such as these blog entries.
This is my dresser, cluttered with the latest additions to my action figure collection.
Hey, someone bought a microphone!
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
Rick Mercer Rocks
Damn I love Rick Mercer.
In the grand tradition of the "Getting Stockwell Day to change his first name to Doris" campaign, Mercer's hit another grand slam.
He announced it on his show last night. He pointed out that the Liberal leadership is "no longer the prize it once was," and that how all the front-runners for the leadership dropped out shortly after it was announced. Mercer went on to point out that current front-runners are Bob Ray and Belinda Stronarch, "two people whose biggest assets are they came from other parties."
So, what's Mercer doing about this?
He's auctioning off the Liberal leadership on eBay!
Now, the winning bidder does not get to lead the federal Liberals. Instead, the winning bidder gets 15 minutes of time with the Rick Mercer Report writers to craft a campaign message, and use of the Rick Mercer Report printer to print off flyers.
Bidding started at $15 "to discourage vanity candidates."
I just checked up on it. The auction's been going for about 12 hours now, and bidding has risen to $15,100. (As of 9 AM MST.)
Click here to see the auction for yourself.
And check out the official Rick Mercer Report website, where you can watch the video of Rick Mercer announcing the auction.
In the grand tradition of the "Getting Stockwell Day to change his first name to Doris" campaign, Mercer's hit another grand slam.
He announced it on his show last night. He pointed out that the Liberal leadership is "no longer the prize it once was," and that how all the front-runners for the leadership dropped out shortly after it was announced. Mercer went on to point out that current front-runners are Bob Ray and Belinda Stronarch, "two people whose biggest assets are they came from other parties."
So, what's Mercer doing about this?
He's auctioning off the Liberal leadership on eBay!
Now, the winning bidder does not get to lead the federal Liberals. Instead, the winning bidder gets 15 minutes of time with the Rick Mercer Report writers to craft a campaign message, and use of the Rick Mercer Report printer to print off flyers.
Bidding started at $15 "to discourage vanity candidates."
I just checked up on it. The auction's been going for about 12 hours now, and bidding has risen to $15,100. (As of 9 AM MST.)
Click here to see the auction for yourself.
And check out the official Rick Mercer Report website, where you can watch the video of Rick Mercer announcing the auction.
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