« October 2002 | Main | December 2002 »
November 28, 2002
"I did not have sexual relations with that bird"
[Fear the kind of search strings that I'm going to get from that title...]
As is customary every year, the President of the United States pardons a turkey (in this case, two) from future harm, leaving them to live out their lives at a petting zoo somewhere. This year's remarks can be found here.
Once, just once, I'd like to see him sentence all the other turkeys to death.
The idea of pardoning a turkey seems like such an innocent and "fun" thing to do, but no one seems to think it absurd that the President should have to pardon a turkey. Doesn't a pardon imply that there was some wrongdoing to warrant a death sentence? If it doesn't then it presumes that the natural outcome of every turkey to be murder by abattoir, doesn't it?
I'm not a militant vegetarian -- or a vegetarian at all -- and am fully willing to kill the animals that I eat if I have to, but the turkey pardons strike me as patently silly. It's a shame that people don't look deeper and realize the implications behind the publicity stunt: animals die for your table dressings. The least you can do is have respect for those that are about to die.
Posted by KinCross at 11:07 AM | Comments (0)
November 27, 2002
Thanks
Given recent events, it feels difficult to put gratitude into words, but this year's Thanksgiving list is up and ready to go. I was hoping to be a little more proactive about putting things on it as they happened, but... well, at least I have a memory still.
Happy Thanksgiving to all the people in the US and those celebrating abroad.
Posted by KinCross at 11:02 PM | Comments (0)
November 26, 2002
Square One
Hey, I've been here already. I don't want to be here.
Job went to someone else. Gotta start over (again).
Posted by KinCross at 11:35 PM | Comments (0)
November 22, 2002
Yomigaeru Ian Chef!
I'm not going to claim that I'm an exceptional chef by any regard, but I can at least make a few things that are edible, if you're willing to forgive yourself for eating something that might lop off a few years from your lifespan.
Tonight's experiment was creamed spinach. I had half-made it before, but all I really did the first time around was chop spinach. First time out on my own and it turned out alright. The milk could have stood to reduce a little longer before I pulled it off the heat, but my steak was done and I was hungry.
Lessons learned? Go easy on the garlic. Use less milk. I need a new 8" knife.
I like cooking. I just don't have a kitchen big enough to do everything that I want to do. I suppose the problem could be circumvented by buying myself a separate table and doing the food prep elsewhere, but I'm a single guy and there just doesn't seem to be much warrant for me to devote that much money and time for something that might not be used all that often. Then again, once I start taking classes, it might be worth it. Definitely something to look into when I hit up the new apartment.
Speaking of the apartment, I gave notice to my landlord this week. I have until mid-December to move out and into a new place. The move was primarily a financial one. There are things I want to do with my income and sinking the amount that I'm currently devoting to rent just doesn't fit into my plans.
Posted by KinCross at 07:57 PM | Comments (0)
Hey. Hello.
There's something that I really like about the song in the m-life commercial where the dad comes by to drop off a phone for his daughter.
Then again, I got maudlin over "Butterfly Kisses," too.
Posted by KinCross at 07:36 PM | Comments (0)
I want a cape, too
There's a new Switcher ad out. Go check it out. It's better than Yo Yo Ma's.
Courtesy of *** Dave.
Posted by KinCross at 06:53 PM | Comments (0)
November 19, 2002
Little Future for our Children
Sure, it's an alarmist title but, quite frankly, people seem to have forgotten that the other problems facing the US these day aside, that doesn't mean that we should abandon the gains we have made elsewhere. I only noticed this posting by my friend Chris about the death of environmentalism today because I'd previously just gotten stuck on the preceding message about the job search.
Good luck on the continued search, Chris. Wish it could have been different.
As for my own search, I hope to hear something back from this one place where I interviewed by mid-week. It's really disheartening how little other response there has been.
Posted by KinCross at 02:01 PM | Comments (0)
Yeehaw #2
No, there was never a Yeehaw #1. Just thought I'd mention that there are few things as wrong as a rocking horse toilet.
Courtesy of B3TA.
Posted by KinCross at 01:53 PM | Comments (0)
November 17, 2002
Somebody
Just wanted to post the lyrics to one of my favourite songs, recently rediscovered when I yanked out 101, a Depeche Mode live album. Here are the lyrics to "Somebody," for the maudlin in all of us:
I want somebody to share,
Share the rest of my life,
Know my innermost thoughts
And my intimate details.
Someone who'll stand by my side
And give me support.
And in return,
She'll get my support.
She will listen to me
When I want to speak
About the world we live in
And life in general.
Though my views may be wrong,
They may even be perverted,
She'll hear me out
And won't easily be converted
To my way of thinking.
In fact, she'll often disagree,
But at the end of it all,
She will understand me.
I want somebody who cares
For me passionately
With every thought
And with every breath.
She'll help me see things
In a different light.
And the things I detest,
I will will almost like.
I don't want to be tied
To anyone's strings.
I'm carefully trying to steer clear of those things.
But when I'm asleep,
I want somebody
Who will put their arms around me and kiss me tenderly.
Though things like this,
Make me sick,
In a case like this,
I'll get away with it.
And in a place like this,
I'll get away with it.
--------
Posted by KinCross at 01:37 AM | Comments (0)
Did you order the Mocha Jackson or the Double Latte Jackson?
Every artist goes through phases or "periods" of his or her artistic development. Michael Jackson is no exception.
Courtesy of Nick.
Random quote from a radio ad for Budweiser: "Why do they call it a latte? Maybe because it costs a latte and takes a latte time to make."
Posted by KinCross at 01:26 AM | Comments (0)
November 12, 2002
Freestyling
Like Freestyle? Check out this dancing (right click, save, etc.). You can also go to the site and click the link there.
I think it's very ironic that IE will start downloading WMV, ASF, and ASX files, which are all Windows Media files, as crap-ass junky ASCII. You'd think they'd get it right and at least set it up so that it automatically kicks in a Windows Media player without forcing users to associate the file extensions manually.
Courtesy of Katyia.
Posted by KinCross at 02:17 PM | Comments (0)
November 11, 2002
Guns, not Boobs
Sony is asking Acclaim to remove the topless women in their "BMX XXX" title (rated M for Mature), with the assurance that it would not affect the gameplay.
Considering the fact that there are tonnes of games laden with gratuitous violence and gore, this is what all of this tells me:
"It's okay to shoot the shit out of things, but don't flash a nipple or we'll have to... shoot the shit out of you."
Courtesy of Lesley.
Posted by KinCross at 03:03 PM | Comments (0)
November 09, 2002
Around the world in seven days, without leaving home
A group of "pilots" in Australia are undertaking a seven-day around-the-world flight for charity to benefit the Royal Flying Doctor Service. The difference between this flight and most others is that it is done entirely by volunteers, including the air traffic controllers, because it all takes place in a full-sized 747 cockpit simulator in Chipping Norton. Donations can be made by purchasing "tickets" on any of the numerous legs of the flight. You can read more about it in this article in the Sydney Morning Herald or on the World Flight Australia website.
Courtesy of Slashback, via Coop, where I had gone to read about the basket I ordered for all my eggs.
Posted by KinCross at 05:52 PM | Comments (0)
This is cool
I really want to start doing this. Like marking off your height in a doorway of your childhood home, only better. I think I'll start on my birthday in 2003.
Courtesy of *** Dave.
Posted by KinCross at 12:54 PM | Comments (0)
Dang...
As a person that never had the patience to try to do anything more complex that geometrical shapes, Michael Nevin's Etch-A-Sketch art just blows me away.
Oh, and for those of you who like wargaming and gangland turf wars, you now have miniatures for your maps.
Courtesy of B3TA.
Posted by KinCross at 11:27 AM | Comments (0)
Which Homestar Runner character are you?
Which Homestar Runner character are you?
Brought to you by jurjyfrort
For more Homestar Runner, check out the web cartoon.
Posted by KinCross at 11:19 AM | Comments (0)
"What's up, my nigga?"
Slipping into the un-PC world for a moment, if you couldn't handle Jackie Chan saying, "What's up, my nigga?" in Rush Hour, you probably wouldn't be able to handle Tokyo Breakfast (right click and select "Save Target As" or "Download Link to Disk" or whatever sounds closest). It's 13 MB and you'll need something that can play Windows Media Player files.
If that leaves a bad taste in your mouth, you can cleanse your palate with Yatta!
Courtesy of Danielle and my sister, Sheree, respectively.
Posted by KinCross at 12:54 AM | Comments (0)
November 07, 2002
Apropos of Nothing
I love my melatonin.
'Nuff said.
Posted by KinCross at 09:27 PM | Comments (0)
November 02, 2002
Irony
Advertising for Popup Eliminator... in a pop up.
Posted by KinCross at 11:13 AM | Comments (0)
November 01, 2002
Man Trapped in West End Toilet for 59 Hours
Westminster city council has decided to install some high tech pop up toilets to curb the effects of drunks relieving themselves around the neighbourhood.
Joke title and link courtesy of Sanjay.
Posted by KinCross at 11:42 AM | Comments (0)
A Bearable Lightness of Being
I was talking to Dazz recently about how I wasn't using my blog to its fullest potential. While I had originally intended to write gobs, much like *** Dave or Doyce or any number of other people do in their blogs, I simply haven't done it. I haven't even managed to latch onto any of the cool little quizzes that are floating around. So I resolved to myself that I would make a habit of writing something to the blog every day, like a journal.
Then I lost my job. Though it was the biggest thing in my mind, I didn't want to post about it until I told everyone that needed to know (or at least everyone that I didn't want to find out second-hand through the blog). With that done with tonight, I finally feel free to talk about it here. Of course, having said that, there really isn't much left to say.
I'm okay, for the short term, but it's a bit of a "short" term to be working from. However, I've been able to get an interview already and so far it's looking positively. I'll know more about how successfully it went next week. Damn the timing of it all. Waiting sucks.
On the flip side, I've been enjoying my time off as much as I can. There's only so much time that can be devoted to job hunting without getting incredibly anal about it and I haven't hit that point yet. It's been nice to have some time off, but I'm ready to go back to work. Every day feels like a Saturday or a Sunday, except there's no Iron Chef and no football on TV.
Having free time has been cool in another respect too. I have more energy and I'm getting out more. Been meeting people left and right since the weekend and it's been a fun ride.
Now, if only I can get that site layout redesign done and get MT up and running, and get Mandrake 9.0 installed on the old Windows 98 box, I'd be all set.
Posted by KinCross at 12:50 AM | Comments (0)