twitter

30 June, 2006

Quarter End™

29 June, 2006

Jim Baen, Rest in Peace

Jim Baen October 22, 1943 - June 28, 2006

Follow the link to author David Drake's Obituary for Jim Baen. I don't think that anyone will be able to say it better than that.

Every once in a while, someone you have never actually met has a profound, personal impact on your life... Jim was such a person for me.

I started reading science fiction way back when I was about 13 years old, and have remained hooked to the genre ever since. Over time, more and more of the books that I found myself buying were Baen books... novels that had plot, action, story and depth.

I was in Austin, Texas back in '97, when I typed in a link that I had found in the back of a Baen book (I forget now which one it was), and came across Baen's Bar, the online message board / web board that Jim had started up and was an extension of the
www.baen.com. It was a small thing, only a few conferences, but the quality of the people there was something else. I had found my spiritual / intellectual home. These were smart people who could argue and debate using logic and reason.

I remember being the lone-Canuck... and finding myself explaining the love/hate relationship that Quebec has with the rest of Canada.

I remember one of Jim's comments on a discussion we were having about the War of the Traitorous Colonies (ie, American revolution)... I didn't know a single other person at the time that could use the words " base canard" in it's proper context. :-)

Jim's legacy will around for years and decades to come. From the friendship that he enabled to the stand that he took with e-Publishing (and which I have yet to see him properly acknowledged for)... indeed some have even met and married on Baen's Bar.

Jim will be missed; he was a man of vision who had the rare ability to execute that vision.

My condolences to his family, his friends, and the extended family. My prayers are with you.

Regards,

Mark

27 June, 2006

CNEWS - World: Nine people convicted in honour killing

CANOE -- CNEWS - World: Nine people convicted in honour killing

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) - Nine people were convicted Tuesday of murder or being an accessory to murder in the killing of a 19-year-old woman gunned down by her older brother two days after her wedding because her Pakistani family disapproved of her husband.

The 12-member jury returned guilty verdicts against the nine, all family members and friends, in the slaying of Ghazala Khan. Sentencing was expected later this week.


Khan was shot and killed Sept. 23 in Slagelse, 100 kilometres west of Copenhagen. Her husband was shot twice in the stomach but survived.
In testimony during the trial, Khan's older brother, Akthar Abbas, admitted to shooting the couple as they tried to flee to a train station, but he claimed he acted in self-defence because his brother-in-law, Emal Khan, had allegedly kicked him.

Akthar Abbas was found guilty of murder. His father, Ghulum Abbas, was found guilty of incitement to murder and masterminding the killing. Both face the maximum sentence of life imprisonment, automatically commuted to 16 years under Danish law.
Seven other people, including three of Khan's uncles, an aunt and a family friend, were found guilty of being accessories to murder.

Prosecutors alleged Ghulum Abbas had his son and other family members track down the daughter and her new husband and kill them. Ghulum Abbas pleaded not guilty.
The trial, which began in May, has highlighted disparate views on marriage between some immigrants and Danes in this country of 5.4 million. An estimated 200,000 Muslims live in Denmark.

"In some parts of the immigrant community, there are still some differences in understanding love marriages and cultural backgrounds and traditions," said Torben Ruberg Rasmussen, a professor with the University of Southern Denmark's Centre for Middle East Studies.

Abdul Wahid Petersen, a leading imam in Denmark, said Danish Muslims did not regard the honour killing as "their case."

"To us, it is not a religious case, it is a criminal case," Petersen told The Associated Press before the verdict was delivered. "But it is obvious that in many people's minds, it will be connected to Islam."

Manu Sareen, a counsellor for young people facing arranged marriages in Denmark, believes the outcome would send a "strong signal" and show that Danish authorities takes honour killings seriously.

"It will have a preventive effect," Sareen said. "Some families may abandon similar plans because of today's ruling."

***

Wanna bet?

Quarter Ends are always fun...


And so we arrive at yet another freakin' quarter end. You would think that after being with the company for 7 years, that I would have seen it all... but you would be mistaken to think so. ;-)

What did they THINK was going to happen? dumbasses. This, like everything else in life, required finesse and timing. Remember to always view source, and to ajust expectations accordingly.

And bring me the head of... "Mr. XXXXX XXXXXXXXX"*. I want to drink beer out of his bleached skull. At least that way, I would get some small use out of it... unlike the owner, over the past Quarter. Zip. Nada. NOTHING.

Regards,

Imp.

Music: Funeral Oration. Mood: irritated.

*name changed to stay out of any ego-surfing google results.

13 June, 2006

Just because the world is changing...

Once in a while, a picture is worth a thousand words...

And, since those thousand words would no doubt get me terminated, I feel little compuntion over posting the attached.

Check out
gapingvoid for more of Hugh's excellent visual commentary...  Posted by Picasa

12 June, 2006

Dell Inspiron 9400

Well, I thought that I had better get off my @ss and buy a laptop (before the company implodes and I wouldn't be able to pay for it anymore).

Introducing my new Dell Inspiron 9400, 17" notebook. Or at least a reasonable facimile of, as mine (tentitively nicknamed 'Betsy') is currently a confirmed order and a bin full of parts, I suspect.

Her performance should be quite lovely as her specs are:

Intel® Core™ Duo Processor T2400 (1.83GHz/667MHz FSB)
Windows XP Professional
Screen 17 inch UltraSharp™ Wide Screen UXGA Display with TrueLife™
Memory 2GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz
Video Card 256MB NVIDIA® GeForce™ Go 7900 GS
Hard Drive 80GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive
CD/DVD BURNER 8x CD/DVD burner (DVD+/-RW) with doublelayer DVD+R write capability
Sound Card Integrated Sound Blaster® Audigy® ADVANCED HD Audio
Wireless Intel PRO/Wireless 3945 802.11a/g Mini Card (54Mbps)
80 WHr 9-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery
Internal Dell Wireless 350 Bluetooth Internal (2.0 +)

I had flirted with the idea of getting a Mac, but in the end, all the apps that I own are for the Windows platform and hey, I got 31% off. ;-)

Ciao, peeps.

Mark ;)
 Posted by Picasa

Published... Part Deux


Thanx to Taku Kumabe, I'm now published... his
U&I Magazine had a call for submissions a couple of months back, and so I submitted an article (with photographs) on underwater photography.

When I asked how long it could be, he said there was no size restriction. *evil grin* I have to admit, that I waxed a bit eloquent (no surprise to those who know me)... I ended up with 12 pages of the issue... :-)

You can order copies
here, but given that the magazine has no advertising, it is a price $20.00 USD per issue. C'est la vie.

All in all, I was quite happy with how it turned out, both the article itself and the images. And, I still own the rights to the images and the article... so I should probably get off my @ss to find someone to flog it to. Someone with deep pockets and questionable judgement.... ;-)

Here is the first section from the article:

-----------------------------

It was a dark and stormy night... yes, seriously it was a dark and stormy night!

The deck of the 65' sloop Sea Explorer heaved like a beast possessed, as she struggled through the ten-foot waves that turned the surface of the ocean around me into a madly-undulating vision of watery hell. Cold saltwater-spray stung my face and hands as I clutched at the companionway hatch to stop myself being thrown around the deck. Waves crashed over the bow with appalling regularity, having the decency to at least wash the assorted... detritus, over the side. Even with my sea-sickness meds, I could feel my stomach start to argue with it’s contents… it wouldn't be long before I too joined the serried-ranks of those who huddled in misery in the inner 'horse-shoe', a large fiberglass series of benches that took up most of the mid and fore-deck. They huddled for warmth, huddled for protection against the elements, huddled for that last spark of human touch before we sank to our inevitable oblivion in the inky brine that made up the Gulf Stream off of Florida's coast.

"Nice night isn't it!!!" bellowed the Captain with a cheerful grin, as he clutched the wheel and rode the madness with practiced ease. He was an obviously-evil character, replete with dark foul-weather gear that was obviously purchased a decade ago, no doubt to match his black and tormenting soul. The only thing that he lacked was a parrot and an eye patch. Most of the rest of the crew were down below deck in the salon, tucking into their own suppers with gusto, immune to this monstrous tempest; merely another day on the job.


Ok, maybe I'm waxing a little melodramatic, but damnit, I earned the right! This was my second of three trips with Blackbeard Cruises, a live-aboard dive excursion (now based in Freeport, the Bahamas) that sailed out of Miami. This meant that you had to do 'The Crossing', which referred to crossing the Gulf Stream from Florida over to the out-islands of the Bahamas. The Crossing normally lasted between 8 to 10 hours, and yes, you really could tell someone had capitalized the letters when they said it. ;-) With the prevailing winds coming out of the east, and the current of the Gulf Stream heading north / north-east, the result in the winter could be a 10 hour trip-from-hell as the forces at work pulled the waves this way and that. On a previous trip, a friend of mine from Georgia in the US had spent the entire crossing in the forward head, being continuously seasick. On that trip, my meds worked much better and I wasn't sick at all, and I was odiously smug about it. After this second cruise, I had to call him up and offer a profuse apology for the lack of sympathy that I shown, at the time. The best way to describe a trip on Blackbeards is ‘Camping at Sea’.

After losing the remains of my supper (remember, always to the lee-side, away from the wind!), I joined my fellow-victims in their meager shelter and waited for our certain and inevitable death.

Of course, it was only a few hours later (though I assure you that it felt like an eternity) that we made safe-harbour at the island of North Bimini, a tiny speck of land, principally famous for it's fishing (Ernest Hemmingway spent much time here), and for being the place where the final scene in the Silence of the Lambs was filmed (I’m having an old friend for dinner). Most importantly to us scuba-divers, it was sheltered and the boat magnanimously decided to stop trying to kill us. Finally we could stumble down to our bunks and try and get some sleep.

The sun rose and showed us all what paradise looks like...

Calm turquoise waters in the shallows, fading out into a deep, emerald green sea. The skies were sapphire-blue, marred only by a random sprinkling of pristinely white seabirds that floated by, calling out as if laughing at our fears from the night before. The cheerful, competent, wonderful Captain and crew (I had forgiven them by about the point I smelled the coffee), rounded us up to deal with our customs paperwork and to provide breakfast. I recommend starting off with porridge, if you've been seasick (trust me on this).

And then, it was time to go diving.

-----------------------------

If you want the rest, email me or better yet, go buy a copy. :-)

Ciao, peeps. Mark :)

09 June, 2006

When purchasing processes go horribly awry...

Found on a purchasing webite that I check out every morning for RFPs and RFIs...

I suspect that the town has a higher percentage of blondes than would normally be the case... ;-)

I'll have to see how long it takes them figure out the mistake and correct it. :-) Maybe I should email them and tell them... nah. :-D

Posted by Picasa

07 June, 2006

indeed

William Butler Yeats: The Second Coming

Turning and turning in the widening gyre

The falcon cannot hear the falconer;

Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;

Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,

The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere

The ceremony of innocence is drowned;

The best lack all convictions, while the worst

Are full of passionate intensity.

Surely some revelation is at hand;

Surely the Second Coming is at hand.

The Second Coming!

Hardly are those words out

When a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi

Troubles my sight: somewhere in sands of the desert

A shape with lion body and the head of a man,

A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun,

Is moving its slow thighs, while all around it

Reel shadows of the indignant desert birds.

The darkness drops again; but now I know

That twenty centuries of stony sleep

Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,

And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,

Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?

05 June, 2006

EVE... Mwah ha ha ha ha ha™

Character: XXXXXXXXXX
Intelligence 15
Perception 16
Charisma 12

Willpower 13
Memory 19

Total skill points
6,090,121

Drone Interfacing / Rank 5 / SP: 40031 of 226275
Drones / Rank 1 / SP: 256000 of 256000
Heavy Drone Operation / Rank 5 / SP: 9166 of 40000
Mining Drone Operation / Rank 2 / SP: 110617 of 512000
Scout Drone Operation / Rank 1 / SP: 11192 of 45255
·5 Drones skills trained, for a total of 427,006 skillPoints.


Electronic Warfare / Rank 2 / SP: 1693 of 2829
Electronics / Rank 1 / SP: 256000 of 256000
Electronics Upgrades / Rank 2 / SP: 610 of 2829
Long Range Targeting / Rank 2 / SP: 1731 of 2829
Propulsion Jamming / Rank 3 / SP: 750 of 4243
Sensor Linking / Rank 3 / SP: 770 of 4243
Signature Analysis / Rank 1 / SP: 1415 of 8000
Survey / Rank 1 / SP: 250 of 1415
Targeting / Rank 1 / SP: 1415 of 8000
Weapon Disruption / Rank 3 / SP: 770 of 4243
·10 Electronics skills trained, for a total of 265,404 skillPoints.


Energy Emission Systems / Rank 2 / SP: 500 of 2829
Energy Grid Upgrades / Rank 2 / SP: 2903 of 16000
Energy Management / Rank 3 / SP: 4243 of 24000
Energy Pulse Weapons / Rank 2 / SP: 500 of 2829
Energy Systems Operation / Rank 1 / SP: 250 of 1415
Engineering / Rank 1 / SP: 256000 of 256000
Shield Emission Systems / Rank 2 / SP: 500 of 2829
Shield Management / Rank 3 / SP: 750 of 4243
Shield Operation / Rank 1 / SP: 287 of 1415
Shield Upgrades / Rank 2 / SP: 564 of 2829
Tactical Shield Manipulation / Rank 4 / SP: 1146 of 5657
·11 Engineering skills trained, for a total of 267,643 skillPoints.


Controlled Bursts / Rank 2 / SP: 2829 of 16000
Gunnery / Rank 1 / SP: 256000 of 256000
Medium Energy Turret / Rank 3 / SP: 2430 of 4243
Medium Hybrid Turret / Rank 3 / SP: 11165 of 24000
Motion Prediction / Rank 2 / SP: 500 of 2829
Rapid Firing / Rank 2 / SP: 500 of 2829
Sharpshooter / Rank 2 / SP: 500 of 2829
Small Energy Turret / Rank 1 / SP: 8635 of 45255
Small Hybrid Turret / Rank 1 / SP: 8000 of 45255
Small Projectile Turret / Rank 1 / SP: 267 of 1415
Surgical Strike / Rank 4 / SP: 1000 of 5657
Trajectory Analysis / Rank 5 / SP: 7072 of 40000
Weapon Upgrades / Rank 2 / SP: 4727 of 16000
·13 Gunnery skills trained, for a total of 303,625 skillPoints.


Industry / Rank 1 / SP: 491 of 1415
Mining / Rank 1 / SP: 258100 of 256000
Refinery Efficiency / Rank 3 / SP: 135812 of 768000
Refining / Rank 1 / SP: 256000 of 256000
·4 Industry skills trained, for a total of 650,403 skillPoints.


Leadership / Rank 1 / SP: 250 of 1415
·1 Leadership skills trained, for a total of 250 skillPoints.


Analytical Mind / Rank 1 / SP: 256000 of 256000
Empathy / Rank 1 / SP: 256000 of 256000
Instant Recall / Rank 1 / SP: 256000 of 256000
Iron Will / Rank 1 / SP: 256000 of 256000
Learning / Rank 1 / SP: 256000 of 256000
Spatial Awareness / Rank 1 / SP: 256000 of 256000
·6 Learning skills trained, for a total of 1,536,000 skillPoints.


Hull Upgrades / Rank 2 / SP: 880 of 2829
Mechanic / Rank 1 / SP: 125171 of 256000
Repair Systems / Rank 1 / SP: 8016 of 45255
·3 Mechanic skills trained, for a total of 134,067 skillPoints.


Cruise Missiles / Rank 5 / SP: 1250 of 7072
Defender Missiles / Rank 2 / SP: 619 of 2829
FoF Missiles / Rank 3 / SP: 2328 of 4243
Heavy Missiles / Rank 3 / SP: 750 of 4243
Missile Launcher Operation / Rank 1 / SP: 256000 of 256000
Rockets / Rank 1 / SP: 250 of 1415
Standard Missiles / Rank 2 / SP: 1498 of 2829
Torpedoes / Rank 4 / SP: 2 of 1000
·8 Missile Launcher Operation skills trained, for a total of 262,697 skillPoints.


Acceleration Control / Rank 4 / SP: 1701 of 5657
Afterburner / Rank 1 / SP: 47231 of 256000
Evasive Maneuvering / Rank 2 / SP: 2829 of 16000
Fuel Conservation / Rank 2 / SP: 500 of 2829
High Speed Maneuvering / Rank 5 / SP: 1788 of 7072
Navigation / Rank 1 / SP: 256000 of 256000
Warp Drive Operation / Rank 1 / SP: 8181 of 45255
·Currently training to: level 4
·Time left: 12 hours, 16 minutes, 35 seconds
·SP done: 19654 of 37074
·7 Navigation skills trained, for a total of 318,230 skillPoints.


Astrogeology / Rank 3 / SP: 768000 of 768000
Cybernetics / Rank 3 / SP: 1929 of 4243
Laboratory Operation / Rank 1 / SP: 1415 of 8000
Metallurgy / Rank 3 / SP: 750 of 4243
Research / Rank 1 / SP: 250 of 1415
Science / Rank 1 / SP: 256000 of 256000
·6 Science skills trained, for a total of 1,028,344 skillPoints.


Social / Rank 1 / SP: 1415 of 8000
·1 Social skills trained, for a total of 1,415 skillPoints.


Amarr Battleship / Rank 8 / SP: 13277 of 64000
Amarr Cruiser / Rank 5 / SP: 226413 of 1280000
Amarr Frigate / Rank 2 / SP: 90699 of 512000
Amarr Industrial / Rank 4 / SP: 1477 of 5657
Caldari Cruiser / Rank 5 / SP: 40048 of 226275
Caldari Frigate / Rank 2 / SP: 90714 of 512000
Caldari Industrial / Rank 4 / SP: 34507 of 181020
Gallente Cruiser / Rank 5 / SP: 47820 of 226275
Gallente Frigate / Rank 2 / SP: 90531 of 512000
Minmatar Frigate / Rank 2 / SP: 3551 of 16000
Spaceship Command / Rank 1 / SP: 256000 of 256000
·11 Spaceship Command skills trained, for a total of 895,037 skillPoints.

03 June, 2006

12109

12109
12109,
originally uploaded by The Imp;-).
My first underwater model shoot...

Fun, exhausting, terrifying, but in the end, a great success. :-)

Ciao, beautiful peeps.

Mark ;-)

02 June, 2006

CBC News: Protesters chase immigration minister from church

CBC News: Protesters chase immigration minister from church

This is yet another example of the sterling, civilised behaviour of the leftistas in our lovely, democratic republik of Canuckistan...

When the militant-left doesn't allow a Government Minister to contribute to the dialogue (especially when it's his portfolio), then you know there is a real problem with the system.

The immigration portfolio is complex... the problems inherent in the system will not be solved overnight, as they flow from the flaws of Multiculturalism. And one has to wonder about the System Capture inherent in the beuracracy... but I digress.

The differences between the Grits and the Tories has never been more defined... the Liberals bow and scrape, the Conservatives try and make real, positive change on behalf of ALL of Canada's citizens.

"Jaggi Singh, a well-known local activist who participated in the protest, dismissed Solberg's unheard speech as a "false dialogue" and defended the move to prevent him from delivering it."

This isn't your issue to to judge Mr. Singh... and your actions merely point out just what howling, illogical fanatics you and yours have become.


Monte Solberg is a smart, honourable man; let him do the job Canadians sent him to Ottawa to do. The ballot box (and by extension the Canadian public) is the ultimate judge of this and all other outstanding policy business... they, not you, get to decide who addresses these issues.

U&I Magazine :: Get Published. Get Noticed.

U&I Magazine :: Get Published. Get Noticed.

I have an article on undewater photography in the current issue of U&I Magazine... Order a copy and check it out! :-)

Ciao,

Mark

01 June, 2006

By God, that's a good Gin...


"Hendrick’s is an iconoclastically produced small batch gin distilled in Ayrshire, Scotland. Our unusual distillation process combined with our oddly delicious set of infusions yields a one-of-a-kind gin that is passionately loved by a tiny yet growing handful of individuals all over the world. No other gin tastes like it because no other gin is made like it."

Two thumbs up, gladly would I give it more praise, had I but more thumbs.

Read about it here, and buy it there.

Ciao, beautiful peeps. :-) Regards, Mark

Interesting Days Ahead...

Ah, the fun and games that is inherent to the Merger & Acquisition process has begun. I cannot of course comment on anything substantive (assuming that I was privy to anything substantive in the first place), but it is interesting that the faint screams of anguish that are beggining to be heard. If one reads some of the background materials written by the Designated Buyer, then one would expect short thrift if one was in R&D and QA.

From the sales perspective, this could actually be a good thing. There is a certain director who drives a porsche that is overdue for a good metaphorical boot to the head...


In other news... I finally will be doing my first-ever underwater model photoshoot on Saturday, yay! It took a bit to pull it together! The hardest part was to find someone that had a swimming pool that I could use. There are not a lot of private pools in Toronto proper! And so, I end up in freakin' Unionville of all places... ah well, I have one model and one Makeup Artist (MUA) involved... it should be a great time... a great experiment, anyways. :-)

If this works out, I'm going to be doing at least a couple more underwater shoots... I know some of my non-professional-model friends have expressed some interest in participating as well. We'll get you wet, don't worry. :-)

And, no Shane, I am NOT posting nekkid pictures of the model (it's not that kind of photoshoot, sorry). Well, maybe some with artistically draped sheer-cloth... ala
Howard Schatz.

Ciao, peeps.

Mark
 Posted by Picasa