Merry Christmas! :-)

Merry Christmas, y'all.

I'm cooking the bird, last night I made cranberry sauce from scratch (so easy!) and I've got 4 holiday orphans coming over for dinner.

God bless you all.

Regards,

Mark :-)

@ The Dakota Tavern

@ The Dakota Tavern,
originally uploaded by The Imp;-).

A little slice of rural drinkin' in the smugly urban setting of Toronto....

Full props to SheenaVision for the locale...

Svea

svea_MG_0935,
originally uploaded by The Imp;-).

Ok, maybe I HAVE been neglecting to update my blog. Just a bit. Here. Happy now?

Pfft. ;-)

Mark

The Battlestar Song... awesome!

Video Player

so eloquent...

_MG_9617,
originally uploaded by The Imp;-).

Sheena always did know how to end an argument... ;-)

settled

Termination package has been addressed...

I can now safely exist without further economic inputs for several months, if need be.

Go out and play in the sun, beautiful peeps; I certainly intend to. :-)

idiots

Sitting in a coffe shop at 1115pm buzzed out on caffiene...

This whole being laid off gig is working out reasonably well... with, of course the exception being the fact that the doomsday clock is ticking down to my financial insolvency at an alarming rate. ;-) (c'mon lottery! I need you now!)

That is a fact for the future however; tonight life is good, and hopefully the Leafs got their @ss kicked. ;-)

I was asked by a fellow photographer to shoot 'candids' at the Everything to do About Sex Show... so far, there has been lingerie fashion shows, Brasilian samba and meringue demos, and about everything else you could imagine. And some that you could not. I will not attempt to descirbe the 'dungeon' area *shudder*. Thankfully, I'm not contractually obligated to shoot that area.

I'll post a few pics when I have them processed.

Ciao, all.

duuuuude...

Canada troops battle 10-foot Afghan marijuana plants

POSTED: 5:12 p.m. EDT, October 12, 2006

OTTAWA, Canada (Reuters) -- Canadian troops fighting Taliban militants in Afghanistan have stumbled across an unexpected and potent enemy -- almost impenetrable forests of marijuana plants 10 feet tall.

General Rick Hillier, chief of the Canadian defense staff, said Thursday that Taliban fighters were using the forests as cover. In response, the crew of at least one armored car had camouflaged their vehicle with marijuana.

"The challenge is that marijuana plants absorb energy, heat very readily. It's very difficult to penetrate with thermal devices. ... And as a result you really have to be careful that the Taliban don't dodge in and out of those marijuana forests," he said in a speech in Ottawa, Canada.

"We tried burning them with white phosphorous -- it didn't work. We tried burning them with diesel -- it didn't work. The plants are so full of water right now ... that we simply couldn't burn them," he said.

Even successful incineration had its drawbacks.

"A couple of brown plants on the edges of some of those [forests] did catch on fire. But a section of soldiers that was downwind from that had some ill effects and decided that was probably not the right course of action," Hiller said dryly.

One soldier told him later: "Sir, three years ago before I joined the army, I never thought I'd say 'That damn marijuana'."

***

So... anyone bring any nachos?

un-installed.

As of this morning, I'm no longer employed.

Wow. 7 yr gig. Even when you know it's going to happen (as it happened to almost everyone), it's still a boot to the chakra/karma/worldview.

I need to take a bit, decompress and contemplate the meaning of life.

Or have a gin and tonic and a twenty-something redhead.

Ciao beautiful peeps... go out and play in the sun.

Latest casualties...

E.D., and many more...

10+ and counting...

major cut #1

And so it has begun...

 

So far, so good (assuming that good means still here, employed... yes, debatable).

 

 

Ascii.ws - Ascii Art, Ascii Generator, Ascii Chart, Ascii FAQ and Ascii Resources

Ascii.ws - Ascii Art, Ascii Generator, Ascii Chart, Ascii FAQ and Ascii Resources

Now, this is just freaking COOL! :-)

All ye young'uns might not remember how the original computer art was all ascii text... lol

Week 1.

Brave New World...

And the new Masters take over the company today.

Rumour has it that the layoffs begin tomorrow...

Regards,

Imp;)

Liberal apathy fuels the rage...

Hey, someone on the Left that gets it!

---

Liberal apathy fuels the rage

By SAM HARRIS

Published on: 09/22/06

Two years ago I published a book highly critical of religion, "The End of Faith." In it, I argued that the world's major religions are genuinely incompatible, inevitably cause conflict and now prevent the emergence of a viable, global civilization. I have received many thousands of letters and e-mails from priests, journalists, scientists, politicians, soldiers, rabbis, actors, aid workers, students — from people young and old who occupy every point on the spectrum of belief and nonbelief.

This has offered me a special opportunity to see how people of all creeds and political persuasions react when religion is criticized. I am here to report that liberals and conservatives respond very differently to the notion that religion can be a direct cause of human conflict.
This difference does not bode well for the future of liberalism.

Perhaps I should establish my liberal bona fides at the outset. I'd like to see taxes raised on the wealthy, drugs decriminalized and homosexuals free to marry. I also think that the Bush administration deserves most of the criticism it has received in the last six years — especially with respect to its waging of the war in Iraq, its scuttling of science and its fiscal irresponsibility.

But my correspondence with liberals has convinced me that liberalism has grown dangerously out of touch with the realities of our world — specifically with what devout Muslims actually believe about the West, about paradise and about the ultimate ascendance of their faith.

On questions of national security, I am now as wary of my fellow liberals as I am of the religious demagogues on the Christian right.

This may seem like frank acquiescence to the charge that "liberals are soft on terrorism." It is, and they are.

The true enemy

A cult of death is forming in the Muslim world — for reasons that are perfectly explicable in terms of the Islamic doctrines of martyrdom and jihad. The truth is that we are not fighting a "war on terror." We are fighting a pestilential theology and a longing for paradise.

This is not to say that we are at war with all Muslims. But we are absolutely at war with those who believe that death in defense of the faith is the highest possible good, that cartoonists should be killed for caricaturing the prophet and that any Muslim who loses his faith should be butchered for apostasy.

---

Go read the rest of it here.

Fscking #$*&$# *$&*# $%$ ##%^^% !!!!!

(or, why the company and the vast majority of the people that you work with, and for, should probably just be lit on fire).

Think of this as a virtual and visceral scream of rage from my cubicle on the second floor of my office building, in reaction to basically being told to regress to stone-tablets, and shut up and soldier, soldier.

Idiotic morons.

And that is being far, far too kind.

...

It is past time to walk away, into the hills, ala Wyatt Oil.

It's here! It's here! It's friggen' here! :-)

Last night's photoshoot...

Cats that look like Hitler

Freaky.

(I'm talking about anyone that would actually build a website for this.)

Stolen from Marcus Atrocious... thanx. I think.

Why you should always ensure you have enough missiles in your hanger...

4 Level Agents : Pirate Invasion

So, there I was, minding my own business in Ishukone Station, Hentogairia system, when my brand-spanking-new Level 4 Agent called me up. It was a call that would cost me much, and had I but known the consequences, I would have run screaming into the night. Still and all, at the time I was quite pleased.

"I need a little problem taken care of…" She was a persuasive and darkly-cute professional; all curls and tattoos and shadows where they were meant to be shadows. "We received a report just a couple hours ago from our secret agents that revealed plans by our enemies to make a sneak attack against us in this very system! We believe this plan will take effect in a matter of minutes, as our surveillance teams have spotted a number of their ships mobilizing inside..."

I'm flying a Caldari Raven-class battleship, with 6 named cruise-missile launchers, dedicated shield assists, and a few extra bits and pieces that would make any decently-aware warmonger green with envy; confidence in my shield-tank, I had plenty of.

"No problem. What sort of compensation are we talking about here?" Not that I'm greedy or anything, but you need to pay for the missiles, butter and beer somehow… ;-)

"About 1.5 million, and another 1.5 million if you get it done inside of six hours. I'll throw in 7000 loyalty points too, just because you look so good in that flight suit." She flashed her smile and batted her eyes… she was definitely NOT above using her feminine wiles to get her way. This girl was nothing but trouble, trouble, trouble… but did I listen to that little voice, screaming in the back of my mind? Nope.

"I'll do it. No problem… see you in a couple hours." I was cocky… I will admit it.

I undocked from the station, and warped out to the location that she had provided… there was nothing there but an old acceleration gate, gently humming with it's latent power. I did one last check… launchers loaded, energy sinks installed, enemy specific shield hardeners installed, check check check. Did I look in my cargo hold to see if I brought reloads? Nope. *sob*

The acceleration gate threw me about 5 astronomical-units downrange and when my Raven decelerated into normal space, I found myself right into the middle of a giant pirate fleet… thankfully it was split into 5 sections, so only one of them at a time would be aggro on me… I shaped my course to head me away from four of the fleet-sections, while I engaged the first section with cruise missiles.

Things were going well… I had taken out about 3 cruiser or battle-cruiser sized enemies when I went to reload, and found out that… there were not any reloads in my cargo bay.

Ok. No problem. I'm a dumbass. I just have to warp back out to my station, and pick up some reloads, and come back and finish the job. Nobody will ever know… and it's a cheap lesson to learn; always check your cargo-hold for ammo. And then double-check your cargo-hold for ammo…

Warping… Unable. To. Warp. You are being warp-scrambled… etc. etc.

By this point, I am down to about 10% left on my shields; I throw out my drones, in an attempt to have them kill off whichever one of the 6 pirates that are left… hoping that I take out the one with the warp-scrambler. And I can see that this is going to take so long, that I'm pretty much doomed.

I check my corporation com-channel… I ask if anyone is close enough to come and help. Nope. 15 jumps away just isn't going to cut it. I check the Alliance channel… again, sorry dude, we're all too far away. Finally, I do the Hail-Mary local-space begging routine.

"Er, anyone here in Hent have a battleship and want to come save my @ss?" Hey, I was horribly embarrassed by this point. And down to about 30% Structure, after all my armour had all been blown way.

The responses were the usual… I'm in a frigate, I'm in a miner, I'm in a hauler… no can do.

And nor could I blame them… lvl 4 missions are not for the faint of heart or newbies… and I had acted like a freakin' newb. I _deserved_ this fate… However, it was still going to suck, as my ship was worth about 200 million 'isk' when you added up the hull and all the gear on it. I did have insurance, but it was only going to pay out about 100 mil.

Ok, let's try this another way then. "I'll give anyone 25,000,000.00 isk to come and save my ass. You only have to kill 3 frigates, 2 cruisers, and a battlecruiser." Tap tap tap… nothing. Structure down to 20%. Great. One more, last ditch attempt…

"Fifty Million, and I'm going to die in about two minutes… if you want it you had better hurry."

And that's when my new best friend messaged me. He warped to my location (also in a Raven), took out the baddies in about two minutes, and escorted my limping, shattered and smoking battleship back to a station. I transferred over the fifty million isk, he threw in some armour, structure and internal structure repair modules, and we called it quits.

So, the lesson of this story?

Always make sure you have the ammo for whatever you are going to do in life.

And it never hurts to keep a spare fifty in your back-pocket, just in case. ;-)

Lest We Forget

Dragon*Con 2006 Top 10 List

Pictures here.

10. Hey, it's Mardi-Gras for Geeks! Parade included!

9. Hmmm… that looks like Micky Rooney, or a really shrivelled-up bantha!

8. Latex is just _sooooo_ in this year.

7. As rrrrrrrrrr Pirates!

6. It's just not a Con if Kelly doesn't grope Crystal!

5. Stormtroopers need vacations too!

4. Even if they are Rastafarian!

3. Vader's Broom... Best. Costume. Ever.

2. Where else can you go and see Alien killing off the Skipper from Gilligan's Island?

And the number one Dragon*Con 2006 memory:

1. Caution Tape Girls™

Maria Sharapova in NYC

Maria Sharapova in NYC,
originally uploaded by Michael Surtees.

A friend of mine moved to NYC a little while back... check out his picks by following the link.

I love this shot... it exudes power and control; passion and intensity.

Have a nice long weekend y'all. I'm off to Atlanta in the morning...

Welcome to Dragon*Con!

Welcome to Dragon*Con!

Sept. 1st - Sept. 4th.

Atlanta, GA.

All Your Base GENESIS original


For those that may not get the classic 'all your base' reference below... here it is. Bad engrish translation and all. ;-)

All Your Snakes Are Belong To Us

ah, the classic 'all your base' meets... snakes. :-D

Weekends are supposed to be Crazy-Busy, right?

Shooting people on the weekends is always a lot of fun, and certainly I think that I filled any conceivable quota on Friday and Saturday.

In all, I think that I took about 2000 images inside those two days. This is actually not as much fun as it sounds, as creativity can be quite draining at times… and certainly trying to get 6 women on the beach to focus was not an… easy(!) task. *grins*

The first shoot was on Friday (I've all long weekends, this month). A good friend of mine that I had worked with several times had asked that I refresh her portfolio for a magazine article that she has coming up. It was win/win really; on Friday Jennifer and the Makeup Artist (MUA) Giordana show up at my place and after 1.5 hrs in the make-up chair, we got started.

The first set was my backyard… I had refrained from cutting my lawn for a good three or four weeks to get the length that I wanted… and then we got started. I'm always going to be my own worst critic… but still and all, I was not unhappy with the shots that we got. :-) The red-hair makes a great contrast with the lush verdant green tone of the grass.

After a decent (though rushed!) lunch, we went down to a local lounge to shoot the second set. We had the place from about 1 pm to 4:30 pm, as they didn't open up until 5:00. It worked out well, though I could certainly tell that I need to get a softbox in addition to the umbrellas that I'm using.

We finished off right on time, and called it a day. I was exhausted and I'm sure that Jenn wasn't as bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as she would no-doubt claim. I'm sure she's doing much better now though as her bfriend from England is in town (finally!) for the summer. :-) She has simply got to get moved over there or vice-versa. Long distance relationships tend to be hell on people.

Saturday dawned cloudy… and getting up at 7:00 on a Saturday seem to be a form of barbarism that I hope to avoid as much as possible, in my life. I loaded up the gear and headed down to the Beach, where I was to meet Amelia (friend), Andrea (the bride), and the rest of the platoon gaggle coven… er, rest of the Bridesmaids. ;-)

Just kidding! They were all very nice, and very easy to work with, if a bit distracted. Getting six people going in the same direction regardless of if they are girls or guys is an accomplishment, at any rate.

Running around, all over the beach, climbing on rocks, and shooting about 1300 photos that day… exhausting work. Sunday, I slept. In. And then did nothing. Blessed, wonderful nothing. :-)


Ciao beautiful peeps; go out and play in the sunshine.

Emptybottle.org - The Web 2.0 Bullshit Generator

Emptybottle.org - The Web 2.0 Bullshit Generator

***

Nice. (makes mental note to forward to Marketing)

Ciao, beautiful peeps; go out and play in the sun.

Germans may face Jews in combat | News | The Australian

Germans may face Jews in combat News The Australian

That's what the newspaper's headline reads; provocative to say the least.

However, if you read the details...

"We have to do this, not in spite of the Holocaust, but because of it," Werner Sonne, a leading commentator, said on German state television. "If German troops guard Israel's borders, they are there to protect Jewish lives. Frankly, there has never been a better reason to bring in soldiers in German uniform."

Yep. I'll give him that.

Ciao, beautiful peeps; go play in the sun.

Shipwrecked fishermen survive nine months...

Shipwrecked fishermen survive nine months World Wide Weird The Australian: "Mr Videna said he and his friends got through their ordeal in good health, although... "

***

Nine months of sushi and sea-gull sashimi... must have been hell.

There are some incredible stories from over the years from people that have drifted... and drifted and drifted...

Ciao beautiful peeps; go out and play in the sunshine (and if you're on a boat, maybe take a satellite phone... just in case).

Cool ap for my Mac friends...

Disk Inventory X: "Disk Inventory X is a disk usage utility for Mac OS X 10.3 (and later). It shows the sizes of files and folders in a special graphical way called 'treemaps'.

If you've ever wondered where all your disk space has gone, Disk Inventory X will help you to answer this question. "

***

My sister has gone over to the darkside and purchased a Mac. This summer while I was out in Alberta, I got a chance to really use one for the first time... I have to admit, that after the first five minutes... I wasn't horrified.

Still and all, to ditch WinTel and move over to MacTel, I would have to replace about $1,500.00 worth of applications... running Parallels or Bootcamp isn't really something that I want to have to do. I remember having dual-boot with Windows/Unix at one point and it wasn't a lot of fun.

Ciao, beautiful peeps; go out and play in the sun. ;)

what the hell... today's funny ha ha.

I always get a chuckle whenever I see this one... though I suspect that it may not be as funny to people in the exotic entertainment industry or those that cannot read.

I would appologize for it, but all who know me know that my sense of humour can be quite low at times... ;-)

And hey, I didn't photoshop it.

Ah Monday... blessed Monday.

I'm in danger of not taking my own advice and posting something rantish, negative and irritating... but that feeling is probably fairly normal for a Monday. lol

And alas, I cannot take a page from Marcus Atrocious and post links to booty, porn and booze. Well, I could, but the student rarely attains those rarified heights reserved for the Master. ;-)

Short version: We're probably about 2-3 months out from having to worry about getting right-sized, RIF'ed, or otherwise become the victim... I mean enjoy the benefits of the blessed-synergy...

Shorter version: What in the hell is taking them so long? ;-) I've got plans for my severance. Bastards.

But, while the Work-Thing promises to be a cast-iron-pain-in-the-4ss, I can truthfully submit that the personal life is accelerating far too quickly. Well, on the photography front anyways.

1) Bridesmaids Beachshoot this Sat; including all white, all black, and bikini as clothing options.

2) I have two muse projects starting up; one oriental (tentitive) and one petite blonde (enthusiastic).

3) I have a DJ's album cover to shoot, this month.

4) Late this month or in Sept, I have a family / extended family shoot up in Cottage Country to shoot. Freakin' co-workers anyways.

5) Another photographer-buddy and I were going to do another model shoot; themed and MUA'ed. Condo common room, seamless, the usual.

6) I have a pool shoot to do sometime in the next two weeks too...

Gaaaaah!!!

(roughly translates to: I need to learn how to say no... or at least, maybe next month).

Ciao, Beautiful Peeps. Go out and play in the sunshine.

IBM agrees to buy FileNet for $1.6 bln

UPDATE 1-IBM agrees to buy FileNet for $1.6

Yep, the industry is a changin'. ;-)

Happy Freakin Birthday...

... to me.

:-)

Regards,

Mark

Because English is a precise language...

globeandmail.com : Comma quirk irks Rogers: "A grammatical blunder may force Rogers Communications Inc. to pay an extra $2.13-million to use utility poles in the Maritimes after the placement of a comma in a contract permitted the deal's cancellation."

Blog Maps in 30 seconds...

How to add a google map to any blog in 30 seconds...

Call the Future.org

Call the Future.org

The possible uses of this could just be... diabolical.

Mwah ha ha ha ha™ (patented eeevil laugh).

Regards,

Mark

EarthshatteringKaboom.

Yep.

The old Ominous Humm™ has proven true.

And so begins a new conText... and also the waiting.

*sigh* 7 yrs was a good run. We'll see what happens.

Worst case scenario, I could shoot pr0n for food, I suppose.

Ciao, peeps.

Fuck Hair and Makeup - a photoset on Flickr

Fuck Hair and Makeup - a photoset on Flickr

What an awsome idea for a series. :-)

Day by Day

Free Text Messaging - Send Free Text Messages to Any Provider.

Free Text Messaging - Send Free Text Messages to Any Provider.

Because I'm cheap, and like the bug the heck out of all my friends...

Don't let these disasters happen to you: The top five engineering hints you'll rarely hear

I'm in sales... from the other side of the fence:

Don't let these disasters happen to you: The top five engineering hints you'll rarely hear

In theory, theory and practice are the same...

Heat Wave

Heat Wave,
originally uploaded by The Imp;-).

What fun... Toronto in the summertime.

Humidity is 95%.

Temp will be in the 30's, with the humidity feeling like it is in the mid to high 40's.

I think it was cooler in Tennessee!

And now things return to 'normal'...

Back from Alberta. Back from Tennessee. Back to work.

I need a vacation to get over my vacation. ;-)

Spent the past five days in Tennessee. Well… three days, with two travel days tagged onto either side. I was a dumbass; I drove down instead of flew.

Got home at 6:00 pm last night, after starting out at 3:00 am. Eeek.

Good time though. Visited with some of my really good American friends.

We drank too much. Shot shot lots of amo (before the drinking part, sheesh. We're not morons.)

Good times had by all. Or at least most. ;-)

C'est la vie.

And now, it becomes Hunker-Down-mode. This summer seems to have an Ominous Hum…

Ciao, peeps.

Mark

Not something you would normally see, driving around Cowtown...

LW2006-5101d1 July, 2006 Calgary, AB

Corporal Tan Rickman (standing by tail) and Master Corporal Maria Vidotto (in cockpit) Aviation Technicians from 4 Wing Cold Lake watch for dangers as a CF-18 is towed under an overpass.

After the ground crew prepared the aircraft, the CF-18 Hornet from 410 Squadron, CFB Cold Lake, was towed under Calgary Police Service escort from the Calgary International Airport to the Stampede Fairgrounds. The CF-18 will remain on display as part of an expanded Canadian Forces exhibit for the duration of the 2006 Calgary Stampede.

photo by Christan Coulombe, Army News

***
Would have loved to have seen some of the expressions on people's faces as this went by on the highway... ;-)

Email to my team this am... Mwah ha ha ha™

Good Morning All,

I am on vacation from July 14th (evening of) through July 31st, returning on
August 1st.

This is your official heads-up. If you have any issues with this, lets deal with them today or tomorrow.

As usual when I am out of the office, please send any purchase orders for DM, KM etc. directly to xxxxxxxxxxxxxx and xxxxxxxxxxx for processing if they cannot wait until my return. We'll sort it out when I get back.

My out of office reply will point directly to y'all, based upon your vertical / regional responsibilities.

When submitting a orders, the mandatory information required includes:
The Customer ID #.
The PO.
The version number required.
ALL SPECIFIC INDIVIDUAL PRODUCTS THAT ARE REQUIRED.
Who the primary rep is.
Who the secondary rep is.
Who the RTM/SE is.
Ship-to and bill-to information.

I am in God's Country (Alberta) from the 14th through the 25th. I shall be drinking large amounts of cheap beer and grain-alcohol, visiting relatives that live in trailers (albeit double-wides), and probably shooting a lot of firearms of various calibres. Mostly at gophers. Maybe an antelope or two. Possibly even some deer. Bambi over a BBQ pit _is_ quite good, if a bit gamey. Unless they've been in the alfalfa fields. Again. Bastards.

In an emergency, I can be reached (intermittently) at (555) 555-5555. If I am not there, I would say that you could leave a message… except that I don't think my mother has actually gotten around to buying one of those new-fangled answering machines thingys quite yet.

I would give you my brother's phone number as an alternate contact point, but you _really_ don't want to talk to him unless you have no choice at all; I'm the sane one in the family.

Stop laughing. Really, I am.

I will not be checking voicemail on my vacation. Not. Even. Once.

I am back in Ontario for one full day, then I am driving down to Chattanooga, TN on the 27th, returning on the 31st.

This is for the yearly science fiction convention (no, we don't dress up) known as LibertyCon, where I get to visit with all of my really scary southern redneck friends (from a leftist Canadian perspective). Mad Mike may be bringing his legal .30 cal BMG (WWII era machine gun); happiness is apparently a belt-fed weapon.

I will be taking lots of pictures. Mwah ha ha ha ha…

universal emergency email address: xxxxxx.xxxxx@gmail.com. 24 hour turn-around.

Regards, and enjoy our time apart... I know I will! ;-)

Mark (who probably is not as funny as he thinks he is, but tries anyways)

Subject: Top 29 things You will Never Hear An Alberta Boy Say...

Top 29 things You will Never Hear An Alberta Boy Say.....
>29. I'll take Shakespeare for $1000, Alex.
>28. Duct tape won't fix that.
>27. Come to think of it, screw Pilsner, I'll have a Heineken.
>26. We don't keep loaded firearms in this house.
>25. You can't feed that to the dog.
>24. No kids in the back of the pickup, it's just not safe.
>23. Wrestling's fake.
>22. We're vegetarians.
>21. Do you think my gut is too big?
>20. I'll have grapefruit and salad instead of steak & potatoes.
>19. Honey, we don't need another dog.
>18. Who gives a damn who won the Grey Cup?
>17. Nope, no more for me. I'm driving.
>16. Too many deer heads detract from the decor.
>15. I just couldn't find a thing at Wal-Mart today.
>14. Trim the fat off that steak.
>13. Way to go Paul! Sign that Kyoto agreement now!
>12. The tires on that truck are too big.
>11. I've got it all backed up on the C: drive.
>10. I'm gonna buy a Ford Aerostar instead of that Dodge Diesel 4x4.
>9. My fiancée, Rose, is registered at Tiffany's.
>8. I've got two cases of Perrier for the Stanley Cup.
>7. Checkmate.
>6. She's too young to be wearing a bikini.
>5. Hey, here's an episode of "The Dukes of Hazard" that we haven't seen!
>4. I don't really have a favourite CFL team.
>3. Peace.
> 2. Those shorts ought to be a little longer, Margaret.
>
>AND NUMBER ONE....
>
>1. I'm voting Liberal this year!

FW: Your morning chuckle

From a friend who assures me that #16 does not apply to me.

 

I'm willing to believe her of course.

 

 

Subject: 16 THINGS THAT IT TOOK ME OVER 50 YEARS TO LEARN:

 

by Dave Barry, Nationally Syndicated Columnist


1. Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative

    on the same night.

2. If you had to identify, in one word, the reason why the human race
    has not achieved, and never will achieve, its full potential, that word
    would be "meetings."

3. There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."

4. People who want to share their religious views with you almost
    never; want  you to share yours with them.

5. You should not confuse your career with your life.

6. Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.

    (I wish I had!)

7. Never lick a steak knife.

8. The most destructive force in the universe is gossip.

9. You will never find anybody who can give you a clear and compelling
    reason why we observe daylight savings time.

10. You should never say anything to a woman that even remotely suggests

    that you think she's pregnant unless you can see an actual baby emerging
    from her at that moment.

11. There comes a time when you should stop expecting other people to
    make a big deal about your birthday. That time is age 21.

12. The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender,

    religion, economic status or ethnic background, is that, deep down inside,
    we ALL believe that we are above average drivers.

13. A person, who is nice to you, but rude to a waiter, is not a nice
    person. (This is very important. Pay attention. It never fails.)

14. Your friends love you anyway.

15. Never be afraid to try something new. Remember that a lone amateur
    Built  the Ark. A large group of professionals built the Titanic.

16. Thought for the day: Men are like fine wine.. They start out as grapes,
    and it's up to the women to stomp the crap out of them until they turn
    into something acceptable to have dinner with.

FINAL THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

There is more money being spent on breast implants and Viagra than on

Alzheimer's research. This means that by 2030, there should be a large

elderly population with perky boobs and huge erections and absolutely no

recollection of what to do with them.

 

 

TREND HUNTER Magazine: AeroGarden - Grow Your Own Garden Without the Dirt

Check out the following article from TREND HUNTER Magazine:
-----------------
AeroGarden - Grow Your Own Garden Without the Dirt

http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/aerogarden-grow-your-own-garden-without-t
he-dirt/

Hey condo dwellers!  Now there is a space aged solution if you want the
satisfaction of your own herbs and greens, but you don’t have a garden. 
Plus, no dirt, no mess.

The AeroGrow AeroGarden is “A fully automated self-watering, self-feeding
farmer’s market in your kitchen. NASA proven, aeroponic technology grows
up to 5 times faster than in soil, with no dirt, weeds or mess. Now anyone
can grow herbs, tomatoes, salad greens, chili peppers, flowers, and more -
year-round, at the touch of a button. No green thumb needed. Harvest only
what you need - fresh from the garden, with no waste.”

Price = $199

*****

Salads... Riiiigggggghhhht.

Let's take dorkiness to an entirely higher level...

Ok, I'm the first to admit that I am not in the best of shape. I sit at a desk, day in and day out, in cubeville, slurping unholy amounts of coffee and getting nowhere near enough exercise. To make things worse, I'm a chronic smoker... I tend to quit for four days and smoke for three. My arteries cry out in anguish each and every time I go near the cafeteria. The headset I wear probably will cause me a brain tumour.

In short, I'm your typical, gen X technology worker.

That being said, on the weekends I tend to wander the city, on foot, blade or bike. I may not be a paragon of virtue, but damnit, I make an effort once in a while (usually whenever I find myself having to contemplate the purchase of new pants).

So that all being said, does everyone else find the prospect of off-road Segways slightly ludicrous? We're now going to traipse out into the great outdoors... to stand on a machine to take us through it's wonders... this of course assumes that you do not move too far away from a power outlet for recharging...

Pfft. Mankind is doomed.

Regards,

Mark
*wanders off to get a refill on his coffee & danish. 

Must. Stay. Positive. :-)

Well, it might be time to make this a bit more positive a blogging experience that I have made it in the past.

I almost feel guilty now for telling a friend of mine that her blog was a little too negative (no not you Sheena).

Personally, I blame my sense of humour... it's a dark and mischeivous thing that expresses itself oddly at times. ;-)

So, on the positive side:

1. I may get my dream job soon! (being forced to soon start job-hunting as one of our rivals takes a run at us... should that bid win out over the other, one can expect a layoff rate of about 80%).
2. I may be able to walk without a limp soon! (as soon as the pavement/road rash heals up from my spectacular bicycle accident on Saturday [personally, I'm questioning why I tried to dodge the skanky crack-whore who darted out into the street])
3. I may someday get to take a vacation to Alberta where my entire time is not guilted-away! (ie, planned down to a fare-thee-well by people whom are sooo freakin' good at weilding the guilt-stick).

Bring on LibertyCon... I am overdue for a shot of right-wing/libertarian-friends, things-that-go-boom!, stupidly-huge-quantities-of-booze, road-trip (10$ says we get stopped at the border).

Regards,

Mark

Quarter End™

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

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.

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...  

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 ;) 

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 :)

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

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?

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.

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 ;-)

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

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 

OMFG...

The air-conditioning isn't working and I'm on the top (third) floor... *melts*

I'm being punished for something, I suspect...

Where's the Kaboom?

There was supposed to be an earth shattering kaboom!

Oh. There it is.

Must start learning hindi I guess...

Ciao, peeps. Off to polish the Go To Hell plan...

Imp;)

US-CA-Santa Barbara-Organ Courier - Powered by Monster

Wow. I bet it pays decent coin... ;-)

US-CA-Santa Barbara-Organ Courier - Powered by Monster: "The successful applicant will combine not only a working knowledge of tissue-transplantation procedures and the latest pharmaceutical agents involved in this growing field, but also an ability for high-speed travel, diplomacy and an extensive knowledge of transit restrictions and regulations as well as traffic laws around the world. Fluency in at least five languages including French, German, Russian and Chinese is crucial - as is a willingness to achieve fluency in sub-saharan regional and tribal dialects. Knowledge of martial arts, self-defense and extensive weapons training is essential, but applicants willing to receive training in these areas will receive due consideration."

Thanx for the tip, Sheena.

this week...

Oh oh.

iRobot Corporation: Roomba

iRobot Corporation: Roomba

I am seriously thinking I need one of these things... if for no other reason than drive the cat insane.

Mwah ha ha ha ha.

Victoria Day Long Weekend...

*sigh*

Models can be a little irritating to work with, when they don't show up for their scheduled shoots. I think I need to rent a studio again, and schedule two + just to ensure that one shows up for the shoot! Apparently, it's a bit of a problem in the industry, go figure... so there goes today's plan. Ah well, the weather sucked anyways.

Last night was a reasonably decent time... went to the launch/pre-order party for U & I Mag, a 'local' photography magazine. I have my first ever published article inside the new edition... I'll post some captures once I get my copy from Taku, but I thought it totally rocked. :-)

After that, we absconded to a house party... which was somewhat forgetable (sorry Jen, if you read this). The usual house party... the ratio of guys to girls was sadly out of whack. *shrugs* Chatted with some Aussies and Brits and then went home to catch some zzz's. Someone was handing around bottles of Maudite *shudder*...

I wonder if there is anything going on tonight? It's a long weekend, after all...

Off to find brunch I think... ciao, peeps.

/\/\ark

Mood: sleepy.

Music: Killers.