10.21.03
I am away. In the tropics. It's 32 degrees, I have about 32 mosquito bites and I'll be here for at least 32 more days. Actually, this last is not true, but 32 sounds good. I'm here for a long time. Which is why I haven't updated, nor do I foresee much updates, due to the incredibly slow internet connection. Like supremely slow. So slow, I can't access my favorite sites without being patient. Even the xhtml, webstandards compliant ones. Forget about online banking. Other than the net, it's beautiful. Lots of birds. 3 have flown into the house I'm staying in, forcing me to re-think the whole bird in the house issue. Make that four. I made the mistake of leaving bananas on the counter and when I came back in, it looked like maggots had eaten them. It was just the birdies, chomping down. Who would have thunk they like bananas? I haven't, thank heavens, seen a bat yet, but it's not unknown for them to visit. Happy early Hallowe'en.
09.09.03
[ Library ]
I was in the library this afternoon, looking for a few mystery novels to sate the escapist within, when an elderly lady got her hand caught in the return books bin. I'm not sure how it happened, and I thought it seemed like a fairly minor incident. But while I was browsing for an unread Ian Rankin, a new Sara Paretsky, or anything unread that didn't seem too gory, I could hear the librarian saying that "no, they don't have any ice" and "would you like some cold water perhaps?", with not much alarm in her voice. But still, I did wonder about the request for ice -- it made the situation seem urgent somehow. Then, I could hear her ask the lady if she wanted to sit down for a bit in one of the chairs. I could never hear the woman's replies. After I'd picked out my 3 books (all unknown authors) and was near the check-out desk, I saw the lady collapse. Luckily someone was right behind her, so she didn't fall to the ground. She seemed to have some kind of seizure, jerking involuntarily. 911 was called and some firemen came and I think she'll be okay. She did seem to be at least 70, probably older, so her fragility was not totally unwarranted. But it made me think, "gee, just like that, an ordinary trip to the library turns into a call 911 event". I don't think I'll ever be ready to get old.
09.08.03
Warren Zevon died today. As of 9:46 am PST, the official website warrenzevon.com mentions nothing of this. Which does make you wonder about record companies...
I've been fighting off a flu. Which meant yesterday, I spent almost all day on the couch watching television. An old Columbo movie was on. It was the highlight of my viewing pleasure. I also saw 15 minutes of Futurama, bits and pieces of Antiques Road Show, a tear-jerker doomsday movie and part of the new show, Nip and Tuck. This last did not live up to the promo.
08.28.03
Maybe it's the energy from Mars, but I've been battling with big corporations today, getting increasingly frustrated with the way, frankly, they don't care about you, the customer, at all.
"Between July 1, 2002, and June 30 this year, there were 1,245 quality-of-service complaints against Telus to the CRTC from telephone subscribers in Alberta and B.C., compared to 216 the year previous." » Calgary Herald
I'm too flummoxed right now to write calmly about this, but let's just say that the customer service at Telus Sucks.
08.27.03
[Mars]
Satellite's gone
Way up to mars
Soon it will be filled
With parking cars
... Lou Reed
[The Velvet Underground]
Stay up late and look at the sky08.25.03
[Palms]
It turns out I have a Simian Line on one of my palms. [No, I didn't go to a palm reader, I found this out the usual way: googling instead of working ] It's somewhat rare, but more common in people with Down's Syndrome. It can portent ambition, and means that the head and heart lines are connected, so the person is emotionally and intellectually on the same page. Only my other palm is normal, so that makes me only 1/2 on the same page; the story of my life. Apparently, it can be a very positive or very negative influence. Tony Blair has it on both hands.
08.18.03
My Futurama calendar reminded me that Saturday the 16th of August, was the 16th anniversary since the Harmonic Convergence. I don't recall much, except there was supposed to be a lot of hand holding and that Doonsebury had a wickedly funny series of cartoons about the event.
For Jean: de retour: Gérard D. Laflaque
08.15.03
Saw Peter Mansbridge interview an electricity expert about the power failure, and one of the most interesting things this guy said was: "you have to remember that there are 2 billion people in this world who don't have any electricity at all, and millions elsewhere who live with blackouts every other day". [paraphrased]
08.14.03
[ Witness ]
08.08.03
[ Lazy ]2 eights in today's date. Lucky lucky. Actually, it's still the 7th of August, but on the east coast it's practically the 8th. This image is a detail from a piece I'm working on. It involves food and longing.
Found yet another site to read: Tony Pierce -- edgy, funny and tons of writing. It says to email him when you link, but I think this chap must have enough pals. So this will be a sort-of-anonymous link, as it were.