Time Travel, Terminators and Television

The word of the week is: kibitizing. Let me tell you about a time when...

Jan 11 - Another Monday; in the blood?

Now this is a little premature, I think: news today that Spiderman is being rebooted in 2012. It's been less than a decade since the first Spidey film hit the screen with Tobey McGuire, so why are the rebooting it again? Is it a sign of the times, that any idea that makes a lot of money is slated to be redone over and over until the public is thoroughly sick of it?

I'm still researching my Thalassemia Minor condition, as the results of a blood test last month told me that I was misdiagnosed as a child and do not have the condition. I'm looking far more deeply into the results of my tests, examining the meaning of my platelet counts etc before I make an appointment for a second opinion. If that turns out negative, then I'll be changing my diet slightly, which I am also in the process of re-examining to try and determine if I have a gluten allergy or similar trouble with certain foods.

If you've never had a serious look at your fingernails( say, when someone's boring you out of your mind and you need to indicate disinterest subtly )then you might want to. I wasn't aware of how much your fingernails can tell you about your health – kind of like when you have that fuzzy coating on your tongue, and it's not from last night's binge at the local pub. I've got a pattern of weird dents on one nail on my left hand, and apart from suspecting it's some sort of alien tag similar to a bar code, I've wondered lately what it could indicate, as my doctor said it's "just something you've done to it, maybe?"

Jan 12 - Wet Baconquakes

Today the world shook... and it was Haiti that suffered the most. One of the most impoverished nations in the world, the disaster that struck has thrown the entire country into chaos. The world has responded admirably and speedily to send aid, and current technology has given wings to the average person wishing to help: texting donations. The ubiquitous cell phone has proven its might, allowing any mobile user to donate $10.00 to aid Haiti via a text message – so far close to $10 million USD has been raised in four days alone via text, perhaps ushering in a new era for worthy causes to gather donations and ushering out the era of the telethon? Right now the critical 72-hour window for survivors is closing, so aid has to reach Haiti soon in order to save the maximum numbers possible. Then the real work of rebuilding will begin.

It's raining a lot here in BC... again. Some parts of the Island are flooding... again - luckily I don't live anywhere near any of them. One place that you don't have to worry about the weather is under the sea, traveling in a( yellow? )submarine or living in an underwater habitat. One sub design I've always liked is the Nautilus from the 1950's Disney film version of 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea – it's steampunk Victorian design anticipated the steampunk movement by several decades. A place worth browsing: a HUGE and detailed gallery of Nautilus designs that span the last century.

I was told this week that the perfect bacon sandwich is the bacon butty, which is eaten most everywhere in Britain... for breakfast, what else? Most people have not had the perfect bacon butty, but I have managed to find such a recipe here for your bacon bliss experience. Let me know if you do make one, and how it tastes!

Jan 13 - Farm your pants off

In terms of games, the buzz this year is all about Microsoft's Project Natal, which you may have already seen some TV ads for. While I'm a little sceptical of the group of people sitting on the couch, each tapping away at an imaginary keyboard, I do applaud moving towards the elimination of wires, keyboards and the like. We might even find it amusing in a Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy way, with everyone waving their hands at the television to vie for it's attention - that's kind of creepy, actually.

And what's up with Farmville? I mean, what the hell could entice over 70 million people a day to play a silly little game on Facebook? I've seen Farmville updates galore on my friend's FB Status pages, but just presumed they were playing it a lot at the time – I had NO idea that it was so incredibly popular. While I enjoy many different types of video games, the one type I have NO use for are those that fall into "The Sims" category. Enticing simulacra to go to the bathroom or earn their keep washing cars is akin to stabbing myself in the eye with a q-tip every morning after breakfast, as I equate it to owning a tank full of short-lived sea monkeys that I will soon lose interest in after they all expire in a month. No thanks.

If you want fame, not farming, you should try out for American Idol. That's what "General" Larry Platt did and he's now an overnight internet sensation due to his song "Pants on the ground" – he's even scheduled to appear on ABC's The View next week. Which says volumes about the power of television in conjunction with the internet to make anyone a star, even at age 68. Whether he makes any money at it is another matter altogether, although Susan Boyle is certainly well on her way to long-term fame and fortune based on her Idol appearance.

Jan 14 - What Not To Do. Or Eat.

Here's something for those seeking a job: we were doing hiring this week for all the branches in the area, so I was tasked with my share of resume's to go through to arrange phone interviews. None of the candidates I called made me want to set up a personal interview, but I did have a girl come into the branch and drop off a strong resume' with a good personal impression. I called her today to set up a personal interview, but got her voicemail and as I was leaving a message she called me back... to tell me she couldn't talk right then and she would call me back in an hour. Going on three hours later, I was done for the day and headed home, and this girl had lost her opportunity for an interview having demonstrated her disinterest in getting a job – which was too bad, as she had many good qualities otherwise.

I wasn't at home long, as I had to head into Victoria well before dinner. While I was there, I checked out Chapters for the first time in almost six months( amazing, I know, that I could go so long without a visit to a bookseller! )where I picked up some short story collections. I also had a look at Leviathan, but was put off by a clerk who told me it was in stock... in the Young Adults section? Apparently Chapters decided that since the book had a teenage protagonist, it was meant for teenagers, which I definitely did not get from the review. So I'll wait to check it out from the library, I guess – hardcovers are still too expensive for my budget to collect in any great numbers, and they take up a lot more packing room too.

My evening was spent at the Fifth Street Bar &  Grill in Victoria, where all the area managers gathered with our new pro-tempo boss for a meet and greet. I'd only been to the Fifth Street once before for lunch, so dinner was a pleasant surprise. I especially liked their chicken wings, both the maple garlic and the honey lemon pepper, which were a little dry but perfect inside. They even have a bison burger on the menu, which comes highly recommended by several people who have eaten there before, so I'll probably try it the next time I'm in town with time to spare – likely June.

Jan 15 - Doom! Gloom! Boom?

No, the world isn't ending today as the sky goes dark: it's just the longest solar eclipse in the last thousand years. You can watch a video of the event here, as well as some very cool graphics explaining it. Too bad it was far too cloudy today to get a look at it here, and we would have to have been FAR closer to the equator to see much of anything anyway. A giant blazing ring of gold in the sky...

On the same world-ending note, here's some good news: The Doomsday Clock was moved back by one minute today, to six minutes to midnight – reflecting reduced world tensions. So while we might not live under imminent threat of total destruction at our own hands( but still have terrorists to worry about )there's always good ol' Mother Nature, as Haiti has shown to us this week.

I wrote last week about mental health being a serious challenge facing Canadians these days and moreso in the future. Now word has come down from a McGill University professor that video games could be very beneficial to a person's mental health – just look at the popularity of games such as BrainAge and all those Sudoko puzzles.

Jan 16 - My Metal Machines

I've had an HDTV for a little over 2 years, which I've been very satisfied with and plan to keep using for years to come. Unfortunately, this is not good news for TV manufacturers, who need to sell enough TV sets each year to not only stay in business but to make a profit too. Hence their need to continually add new features and new products to their lineup, like "240Hz refresh rates" that supposedly make sports broadcasts and action films "less blurry" – not something I really need to lay out big bucks for a new TV for. However, the Next Big Thing is 3D Television which will from all reports be a quantum leap in viewing experience. For those of you unfamiliar with what 3D TV will bring to your living room, check out the excellent C|Net's 3D TV FAQ which answers all the major questions you may have about seeing fish floating above your coffee table.

By the time you read this, the sale will be over, but it's still worth mentioning due to the incredible price drops it represents in computer hardware. For $299.99 CDN, you can get a quad-core computer including case, CPU, RAM, 1 terabyte hard drive and power supply( monitor not included ). Considering I paid ten times that in the mid-90's for my Pentium I PC, it's stunning that in less than 15 years prices have dropped to the point where a speedy home PC is now considered to be a commodity – but since everyone wants a netbook nowadays, I'm not sure if the home PC will be around in any recognizable state in another 15 years. Especially since TV's are now being made with internet access built-in, and laptops are the norm for any self-respecting( gag )computer user. Heck, as I write this I'm sitting at my local Starbuck's sipping on a chai tea, listening to the tap-tap-tapping of others on their laptops... who are probably playing Farmville.

In terms of machines, The Sarah Connor Chronicles was cancelled too soon, I think. I picked up both seasons a while back but only started watching them in the last few weeks. So far, it's been very good, which is surprising considering time travel, terminators and television don't seem like a viable mix for more than a few episodes. Though I suppose if a show like 24 can cover a single span of 24 hours and stretch it out for an entire season, anything is possible. I like TSCC for a few reasons, including that it has Summer Glau( and later on Stephanie Jacobson )cast in the show – both excellent reasons to watch.

Jan 17 - Bring the Rain

I've mentioned small houses in a few blog entries, as some of you have noted already. Small is the way to go, as even 'normal' houses are prohibitively expensive in some parts of the country. Vancouver, for example, is grappling with a booming population with limited land space. Rather than take the route of Toronto, which has seen massive suburbs surround a dense urban core, Vancouver is looking at infilling, specifically allowing 'laneway' homes where people could live in a landlord's backyard. I'm not big on big; why should I pay for a home with 2 bedrooms, a living room kitchen possibly 2 bathrooms etc etc when at present it's just me? Sure, the future is never certain, and while the concept of home equity appeals to me, the huge outgoing expenses do not.

Of course I played MW2 for a good part of the day, which has been a MUCH better experience of late due to having a 'critical mass' of friends to play with. My friends list has more than doubled in the last month, mainly from gathering in players who are( in a word )fun to play with – a sense of humour and quick wit go a long way online. We don't tick each other off, play fairly well and generally all get along together – this is essential to the game experience, as some of the game sessions so far have seen close to 2/3 of the players all knowing each other. We could always play Private Matches, but as MW2 doesn't award ANY XP for that, nobody bothers; one of the flaws of the game. Still, I've had a lot more fun of late, especially trying to unlock the many special Titles and Emblems you can earn for performing various feats during gameplay.

The winter out here so far is more along the norm for BC: lots of rain, the occasional sunny hour and sometimes mist in the morning and evenings. Here's what winter in BC smells like: wet wood. Like a logpile that's been rained on for a few weeks, with moss growing on it in places; they have quite a few moss-removal companies here, and roughly 1 roof in 5 has some moss growth on it. I just like winter here as you generally don't slide around on ice underfoot, but instead pack an umbrella every day. A much better trade.

This week's blog was more effusive than usual, as I wrote the majority of it while sitting in a Starbuck's on Saturday morning to escape the reno noise from downstairs. Which was a nice break from the house environs. Next week: Coraline!