Author Archives: Rob MacD

Check this out. I love the live-matrix effects.

Six feet high and rising

Listen to “Folsum Prison Blues” (or “San Quentin”) and “Cry Cry Cry” and “Delia’s Gone” and “Sam Hall” and to your own favourites

Watch the video for “Hurt”

Feel good

The most common topic of the day is September 11, 2001. There are those who choose to commemorate it in large size, those who choose private reflection, and those who have become somewhat jaded about the whole thing.

Me, I choose to turn down the noise of the world, and listen to Bruce Springsteen’s “My City of Ruins” once and let that be that.

Peace. Even if it sounds corny.

I don’t trust dentists. For no particularly valid reason, I place dentists below mechanics when it comes to expecting that they’re fleecing the customer with seemingly unnecessary expenditures. Preventative medicine I believe in, but don’t necessarily follow. Preventative dentistry, however, I see as the dentist’s cash-cow and I stubbornly refuse to fall prey to their serious-sounding predictions of potential gloomy-gums and dental-disasters years down the road. I also refuse to follow, like cattle, their demands of yearly check-ups. I think that once every couple of years is probably enough.

I say this, not because of any recent or upcoming visit to the dentist. Only because I have a tooth that, lately, is sensitive to temperature changes.

Don’t trust these teeth-pirates!!

On the corner of Queen and Water is a sign that says “Take a walk down Water Street” and it points in the direction of Great George.

Shouldn’t it say “Take a walk up Water Street”?

Now, I haven’t studied this to the point that perhaps I should have, but in a purely geographical sense, one would be walking *up* the street if one were to follow the pointing-arrow advice of the sign. However (and this is the part of the study in which I am perhaps failing), I wonder if the house-numbering in that direction goes in a downward direction, and therefore “Take a walk down Water Street” would be correct enough.

One thing I do know – I won’t sleep tonight.

Leastlink
I told you. Didn’t I tell you? That Eastlink goob who took my NFL Sunday Ticket subscription screwed up. Pre-game time today, I turn to the appropriate channels, nothing on except the “call this number to subscribe” image. I call for Customer Service and, of course, it being Sunday, there’s no answer. I call for repair and talk to a very nice and helpful guy who tells me it’s not showing as being part of my service. I explain that the doofus told me I was connected and ready to go. After some investigating, he figures out how to get me connected, then tells me I’ll be billed in three easy installments. But, I say, doofus already took my credit card info and confirmed that I paid for the whole service upfront. Nice Guy politely and professionally informs me that he, being in the repair department, cannot check that out, but asks if I could call back the service department tomorrow to confirm the status. The Sunday Ticket now showing up on my TV, I happily agree and thank him for his quick and courteous service.

Bad news, though. Dolphins lose to what is supposedly the worst team in the NFL.
Sigh.

The Big Election
At another site, someone asked what the difference between a conservative and liberal is. I replied that a liberal is the guy who will buy beer for everyone at the table. A conservative will buy buy beer only for his friends. Both will leave the bar without paying the tab. Someone else then posted that the NDP is the guy who orders beer for everyone in the bar, but expects the bar owner to pay for it.
In other election news, CB asked me who I was going to vote for, Wayne Collins or Gordon MacKay. I said I haven’t decided yet, but who did CB think I should vote for. He said Wayne Collins would be the better candidate. Why? Because there’s a Wayne and there’s a Colin on Whose Line Is It Anyway. WLIIA is his favourite ‘non-cartoon’ show.
Me, I’m waiting to see what kind of beer they’re offering.

Not So Smooth Cycle
Speaking of Smooth Cycle, here’s the story so far: I’ve heard nothing but great things about the service and staff at Smooth Cycle, and in fact, have had excellent service there in the past. Which just adds to the frustration of this particular episode.
Two weeks ago, the chain on CB’s bike broke. K took it to Smooth Cycle to get repaired. She was told to come back in a coupla days. A coupla days later, she goes back, is given the bill for the service, pays it. The bike is rolled out. No chain on it. Apparently it wasn’t fixed, as the chain had to be ordered. Come back on Tuesday. She does and is told that there were problems getting the chain. Because of the Labour Day weekend, the order for the chain had been cancelled. Huh? Don’t you mean ‘delayed’? No, cancelled. Huh? Anyway, the chain’ll be in soon, come back on Thursday. Give them an extra day and I come in today, Friday. Bike on hook, no chain. I do notice a cobweb on it, though. Chain’ll probably be here later today. “So, I’ll come in tomorrow to pick it up?” Only one guy working on Saturday. “But he’ll be working on my bike, right?” Hard to say, could I come back on Monday? The guy sees and hears my disappointment and frustration as I go on to explain the absurdity of two weeks to change a chain. He gives me a quarter-hearted “Sorry ’bout that.” as I walk out.

Dromedarian Straw
Just off the top of my head, here are things, both big and small, that have bugged and frustrated me lately:
– Our fridge keeps malfunctioning. Every so often, the compressor stops working and it causes the fridge to lose its ability to freeze for a number of hours. Things get defrosted, and eventually the fridge will work again for a number of days. Can’t trust it though.
– The bathroom troubles: tub faucet broke. toilet bolt broke and soaked our floor. Pipe to toilet broke and re-soaked our floor. Have since had it all repaired.
– The tv broke. Still shows a picture, but the colour is screwed. The screen is now a series of rainbow-rings of colour.
– The cassette player in our car broke. Seems to have seized and won’t play cassettes.
– The driver’s side door power-window seems to be broken. It won’t go down all the way. Something must be obstructing its path.
– Having a hell of a time getting a simple bike repair job done at the usually reliable Smooth Cycle. Two weeks and counting on a chain-replacement that should take 2 days.

The Gods Of Moisture
By the gods of moisture, I have been spared. Firefighters Challenge cancelled due to rain. Too bad, ’cause I woulda nailed that competition. I’d have beaten them all. No, wait, I mean I’d have been nailed into a coffin.

Now that I have this second chance at life, I’m gonna live it to the fullest. Starting with nachos and cheese during tonight’s opening game of the 2003/2004 NFL football season.