tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32966202011-08-17T15:02:12.348+01:00Legal Alien: A Scotsman in MontrealPaulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.comBlogger7231100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1147744165737945482006-05-16T02:46:00.000+01:002006-05-16T02:49:36.136+01:00Internet IssuesOK, so I've been at my new place for 15 days, and the internet 'broke' 12 days ago and it's taken me that long to repair it. Mainly because I've not been here, also not helped by a lack of manual and the world's worst website... seriously, for customer support it's awful: here. But I've got it going now.I'll write more but I'm always tired on a Monday, what with starting at 7 and Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1146769324660933942006-05-04T19:57:00.000+01:002006-05-04T20:02:04.690+01:00More newsI think I have finally moved into my new apartment - I bought all the furniture at Ikea, and moved my stuff and just got myself some bedding today. I also went grocery shopping so I think I'm pretty much established. I still need to go to the dollar store to buy little stuff, but that should be a breeze.Ikea was a bit of an experience... got all the stuff back to the apartment, start Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1146067079349104812006-04-26T16:53:00.000+01:002006-04-26T16:58:02.686+01:00EquipOk, so my room is a blank canvas so to speak... and here's my list so far of what I need:Bed,Mattress,Chest of Drawers,Bedside Table,Desk,Chair,Light,Fan,Curtains/blinds,Laundry hamper,I've been looking at the ikea website, and am prob heading out there tonight... but I've been confused by the variety of mattresses on offer... any opinions out there as to whether foam or spring is better Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1145634170342762382006-04-21T16:36:00.000+01:002006-04-21T16:42:50.420+01:00Done!OK, so I've got my own place now! The place I went to see at the end was a bit of a dive - semi-basement, in the Village (complete with transvestite hooker on the corner apparently), and the room was just a section of the living room divided by a curtain. Nope, it's gonna be the quiet, relaxed life in the rarified area of Outremont.Now I just need to work out when to move in, and what Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1145458236256367942006-04-19T15:44:00.000+01:002006-04-19T15:50:36.306+01:00ProgressIt's all starting to come together now...I got my job offer from my games testers - I'll be a POC (Point of Communication), which means I get 7 of my own testers under me to do my bidding. That starts on the 8th. I dunno who I'm working for, nor what game it'll be, nor what system (altho maybe PS3). I also doubt I'll be allowed to tell anyone, certainly not on this website!!Also narrowed Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1144116674203403232006-04-04T02:59:00.000+01:002006-04-04T03:11:14.270+01:00More UpdatesI know, I know. I said I'd write more often.So, the past 2 weeks have basically been spent looking for a job... and... I think I've got one. I know I certainly had one.I'd been pounding the concrete recently, wandering around shopping malls, handing my CVs to managers and so on, and pretty much being spectacularly unsuccesful - working in a cutting-edge electronics research lab Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1142983168100588802006-03-21T23:12:00.000Z2006-03-21T23:19:28.103ZSwing... and a missWent to the bank and went to see the very nice accounts man. He didn't speak much English so I got to dust down my French for the first time in a while. Anyway, basically, he said I couldn't open an account until I had either proof of address or of employment. Which is understandable really. I thought my former account might swing things in my favour, but no luck.However, we Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1142817292646993492006-03-20T01:06:00.000Z2006-03-20T01:14:52.703ZWell, I'm here... now what?And so it starts anew. I packed, got on a plane, landed, unpacked, spent a few days getting to grips with my new situation and now tomorrow is Monday. And I have nothing to do. OK, that's not true, I have LOTS to do, but I don't have to do any of it, and I can do it all whenever I want... there's no structure to my days anymore. This is put in contrast to Ash, who has Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1140785643050280242006-02-24T12:48:00.000Z2006-02-24T12:54:03.103ZLast day......of work. Feels a bit weird. Most other 'last days' I've experienced have been group affairs: last day of high school, of university, of holidays and so on. This one though is my own personal, last day. To everyone else it's just Friday.Still, I get a leaving do. Now this is a first. I mean I got a good luck card when I left Edinburgh (but i was only a student on work placement for 9Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1139581297753019672006-02-10T14:20:00.000Z2006-02-10T14:21:37.766ZHere we go againAnother fine time-wasting adventure. This time you must escape...The White Chamber!I did it in about 30-40 mins, doing the others in the series helped, but I confess I got lucky a few times....Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1139312734278256572006-02-07T11:42:00.000Z2006-02-07T11:45:34.290ZMore UpdatesWell, the biggest news is that I have received word that my work authorisation letter has been issued so I can go to the Ball... I mean, Canada! All I have to do now is fork out the money for return flights and the compulsory insurance that BUNAC make you take... which ain't cheap. And I seem to have a problem buying plane tickets that last a year.... the BA website is being too Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1138969615907433672006-02-03T12:20:00.000Z2006-02-03T12:26:55.923ZArrowsLast night the football team held a social night, and we went to have a darts night at the local snooker clube. It was a good laugh, 16 players, a Cup competition and a Plate competition (for those knocked out in the first round of the Cup). I did ok, but was robbed:I, "Captain Bullseye" as I was known on the oche, lost in the first round of the Cup to "The Gut" but had a barnstorming run Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1138892769701086262006-02-02T15:04:00.000Z2006-02-02T15:06:09.736ZSuggestion for the next England managerHe knows all about winning trophies. He captained his country with great distinction, and as player or manager has won the World Cup and the European Championship. In fact, in his playing career he was an ever-present in three World Cups and his total of 19 appearances in finals has been beaten by only five players in the history of the game. With his club Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1138799650423671192006-02-01T13:12:00.000Z2006-02-01T13:14:10.436ZThis one's for you BuntzSo... when I arrive on your site and it says to contact you to get a login and password, exactly where do I find the contact details to do so? (ok, this is kinda academic since I actually DO have your email address, but what if someone doesn't?)Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1138634958243806102006-01-30T15:22:00.000Z2006-01-30T15:29:18.293ZMalwareI've spent quite a large portion of the past few days trying to debug A's computer which is now seemingly riddled with worms and viruses. They're proving to be pretty stubborn little buggers. It's hard to find them when they're on your own computer, but to try and fix them remotely without the other person knowing much about computers is a bit of a nightmare. I got rid of most of them by Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1138289584473052722006-01-26T15:27:00.000Z2006-01-26T15:33:04.476ZTo summariseSo what HAS been going on in the past...uhhh...6 weeks. Well, in once sense quite a lot. I have: - been to Canada for Christmas and met the other half's family - went to Venice for New Year's with my parents and A met my parents - applied for my 12 month work permit, and am hopefully merely waiting for it to pop through the post (in 4-5 weeks) - handed in my notice at work: I finish Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1138275994381322112006-01-26T11:43:00.000Z2006-01-26T11:46:34.396ZIt lives!Ooops. OK, so I keep meaning to post updates here but keep forgetting... I am going to make a conscious effort now to be more proactive... starting tomorrow....or maybe just at lunchtime... I feel I'm now caught in a vicious circle because I haven't posted in a while no-one will check the site and thus it's pointless me contiuning... I guess I just have to shout into the abyss for a Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1133361218453586022005-11-30T14:32:00.000Z2005-11-30T14:34:31.556ZTis almost the season to be grumpy......so why not build a snowman?Check out the gallery too, some people clearly have too much time on their hands.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1132571638050579512005-11-21T11:10:00.000Z2005-11-21T11:13:58.096ZIdeas for Xmas Gifts: #2 - Sensible Soccer 2 Player Plug 'n' PlayOK, this one I DO want, and this is BEFORE I realised it also came with Cannon Fodder AND Mega-lo-Mania. My only concern is that it's the Megadrive version not the Amiga one...."Yes indeed, the Sensible Soccer Plug 'n' Play plugs straight into your TV, allowing you to bend and spray the ball within minutes. No consoles or cartridgesPaulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1132055155396376452005-11-15T11:40:00.000Z2005-11-15T11:45:55.430ZIdeas for Xmas Gifts: #1N.B. I don't mean gifts for me specifically - this isn't a wish list - it's just a few novel ideas (maybe, depending on if I find others - and if anyone has any suggestions mail/comment me)NightStar - a magnetic rechargeable LED torch - £30 Never needs bulbs or batteries and has no parts to wear out. Reliable, compact, tough, waterproof, virtually indestructible and Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1131989787642382862005-11-14T17:25:00.000Z2005-11-14T17:36:27.723ZI'm getting bad at thisApologies once again for my absence, I was away for work and then in Montreal for a week visiting ma belle. Apologies also to my Montreal friends whom I didn't contact, which makes all of you, as my time was rather exclusively monopolised by said girl :)Don't take the train on a SundayAs mentioned above I had to be away for work recently, which meant a trip down to Oxford Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1130171545813553352005-10-24T17:27:00.000+01:002005-10-24T17:32:25.893+01:00Killing TimeIf like me, you ever need to kill a few minutes/hours and feel like dusting down the old problem-solving parts to your brain, here's a couple of links for you...Can you...Escape the Crimson Room?Escape the Viridian Room?Escape the Blue Chamber?Free the BalloonI've done all of them, so you can ask for hints in the comments if you're stuck. Parts of some are quite fiendish!And if you Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1129906524606625762005-10-21T15:44:00.000+01:002005-10-21T15:55:24.720+01:00An Eye for an EyeI was playing football (soccer) last Saturday and went in for a 50-50 challenge for the ball. Somehow the ball ended up ricocheting into my face at full speed, or more specifically my eye. At first I thought it was just another ball-to-face incident like many other except when I opened my left eye, I couldn't see the bottom part of my vision, it was like there was a big black Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1126041685372538902005-09-06T22:16:00.000+01:002005-09-06T22:21:25.380+01:00Always read the small printI know some of you will probably have read my latest news update and thought "WTF does he think he's doing! Is he crazy?" which is really fairly understandable. So I thought I'd explain a little further:I was always hoping to move back to Canada after I finished here in Durham and as I've just found out my contract runs out this November instead of next, now seems a Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1125867501865426482005-09-04T21:50:00.000+01:002005-09-04T21:58:21.940+01:00So, what did I miss?Been a while huh? I think I realised that blogging is a habit, and if you get out of the groove for a bit, it's quite hard to get back in. My apologies to anyone who was wondering what was going on...... well, quite a lot has happened recently. I guess the real big news is that I have started a long distance relationship with a girl in Montreal. I'm totally crazy about her andPaulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1122549022636778522005-07-28T12:05:00.000+01:002005-07-28T12:10:22.670+01:00Because I'm worth itOk, so ignoring the fact that I just missed my bus back to Durham from work, I am now officially on holiday! After slogging my guts out for the past month and hauling my ass back and forth from Oxford, where the expression "It's Monday, so we must be in Oxford" has literal meaning, I am now free to go and enjoy myself for two sun-drenched, fun-filled weeks in good ole MontrealPaulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1121958670403954502005-07-21T16:08:00.000+01:002005-07-23T14:25:17.293+01:00Guest Post by JanePlease post a link to the petition to ban glue traps. They are needlessly cruel. If someone has a mouse or rat problem, they should educate themselves first before setting down glue traps and poisons - there are more humane ways to rid yourself of the problem.Read about glue traps and sign the http://www.petitiononline.com/gtraps05/petition.html">petition and keep any insulting Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1121869909681778072005-07-20T15:21:00.000+01:002005-07-20T15:31:49.726+01:00D'oh!A while back I wrote a very cryptic and secretive post about being let down by a friend, but I never extrapolated on the details as I was told in confidence. Anyway, basically on the back of being told, I had to make a judgement call between whose word was stronger and I ended up cutting off communication with my friend without saying why, to no protest from them.However, now it looks as Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1121765103174408862005-07-19T10:23:00.000+01:002005-07-19T10:25:03.183+01:00Following the disaster in London . . .East Anglian Ambulance Service have launched a national "In case ofEmergency ( ICE )" campaign with the support of Falklands war heroSimon Weston.The idea is that you store the word " I C E " in your mobile phoneaddress book, and against it enter the number of the person you wouldwant to be contacted "In Case of Emergency".In an emergency situation ambulance Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1121333467442598232005-07-14T10:26:00.000+01:002005-07-14T10:31:07.450+01:00Where fore art thou?Soooooo busy with work right now - big deadlines coming up, which speaking at 10am on the day of a deadline, I think we're going to miss. Everything looked like it was coming together but then some almighty cock-ups by our Procurement Office, which seemed to cascade one after the other, has screwed us royally.I think I understand now the principle behind privatising state Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1120808751618680912005-07-08T08:29:00.000+01:002005-07-08T13:37:02.490+01:00Media Reaction to London BombingsI was kind of worried about the backlash that would happen from this tragedy, and I may have been right; here are some excerpts from the Press (courtesy of BBC News):"we shall have vengeance and justice," says the Sun (bold added)."Make no mistake Britain will almost certainly have to sacrifice some of our ancient legal rights if we wish to protect our citizens." Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1120739054830089442005-07-07T13:08:00.000+01:002005-07-07T13:24:14.876+01:00Reaction to London bombingsJust in case you haven't heard, it looks like there has been a co-ordinated terrorist attack on London. I'm thankful that I only know 2 or 3 people who live there, but I don't know they're safe yet, so a little worry does remain.It's weird, I was in Montreal for 9/11, I was in Spain for the Madrid bombings - I even stayed in Madrid before and after the attack - but I'vePaulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1120505787928802212005-07-04T20:33:00.000+01:002005-07-04T20:36:27.956+01:00Found them!Click on the picture to get to the index.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1120482097278395492005-07-04T13:55:00.000+01:002005-07-04T14:01:37.303+01:00PhotosOk, I uploaded all my photos somewhere onto my blog, but can't find them cos I can't FTP thru' my work firewall. However, there are a few more select ones on my Flickr account.Here are my ones from SicilyI also reorganised my sets into People, Places and Arty. It's pretty self-explanatory, the last category is more me just experimenting or taking shots that appeal to me visually rather thanPaulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1120137944085043762005-06-30T14:10:00.000+01:002005-06-30T14:25:44.110+01:00Oh. My. God.Crazy, crazy, crazy couple of days.On Monday at around 3pm it was decided that the test that I might have had to do down at Oxford before I went to Sicily, should be carried out the next day. Mmmm... not ideal, but do-able so I guess I jump on a plane then.Unfortunately this would mean taking the equipment through security and one of the bits is a sealed metal box, which is full of Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1119858540271341832005-06-27T08:29:00.000+01:002005-06-27T08:49:00.353+01:00Guess who's back?   Back home and back at work despite only getting back to my house about 9 hours ago - what a trooper! Unfortunately my bag didn't make it - I'm pretty sure it is stuck at Milan airport. To be honest, I didn't really expect it to make it, Alitalia were sort of on strike (some of them were, some weren't) and as my connection was quite tight I didn't think it would Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1119010406578655762005-06-17T13:08:00.000+01:002005-06-17T13:14:48.386+01:00Leaving on a jet plane     I am going to a conference next week out in Sicily. It does mean that I have to get a taxi to the airport at the scandalously early time of 5h15!! Still it's all expenses paid, in some sort of luxury beach resort. I just checked the forecast... mmmm... better take the sunscreen methinks. Anyway, apparently there's not much in the way of internet Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1118751764542424052005-06-14T13:14:00.000+01:002005-06-14T13:22:44.550+01:00Bad karmaOk, I must have done something bad in a previous life. J has to be back here for the 22nd and was planning on arriving on the Sunday. However, that Sunday is the day I fly out for my conference in Sicily. So she says that she might be able to come up on the Thursday. Cool, I think. Then my boss tells me there's a chance I may have to go down to Oxford and take some parts for testing. ButPaulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1118675575444538602005-06-13T16:08:00.000+01:002005-06-13T16:12:55.463+01:00QUICK!   The BBC is offering free downloads of Beethoven's symphonies as performed by the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra. Symphonies 1 and 3 are only available for another 90mins but 2, 4 and 5 last until tomorrow.Hey, I don't know anything about classical music, but I do know value and with free the quality to cost ratio reaches infinity!Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1118401087496115062005-06-10T11:45:00.000+01:002005-06-10T12:00:28.846+01:00Seen at the bus stop last night      A bird of prey, either a kestrel or a falcon, hovering over the field next to me about 10m away. It didn't dive so I guess whatever it was looking at got away. I don't think falcons can hover can they, so I reckon it must have been a kestrel. That adds to the wild rabbits and pheasants I sometimes startle as I walk the 200m from my Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1118231075316464872005-06-08T12:33:00.000+01:002005-06-08T12:44:35.350+01:00So just how far is "long"Having recently successfully managed to attract girls who either live in, or are immediately destined to live in, places different to myself, obviously the question of long-distance relationships has raised its head. The question is, just what makes the relationship long distance? I think a key could be the use of the word "long" rather than say "far". It's not so much Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1117794357070587422005-06-03T11:22:00.000+01:002005-06-03T13:26:18.233+01:00I can pick 'emMet up with the girl, J, last night. Basically confirmed what I thought, her friend was a looney and she's quite normal and is pretty cool actually. We got on really well, but, and you knew there was a 'but' coming didn't you, she leaves Durham tomorrow and is moving to Hereford, which is about 300 miles away. Marvellous.You gotta laughCourtesy of JR in the comments, some of the Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1117557506359743532005-05-31T17:24:00.000+01:002005-05-31T17:38:26.396+01:00Weirdo AlertI was in a club over the weekend, and I spotted this girl on the dance floor and there was some eye contact and smiling, but I noticed she was dancing with some other guy. There doesn't appear to be anything between them and she is looking at me, so I move a bit closer and her friend slides round to block. Mmmm... ok, perhaps there is something going on there then. But the looks and Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1117018053536996952005-05-25T11:40:00.000+01:002005-05-25T14:28:16.480+01:00Out of 10, today is about -928 - nothing is going right at work, looks like the deadline to ship will be missed - the parts that we've been waiting over 6 months for, arrived today, 4 months late and are wrong. how the fuck did they get it wrong????? - how can liking someone too much be a valid reason to break off contact? - i can't even remember the last time i did something for myself, Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1116591091151915262005-05-20T13:08:00.000+01:002005-05-20T13:31:55.953+01:00Things that suck on your birthday1) Being sick - and not from overexuberant celebrating2) This as the weather forecast icon for your area Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1115986649756823582005-05-13T13:07:00.000+01:002005-05-13T13:17:29.786+01:00Best Game EverI apologise in advance for any lost hours that are a result of this post. When I was a kid, I played on my ZX Spectrum +2 computer, which grew archaic until finally computer companies stopped producing games for it. However, due to the inherent graphics constrictions some of the most wonderfully playable games emerged, and one of my favourites was Chaos. And now I've found it onlinePaulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1115728843734511412005-05-10T13:32:00.000+01:002005-05-10T13:40:44.046+01:00Star WarsHonestly, I don't really think the Star Wars films are all that amazing. Fine as a kid, but, y'know so was Twins. I still find watching Spaceballs has more appeal than watching Empire Strikes Back. Maybe this is also inspired by a reaction to the overhyping of the prequels.Anyway, someone else agrees with me and has found 40 or so reasons to back it up - from the Guardian's Film Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1115677294702606512005-05-09T23:11:00.000+01:002005-05-09T23:21:34.946+01:00UpdatesKind of got out of sync there for a bit, hence the lack of posts. There's also been too much to comment on:1) the election: despite the underwhelming experience that casting your vote actually is, i can't say i'm unhappy with the results2) "i have never" is a very dangerous game to play with friends, you may have to make a secrecy pact afterwards3) i saw hitchhikers guide to the galaxy andPaulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1115033757150437842005-05-02T12:28:00.000+01:002005-05-02T12:35:57.150+01:00Things that go bump in the nightAs far as sounds go that you don't want to hear at midnight, I'd say that a helicopter hovering over the maximum security prison that is 200m down the street is right up there. Luckily there were no sirens or dogs barking, so I guess no-one got out.What isn't reassuring is the fact that I know it's possible to take shortcut by going over the prison walls at one Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1114705777047709522005-04-28T17:27:00.000+01:002005-04-28T17:29:37.046+01:00Even worse than "the dog ate it"Genuine reasons for sick leave given by a member of the department:1) "I was bitten by a moth"2) "I can't get my trousers on cos my stomach is too swollen"3) "I didn't get any sleep last night because of the noise of the hedgehogs rutting outside"Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1114298457305067652005-04-24T00:17:00.000+01:002005-04-24T00:20:57.306+01:00I have white headphones, please rob meOk, take a standard 5GB iPoD. Take a standard MP3 track at 4MB. That means you can get 1250 tracks in the iPoD. At 99c a track bought from iTunes, that makes over $1000.And people expect legal downloads to ever be the main source of MP3s?Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1114080070514959942005-04-21T11:37:00.000+01:002005-04-21T11:41:10.516+01:00I dare you not to laughProof that laughter is infectious! An audio file of some guy calling his boss but who then witnesses a car accident and describes the following melee.Totally safe for work, though it is quite long (3mins) and you may end up laughing a lot.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1114003401524997792005-04-20T14:14:00.000+01:002005-04-20T14:23:21.526+01:00What's in a name?So my university has just invested in a new "corporate visual identity." Or in other words, a logo. I shudder to think how much time and effort went into this but we changed from this to this What's scary are the rules and regulations surrounding the use of it. Here is a handy guide to what you're NOT allowed to do 1. Rearrange the colours 2. Create the marque in any other Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1113904872114431052005-04-19T10:59:00.000+01:002005-04-19T11:01:12.116+01:00pt IIIf someone tells you something about a friend in confidence, can you or should you break that confidence to confront your friend about it?Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1113830042538704532005-04-18T14:05:00.000+01:002005-04-18T14:14:02.536+01:00ShhhhhSo I've not been posting recently. Usually that means nothing is going on, but actually there's a whole pile of stuff going on right now but for the first time I don't really feel like I can write about it.It's not that it's too personal for me to write about, but it concerns people who may every once in a while read this blog. So for the first time, I regret not having anonymity.Having Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1113482346460875682005-04-14T13:36:00.000+01:002005-04-14T13:39:06.460+01:00Just how much do you trust your local scientist?Looking at the potential catastrophes that could wipe out the human race and this one caught my eye:"we did some calculations to find out if the Brookhaven particle accelerator was capable of forming such a black hole. We are now pretty certain this state of matter won't form at Brookhaven and that the Earth won't be swallowed when these particles Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1113227386104171882005-04-11T13:45:00.000+01:002005-04-11T14:49:46.106+01:00Doug, you may want to look awayWent back up to Edinburgh on Friday night to hang out with some old friends. In the end me, Doug, Neil B and Neil C and his girlfriend went out for some beers at around 9. NC and Hannah went home at around midnight I guess but me, Doug and Neil stayed on and kept drinking. Closing time came and we were getting kicked out so I downed the what was left of my drink andPaulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1112874153885848552005-04-07T12:36:00.000+01:002005-04-07T12:42:33.886+01:00Art imitating LifeOne of my friends, currently between jobs, has created a baseball team for his PS2 game made entirely out his friends. This is cooler than it sounds, especially given the details it is possible to go into. For example, here's the press release from his acquisition of me:Labatt Park, MTL - The Expos added some depth in the infield in their recent aquisition of Paul Berry. Paul Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1112789836887157222005-04-06T13:13:00.000+01:002005-04-06T13:17:16.890+01:00Life is dangerousStatistics from the UK's health service of injuries in the past 12 months (n.b. this includes injuries abroad which require treatment at home):451 people stung by hornets46 bitten by venomous snakes and lizards24 bitten by rats15 injured in contact with a marine mammal2 people bitten by centipedes1 attacked by an alligator 54 people struck by lightning37 victims of "volcanic Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1112718422024323832005-04-05T17:18:00.000+01:002005-04-05T17:27:02.026+01:00TestsRecently my comments links from YACCS haven't been loading great, so I'm trying out Blogger's version. Any feedback as to whether these are better, clearer, faster or indeed the opposite, would be appreciated.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1112615038541343622005-04-04T12:32:00.000+01:002005-04-04T12:43:58.543+01:00Silence of the LambsSince it's now officially summer, what with the clocks changing and all, the weather has been much nicer so I decided to go on a bike ride. The local council has produced some quite extensive maps of the area with all the cycle routes marked making it quite easy to find a decent ride.My route took me back past the place where I went to the surely illegal forest party/rave, outPaulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1112347710991440992005-04-01T10:25:00.000+01:002005-04-01T10:28:30.993+01:00Can you spot the true story amongst the April Fools? - Burger King introduced a new a "left-handed Whopper" in the US in 1998 designed for the 32 million left-handed Americans. The new burger had the same ingredients as the original but all the condiments were rotated 180 degrees. - It emerged earlier this year that elephants have hitherto unheralded powers to mimic sounds, including birds, and Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1112263856521958852005-03-31T11:08:00.000+01:002005-03-31T11:10:56.523+01:00MP3 ESP?Lack of sleep and post-holiday funk meant I was feeling pretty down this morning so what does my MP3 player (the oh-so-funky IRiver 899 which kicks IPods ass) throw up from its random selection:"(Happiest Day of my life is) Day that I die" - Good Charlotte"Ashes" - Embrace"Everybody Hurts" - REMIt's a wonder I didn't top myself before I got to work.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1112186933531499992005-03-30T13:36:00.000+01:002005-03-30T13:48:53.533+01:00Montreal thoughtsAs I have been explaining in the comments of my previous post - I visit Montreal fairly often as I used to live there but have now returned to my UK homeland. Usually when I go back there, I feel like I'm home again but this time I felt rather disconnected from the city. Instead of the streets seeming really familiar, I just noticed all the changes; all of a sudden it wasn't MY Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1112045124261934752005-03-28T22:23:00.000+01:002005-03-28T22:25:24.263+01:00Merci pour votre comprehensionNormal service will be resumed shortly. I've had quite a bizarre week out here in Montreal. I guess I'll post more when I get back, though I don't know yet just how much I should write.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1110898440774005752005-03-15T14:48:00.000Z2005-03-15T14:54:00.776ZTime to take a chill pillMan, I deserve this holiday! I part tomorrow for Montreal, where I get to spend just shy of 2 hopefully stress-free weeks. To be fair, I've done all the stress for the next fortnight over the last 7 days trying to get stuff ready. However, everything looks in order, pieces are falling into place and I should be able to kick on when I return.Also, for my long-suffering Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1110374961899409242005-03-09T12:32:00.000Z2005-03-09T13:29:21.900ZSo much to do, so little time to do it inNo Girl gossip. I got a text from Neil to say he was in town and wondering if he could crash at mine again. After 5 minutes dilemma, I decided to blow Girl off and go out with Neil instead - a good decision as it turned out cos we got to eat on his expenses account! I did manage to reschedule the 'date' until today after training so it looks like it's all Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1110203127411214942005-03-07T13:38:00.000Z2005-03-07T13:45:27.413ZChock-a-blockA pretty quiet weekend - didn't go out but succeeded in doing a few chores and buying some stuff that I hadn't gotten round to yet; chief of which was a new pot for my plant. I've had that plant for going on 5 years now and it's grown pretty big. I should have repotted it more often though - the plant pot was just one big root system, and I had to break the plastic to get the plant Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1109870682836201802005-03-03T17:19:00.000Z2005-03-03T17:24:42.836ZNotes to self:1) make sure you know which way to turn the valve on the liquid nitrogen tank when your cryostat has just filled up2) opening the valve fully into a full cryostat sitting on the floor will cause liquid nitrogen to spurt up to shoulder level3) liquid nitrogen feels hot when splashed on bare skinPaulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1109796348110652462005-03-02T20:34:00.000Z2005-03-02T21:15:46.430ZHow to hunt an elephant   Computer Programmers hunt elephants by exercising Algorithm A:1. Go to Africa.2. Start at the Cape of Good Hope.3. Work northward in an orderly manner, traversing the continent alternately east and west.4. During each traverse pass: catch each animal seen, compare each animal caught to a known elephant, stop when a match is detected.Experience Computer Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1109596867339784782005-02-28T13:17:00.000Z2005-02-28T13:21:07.340ZThe ScenarioGirl is introduced to Boy in group of friends. Boy finds out Girl has boyfriend (but maybe long-distance). Boy and Girl get on well. Girl gets up to go home, but before she does, Girl gives Boy her number without Boy asking.Should Boy assume that meeting for drinks would be a date?Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1109596622461288042005-02-28T13:08:00.000Z2005-02-28T13:17:02.460ZBest of the RestOK, so the 3 mini-rounds are over and we're left with:In the red corner: Pulp Fiction In the blue corner: 2001: A Space OdysseyIn the green corner: Raging BullFor me, it has to be 2001. Perhaps not in terms of enjoyment, but I remember being totally amazed and awestruck by it. Ok, so the ending sucks, but it's not really a film with a standard plot line so it's forgivable in my Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1109248714609975572005-02-24T12:20:00.000Z2005-02-24T12:38:34.610ZLosers pt IIIMore Oscar nomination goodness. Today is a bit of a problem though:A Matter of Life and Death vs Wizard of Oz vs Raging BullRespectively, they lost out to The Best Years of Our Lives (I don't think AMOLAD was even nominated), Gone With the Wind and Ordinary People.OK, confession time, I've never really heard of, I haven't seen Wizard of Oz since I hit double figures and ashamedly, Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1109158090118213712005-02-23T11:10:00.000Z2005-02-23T11:28:10.120ZLosers pt IIDon't forget you can still vote for the first heat below.OK today we have: 2001: A Space Odyssey (beaten by Oliver in 1969!)Citizen Kane (beaten by How Green Was My Valley in 1942)The Sixth Sense (beaten by American Beauty in 2000)Hmmmm.... spot the odd one out. I guess The Sixth Sense is included cos it was THE movie that everyone talked about that year, but I don't think it's betterPaulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1109068467154598902005-02-22T10:19:00.000Z2005-02-22T10:36:52.283ZLosers There's a straw poll being done on the radio show I listen to in the morning as to which is the best film never to win the Best Picture Oscar. There are 9 nominees and there's gonna be 3 mini-rounds each day and then a grand finale on Friday of the winners. I thought about trying to do the same thing on this site, but with my small readership the possibility of a draw is too high - so Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1108996274991006722005-02-21T14:17:00.000Z2005-02-21T14:31:48.913ZWinter wonderlandCame home from the pub early(ier) on Saturday night cos I was playing football the next day, it was a fine night, a little chilly perhaps. Woke up the next morning, looked outside, 2 inches of snow! No match, which meant I could curl back up in bed with my hangover.It's kept snowing ever since practically. There's now over 6 inches at work, which consequently means that the bus Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1108733122812081482005-02-18T13:15:00.000Z2005-02-18T13:25:22.816ZMoving up in the worldFirstly, after two-thirds of a season and about 5 games, I have been named captain of the staff football team. Hee! Of course, the fact that our two other captains are both unable to play lessens the effect slightlyThen at work, my boss tells me that he is nominating me to be the work packet manager for a project we're applying for funding on. Apparently, it's got a Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1108648377925160952005-02-17T13:52:00.000Z2005-02-17T13:52:57.926ZGuttedThis news story about one of Glasgow's famous statues... (links to BBC news)Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1108646987419507012005-02-17T13:25:00.000Z2005-02-17T13:29:47.420ZMaffsYou don't need a degree to understand the following equation:The integral of beer and no food between straight after training to pub closing time is a very, very sore head in the morning.Which reminds me:Why is there no aspirin in the jungle?Cos the parrots eat 'em allPaulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1108561324140764772005-02-16T13:26:00.000Z2005-02-16T13:42:04.146Z"Awwww" or "Aaaagh!"I was talking with a friend and they asked what type of movie I would prefer to see, a sad movie or a scary one? I thought about this for a bit - neither is exactly my favourite genre of cinema but I reckoned that 2 out of 3 times I'd choose the scary one. I think the dilemma lies in that most sad movies are usually better than scary ones. In order to be sad, there's usually Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1108495349140595032005-02-15T19:19:00.000Z2005-02-15T19:22:29.140ZThe back of the bus, they cannae sing...The bus company held a competition to win the reserved back seat of the bus for you and your partner's journey this Valentine's Day, complete with roses, chocolates and a card. You just had to phone in to say why you should win.Weird.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1108473945826141022005-02-15T13:11:00.000Z2005-02-15T13:25:45.826ZV-DayNot much to report from my point of view, although I did kind of, sort of send something, except it was practical rather than romantic, won't have arrived yet, wasn't for V-Day and is to a girl with whom it's almost impossible be with.On the other hand, Neil, who was staying with me for the weekend, does have a girlfriend and did need to send her something since they live apart. Except he'd Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1108041984914937562005-02-10T13:21:00.000Z2005-02-10T13:26:24.913ZOK, it's cheap but is IKEA really that good?
They opened a new IKEA store in London. At midnight. With special offers ending at 3am. The result? People started queueing at 6pm, people abandoned their cars on the roads, people charged in at midnight, people jumped the queue infuriating those that had waited, a massive surge resulted and in the end the store was open for 30 minutes and 5 people Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1107863453940898502005-02-08T10:56:00.000Z2005-02-08T11:57:52.910ZCulture Vulture
I was away with the folks in the Lake District over the weekend. The Lakes, as they're known, are a kind of National Park on the west coast of northern England. The meteorologists amongst you may have alarm bells ringing already; lakes, thus probably mountains, and the west coast of Britain can only mean one thing: rain. Oh yes, lots of rain. It pretty much didn't stop all Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1107459970172750872005-02-03T19:36:00.000Z2005-02-03T19:46:10.173ZWho let the dogs out?
One of the weirdest things about my new commute to work is that the bus route passes a notorious "dogging" site. For those of a non-UK vocabulary, below is a defintion pasted from the Swingers Heaven website:
Dogging is a predominantly British activity that involves outdoor exhibitionism in car-parks, wooded areas and the like. The term dogging originated in the early Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1107350774553450482005-02-02T13:13:00.000Z2005-02-02T13:26:14.553ZZoom Airlines Suck
You may remember that I had a pretty shocking trip home from Canada at New Year. After various trials and tribulations it looked like things were getting sorted out; my second item of luggage made it back to me after 3 weeks! And it had been through the mill, it was almost black, one end of the tube had fallen off and it was ripped in the middle. Still everything inside was Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1107251774822441952005-02-01T09:54:00.000Z2005-02-01T09:57:01.723ZTuesday Tickler
Since y'all thought my last joke sucked, failing to embrace it's simultaneous wit and social commentary, I decided to try again:
- Knock knock
- Who's There?
- Michael
- Michael who?
- You're on the jury
Funny and topical!Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1107181115046296592005-01-31T13:54:00.000Z2005-01-31T14:19:43.226ZFunky Foreign Flicks
My bro got me a DVD for Christmas, specially imported from Japan. It was a 3 DVD set in a shiny silver box and said on the front in big letters CASSHERN. It looked cool, so I turned to the back to find out what it was about, but was confronted with lines of Japanese. Ah. Still, my bro had seen it, said it was good, and I guess had picked up on the fact that I like stuff likePaulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1106917763816888772005-01-28T13:01:00.000Z2005-01-28T13:09:23.816ZProductivity
What with the network being down at work and then my being sick yesterday, you'd think the gap may have resulted in sthg good to post. But all I've got is this joke:
A guy goes into a sandwich shop and says, "I'll have a turkey sandwich please."
The man behind the counter replies, "Sorry, we don't have any turkey."
"Ok," says the customer. "I'll have chicken then."
"Listen, mate. Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1106578038198067722005-01-24T14:41:00.000Z2005-01-24T14:47:18.196ZAnd I said, "Let there be light!"
It may not look like much to you, but the photo below is the culmination of about 13 months work. It's the image from the old engineering grade CCD using the new controller running with my software and my new prototype pre-amp board.
What you can see is the monitor viewed through the centre of a mounting port support. The sharp-eyed might notice that the Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1106572153711231842005-01-24T13:03:00.000Z2005-01-24T13:09:13.710ZThe answers
OK, the remaining two songs for the Challenge.
6) The revolution will not be right back after a message
about a white tornado, white lightning, or white people.
You will not have to worry about a dove in your
bedroom, a tiger in your tank, or the giant in your toilet bowl.
This is "The Revolution will not be televised" by Gil Scott-Heron. An absolute classic, maybe more of a poem Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1106123044915002972005-01-19T08:22:00.000Z2005-01-19T08:24:04.916ZThoughts of the Day
A shout out to Gareth who seemed fine when I was out with him on Friday but who woke up on Saturday feeling nauseous with blurred vision and slurred speech. After no improvement, he went to hospital on Sunday and has his CAT scan today. Fingers crossed buddy.Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1106056084733366292005-01-18T13:26:00.000Z2005-01-20T22:32:15.923ZThe challenge is issued - UPDATED - AGAIN!!!
Update 2: Seems I spoke to soon, now all that's left is 6 and 10. Still surprised by no-one knowing 6 - 5 of the 6 words of the song title are in the lyrics, and it's a classic. 10 is virtually impossible, but some clues: it was in a Budweiser advert and my version is by George Thorogood.
Update: Not a bad start. Four Five guessed already although I Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1105967566426528332005-01-17T13:05:00.000Z2005-01-17T13:12:46.426ZToday is the first day of...
... the new bus route. Normally I get the X1 bus to work and it costs me 1.60 each way, but I often just buy a weekly pass for 18 quid to save the hassle of me needing money every morning and afternoon. The university runs a free bus service, the X11, out to another campus and it bypasses my new work site. At our request, the bus company (after having already Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1105708585182269852005-01-14T13:05:00.000Z2005-01-14T13:16:25.183Z Slow Motion
Man, this has been a long week at work. Thankfully we have what is being dubbed a "jamboree" which according to wordreference.com means a "gay activity." Alas fun-seekers, it shall not be; instead every member in our group, of which there about 30, has to stand up and give a 90 second, one-viewgraph presentation as to who we are and what we do. Simply because we have lots of new Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1105538086847661692005-01-12T13:49:00.000Z2005-01-12T13:54:46.846ZImagine... a life before blogging
One of the best things about this blog - aside from the people I've met and friends I've made through it - is that it serves as a great diary. Not in terms of expressing my innermost feelings or emotions but more as a calendar; I can now jump back two years to almost any particular day and see what I was doing. And that is as good a reason as any to keep it Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1105448818683436892005-01-11T13:52:00.000Z2005-01-11T13:08:41.360ZMy Hogmanay
It was really good, for seemingly the first time in ages. I had no big plans, just heading over to a friend's place who was having a party. My old roommate Phil came over in the evening, we hung out, drank a few beers and decided to head off to the party at around 10pm! The party was quite chilled, I didn't know many people but it was friendly. It was soon midnight and after everyonePaulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1105020094893647672005-01-06T13:48:00.000Z2005-01-06T14:01:34.893ZOne of the weirdest nights out ever
It was Wednesday and I'd be in Montreal for a few days and Dave and I decided we should do something. Dave invited his buddy Louis over and he turned up at around 4:30pm. We started smoking and drinking, playing a few games and pretty soon the case of beer was gone. We decided to go out and play some pool at Fats (where else?). So, at around 1am after a Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1104844202976678162005-01-04T13:24:00.000Z2005-01-04T15:47:06.716ZNot exactly the best trip home I've ever had
Firstly though, Happy New Year everyone.
Before I begin I should probably comment on the weather patterns of the previous few days in Montreal.
30th: cold, lots of frozen snow but sidewalks clear.
31st: warm, 5C, raining heavily, plus snow melt means lots of surface water and where this was on top of ice, quite slippy.
1st: cold again, all the Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3296620.post-1103844466276214652004-12-23T23:21:00.000Z2004-12-23T23:27:46.276ZWell, that's just marvellous
My longtime readers, if any exist, may be aware of the tumultuous relationship I had with a certain Quebecois girl in my past: Stephanie. It was a pretty bad break-up and it took me the longest time to get over her.
Anyway, I sent out a big Season's Greetings e-mail to people I don't really see anymore and she was included in the list. I also mention that I am Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04388729079115365899noreply@blogger.com1