Month: September 2008

Good Night

This is the final track on The White Album, which was a double album released in the UK in November 1968. It’s a tender ballad written by John Lennon and sung by Ringo Starr, whose voice suited the song’s mood perfectly. It was completed with a lush score by Beatles producer George Martin, who also conducted the orchestra of 26 musicians. Along with the Mike Sammes Singers choral overdubs it was all consigned to the oxide particles in a late night session in Studio 1 at Abbey Road on July 22, 1968.

Many have thought this was a Paul McCartney song due to its gentle nature, but it does show John could write for the two opposite ends of the spectrum from the rockers like “Revolution” to the gentle “Julia.” (thanks, David – Wolverhampton, United Kingdom, for above 2)

John Lennon wrote this lullaby for his son, Julian. Julian did not discover this was written for him until 12 years after it’s release on The White Album.

Ringo sang this accompanied by a 30 piece orchestra and a choir. He is the only Beatle to appear on the song.

The Orchestra was scored by Beatles producer George Martin.

Songfacts from http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=175

It’s the Seinfeld and Gates show!

I am not sure what I am supposed to make of these “commercials” with Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Gates. They are somewhere between a Seinfeld episode and that video of Bill Gates retiring.

I was surprised, but I actually laughed a number of times at this one:

First and foremost, this is funny. And that is the main point, I think. Enjoy!

A new form of tourism

I have heard of forms of tourism whereby travellers try to do good while visiting new places. But the Globe and Mail reports on a new form of tourism, whereby a

“stay at a remote country inn may not seem like an act of defiance. But as Eric Reguly reports, some of the loveliest guest houses in Sicily are former gangsters’ properties – part of a growing anti-Mafia tourism movement on the island”

See the Globe on a new form of ethical tourism here in this article, AWAY FROM THE MOB.

The Top 80 over 80

From time to time magazines and associations will feature people with stories like: the top 30 under 30. Big deal! What is a big deal is Slate’s 80 over 80: The most powerful octogenarians in America. – – Slate Magazine

There are a lot of famous people over 80, over 90 even, that are still doing great things. Slate does an excellent job of telling you who they are, what they have done, and what they are doing, post 80.

For example, Cloris Leachman is 82 and is currently competing on the seventh season of Dancing with the Stars. And Jacques Barzun, who is 100, is a French-American scholar who has published nine books since turning 80. His last one at age 97,

Hey! You too can star in a Chinese propaganda poster!

Yes! You! You can have your face painted into a poster like this! Don’t believe it! Hah! Go to Maopost.com – Personalized Oil Paintings and see for yourself, capitalist running dog!

Now, I would just as soon see a black velvet painting of myself as have one of these, but this might be perfect for someone very political that you know (who has a good sense of irony and a good sense of humour!)

Now if someone were able to incorporate me into one of those posters of dogs playing cards….well, that I would like!

Chicken Manure to power 90,000 Homes in the Netherlands

According to this article at the blog, Inhabitat, it will produce 36.5 megawatts of power. And that’s just chickens! Other interesting facts:

  • it costs 150 million euros to build
  • it converts 440,000 tones of chicken manure into energy
  • it helps with global warming

For the latest…um, poop?, see the link to Inhabitat. And check out other things on that blog: it’s packed with interesting features.

Quote of the Week

“sexual relationships with prohibited sources cannot, by definition, be arms’ length.”

From one of the three reports just released this Wednesday regarding the U.S. Department of the Interior. The details, which could be good material for a ‘West Wing meets Desparate Housewives’ TV series, can be found in this article: Sex, Drug Use and Graft Cited in Interior Department – NYTimes.com

For those of you following the U.S. presidential election….

…you will want to keep tabs on FactCheck.org. It is a

“nonpartisan, nonprofit, “consumer advocate” for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics. We monitor the factual accuracy of what is said by major U.S. political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews, and news releases. Our goal is to apply the best practices of both journalism and scholarship, and to increase public knowledge and understanding.”

Both sides from time to time will stretch the truth and distort the facts. FactCheck.org should help you assess that.

Andre Picard thinks the “Handling of the listeriosis outbreak is a disgrace”

He makes a strong case for it here in this opinion piece in the globeandmail.com: Handling of the listeriosis outbreak is a disgrace. Regardless of whether or not you agree with him, he raises some good points. In particular:

“Whether it’s water, food or infectious diseases, the principles are the same: You need to invest in public health infrastructure, particularly in good people; you need to value prevention, not just pay lip service; when threats to public health occur, you need to act forcefully and communicate well.”

I would argue that we need to go further: people need to understand the costs and risks of the way we live as clearly as we can. Whether it is the food we eat, the air we breathe, or the planet we inhabit. The good news is that we are getting better at coming to this understanding, when we put ourselves to the task. The bad news is, we have a way to go. In some cases, a long way to go.

The 2008 Paralympic Games are on now. Learn more here.

The nytimes.com has what appears to be pretty good coverage of the games here: Paralympic Games

Besides the articles, great photos and other information, they also have links to other sites covering the games and lots of great YouTube videos.

I wish there was more and better coverage of these games. Not to mention better support for the athletes of these games. Perhaps in time, there will be. In the meantime, check it out at nytimes.com

A most Excellent Adventure

One of the blogs on my blogroll belongs to an IBM Canada employee on assignment in Japan. While that keeps him busy, he manages to make the most of his time in Asia, and, better yet, he blogs about it here: Konnichiwa

For another who wonders what such a life would be like, or would like a Canadian’s perspective on Japan and Asia, I highly recommend his blog. It’s a great read.

How to live in a small house

I blogged before about How to build a very small house.

The nytimes.com has more on the phenomena here in this article: The Next Little Thing?

There is a simplicity associated with small houses that makes them appealing. Cost is another thing. Some of them have a nomadic aspect to them that makes them desirable, while avoiding the association with trailer homes (perhaps due to the design of them).

While they are small, they are no smaller than many one room apartments or condos that people often settle into as they get older. Yet unlike those urban dwellings, these small spaces can sit in locations with great vistas. (At least in theory.)

I think as more people buy and use these homes, we’ll see just how practical they are and how much people really like them. It should be a facinating experience. Perhaps in the future we will all become nomads.

(The highly evocative photo is by Stephanie Diani for The New York Times and accompanies the article).

What are the must see films at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF)?

Well, it depends on who you ask. The Toronto Star did just this. They talked to various prominent festival goers and compiled their answers here: TheStar.com | Film Fest | TIFF’s must-see films.

Some of these will be no surprise (e.g., the new film from the Coen brothers). But others will be. Here’s a chance to start planning what to see either at the festival or in the upcoming months as these films come out for general release.

BTW, the Star has alot of good information on the Festival. Be sure to poke around their site.

How to deal with zombies

Does this happen to you? You look out the office window just before your commute home, and you think: Dang! The parking lot is packed with zombies! What am I supposed to do again?! Well, if you have a T-shirt showing this chart, you have all the info you need!

You can get such a fantastic article of clothing here: Threadless T-Shirts – In Case Of Zombies by Olly Moss

And for more zombie T-shirt goodness, go here

The world will be destroyed by a black hole tomorrow. Not.

So, should you be making plans for the 11th, knowing this? Well, according to this article, yes, you should:


The Large Hadron Collider Will Not Destroy the World Tomorrow, or Ever | Geekdad from Wired.com

While there has been talk that the LHC could create a black hole, it is extremely unlikely. Even if they do, they will barely exist before they disappear. And no, you can’t use miniature black holes to lose that extra 10 pounds you can never seem to lose. 🙂

Go to the Geekdad article for more information. And go ahead and make that dinner reservation for Friday.

Jaw dropping photos of hurricanes from space…

can be seen here: Hurricanes, as seen from orbit – The Big Picture – Boston.com. Really really great stuff. The size of the hurricanes really comes across so well in these photos. Truly awesome.

I love The Big Picture. It could also be called The Best Picture, since it always seems to have amazing photos.

The Big Picture: Life magazine for the Internet Age.

(Tip to kottke.org, who has the best links to everything).

What’s the matter with Andrew Sullivan?

This is not so much about his blog, but about his recent output. He typically blogs at least 6 posts a day, which, compared to others, is prolific. But he only had 1 post yesterday.

I hope he is ok. I highly recommend his blog, The Daily Dish | By Andrew Sullivan. Even when you don’t agree with him, he is always interesting, and I think he epitomizes what is best about blogging and bloggers.

Doubledecker buses in NYC

According to the nytimes, it looks like a “new behemoth double-decker bus today that will cruise city streets in a 30-day trial run”, the first time this has occurred since 1953. Not just cool looking, the new buses have lots of great new features, like the ability to run on ultra low sulfur fuel, and low floors which are great for those using wheelchairs.

New York could lead the way with these buses. Get more details here

If you need to buy new running shoes: here’s some good advice

Check out these sites for good information, such as,

  • When to buy new running shoes? Check out this link
  • For help on how to buy them, go here
  • This site has five mistakes to avoid in getting a new pair of running shoes

As for me, I think the 500 mile rule of thumb is good, but it depends on the runner. People who strike hard — as I do — many need to replace your shoes before 500 miles, while people who are very light on their feet might be ok to go past 500 miles. It also depends on your shoe. Shoes with less cushioning may have to be replaced faster than those with more.

Of course, if you are feeling pain or stiffness on older shoes, that may be all the information you need. That is happening to me now. I also look for creases in the cushioning in the heel of my shoe. Look at the shoe on the right above: you can see creasing on the heel. That’s a good sign that the cushioning is going on me.

(flickr photo from Siebuhr’s photostream)

The TTC and new technology

According the globeandmail.com:

“the Toronto Transit Commission has finally signed a $9.9-million contract with Toronto-based technology firm Grey Island Systems Inc. to try to alleviate these psychological quirks at TTC stops. The company, which owns the U.S.-based NextBus system used in more than 40 cities, collects global-positioning satellite information and forces it through a predictive algorithm that churns out expected arrival times for buses and streetcars to electronic signs at stops and stations or even to your BlackBerry or cellphone.”

I thought this part was interesting too:

” The new system may also help transform the TTC, which, to most riders, seemingly gave up trying to adhere to any sort of set schedule for its surface vehicles years ago. All of this minute-by-minute satellite tracking will lay bare, in mountains of easy-to-access data, not just how often buses and streetcars are supposed to come but how often they actually do come, down to the smallest route. It could get interesting.

“It really sheds a light,” Mr. Boychuk said. “… Your ridership will let you know if there’s a problem.” “

Interesting, indeed. If users could get access to the raw data, then the riders of the TTC could work with the TTC to come up with novel and better ways for “the better way”.

Think of it as open source transit. It certainly will be better transit.

(flickr photo from roland’s photostream)

More great music from the 1970s: Blondie’s Hangin’ On the Telephone

If Jackson Browne represents the “old” of the 70s, Blondie is the “new”. “Parallel Lines” came out the late 70s, but it is part of the beginning of the New Wave of 80s.

It’s old, but it’s good. And as Sheryl Crow covers Browne, Lily Allen remakes Blondie’s “Heart of Glass”, and Rhianna weaves Michael Jackson into “Please Don’t Stop the Music”, I think everything old is new again.

The music of Jackson Browne

Perhaps it was the combination of going for a long run tonight and then watching the trailer for Harvey Milk (a movie set in the 1970s), but I was reminded of Jackson Browne’s “Running on Empty” (I often think of it while running. 🙂 )

Naturally, it’s on YouTube, as well as his other classics, like “Doctor My Eyes” and “The Load Out / Stay”.

If “Milk” is a big hit, expect to hear alot more music from the 70s. Browne’s is some of the best. Here it is.

Also, here’s Doctor My Eyes

and The Load Out / Stay

If you poke around YouTube, you can see some other great performances, including one of him with Bruce Springsteen and another of Sheryl Crow performing a remake of “Doctor My Eyes” on David Letterman.

Another site to track the electoral college is…

…this one: Electoral-vote.com: President, Senate, House Updated Daily

Like fivethirtyeight.com, it has a good state-by-state breakdown of how the parties are doing. The thing to pay attention to is the light coloured states. Those are the states that the candidates will be spending most of their time. Whatever else the national polls are saying, it is the electoral college numbers that matter most.

Here’s the map from fivethirtyeight.com. The light coloured states like Nevada, Colorado, Montana, etc are important, especially the bigger states like Ohio (20 electoral college votes) and Florida (27).

What Damien Hirst is up to

I’ve written about others taking jabs at Damien Hirst lately. While others are taking pokes at him, he is busy.

According to TIME:

“On September 15 and 16, Damien Hirst, 43, already one of the world’s richest artists, will take 223 new works directly to auction at Sotheby’s in London, in a sale that could bring $230 million or more. / The auction marks the first time an artist has sold a sizable amount of work directly from his own studio, bypassing the galleries and dealers who have traditionally operated as the art world’s middlemen.”

That’s a staggering amount of money. And likely not something that will endear him to others in the art world. Nor will bypassing the art world’s middlemen win him many friends.

It also says that he is going to go back to painting works by hand. As TIME says, “plenty of people are waiting for him to fall on his face”. Perhaps. One thing for sure: if he does fall on his face, he has alot of money to cushion the blow.

(The photo is from an excellent photo essay in TIME that you can find here. In the photo above, Hirst “stands beside “The Kingdom”, a smaller scale reprise of the shark-in-formaldehyde piece that first made him famous, “The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living.” “)

Listeria, Maple Leaf Foods, and the design of meat slicers

According to the globeandmail.com, Maple Leaf’s CEO says likely source of listeria found:

“Listeria contamination deep within two meat slicing machines at a Toronto food-processing plant was the likely cause of the recent outbreak of the bacteria that has killed at least 13 people.

Maple Leaf Foods Inc. CEO Michael McCain said at a press conference in Toronto Friday evening that the Formax 180 slicers, on lines 8 and 9 of the company’s Toronto plant, were regularly cleaned but that listeria was found in parts of the machinery “well beyond the [manufacturer’s] recommended sanitation process.”

The slicers, which are about three metres long and two-and-a-half metres tall, have been completely disassembled, and Mr. McCain said that similar measures would be taken with all of the company’s slicing equipment.

He added that despite the discovery of listeria deep inside the machinery, “it’s not reasonable to expect that each piece of equipment has to be disassembled completely prior to use.””

I put the last part of the quote in bold, because I think that is relevant.

I went over to FORMAX site to see if I could get more information on the Formax 180. Given that there is no mention of the particular model on their site, I am assuming that a) it is an older model they no longer support b) it is similar to the newer models.

If I look at some of their new slicing models, like this one, I can see why the CEO of Maple Leaf would say it is “not reasonable to expect that each piece of equipment has to be disassembled completely prior to use”. They look like complex machinery. And I am assuming that complexity allows them to produce sliced meat at a very fast rate.

So, we have machines that are explicitly designed to be highly productive and implicitly designed to be hard to thoroughly clean.

My personal opinion is that I would like the machines to first and foremost be very easy to clean and then be highly productive.

In the meantime, I think I may cut back on my use of processed meat. I’ve already stopped using Maple Leaf Foods meats, but this is not likely a problem associated with just Maple Leaf Foods. I am assuming everyone in this business is using such machines, and all of them have the challenge of being able to clean them.

I also think Maple Leaf Foods and others need to rethink this problem, for their own sakes, as well as that of their customers.