Ceremonial Soup

if only

2012-01-27T21:24:00.001-05:00

If only my right ankle knew what my left wrist was up to...

If only I had the winning lottery tickets for tonight's 50 million dollar jackpot...

If only the time insertion machine I've been joking about most of my life became a reality...

If only a genie could come and de-clutter my home with the snap of her fingers...

If only I could have a nap tomorrow...

Let's flip the coin.

I am blessed to have good health, and that my family is all in good health.
I am blessed to have a home, live in a safe part of the world, have a job.
I am blessed to have a wife to love and who loves me, and children too.
I am blessed to not go hungry and not want of clothing.

Yes, I have FWPs.

as sylvan as a fox

2012-01-26T12:44:00.002-05:00

Take a lemon, make it orange, paint the world a vibrant colour of grey. The mirror doesn't sway, it fixates. Lions and miasmic ferocity ordain the ferrous. Delighted by the serendipity, ignited by the divinity, unencumbered by the lividity. Lists of items that themselves are lists are less organizational than a stomach ache being suffered by a manual pencil sharpener. There is an equal meaninglessness to circling the number as to not circling it. Vacating the ideology to replace it with germane obsequiousness can be likened to a four slice toaster made of lemonade.

sending brainwashers down the drain

2012-01-25T13:46:00.003-05:00

Wouldn't it be nice if the calendar didn't have as many zeroes in it?

There was a very strange train announcement on the train ride home last night. The conductor comes on the PA in the train and says something to this effect:

Attention, attention, um, yes, there are signals that are, um and this train is going to Vaudreuil, or um, Hudson, and yes, this is the train.

Five minutes later, he comes back on again. We were all relieved when he indicated the destination of the train, if he had said something else the lot of us would have been screaming.

Attention, this is the conductor speaking, the situation with the signals, um, yes, this is the train, thank you.

He came on a third time again with mostly nonsense.

I wonder what was up with him yesterday.

In other news the owner of my company is negociating a deal with a nearby gym that I may join as the cost proposed is quite reasonable. This would have me doing some sort of exercise twice a week at the gym. They even have an indoor swimming pool that would allow me to do laps occasionally.

Finally, I will end this post with this sentence.

belt buckled uniforms

2012-01-24T09:41:00.000-05:00

Two of the first 24H services; mailboxes and public telephones. Neither of these are ever closed.

caution: desk corners sharper than they look

2012-01-23T08:22:00.001-05:00

The mixed metaphor of serendipity cascades through the little known facets of enigmatic mysteries and translucent whispers. Brand names as brethren to the watchful, early risers as phantoms above the menace; these are the building blocks. Stand guard, be watchful, wait. Your time will come.

give me a sword

2012-01-20T09:03:00.001-05:00

So my Wednesdays are going to be like butter.

Thursdays, like rotten underwear.

Tuesdays imagined like a melancholy lemonade.

Saturdays and Sundays will smell like cold milk.

Other days of the week that wear plaid shoes will race against time to catch up with those who were left behind.

Forgetting the days of the week sounds like a challenge I am up for.

I have not seen a dandelion in many weeks. Snow cover, on the other hand, I have seen plenty of.

Australia Day is next week. Who will be Australian of the Year?

I once knew someone who wrote limericks.

This post will likely end at a time that I decide I have little else to add to it.

Like now, for instance, this would be a good time to end the post.

If I have nothing else of consequence to add apart from writing about the idea of ending the post, I should probably end it.

So I will end it here and now.

There, the post is now ended.

Shall we call this sentence, or this group of sentences, the post-post?

Oh dear, did I just ask a question?

Oh no, did I just ask another question?

OMG!!!

test the unfortunate

2012-01-19T10:21:00.001-05:00

Beyond the left.

I don't know, it seems that posting when my mind is totally overwhelmed with the number and complexity of things I have to do at work poses a challenge. It seems all I could come up with was those three words at the beginning.

image

2012-01-17T11:06:00.000-05:00

bark like a cat

2012-01-16T09:57:00.002-05:00

The windows of office buildings are sometimes reflective.

shh

2012-01-13T09:53:00.001-05:00

When I walk I do not hardly make a sound. If you listen carefully, all you can hear when I walk is the occasional bounce of the aglet off of the side of my shoe.

When I am walking and there are others around me who are walking who are making incessant noise I wonder how much lost energy is entering into my ears. The banging of their heels on the hard floor or the squeak of the wet boots indoors after having come in from the snowy outdoors - these are the most common examples of sounds I hear these days of people walking. Each individual production of noise is a loss of only a few milliwatts, however, over time those add up. More subtle are the sounds of fabric movement or fabric friction.

being big or small

2012-01-12T13:23:00.001-05:00

Sometimes I wonder about the variety of heights, weights and densities of people. In children it is especially noticeable when you put two kids who look to be pretty much the same size and yet you pick one up and he is noticeably heavier as compared to the other. Pretty miraculous, if you ask me.

Are really tall people as self conscious, on average, about their height as really small people? How is it that a wan delicate thin person can be equitable to a gregarious over weight carnivorous omnivore in the sense that all people should be treated and considered as equals?

I am shorter than the average Canadian Male, by an insubstantial amount, about 2% less than average.
I weigh less than the average Canadian Male, by a substantial amount, about 20% less than the average.

I am not at all self conscious about my height, weight or shoe size.

What about you?

ghost blog rejection

2012-01-11T19:44:00.001-05:00

So, I go to ghost's blog and twice now I have wanted to post a reply, but I get this.

mixed irony

2012-01-11T08:26:00.001-05:00

The makings of a gait make gates possible. Without a gait a gate may become useless. Whose fate is it to be always late? At any rate, today's date we can celebrate.

Inebriate?
Intoxicate?

Bake a cake?

beware of wear be

2012-01-10T08:41:00.003-05:00

If a post can lack for inspiration, why post it? If one can not think of how to start a post, why start?

In fact, it appears I did discover a way to start this post, as it has already started.

Posting about posting is much like writing about writing. How often have you read a story where one of the main characters is a writer? What do writers know best? What do blog posters know best?

stealthily plaguing the melancholy

2012-01-09T16:33:00.000-05:00

So I will find out tonight if, when I register for it, will I be in an art class that spans fifteen weeks of Wednesday 7-10PM sessions. The description of the class is as such:

Drawing Studio:
Designed for people who always wanted to learn the secrets of drawing. Unique and very specific teaching methods to introduce essential elements for successful drawings. These include learning about lines, shapes, light-dark, texture perspective, how to draw humans – all which will change the way you observe and perceive the world around you. You will be proud of your artwork from the very first class. To believe it, you must experience it. Individual attention is given so that each participant advances according to his or her own level. At the end, your skills will be greatly improved not only in drawing, but in your future painting, designing, sculpting and in art in general.

It is the inspiration of ghost and his students end of year show photos that has prompted this. After doing this course I am hoping to be prepared to put into action what I described here.

Perhaps I will photograph some of my production and post it here. Or perhaps not.

Update: Registration was successful, the course starts February 1st.

falling

2012-01-06T09:58:00.001-05:00

This morning was one of those rare times that I actually remembered at least part of a dream.

Let me preface the description of the brief snippet of the dream by explaining what I call a composite person. It has happened many times in my dreams that I have a composite person in my dream, this composite person is made up of two, three or many people that I have known throughout my life but they are all in one person. When I look at the person I see only one person with my eyes, but in my mind's eye I can recognize that the person is made up of a bunch of specific individuals. Usually I can name the primary and secondary people that make up the composite person, but not always. In last night's dream I did.

So I was going home from school (though my friend and I were not kids, we were the age I am now) in a school bus and this composite person friend was sitting to my left, I was at the window on the right side of the bus. The bus took a road that went up a mountain with forest on either side of the road, but when it crested the mountain, there was a sheer cliff going down on the right side (my side of the bus) and on the left side of the bus it continued as forest as it was earlier. At about the same time that I noticed someone walking up the hill on the opposite side of the street by having glanced over to see through the left side of the bus, the bus was no longer a bus, but a jeep; still my buddy sitting next to me. I noticed the man walking was David Suzuki and the driver of the jeep noticed this too as he looked left. The driver turned left as he looked left, realized what he was doing, then overcompensated and turned a hard right and sent us flying over the edge of the cliff. I then awoke with that sensation of falling.

It is just amazing how real that sensation of falling can be, even when one is safe in one's own bed.

dandelion tiger

2012-01-04T08:33:00.004-05:00

When the wind is singing like the umbrella that has no digital wrist watch, Thursdays would leap tall structures much like an elbow bends when requested to do so. That being bereft of a greedy kelp collector would wash away the slippery slope is likened to a Samurai.

tick tock

Lost weight

2012-01-03T08:24:00.001-05:00

So by not eating any chocolate chip cookies yesterday, and by not over eating, and by also eating a little bit more vegetables than I normally do, I am down to being only 1.5% greater than my two year average and 4.6% greater than my 22 year average.

Another few days of this and I should be good to go.

In other news kite sales have plummeted in places where there are no kite flyers.

Losing weight

2012-01-02T13:20:00.002-05:00

I over ate over the holidays. I weigh almost as much as I ever have. I weighed last night exactly 4% more than my average weight of the last two years and 7.1% more than my average weight of the last 22 years. I am on a mission to get back to at least my average of the last two years. I will do this by not eating any chocolate chip cookies at all and by not over eating at any meals.

How is your weight after the holidays?

crept indoor carpet

2011-12-27T09:57:00.001-05:00

slam dunk the river flows like a lemon meringue ostrich canopy. Mixed freedoms with blanket kelp vividly, ignominiously favouring the third, seventh and slip knot. Catch! The red limerick isn't the sonnet she once baked. Just gym, Kim. Let the real and the surreal become the mixture that tastes like victory, or if that isn't your taste; KFC.

last day

2011-12-23T08:22:00.001-05:00

Well, since I've already wished you a Happy New Year I'll reserve this post for wishing you a very Merry Christmas.

I don't precisely know the faith of my regular readership here, but it seems to me I am safe in wishing you all a Merry Christmas.

I have the entirety of next week off of work and so my blogging may or may not continue haphazardly between this post and when I return to work on January 2nd.

If you have any time off over the next week, I do hope you enjoy it.

sandwiched between ix and ox

2011-12-22T08:59:00.003-05:00

I make no guarantees with respect to the quality of this post.

mining

2011-12-20T08:18:00.002-05:00

My son introduced me to minecreaftforfree. I am a little addicted to it. I should stop.

In other news, the shortest day of the year is coming soon for those of us who live in the Northern Hemisphere. Make of the night what you will, as it will only get shorter thereafter.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, American version, is coming out tomorrow. It is doubtful that I will go to see it tomorrow, but it is likely I will see it.

Finally, I will be getting my hair cut today.

Inane Episode 31

2011-12-15T23:17:00.001-05:00

Inane Episode 31

barbecuing a reindeer turd

2011-12-15T14:54:00.002-05:00

I think I need a little pick me up, I'm nodding off here at my desk. I do believe I spent too much time awake last night. I had work to do for work that had me up until 1:30 this morning. Following that I rearranged our living room, brought out the Christmas Tree from storage, assembled it, put the tree box back in storage, brought all of the decorations boxes up and then went to bed at 2:30 only to then awake at 6:20 to start the new day with making kids lunches, getting them dressed and out the door to school.

Like I said in a recent blog response, I feel terrible for the people of the world who suffer sleeplessness due to their inability to sleep with any depth or consistency. I have no trouble sleeping, but on some days there is simply too much to do. Feeling as I am now must be how sleepless people feel most of the time.

Oh, I should have mentioned that this is post number 1559 (a prime number) at Ceremonial Soup. I do think it is time to celebrate!

This from he who shuns evenly divisible numbers.

Blast from what?

2011-12-14T08:58:00.000-05:00

I watched 'Blast from the Past' again last night, for the umpteenth time. There are a lot of small things about this movie that I really like.

bring your toaster

2011-12-12T10:36:00.001-05:00

Out of the window did the thing that didn't keep from not jumping pounce upon the other left sided elbow. Celebrating this victory, unannounced by the angels, quickly deposed the urchin.

painting things pink

2011-12-09T15:38:00.001-05:00

My grandparents went to Tatooine and all I got was this lousy t-shirt.

Post title

2011-12-07T13:08:00.001-05:00

I've been meaning to tell you all about the birthday party I had when I turned thirteen years old. I think there may have been something very memorable about that birthday, but I can't remember it now; this is the reason I haven't, up until now, brought it up.

My birthday is not very close to now. Twelve days from now there will be an equal number of days that have passed since my last birthday as there are days between then and my next birthday. This can only be true because 2012 is a leap year.

I don't envy people who have birthdays in December, or more so, the second half of December. I also don't envy people who stub any one of their toes a number of times that is greater than a global average.

Take a walk on the dark side of the sun

2011-12-06T09:16:00.001-05:00

So don't delay act now supplies are running out
Allow if you're still alive six to eight years to arrive
And if you follow there may be a tomorrow
But if the offer is shun you might as well be walkin' on the sun

welcoming in the new year

2011-12-05T19:59:00.001-05:00

Well, I hope for all of my readership that the year 2012 brings with it positive change, improved hope, moments of delight and as little malevolent consequences as possible. It has been a great pleasure blogging with you throughout 2011, I hope that our cooperative blogging will continue.

If you think this is too early for a Happy New Year message, let it be known that I was the first.

selling curtains at cut rate prices

2011-11-30T23:16:00.001-05:00

If I was a kitchen made of alligator toenails, would a cerebrally unkempt flag be raised five quarters high?

In a neandertholic way, the astro-physicist texted her daughter a happy muon day.

Ahh... the muon day blues.

I am loving Google Sketchup so much I'd call it smustard.

Laundry is calling - how did it ever get my number?

Google Sketchup

2011-11-27T23:00:00.001-05:00

A buddy of mine told me about Google Sketchup and I've been having lots of fun with it.

Here's my first entry:

I've got two more to do based on my Low Cost Housing page I wrote a few years ago.

Like a diamond mine

2011-11-27T20:54:00.001-05:00

It is, sadly, the end of an era. No longer will it be November 27th in a scant three hours from now. As far as November 27ths are concerned, this was one of them. I can think of no other November 27th that happened this year that was as November 27th as this one was.

I haven't any additional information to provide to you today.

by welling the floor

2011-11-25T14:16:00.001-05:00

Three pits, likewise the canary realistically stormed the fragrance unparalleled in oligarchy. Marked whimsical, gaining cartwheel ferocity during explosive thimble caricatures reeling forwards under dichotomous duress. Garrulously placid, enigmas trampled FORTRAN like a Doric perversion selling fake Rolex lunches. Cycling under screwed by the penultimate cerebrally vented wretch elocutes gastronomic prime numbered real estate misdirectionally. Phlegm as a deodorant.

In a window made of ketchup

2011-11-23T09:25:00.001-05:00

The left brain of an antelope, mmmm sounds yummy with a bit of elbow grease.

Slender rendered goat fat, mmmm, sounds yummy with recalcitrant squid.

If you haven't heard, Adelaide is 15 and a half hours ahead of where I live. Or would it be more accurate to say I am 15 and a half hours behind Adelaide?

One way I could get there would be YUL-YVR-SYD-ADL.
Another way would would be YUL-YYZ-HKG-ADL.

Why would anyone go there? That is an excellent question.

Happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate it. To everyone else, Happy Thursday.

slurp

2011-11-21T08:58:00.001-05:00

In the new blogger interface the subsequent tab stop from the title bar should be the text box into which we key in the post. Also, the 'Labels' section to the right should not break up labels to span lines.

I could use a nap today, it isn't looking good for me to have one.

The temperature dropped last night into today, the forecast high for today is -1C while the high yesterday was 13C. Quite a difference.

burping underwater

2011-11-17T13:17:00.001-05:00

A necklace, unlike other forms of lace,

sidewindingly proximite

2011-11-16T14:29:00.001-05:00

Two posts in one day? Who would have guessed?

Here's what's been on my mind these last few seconds. If I happened to find myself in Toronto, the right part of Texas or Oregon, or even the Gold Coast, what would be the appropriate way of initially greeting a blogmate of mine? Shaking hands? A kiss on each cheek? A kick in the shin? A Fist bump? Many consecutive moments of awkward indecision?

Also, what would be appropriate for a meeting - a dinner out? a dinner in? just a coffee or drink somewhere? Going bowling or going for ice cream?

There are rumours about me having to travel to some degree with this new job I have. Who knows where it will take me?

bake a cake in a lake

2011-11-16T08:39:00.001-05:00

Flying south when the stars mingle with the sour fruit juice, unlike any other simile derived from guilt and shame, reconstitute the placid frothy elbow sharpener much like a three day old fried chicken thigh envelopes a bronchial tube.

Hiding from the leftist movement under a carpet made of stock options is not a piece of apple pie. I should know.

Kindness towards inanimate gusts of tropospheric ions is no way to win dinner.

night raking

2011-11-14T21:42:00.001-05:00

Our weekends are too busy. I had to resort to raking leaves at night. Eight more bags added to the total this fall.

I could use some sleep. Do you have any to spare?

This night's leaf bag count: 8
Total leaf bag count: 18

fence posts or blog posts?

2011-11-14T08:34:00.001-05:00

There was a powerfully malodorous scent in a small area as I walked from the train to work this morning. I could not easily identify it. The closest I can come to describing it would be to say it smelled like burning sewage.

I hope it wasn't too toxic. In the past if I have been subject to toxic fumes it has happened that I have developed hallucinogenic fevers.

In other new the Als lost yesterday against Hamilton. It just as well, they would have had to have played in Winnipeg this coming weekend which would not have been meteorologically pleasant.

Still balmy here, a full 10 degrees celsius above normal for this time of year.

left turns on a triangular roundabout

2011-11-09T08:28:00.002-05:00

There is debate among octogenarian physicist gardeners as to which is the best colour of M&M.

If you can imagine, they've been at it for quite a while.

leclubwestisland

2011-11-08T14:03:00.001-05:00

A good friend of mine is a key employee at Le Club West Island and they are on a push to gain members. Not that any of my regular readers would be in a position to go to this place, but there is a thing called back-links which, if there are enough of them, can help to promote the site.

So if fitness is on your agenda, and if you live on the West Island, consider Le Club West Island.

traffic

2011-11-08T08:36:00.002-05:00

It is amazing how little traffic there is at night compared to during the day.

I had to go back to work last night because I had promised to complete something and for whatever reason, working from home wasn't cutting it. I drove in rather than taking the train, I was able to park immediately in front of the entrance to my building for free, and driving there and back was without any traffic at all.

It helps that I drove from home to work between 22:50 and 23:11 and then returned at 01:34-01:51.

I awoke this morning at my normal time to get the kids to school on time and will be fine until about 13:30-14:00 today, at which point I will be severely groggy.

How is your next day after an atypically sleepless night?

deliciously unkempt

2011-11-07T11:49:00.002-05:00

The Incumbent - Soul Coughing.

This is the song I am currently listening to on Grooveshark. It's got a great rhythm.

If you are actively listening to some music when reading this post, please comment with what you are listening to. If you are not actively listening to music, list a song you have heard recently. If you haven't heard a song recently, go find yourself a tuna salad sandwich to eat.

My Fifth Month at Hubpages

2011-11-04T22:19:00.001-04:00

My Fifth Month at Hubpages

brak

2011-11-04T08:57:00.003-04:00

Livenj the florg plaw kenneringly, whenst us flidded, gelp. Quoplid flirghously stip pilder - trefgly and churgiful. Kren?

sleepy

2011-11-03T09:05:00.002-04:00

I have been staying up too late the last few nights. I see no end to it.

I think it's time I start off loading more of the household chores to the kids and learn to care less about how well they do the chores, so long as they get done.

Mexico at this time of year is about the same as it is every year at this time.

In other news

2011-11-02T09:02:00.003-04:00

The sleeping giants awakes, looks around, then goes back to sleep again. What, if anything, is a sleeping giant known for?

Oh, and did I mention I'll be working with Unisa tomorrow? Actually, it will be 9:00AM in Adelaide at the time I'll be calling.

Peripheral Man Episode 4

2011-11-01T23:43:00.001-04:00

Peripheral Man Episode 4

catch a twig, make it rain

2011-11-01T08:34:00.000-04:00

It is rather odd that a large swath of the US had an enormous snow storm already and yet here where I live we were not touched, have had no precipitation whatsoever over the last seven days, and are having above seasonal temperatures.

While cleaning the lid to my cat's wet food last night I inadvertently cut my thumb. It hurt in the moment, as such things do, but soon after I had the bleeding stopped. It is nothing near as brutal as this time, which if you can recall it, you need not follow the link if it grossed you out the first time.

Oh, and if you hadn't noticed it, today is November 1st. I do not believe there is anything particularly remarkable about this day, save for the fact that it is the first day of November and there aren't any other first days. However, this could also be said for the second day of November, that there is only one such day. And so on, as the days of the month progress. So really, there isn't anything particularly interesting about today being November 1st.

beep sleep keep reap

2011-10-31T13:01:00.001-04:00

So I walked down to the Occupy Montreal site today. Their donation station is chock full of so much. I brought a package of AA batteries. They were really appreciative, I asked what else I could bring, they said AAA batteries. I'll see if I can hook them up.

In other news, it is 13:00 as I type these words.

Yesterday's leaf bag count: 1
Total Leaf Bag Count: 10

fall is here

2011-10-29T21:00:00.002-04:00

Raked some leaves today, 9 bags. Once the kids are moved out and it is time for us to downsize, I'm leaning towards condo. No leaves to rake, no snow to shovel, no lawn to mow.

Leaf Bag Count Today: 9
Total Leaf Bag Count 2011: 9

Friday mornings are unlike lace

2011-10-28T08:46:00.000-04:00

There is little with which we can compare waking up to 'Hot for Teacher' by Van Halen.

Towards the middle, centrally speaking, is a balance between left and right, between right and wrong, and between stealth and clumsiness.

No one has any business spending too much time in the middle. I should know.

Tomorrow and the day after are considered, by many who work standard hours, to be the weekend. The weekends that I generally have are typically filled with busy-ness in terms of activities my children attend, social gatherings my wife and I attend, and naps.

I have been reading Stephen King over the past few days. Currently I am reading 'Carrie'.

I bought a new winter coat this week. In short order I will also by buying some new winter boots. My new job requires me to be outdoors more than my previous job did (due to the commute) and so I need better outdoor apparel.

I will conclude this post with this sentence.

Inane Episode 29

2011-10-26T15:21:00.001-04:00

Inane Episode 29

jump downwards

2011-10-26T08:44:00.002-04:00

There is a funny thing about stuff, whose interest in vagueness reminds no one of anything outside of the not particular. Adding foggy detail to the otherwise generic content yields easily misinterpreted results, should one bother to attempt to interpret. Enunciating with clarity and excellent elocution provides not even a hint of further understanding. To succumb to the denial that allows for layers of enigmatic cognizance fails to decrease the pervasive apathy found amidst the adjacent areas.

Duran Duran concert review

2011-10-24T20:39:00.001-04:00

So last night a friend of mine and I went to see the Duran Duran concert. They mixed a large number of their songs from 'All You Need is Now' with a lot of their hits from the past. The audience, from what of it I was able to see, was made mostly of people who were teenage fans of theirs in the 80's, like me. That was fine with me.

The audience seemed to like their 80's hits better than their latest album as the cheers for their hit songs were loud and sustained. I, however, really enjoyed hearing their new songs as this is the reason I wanted to go to the concert. While they left the stage to wait to be called back for an encore, the crowd started to chant a chant that gets sung at Canadiens games, and then when they came back, we continued, and the drummer started playing a rhythm to match the chant. Duran was enthralled by this and Simon paid a compliment to us.

I often wonder what life must be like for successful bands such as these - the night before they were in Windsor, Ontario, then they played here, and then a night off, and then at the MSG in NYC, and then a night off, and then in Toronto, Boston and Atlantic city, three nights in a row. How do they keep their energy up doing show after show like that? How exhausting is it to be travelling so much? They were on stage last night from about 20:30 until about 22:30, and that must be fairly typical for them.

Anyhow, it is the first concert I had gone to in a very long time, and I probably won't be going to another one any time soon.

sabotaging a train wreck

2011-10-20T08:20:00.003-04:00

I would have submitted a post yesterday had it not been for the fact that I failed to do so.

I am submitting this post today as a means of getting something out that, were it not for this blog, I would be incapable of postulating, promoting or promulgating.

That what I have to say is of any interest

livid!

2011-10-18T08:54:00.002-04:00

If I read one more media report that these Occupy XXX protesters should have voted at past elections for the change that they want I'm going to kick something, well, figuratively at least.

What political party out there will do anything different from what has already been done?

Obama himself ran his campaign with 'Change' as a key component, and what has changed? Anything?

I think it is absolutely ridiculous that a media agent should ask an Occupy protester about their voting history, or explain that what the people voted for is what they got.

solution #528

2011-10-15T10:53:00.002-04:00

As unemployment continues to rise we can do a life style change that will compel more jobs to be created. Reduce the standard work week by 20%, across all industries, across all jurisdictions, across all boundaries.

For the typical 9-5er, this means working four days a week instead of five.

For people who do shift work, working 60 hours a week, this means now doing 48 hours per week.

Presuming a company wants to maintain the same level of production they had had previously, this would compel them to hire an extra person for every four employees they already have.

In schools that all now follow a 5/2 school day/weekend schedule, they could now follow a 4/3 schedule. This would allow the teachers and school support staff to cut by 20%, and it will also allow the kids to enjoy more of their childhood.

If solution #634 is implemented at the same time, these people will get a raise in pay at the same time that they get their pay cut by 20% (due to working 20% less) so they should be able to maintain, perhaps with a small amount of sacrifice, the standard of living they have. In fact, their quality of life will improve because they won't be having to be at work as much.

solution #634

2011-10-14T10:24:00.001-04:00

So what if a law was passed that the highest executive of a company could only earn 10 times as much as the lowest paid employee in that same company. Do not institute this all at once, it would be too harsh, but say that in year 1 the highest executives take a 20% pay cut and that 20% is then distributed to all of the workers so that the margin between the two diminishes. In the next year a 15% pay cut for the highest earners, distribute that back to the workers to shrink the margin further. The third and subsequent years until the 10X rule is met, reduce the highest earners by 10% per year and redistribute.

This should not only apply to salary, but to bonuses, stock options and any other benefits that the top executives earn.

This policy would have been great for me where I was working before, but I'm less certain about where I am now.

Sibling Sassafras

2011-10-13T08:53:00.001-04:00

Calamity, unlike her cousin Resentment, dislikes fishing with a passion that matches Mount Vesuvius. Resentment is only indignant about the matter. Indignant, Resentment's sister, resents being Resentment's indignation. Calamity thought this was funny until both Resentment and Indignant took her fishing.

the gantry is made of Jell-o

2011-10-12T08:34:00.003-04:00

Ding dong the witch is dead.

Window panes, door frames, in pain, left brain, air plane, insane.

Dong ding the wizard eats cheese.

Deep meep feep sleep reap leap gleep fish.

sea shells by the refridgerator

2011-10-11T08:28:00.003-04:00

There is a total lack of originality in this post. I should know.

I am certain that all of these words have been written before. That you are reading them is of tremendous import to the author, but of little consequence otherwise.

Take care not to stub your toe any more than is required.

Peripheral Man Episode 3

2011-10-06T11:09:00.001-04:00

Peripheral Man Episode 3

incapable of bouncing

2011-10-06T10:44:00.004-04:00

No stone left unturned would make for a lot of turned stones. As far as I know, stones are mostly incapable of sustained bouncing. Rolling stones are good at rolling.

Some stones are skipped; I wonder if they feel left out when that happens.

Oliver Stone is a Stone, but not a stone. Sylvester Stallone is not a stone.

geographically unkempt

2011-10-03T08:42:00.001-04:00

So, Dmitry Orlov has this iron triangle made up of house-car-job that he says if you can get yourself out of all of it, you'll be in a much better position to survive impending societal collapse. Getting rid of the car and the job is easy, but where do you live if you don't have a house? How do you live if you don't have a job to bring in money to pay for things like food and shelter?

I haven't read his book yet, but an idea I have had is to buy a house but rearrange the insides of it. Below are the steps with some explanations.

1. Find and buy a house that is mostly of a regular box shape.
2. With the help of a structural engineer, tear down all interior walls possible.
3. Create within the house four, five or six (depending on the size of the house) very small apartments.
4. in each apartment have a small RV style wet-bathroom, a very small functional kitchen and a murphy-bed.
5. have a small laundry room somewhere in the house, not necessarily the basement.
6. place one or two additional apartments in the basement, if possible, but have a separate storage room that has lockers equal in number to the number of apartments.
7. rent all but one of the apartments for a price per apartment that, when added up, will pay for all of the expenses of the home, including mortgage, insurance, taxes, utilities and so on.
8. live in the remaining apartment.

Obviously this wouldn't really work out for me since I have a family and a wife who would never agree to living in such conditions, however, if it was possible for me to do such a thing for each of my children, I would be setting them up with a way to survive the coming fall of society, so long as they could continue to have paying tenants.

An advantage to this is that if one of the apartments is empty for any period of time, there are still all of the others that will still generate revenue. If the location of the house is a good one, there shouldn't be any trouble finding tenants because obviously, with apartments this small, the rent would not be too high. Low rent in a good location is often a very desirable thing.

Ultimately standards of living are going to go down with the coming years, so why not do something proactive that would allow for a planned descent? By drastically lowering the amount of square feet being used for a person to live, this will obviously decrease their standard of living, however, if it is done in such a way that it is planned and that it is a personal choice being made, it should be easier to take.

I took the idea a little bit further and thought that once some revenue starts to come in, I could buy the plans for and build one or more Tiny Houses that would remain in the back yard and also rent out those.

Anyhow, this is one thing I have been thinking about lately.

ignoring the bench

2011-09-30T08:20:00.003-04:00

Making something can sometimes be fun.

bran serial

2011-09-28T08:49:00.002-04:00

Let the iron board, being ferrous and all, rust like the dandelion it isn't.

Deranged arrangements arranged to be arraigned.

Puerto Rico is one of the places I have never visited. Gabon is another.

If you knew how many pairs of shoes I see everyday on my walk between the train station and work, you would know.

Hmmm... another photo post, this time of shoe stores?

a small part of the city I live in

2011-09-26T21:37:00.001-04:00

So, I decided to take some photos today, bear with me, there are a lot. Note that you can click on any of the photos to get a larger version.

The entrance hallway into the building where I work is two levels high and very ornate. The first three photos give you some idea of it.

Here is the front door - the building is called the Hermes Building.

Here is the same building showing more of the 11 storeys that it is.

A restaurant just a few buildings down has this bright paint job.

Then we get to this very gothic looking building with lots of character.

Here's a closeup of the door showing a coat of arms and the gate that at one time would have protected the front door when it was lowered.

Carlos & Pepes is a pretty good Mexican restaurant, though I haven't been there in quite some time.

At the corner of Peel and Ste-Catherine street, looking south-west we can see the CIBC tower.

At that same corner looking north-west we see this stately building.

Just a few steps south of Ste-Catherine street, still on Peel, standing on the east side facing the west side is this large advertisement in the window.

Walking further still, on the east side of Peel is this entrance to this building.

The large building in the foreground is the Sun Life building. It has been used in a few movies and is well known for its architectural history. Behind it on the left side is Place Ville Marie, a building that once held the title of being the tallest in Canada.

Ah, the Peel Pub - had I been a beer drinker when I was in University, this would have been a very common place for me to have been.

Who is this guy?

Ah, that's who he is. That text below belongs in one of my own nonsense posts.

The Queen Elizabeth Hotel was for a long time a very posh hotel, now it is old and posh. In the foreground is Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral with a bunch of statues along the top of the front.

This glass building is impressive for its ability to reflect the entirety of other buildings within it.

This is that same CIBC building but from right up close.

Walking along Rene-Levesque now, this for a short period held the title of being the tallest building in the city, I think.

This CGI building does a great job of reflecting the other building.

Another random building.

Welcome to the Bell Centre, where the Montreal Canadiens play, and where concerts of various kinds are performed.

Upon closer inspection we see that held within the Bell Centre is an AMT station - this is where I arrive in the morning from the train, and where I take the train home at night. We can also see some statues that pay hommage to past Canadiens. Two years ago the Canadiens celebrated their 100th anniversary, so they built this square.

Four impressive players are memorialized in this square...

...including Jean Beliveau.

Inane Episode 23

2011-09-25T20:29:00.001-04:00

Inane Episode 23

Greece and Us

2011-09-25T18:52:00.001-04:00

Greece and Us

the leftist argument

2011-09-25T15:34:00.002-04:00

Window treatments aside, lethargy is omnipotent against moments of tragic indifference.

Ignoring the calamities while behaving as one would under the circumstances is the least negative of all things a canvas leopard would betray as a benign center piece.

In depth studies of profound deepness was subterranean in nature, or so said the stalactite.

banal lanes

2011-09-20T08:21:00.001-04:00

Now that I am working in the city, I should take my camera with me more often so that I can post here the various things there are to see. Even just the walk from the train to work there is quite a variety.

Of course, that would require me to be a little more coordinated than I usually am.

In other news, the sky has not yet fallen, though it has been lightly raining this morning.

If I was to ask you a question, what would your answer be?

take a moment to breathe

2011-09-19T08:48:00.003-04:00

Okay, you can stop now.

Let yourself go

Okay, you can hold on now.

Quickpost

2011-09-15T20:28:00.002-04:00

fly by night, post by evening

The brainchild of an oven

2011-09-13T20:52:00.000-04:00

The past participle of oxen is unlike any herring I have ever observed swallowing a shank made of elbow grease.

In other news, first seconds got the third fourth out of five, at six.

I know less about darning socks than the darn socks do.

The miscapitalization of words, when unannounced, require twelve letter words to kneel down and pray for forgiveness.

Is this practice or is it the real thing? I can rarely tell.

first day

2011-09-12T21:12:00.000-04:00

It was odd that my PC at the new job is a lap top, and odder still that the O/S is Windows Server 2008, but anyhow, I got through the installation of the software on this lap top and started some testing. Ran into a few issues that I was able to iron out. I spent about 84 minutes with my manager where he went over the sysadmin manual with me to increase my knowledge in as quick a way as possible. Tomorrow this one-on-one training continues.

It is the first job I have working for a small company. There are maybe as many as 25 employees. Previously at E***** there were thousands, before that N** had thousands but in the single digits, and previously it was S** which had between 500 and 900 or so, and then before that it was C* which had tens of thousands, and then before that it was U** which also had thousands. So really it is a first time for me.

My few coworkers are very helpful and friendly, it just really sucks that the pay is so noticeably lower; everything else appears to be good.

First day on its way

2011-09-11T20:23:00.000-04:00

So tomorrow is my first day at eXplorance, as such my blogging will be restricted for the next few months as I need to build a reputation of a good and hard worker who would never blog.

I will attempt to blog here and there in the evening, but can not make any firm commitments.

If this causes you any distress, have some ice cream.

If ice cream causes you distress, have some coffee.

If coffee causes you discomfort, have some tea.

If you aren't a tea drinker, drink your alcoholic beverage of choice.

If this doesn't cause you any distress, have a nap.

If having a nap does not sound appealing, go for a walk.

If going for a walk is not your cup of tea, have some coffee.

If you aren't a coffee drinker, drink your alcoholic beverage of choice.

Witness a non-event

2011-09-08T09:14:00.002-04:00

Removing sixty year old wallpaper is not fun. I should know.

I just noticed this:

Maybe I will try it some day.

5 Action Movies that top my action movie list

2011-09-07T16:23:00.001-04:00

5 Action Movies that top my action movie list

Nuse

2011-09-07T08:14:00.002-04:00

I start work at eXplorance.com on Monday doing software implementation. I have three months of probation until a higher salary and other benefits kick in, so I would like to make a terrific impression right from the start. As such, there is the potential that my blogging and hubbing may diminish for a while. I dare not do either from work, and I'll be busy with chores, kids homework and doing extra job-work in the evening.

It will have been a bit over six weeks that I was unemployed. Not too bad.

The salary I'll be earning is less than what I was earning before, but at this point I figure it is better to take the job, do my best and hope to get increases that within a few years will have me back up to where I was.

Peripheral Man Episode 2

2011-09-06T21:45:00.001-04:00

Peripheral Man Episode 2

Inane Episode 19

2011-09-06T16:11:00.001-04:00

Inane Episode 19

Lack of focus

2011-09-06T11:05:00.002-04:00

In other words, blurry.

Without knowing what else I should blog post about, I write this sentence.

Ideally, idealism is for idealists. Realistically speaking, realism is for realists.

The green handled scissors are just as unkempt as the orange handled ones.

Art in my Family Room

2011-09-03T09:51:00.001-04:00

Art in my Family Room

The Day I was Laid Off by Phil Plasma

2011-09-03T08:20:00.001-04:00

The Day I was Laid Off by Phil Plasma

carpet burn to start a fire

2011-09-02T08:55:00.002-04:00

It has been a great many years since I have written a limerick. I do not intend to write one now.

It has been a great many years since I have ridden my unicycle. I do not intend to ride it today.

My Third Month at Hubpages

2011-09-01T08:24:00.001-04:00

My Third Month at Hubpages

Collapse Intelligently?

2011-08-31T23:20:00.003-04:00

Heinberg's Power Down. Instead of having peak oil and climate change wreak havoc on civilization willy nilly, have every nation agree to willingly and voluntarily reduce their consumption of fossil fuels by a fixed percent every year. In this way the collapse of civilization due to a lack of energy can be 'planned'.

Inane Episode 17

2011-08-30T15:13:00.001-04:00

Inane Episode 17

Sandwiched between pent up

2011-08-29T14:30:00.002-04:00

One thing that is not necessary when speaking about required things is providing examples of what is needed.

One example of what is needed is deemed not necessary by stating required things.

Required things are not an example of what is needed, speaking necessarily.

Baking a cake in a lake

2011-08-28T09:13:00.003-04:00

Drink your orange juice!

Stop kicking your sister!

Do not forget to identify the sub-species!

Collapse intelligently, or perish.

beaching the whale

2011-08-26T19:55:00.001-04:00

To offset the previous post that was rather lengthy.

Be all you can't be

2011-08-25T13:20:00.005-04:00

In the window there is a screen to keep the bugs from flying into the house.

On the ceiling there is very little.

On the wall that is to my left there is exactly zero pieces of art hung.

In another room, there is a chair. In this one, also.

I am wearing a digital wrist watch.

I am also wearing socks and sneakers, among all of the rest of the regular summer apparel.

The last time I weighed myself I weighed two pounds more than what I am most comfortable with as my weight. If I eat correctly today, I will lose those two pounds.

If I eat incorrectly today, I will likely stay at the weight that I am at.

I mowed the lawn of my property two days ago.

I saw the third Transformers movie yesterday.

I applied for three jobs this morning.

My house currently has a 65% humidity level and a 25C temperature level.

I started the dishwasher a few moments before starting this post, it is the only appliance currently operating in my home.

I am currently listening to Grooveshark and the song currently playing is called 'Hot for Teacher' by Van Halen.

I will be changing the cat litter soon after submitting this post.

It has been raining today, though at the moment it is not raining. It will rain some more today.

Tomorrow and through the weekend will have the dates of August 26,27 and 28.

I do not believe I have ever met a leprechaun.

I also am fairly certain I have not knowingly ever met a werewolf.

I have not ever jumped off of a building greater than one storey.

I have not been in a canoe in many years. I was in a rowboat this summer.

There is a good chance I will open up and consume a can of Coca-Cola this afternoon.

I do not drink diet drinks, I am quite confident that aspartame is poisonous.

My kids do not want take the school bus this year after having taken it for the first time last year. We have the option here to drive them before school starts where a school-daycare program will watch them. I sent an email to the transportation group of the school board today to let them know the kids won't take the bus.

Driving them is a little bit inconvenient, but walking them to the bus stop is also.

The song now playing on Grooveshark is called 'Paranoimia' by 'The Art of Noise'.

This post is taking a considerable amount of time for me to compose as I do not know how to end it.

If I get a job soon, I am thinking of taking my large severance package and buying dividend stocks making use of the TFSA to give us some cashflow. The TFSA is a tax-free savings account, so the dividends that come to me would be tax free.

We also have registered retirement savings plans that when we contribute, lowers our taxable income, thus lowering the amount of income tax we have to pay, but that money will only help us out when we retire. Why not do some investing that will help now? Why not keep adding to these TFSA stocks that pay dividends so that eventually it becomes a meaningful extra source of family revenue?

We did the bulk of the kids school supply shopping last week. Why on earth would a grade four teacher ask for 24 pencils and a grade 1 teacher ask for 20 pencils? I do not remember the early grades that well, but I'm pretty sure I went through grades 5 and 6 with perhaps a total of two or three pencils.

Now the Grooveshark song being played is called 'It's a Mistake' by 'Men at Work'.

The duration of the composition of this post is getting even longer now that I have taken the two photos below, copied them to my netbook, reduced their size to increase upload speed and then posted them.

My netbook is on the dining room table and to my right is this hutch which holds our fancy dishes:

Upon closer inspection we see a pencil on a ledge of the hutch:

Perhaps this is why the kids need so many pencils, they get placed on surfaces where they aren't meant to be and then left there.

We are moving away from a DSL internet connection to a cable one, the installer is coming on Monday. Our DSL connection has been sporadically intermittent. We are hoping that the new connection will be more stable.

Now the Grooveshark song that is playing is 'The Hand that Feeds' by 'Nine Inch Nails'.

A difference between the DSL and the cable connection is that the DSL connection had unlimited bandwidth while the cable has a limit. Another difference is that the speed of the DSL maxed out a just under 5MBps but the cable speed we will be paying for is supposed to have a max of 8MBps. Once we have the new connection we'll be able to evaluate the speed.

The camera I used to take the photos above is a Canon Powershot A630. The lens cover was broken by V-8. Conveniently, a few years ago my son recived an HP Photosmart E327 that allowed me to take this photo of the Canan Powershot with the broken lens cover.

Note that the underlying surface is a placemat. I originally took the photo with just the table surface beneath, but because the table surface is shiny it reflected too much.

The grooveshark playing now is called 'Something in your Mouth' by 'Nickelback'.

I just scratched my left temple for only the very briefest of moments. I believe this is a good indicator that this post should finish.

I had a tomato and lettuce sandwich for lunch with a small amount of apple-sauce. The apple-sauce was not consumed as part of the sandwich, but rather, as a supplement to the sandwich.

I accumulated the clothes for a load of laundry, put them in the washer, started the washer after having added the appropriate amount of laundry detergent, then once done, placed most of the clothes into the dryer, hanging to dry a few items that do not go in the dryer, and once that was done I folded the laundry and while doing so sorted it by family member. What remains is to bring the folded clothes to the bedrooms of the family members and in some cases put them away (V-8, C-Ling and me) and for the other two (G-bot and wife) they are to put their own away.

The grooveshark song now playing is called 'Superunknown' by 'Soundgarden'.

We have paid already for snow removal this winter. A snow removal truck will come for every snowfall and clear our driveway by 6:30AM and by 4:30PM so that we have a cleared driveway when we leave and come back. This proved invaluable last winter when we did it as we had lots of snow and the time it would have taken me to shovel would have prevented me from doing other things, like sleep.

Montreal Public Transit - Opus Card and how to use it

2011-08-23T16:55:00.001-04:00

Montreal Public Transit - Opus Card and how to use it

repeating repetition

2011-08-23T07:43:00.001-04:00

It is a slippery slope when the slope becomes slippery.

That's just the tip of the iceberg, that thing there sticking out of the water that is made of ice.

If I was to kill two birds with one stone, there'd be two dead birds.

bijjjjjjksiiiislllooooootrreeee gi

2011-08-22T12:14:00.001-04:00

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Inane Episode 13

2011-08-20T21:50:00.001-04:00

Inane Episode 13