What the hell day is it again?
So how about that schedule of mine eh? I was doing so well too… well alright not that well but better than I was expecting given that I’m in school once again.
So what have I been up to that has kept be so busy over the past couple weeks that would ruin my blog ethic? School (assignments and tests alike), a side project that went public, homework, weddings and a desire to finally beat a game that I’ve owned for far, far too long.
1984 (June 1949)
I finally read it. It took me far too long, but I finally found time to sit down and read 1984. What is there to say about this book? It set the bar for every totalitarian-themed novel, T.V. show, movie and video game that was to come. You know what else? After reading the book itself, I can actually say that 1984 does it better than any movie ever could.
1984 paints a future (well alright, past technically) where there is no law, and yet everyone fears to break it. A land so poor, yet constantly boasting it’s over-manufacturing. A world so controlled, that the past literally changes to suit the need of the ruling class. It depicts such a cultural and societal wasteland that nothing else really quite compares.
1984 is terrifying.
Blog Action Day: Poverty in Canada
As a bit of a change of pace, I’m going to talk about Poverty. I’ve joined with many, many other online writers today to join in and participate in talking about this years subject (Poverty, in case you forgot).
I thought at first about writing about Poverty all over the world. Then I thought about writing about Poverty in your own country. That’s when I realized I could talk about my own country, because damn it, I live here and this shit’s important. This is probably one of the issues closest to my heart on this planet and I’ll be damned to give up an opportunity to help.
Colour Swapper in WordPress
Who likes website colour swappers? Anyone?
When I developed the theme I am currently using, I searched high and low for something I could steal take inspiration from. The funny thing is that most people don’t even know where the colour swapper is on my site. So few in fact that I had to add a caption to it to help make it a little more obvious.
In any case I felt that I would share the method I used to create the swapping functionality on my website. I’m aware that most of it can be figured out with a little imagination and some source viewing, but I think that going through it step by step is more helpful.
UPDATE – 10/09/2008 - In record time, a second pair of eyes looking at this has managed to refine the process. Thank you Bart for pointing out that if the CSS files are named the same as the Title attribute of the Anchor, then you can drop the whole If statement. I’ve updated the tutorial accordingly
Blindness (2008)
What to say about Blindness? I went and saw it with Theresa when It came out in Canada (October 3rd, if anyone is wondering). We had seen previews for it months ago, and the idea intregued us both. At that point it fell off the map to anyone who wasn’t actively trying to follow it.
Apparently it was shown at the Cannes film festival to mixed reception. Reading reviews online does little to ease ones trepidation towards the film. It seems that Blindness is a movie that has those who love it, and others that feel that it was “like looking into the sky and having sand poured into your eyes.” I’ve had to think long and hard about what I really felt about it.
It had all the makings for a great film: a good premise, a fairly strong cast calling, some impressive cinematography, an excellent musical score, and a fair amount of detail. So what happened?
Getting more with the MORE tag
So who out there uses WordPress? I’ve been told it’s somewhat popular.
I myself am a fan despite it’s assault on the CPU and database. It’s fast, it’s simple, and so long as your website isn’t gaining huge traffic (or you’re paying peanuts for CPU usage and storage) than it’s a great selection. It’s fairly customizable, has a huge support and user base, and it’s just damned easy to use. I’ve been slowly getting more and more into customizing and extending what WordPress can do out of the box.There’s more in the code than people think.
Recently I a friend of mine ripped a strip off of me for only using summaries in my RSS feed. He told me that he, along with other net-savvy users, didn’t have time to get teased by RSS summaries.
UPDATE: As of December 3rd, 2008 I’ve turned this baby into a plugin! Check it out.
A Classical Admittance
I’ve got something to admit to. A secret that I’ve had for a long time. Something that very few people know about me, and I’ve kept this quiet for a very long time. I’ve had somewhat of a re-awakening to something that I though I had left behind me.
I like classical music. Beyond that I’m a fan of opera, all forms of choir music, and even musicals. I even have a keen spot in my heart for well-arranged soundtrack of both T.V. and Movie.
That’s right people, I’m basically a monocle-wearing classical enthusiast.
Lottery (August 2007)
I don’t know what it is with me and reading books about mentally-challenged, slow, or otherwise afflicted people. It’s not like I’ve got a fetish or anything; I think maybe I’ve got Underdog Syndrome. In any case Lottery, by Patricia Wood, isn’t about a mentally-challenged person; Lottery is about Perry L. Crandall. He’s not retarded; he’s got an IQ of 76, and 76 is higher than 75 – The IQ bar for ‘reatrded’.
As an aside, I have noticed something about myself: If a book writes about someone dying that is in any way dear to the protagonist, I will tear up. I can’t help it. The effect is almost immediate, and the Man in me shakes his head in disgust. This happens more often than it really should, and Lottery did it to me as well. I won’t divulge any more about it, because I’m not really in the habit of spoiling books.
Kam
I was always a loser.
Seriously, I was. I got picked on at school for every possible reason: Mamas boy, nerd, totally out of style, ugly, etc. etc. The usual stuff, I know, but it hurt all the same. High school wasn’t any better. I never had a girlfriend. Hell, I barely had friends, and they weren’t exactly the socialites of the century either. Like minds stick together and all that I guess.
An exercise in customer satisfaction
I joined a gym, and for a while I went there. I worked out at their facilities and found them clean, and brimming with machines and weights in which to sculpt my body. I used their exceptionally clean and well kept bathrooms and facilities. The staff was always courteous, the lighting great, the music well selected, and the food offered was healthy and scrumptious. They even had a clothing store where one could buy stuff 30% with the membership card, and a day car for those who dragged their children around.
All in all, a fantastic experience from a customer point of view. Everything scored 7/10 or higher (more often higher). So why am I angry with this chain? They dropped the ball in a key area: my leaving.