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Archive

2022 October

  • Best of You 2022 Oct 31

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Best of You. The 2005 Foo Fighters original and a 2006 acoustic version.

  • As It Was 2022 Oct 24

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is As It Was. The 2022 Harry Styles original and a 2022 cover by Tate McRae.

2022 March

  • I Go Blind 2022 Mar 14

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is I Go Blind. The 1986 54-40 original and a 1995 cover by Hootie & the Blowfish.

2021 December

  • Blue (2) 2021 Dec 20

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Blue. The 1971 Joni Mitchell original and a 1996 cover by Sarah McLachlan.

  • This Flight Tonight 2021 Dec 13

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is This Flight Tonight. The 1971 Joni Mitchell original and a 1973 cover by Nazareth.

2021 November

  • Falling 2021 Nov 8

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Falling. The 2019 Harry Styles original and a 2021 cover by Jungkook.

2021 October

  • Sledgehammer 2021 Oct 18

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Sledgehammer. The 1986 Peter Gabriel original and a 2020 cover by Harry Styles.

2021 September

  • The Chain 2021 Sep 20

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is The Chain. The 1977 Fleetwood Mac original and a 2019 cover by The Highwomen.

2021 February

  • Wonderwall 2021 Feb 8

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Wonderwall. The 1995 Oasis original and a 2020 cover by Boyce Avenue.

  • Mad World (2) 2021 Feb 1

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Mad World (2). The 1983 Tears for Fears original and a 2020 cover by Brandi Carlile.

2021 January

  • A New Year 2021 Jan 7

    I definitely didn’t expect my life, or the world, to change as much as it has in the last 20 months.

  • Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) 2021 Jan 4

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This). The 1983 Eurythmics original and a 1995 cover by Marilyn Manson.

2020 September

  • MMMBop 2020 Sep 28

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is MMMBop. The 1997 Hanson original and a 2019 cover by Scary Pockets.

  • Blinding Lights 2020 Sep 21

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Blinding Lights. The 2020 Weeknd original and a 2020 cover by Giant Rooks.

  • Lean on Me 2020 Sep 7

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Lean on Me. The 1972 Bill Withers original and a 2020 cover by Music Travel Love.

2020 August

  • Under My Thumb 2020 Aug 31

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Under My Thumb. The 1966 Rolling Stones original and a 1979 cover by Streetheart.

  • Angel of the Morning 2020 Aug 17

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Angel of the Morning. The 1968 Merrilee Rush original and a 1981 cover by Juice Newton.

  • Island in the Sun 2020 Aug 10

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Island in the Sun. The 2001 Weezer original and a 2020 cover by Trevor Bragg.

  • Everlong 2020 Aug 3

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Everlong. The 1997 Foo Fighters original and a 2020 cover by Rick Astley.

2020 July

  • Grace Too 2020 Jul 13

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Grace Too. The 1994 Tragically Hip original and a 2019 cover by Twin Flames.

2020 June

  • Blackbird 2020 Jun 22

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Blackbird. The 1968 Beatles original and a 2019 cover by Emma Stevens.

  • A Change Is Gonna Come 2020 Jun 8

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is A Change Is Gonna Come. The 1964 Sam Cooke original and a 2008 cover by Seal.

  • I Don’t Like Mondays 2020 Jun 1

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is I Don’t Like Mondays. The 1979 Boomtown Rats original and a 2001 cover by Tori Amos.

2020 May

  • Spiderwebs 2020 May 25

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Spiderwebs. The 1995 No Doubt original and a 2020 cover by Trevor Bragg.

  • Thunderstruck (2) 2020 May 18

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Thunderstruck. The 1990 AC/DC original and a 2020 cover by Walk off the Earth.

  • Landslide 2020 May 4

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Landslide. The 1975 Fleetwood Mac original and a 1994 cover by The Smashing Pumpkins.

2020 April

  • If I Can’t Have You 2020 Apr 27

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is If I Can’t Have You. The 2018 Shawn Mendes original and a 2020 cover by Trevor Bragg.

  • Lean on Me 2020 Apr 6

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Lean on Me. The 1972 Bill Withers original and a 1986 cover by Club Nouveau.

2020 March

  • I Love Rock ’n’ Roll 2020 Mar 30

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is I Love Rock ’n’ Roll. The 1975 Arrows original and a 1981 cover by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts.

  • Ironic 2020 Mar 23

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Ironic. The 1995 Alanis Morissette original and a 2018 cover by Donovan Woods.

  • Building a Mystery 2020 Mar 2

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Building a Mystery. The 1997 Sarah McLachlan original and a 2020 cover by Justin Rutledge.

2020 February

  • Changes 2020 Feb 10

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Changes. The 1972 Black Sabbath original and a 2016 cover by Charles Bradley.

  • Try 2020 Feb 3

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Try. The 1987 Blue Rodeo original and a 2020 cover by Tanika Charles.

2020 January

  • Ain’t No Mountain High Enough 2020 Jan 27

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Ain’t No Mountain High Enough. The 1967 Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell original and a 1970 cover by Diana Ross.

  • After the Gold Rush 2020 Jan 13

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is After the Gold Rush. The 1970 Neil Young original and a 2020 cover by Patti Smith.

  • Maybe I’m Amazed 2020 Jan 6

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Maybe I’m Amazed. The 1970 Paul McCartney original and a 1971 cover by Faces.

  • Feelings 2020 Jan 2

    My Mom doesn’t care for the introduction “I feel …”—she believes it has replaced the more appropriate introduction “I think …”

2019 December

  • I Wanna Be Sedated 2019 Dec 30

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is I Wanna Be Sedated. The 1978 Ramones original and a 2001 cover by the Go-Go’s.

  • ’Zat You, Santa Claus? 2019 Dec 23

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is ’Zat You, Santa Claus?. The 1953 Louis Armstrong original and a 1987 cover by Buster Poindexter.

  • Ring of Fire (3) 2019 Dec 16

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Ring of Fire. The 1963 Johnny Cash original and a 1990 cover by Brian Eno.

  • Home for a Rest 2019 Dec 2

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Home for a Rest. The 1990 Spirit of the West original and a 2019 cover by Alan Doyle.

2019 September

  • Sisters of Mercy 2019 Sep 23

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Sisters of Mercy. The 1967 Leonard Cohen original and a 2015 cover by Serena Ryder.

  • You Might Think 2019 Sep 16

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is You Might Think. The Cars’ 1984 original and a 2011 cover by Weezer.

2019 August

  • Somebody That I Used to Know 2019 Aug 26

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Somebody That I Used to Know. The 2011 Gotye original and a 2012 cover by Walk off the Earth.

  • Show Me the Place 2019 Aug 19

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Show Me the Place. The 2012 Leonard Cohen original and a 2016 cover by Zaki Ibrahim.

  • Hotline Bling 2019 Aug 12

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Hotline Bling. The 2015 Drake original and a 2015 cover by Daniela Andrade.

  • Call Me Maybe 2019 Aug 5

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Call Me Maybe. The 2012 Carly Rae Jepsen original and a 2012 cover by JP Maurice and the Matinee.

2019 July

  • Crabbuckit (2) 2019 Jul 29

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Crabbuckit. The 2004 k-os original and a 2019 cover by Kaia Kater.

  • Walking on the Moon 2019 Jul 22

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Walking on the Moon. The 1979 The Police original and a 2019 cover by Walk off the Earth.

  • Peace Frog 2019 Jul 15

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Peace Frog. The 1970 The Doors original and a 2019 cover by Vampire Weekend.

  • Sure Know Something 2019 Jul 8

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Sure Know Something. The 1979 Kiss original and a 2019 cover by The Hindley Street Country Club.

  • Lost Together 2019 Jul 1

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Lost Together. The 1992 Blue Rodeo original and a 2012 cover by Blue Rodeo and Friends.

2019 June

  • God Save the Queen 2019 Jun 24

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is God Save the Queen. The 1977 Sex Pistols original and a 2000 cover by Motörhead.

  • Video Killed The Radio Star 2019 Jun 17

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Video Killed The Radio Star. The 1980 The Buggles original and a 2019 cover by Walk Off the Earth.

  • Rhinestone Cowboy 2019 Jun 10

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Rhinestone Cowboy. The 1975 Glen Campbell original and a 2019 cover by Jim Cuddy.

  • Suspicious Minds (3) 2019 Jun 3

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Suspicious Minds. The 1969 Elvis Presley original and a 1985 cover by Fine Young Cannibals.

2019 May

  • (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction 2019 May 27

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction. The 1965 The Rolling Stones original and a 1978 cover by Devo.

  • Running Up That Hill 2019 May 20

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Running Up That Hill. The 1985 Kate Bush original and a 2019 cover by Meg Myers.

  • The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald 2019 May 13

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. The 1976 Gordon Lightfoot original and a 2019 cover by the Headstones.

  • I think people don’t like coffee 2019 May 9

    No, seriously. I think people don’t like coffee.

  • Thunderstruck 2019 May 6

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Thunderstruck. The 1990 AC/DC original and a 2014 cover by Steve 'n' Seagulls.

2019 April

  • Kiss from a Rose 2019 Apr 29

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Kiss from a Rose. The 1994 Seal original and a 2011 cover by Mustered Courage.

  • The how, not the what 2019 Apr 25

    I often find myself agreeing with the what but not necessarily the how. The thing is understandable, the implementation, not so much.

  • Crazy Train (2) 2019 Apr 22

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Crazy Train. The 1980 Ozzy Osbourne original and a 2012 cover by The Gravel Spreaders.

  • Touch of Grey 2019 Apr 15

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Touch of Grey. The 1987 Grateful Dead original and a 2014 cover by Love Canon.

  • Why can’t we make taxes easier? 2019 Apr 11

    I listened to a podcast about a project that took advantage of the fact that the government already knows most of your tax-related activity and can just send you a completed tax return.

  • All About That Bass (2) 2019 Apr 8

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is All About That Bass. The 2014 Meghan Trainor original and a 2014 cover by The Blueshine Brothers.

  • Ace of Spades (2) 2019 Apr 1

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Ace of Spades. The 1980 Motörhead original and a 2014 cover by o Bardo e o Banjo.

2019 March

  • Eyes of a Stranger 2019 Mar 25

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Eyes of a Stranger. The 1982 Payola$ original and a 2019 cover by Serena Ryder.

  • I’m Like a Bird 2019 Mar 18

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is I’m Like a Bird. The 2000 Nelly Furtado original and a 2019 cover by Tyler Shaw.

  • Try 2019 Mar 11

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Try. The 1987 Blue Rodeo original and a 2019 cover by Megan Bonnell.

  • I Just Wanna Make Love To You 2019 Mar 4

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is I Just Wanna Make Love To You. The 1960 Etta James original and a 2019 cover by Whitehorse.

2019 February

  • Take On Me 2019 Feb 25

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Take On Me. The 1985 A-ha original and a 2019 cover by Weezer.

  • Wicked Game (3) 2019 Feb 18

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Wicked Game. The 1989 Chris Isaak original and a 2017 cover by Charlotte Cardin.

  • Take A Chance On Me 2019 Feb 11

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Take A Chance On Me. The 1977 ABBA original and a 1992 cover by Erasure.

  • Heart of Gold 2019 Feb 4

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Heart of Gold. The 1972 Neil Young original and a 2018 cover by Midnight Shine.

2019 January

  • How You Remind Me 2019 Jan 28

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is How You Remind Me. The 2001 Nickelback original and a 2018 cover by Charlotte Cardin.

2018 December

  • Happy Xmas (War Is Over) 2018 Dec 31

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Happy Xmas (War Is Over). The 1971 John Lennon, Yoko Ono and Plastic Ono Band original and a 2018 cover by Miley Cyrus and Mark Ronson, featuring Sean Ono Lennon.

  • Jolene 2018 Dec 17

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Jolene. The 2016 Dolly Parton/Pentatonix collaboration and a 2018 cover by Dumplin's drag queens.

  • Mele Kalikimaka 2018 Dec 10

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Mele Kalikimaka. The 1960 Bing Crosby original and a 2011 cover by Walk off the Earth.

  • Sympathy for the Devil 2018 Dec 3

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Sympathy for the Devil. The 1968 The Rolling Stones original and a 1969 cover by Sandie Shaw.

2018 October

  • Cat’s in the Cradle 2018 Oct 15

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Cat’s in the Cradle. The 1974 Harry Chapin original and a 1992 cover by Ugly Kid Joe.

  • Gin and Juice 2018 Oct 8

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Gin and Juice. The 1993 Snoop Doggy Dogg original and a 2000 cover by The Gourds.

  • These Boots Are Made for Walkin' 2018 Oct 1

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is These Boots Are Made for Walkin'. The 1966 Nancy Sinatra original and a 2005 cover by Jessica Simpson.

2018 September

  • Firework 2018 Sep 17

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Firework. The 2010 Katy Perry original and a 2018 cover by Chase Holfelder.

  • That’s All 2018 Sep 3

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is That’s All. The 1983 Genesis original and a 2014 cover by Gabrielle Aplin.

2018 August

  • Hash Pipe 2018 Aug 6

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Hash Pipe. The 2001 Weezer original and a 2018 cover by Toto.

2018 July

  • Africa 2018 Jul 23

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Africa. The 1982 Toto original and a 2018 cover by Weezer.

  • Ohio 2018 Jul 16

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Ohio. The 1970 Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young original and a 2017 cover by Whitehorse.

  • The Unforgiven 2018 Jul 9

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is The Unforgiven. The 1991 Metallica original and a 2001 cover by Vitamin String Quartet.

  • Fade To Black 2018 Jul 2

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Fade To Black. The 1984 Metallica original and a 2001 cover by Vitamin String Quartet.

2018 June

  • Nothing Else Matters 2018 Jun 25

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Nothing Else Matters. The 1991 Metallica original and a 2016 cover by Vitamin String Quartet.

2018 May

  • …Baby One More Time 2018 May 14

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Baby One More Time. The 1999 Britney Spears original and a 2015 cover by No Reception.

  • Toxic 2018 May 7

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Toxic. The 2003 Britney Spears original and a 2018 cover by The Surfrajettes.

2018 April

  • Don’t Stop Believin’ 2018 Apr 30

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Don’t Stop Believin’. The 1981 Journey original and a 2017 cover by Postmodern Jukebox.

  • Hasn’t Hit Me Yet 2018 Apr 23

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Hasn't Hit Me Yet. The 1993 Blue Rodeo original and a 2016 live performance.

  • Sweet Child O' Mine 2018 Apr 16

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Sweet Child O' Mine. The 1987 Guns N' Roses original and a 2005 cover by Vitamin String Quartet.

  • Islands in the Stream 2018 Apr 9

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Islands in the Stream. The 1983 Kenny Rogers original and a 2017 cover by Jimmy Fallon.

  • Don’t be a dick 2018 Apr 5

    I do my best to follow Wheaton’s Law: “Don’t be a dick”

  • Happy 2018 Apr 2

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Happy. The 2014 Pharrell Williams original and a 2014 parody by “Weird Al” Yankovic.

2018 March

  • Across the Universe 2018 Mar 26

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Across the Universe. The 1969 The Beatles original and a 2001 cover by Rufus Wainwright.

  • I Want to Hold Your Hand 2018 Mar 19

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is I Want to Hold Your Hand. The 1964 The Beatles original and a 1969 cover by Al Green.

  • We Can Work It Out 2018 Mar 12

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is We Can Work It Out. The 1965 The Beatles original and a 2010 cover by Stevie Wonder.

  • To Connect or Not to Connect 2018 Mar 8

    I read an article the other day about going without a smartphone for a week. I have some thoughts, and I’d like to hear yours.

  • Dark Horse 2018 Mar 5

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Dark Horse. The 2013 Katy Perry original and a 2014 cover by Our Last Night.

2018 February

  • Rocky Mountain Way 2018 Feb 26

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Rocky Mountain Way. The 1973 Joe Walsh original and a 2012 cover by Godsmack.

  • Wicked Game 2018 Feb 19

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Wicked Game. The 1989 Chris Isaak original and a 2007 cover by Three Days Grace.

2017 November

  • Both Sides, Now 2017 Nov 20

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Both Sides, Now. The 1969 Joni Mitchell original and a 2012 cover by Melanie C.

  • American Woman 2017 Nov 6

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is American Woman. The 1970 The Guess Who original and a 1998 cover by Lenny Kravitz.

2017 October

  • Hey Ya! 2017 Oct 30

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Hey Ya!. The 2003 OutKast original and a 2017 cover by Walk off the Earth.

  • Ahead by a Century 2017 Oct 23

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Ahead by a Century. The 1995 The Tragically Hip original and a 2017 cover by The Jerry Cans.

  • Look What You Made Me Do 2017 Oct 16

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Look What You Made Me Do. The 2017 Taylor Swift original and a 2017 cover by Our Last Night.

  • All About That Bass 2017 Oct 9

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is All About That Bass. The 2014 Meghan Trainor original and a 2014 cover by Home Free.

  • A Fox, a Goose and a Bag of Beans 2017 Oct 5

    Here’s a bit of a puzzle I’d like to share with you.

  • Shake It Off 2017 Oct 2

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Shake It Off. The 2014 Taylor Swift original and a 2014 cover by Walk off the Earth.

2017 September

  • Happy 2017 Sep 25

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Happy. The 2014 Pharrell Williams original and a 2014 cover by Walk off the Earth.

  • Suspicious Minds 2017 Sep 11

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Suspicious Minds. The 1969 Elvis Presley original and a 2017 cover by Chase Holfelder.

  • Folsom Prison Blues 2017 Sep 4

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Folsom Prison Blues. The 1957 Johnny Cash original and a 2008 cover by Everlast.

2017 August

  • Back Online 2017 Aug 24

    I’m trying to divest myself of unnecessary technology assets so I’ve delegated hosting this site to Github and its Pages service.

  • Total Eclipse of the Heart 2017 Aug 21

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Total Eclipse of the Heart. The 1983 Bonnie Tyler original and a 2017 cover by Straight No Chaser.

  • Fresh Prince of Bel-Air 2017 Aug 7

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The 1990 DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince original and a 2008 cover by Kay Pettigrew.

2017 July

  • Violet 2017 Jul 31

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Violet. The 1994 Hole original and a 2017 cover by Phantogram.

  • Fox on the Run 2017 Jul 24

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Fox on the Run. The 1974 Sweet original and a 2017 cover by The Regrettes.

  • Monkey Wrench 2017 Jul 17

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Monkey Wrench. The 1997 Foo Fighters original and a 2017 cover by Judah & The Lion.

  • Feeling Good 2017 Jul 10

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Feeling Good. The 1965 Nina Simone original and a 2005 cover by Michael Bublé.

  • Geri Halliwell 2017 Jul 3

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Geri Halliwell. Viva Forever from the Spice Girls’ 1997 album, Spiceworld, and Lift Me Up from her 1999 album, Schizophonic

2017 June

  • Victoria Adams 2017 Jun 26

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Victoria Adams. Stop from the Spice Girls’ 1997 album, Spiceworld, and Let Your Head Go from her 2003 album, The 'Réal' Beckhams.

  • Emma Bunton 2017 Jun 19

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Emma Bunton. Too Much from the Spice Girls’ 1997 album, Spiceworld, and Maybe from her 2004 album, Free Me.

  • Mel B 2017 Jun 12

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Mel B. Spice Up Your Life from the Spice Girls’ 1997 album, Spiceworld, and Tell Me from her 2000 album, Hot.

2017 May

  • Melanie C 2017 May 29

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Melanie C. 2 Become 1 from the Spice Girls’ 1996 debut album, Spice, and Goin’ Down from her 1999 album, Northern Star.

  • Spice Girls 2017 May 22

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Spice Girls. The first two singles from their 1996 debut album, Spice.

  • A Groovy Kind of Love 2017 May 1

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is A Groovy Kind of Love. The 1965 The Mindbenders original and a 1988 cover by Phil Collins.

2017 April

  • It’s Oh So Quiet 2017 Apr 17

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is It’s Oh So Quiet. The 1951 Betty Hutton original and a 1995 cover by Björk.

  • Word Choices 2017 Apr 6

    Over the last few months I’ve heard about some word choices that better represent the idea being conveyed.

  • Torn 2017 Apr 3

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Torn. The 1995 Ednaswap original and a 1997 cover by Natalie Imbruglia.

2017 March

  • ISO 216 Paper Sizes 2017 Mar 30

    I learned recently about the standard A-series paper sizes and was really impressed. I don't know why these standards aren't used everywhere.

  • It's Raining Men 2017 Mar 27

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is It’s Raining Men. The 1983 The Weather Girls original and a 2001 cover by Geri Halliwell.

  • Oxford Comma 2017 Mar 23

    I totally disagree with always putting a comma before “and” in a list.

  • The Man Who Sold the World 2017 Mar 20

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is The Man Who Sold the World. The 1970 David Bowie original and a 1994 cover by Nirvana.

  • Gloria 2017 Mar 13

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Gloria. The 1965 Them original and a 1983 cover by The Doors.

  • It’s My Life 2017 Mar 6

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is It’s My Life. The 1984 Talk Talk original and a 2003 cover by No Doubt.

2017 February

  • Flight of the Conchords 2017 Feb 20

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Flight of the Conchords. The 2008 originals The Most Beautiful Girl (In the Room) and Business Time.

  • Rocket Man 2017 Feb 13

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Rocket Man. The 1972 Elton John original and a 2007 cover by Iron Horse.

  • Acronym v. Initialism 2017 Feb 9

    I’m often frustrated by the use of the word acronym when initialism is meant, or even the more general abbreviation.

  • Shake It Off 2017 Feb 6

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Shake It Off. The 2014 Taylor Swift original and a 2014 cover by Postmodern Jukebox.

2017 January

  • Muskrat Love 2017 Jan 30

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Muskrat Love. The 1973 America version and a 1976 cover by Captain & Tennille.

  • What does it mean to be a human being? 2017 Jan 26

    Being a human being means finding one's place among the more than seven billion people on our planet and in balance with our natural environment.

  • Lovely Day 2017 Jan 23

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Lovely Day. The 1977 Bill Withers original and a 1998 cover by DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince.

  • Do your job 2017 Jan 19

    I have a rule: “Do your job”

  • Heroes 2017 Jan 16

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Heroes. The 1977 David Bowie original and a 1998 cover by The Wallflowers.

  • Hot n Cold 2017 Jan 9

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Hot n Cold. The 2008 Katy Perry original and a 2009 cover by Los Colorados.

2016 December

  • Christmas Is Now 2016 Dec 26

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is a collection of Xmas songs, featuring Stephen Colbert’s Christmas Is Now.

  • Happy 2016 Dec 19

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Happy. The 2014 Pharrell Williams original and a 2014 cover by Skylar Stecker.

  • Billie Jean 2016 Dec 12

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Billie Jean. The 1982 Michael Jackson original and a 2016 cover by Alexandr Misko.

  • Mad World 2016 Dec 5

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Mad World. The 1983 Tears for Fears original and a 2015 cover by Postmodern Jukebox.

2016 November

  • Black Hole Sun 2016 Nov 28

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Black Hole Sun. The 1994 Soundgarden original and a 2016 cover by Postmodern Jukebox.

  • 1000 Arms 2016 Nov 21

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Blue Rodeo’s 1000 Arms, the title track from their 2016 album.

  • Hallelujah 2016 Nov 14

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Hallelujah. The 1984 Leonard Cohen original and a 2016 cover by Liz Phair.

  • It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine) 2016 Nov 7

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine). The 1987 R.E.M. original and a 1997 cover by Great Big Sea.

2016 October

  • Ace of Spades 2016 Oct 31

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Ace of Spades. The 1980 Motörhead original and a 2016 cover by Lisa LeBlanc.

  • Higher Ground 2016 Oct 24

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Higher Ground. The 1973 Stevie Wonder original and a 1989 cover by Red Hot Chili Peppers.

  • Don't Stop Believin' 2016 Oct 17

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Don't Stop Believin'. The 1981 Journey original and a 2014 cover by Original Pine Mountain Railroad.

  • Rolling in the Deep 2016 Oct 3

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Rolling in the Deep. The 2011 Adele original and a 2011 cover by Linkin Park.

2016 September

  • Clocks 2016 Sep 26

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Clocks. The 2002 Coldplay original and a 2005 cover by Old School Freight Train.

  • Once in a Lifetime 2016 Sep 19

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Once in a Lifetime. The 1981 Talking Heads original and a 1996 cover by Kermit the Frog and The Electric Mayhem.

  • Founding Fathers 2016 Sep 15

    I hear a lot about what the Founding Fathers would do or think, or what they intended I’m suspicious that 240 years later anyone has any idea what the Founding Fathers intended for their republic, beyond the literal words of the Constitution.

  • Grace, Too 2016 Sep 12

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Grace, Too. The 1994 The Tragically Hip original and a 2014 cover by Justin Rutledge.

  • Markdown 2016 Sep 8

    I think Markdown is awesome.

  • Nautical Disaster 2016 Sep 5

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Nautical Disaster. The 1994 The Tragically Hip original and a 2016 cover by J.P. Cormier.

  • Run-Of-The-Mill Weirdo 2016 Sep 1

    As exceptional as people are, they’re often just run-of-the-mill weirdos.

2016 August

  • Black Day in July 2016 Aug 28

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Black Day in July. The 1968 Gordon Lightfoot original and a 2003 cover by The Tragically Hip.

  • Courage 2016 Aug 21

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Courage. The 1993 Tragically Hip original and a 1997 cover by Sarah Polley.

2016 July

  • Waiting for the Bus 2016 Jul 28

    I see you waiting for the bus. You get on the bus and then you have to search through your bag for your wallet and then extract your bus pass or ticket or change. What the hell were you waiting for?

  • What’s Up 2016 Jul 25

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is What’s Up. The 1992 4 Non Blondes original and a 2016 cover by Chase Holfelder.

  • Crazy in Love 2016 Jul 4

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Crazy in Love. The 2003 Beyoncé original and a 2014 cover by Scott Richmond.

2016 June

  • Summertime 2016 Jun 20

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Summertime. The 1958 Ella Fitzgerald recording and a 2014 cover by Annie Lennox.

2016 February

  • Crazy Train 2016 Feb 15

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Crazy Train. The 1980 Ozzy Osbourne original and a 2015 cover by Iron Horse.

  • Enter Sandman 2016 Feb 8

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Enter Sandman. The 1991 Metallica original and a 2001 cover by Iron Horse.

  • Every Breath You Take 2016 Feb 1

    This week's instalment of Music Monday is Every Breath You Take. The 1983 Police original and a 2014 cover by Chase Holfelder.

2016 January

  • Girls Just Want to Have Fun 2016 Jan 25

    This week's instalment of Music Monday is Girls Just Want to Have Fun. The 1983 Cyndi Lauper original and a 2014 cover by Chase Holfelder.

  • Happy 2016! 2016 Jan 2

    Happy 2016, everybody! 2015 is past and was quite a year for all of us, I think. I hope it was fulfilling for all of you.

2015 November

  • Video Games 2015 Nov 2

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Video Games. The 2012 Lana Del Ray original and a 2015 cover by the Dixie Chicks.

2015 October

  • In the Air Tonight 2015 Oct 26

    This week's instalment of Music Monday is In the Air Tonight. The 1981 Phil Collins original and a 2015 cover by Barenaked Ladies.

  • Stealin’ All My Dreams 2015 Oct 19

    Given that today is election day, this week's instalment of Music Monday is Stealin' All My Dreams by Blue Rodeo.

  • Nothing Compares 2 U 2015 Oct 12

    This week's instalment of Music Monday is Nothing Compares 2 U. The 1990 Sinéad O'Connor version and a 2015 cover by Chris Cornell.

2015 September

  • West End Girls 2015 Sep 7

    This week's instalment of Music Monday is West End Girls. The 1986 Pet Shop Boys original and a 2014 cover by GWAR.

2015 June

  • Oh, the humanity 2015 Jun 11

    I think we should be nurturing the most apt and most interested humans for any role and not be concerned about the demographics.

  • Higher Education 2015 Jun 4

    University is not where you go to get a good job. It's not for corporate training, not just the next step after high school, not where you hone your craft.

  • We Got the Beat 2015 Jun 1

    This week's instalment of Music Monday is We Got the Beat. The 1981 Go-Go's original and a 2014 cover by The Coathangers.

2015 May

  • Housing First 2015 May 28

    It seems like we can cut support costs for helping homeless people by more than half if we just admit there's a problem and start finding real solutions.

  • The Final Countdown 2015 May 25

    This week's instalment of Music Monday is The Final Countdown. The 1986 Europe original and a 2015 cover by Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn.

  • Run to You 2015 May 18

    This week's instalment of Music Monday is Run to You. The 1984 Bryan Adams original and a 2014 cover by Ryan Adams.

  • Mindful Transportation 2015 May 14

    For the last 13 years, I've relied on alternative transportation. It's a little challenging in Saskatoon, but it's been possible for the last seven years; it just takes some planning.

  • Summer of ’69 2015 May 4

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Summer of ’69. The 1984 Bryan Adams original and a 2015 cover by Ryan Adams.

2015 April

  • Ring of Fire 2015 Apr 27

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Ring of Fire. The 1963 Johnny Cash ‘original’ and a 1990 cover by Social Distortion.

2015 March

  • Ring of Fire 2015 Mar 9

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Ring of Fire. The 1963 Johnny Cash ‘original’ and a 1980 cover by Wall of Voodoo.

  • Sledgehammer 2015 Mar 2

    This week's instalment of Music Monday is Sledgehammer. The 1986 Peter Gabriel original and a 2013 cover by The Hang.

2015 February

  • Mexican Radio 2015 Feb 23

    This week's instalment of Music Monday is Mexican Radio. The 1982 Wall of Voodoo original and a 2012 cover by the Hang.

  • Stay with Me 2015 Feb 2

    This week's instalment of Music Monday is Stay with Me. The 2014 Sam Smith “original” and the very similar I Won't Back Down by Tom Petty from 1989.

2015 January

  • Higher Love 2015 Jan 26

    This week's instalment of Music Monday is Higher Love. The 1986 Steve Winwood original and a 2011 cover by James Vincent McMorrow.

  • Army of Me 2015 Jan 12

    This week's instalment of Music Monday is Army of Me. The 1995 Björk original and a 2006 cover by the Worst Pop Band Ever.

  • Solitude 2015 Jan 8

    For almost a year now, I've felt like I've been trying to get used to being by myself, while at the same time feeling like I'm missing something.

  • Fall at Your Feet 2015 Jan 5

    This week's instalment of Music Monday is Fall at Your Feet. The 1991 Crowded House original and a 2010 cover by Boy & Bear.

  • Happy New Year (2015) 2015 Jan 2

    A happy new year to all of you! All the best and good luck with your resolutions and intentions in this new year.

2014 December

  • Don’t Stop Me Now 2014 Dec 1

    This week's instalment of Music Monday is Don't Stop Me Now. The 1978 Queen original and a 2014 cover by Foxes.

2014 November

  • Sweet Jane 2014 Nov 24

    This week's instalment of Music Monday is Sweet Jane. The 1970 Velvet Underground original and a 1988 cover by Cowboy Junkies.

  • Whiskey in the Jar 2014 Nov 10

    This week's instalment of Music Monday is Whiskey in the Jar. A popular 1967 Dubliners version and a 1998 cover by Metallica.

  • Mandy 2014 Nov 3

    This week's instalment of Music Monday is MAndy. The 1974 Barry Manilow original and a 1997 cover by Me First and the Gimme Gimmes.

2014 October

  • The Future of My Ignorance 2014 Oct 30

    Ideally, the argument against “Yes” is “No.” And vice versa. But all too often the extreme argument only gets a moderate response.

  • I Feel Free 2014 Oct 27

    This week's instalment of Music Monday is I Feel Free. Cream's 1966 classic and a 2005 cover by the Foo Fighters.

  • Greed, Self-Interest and Ignorance 2014 Oct 23

    Try to be the best you can be, and guide yourself in this endeavour by thinking of those who love you and depend on you, and I'll try to do the same. Maybe if we can all do this, the world will go to hell slightly more slowly.

  • Bless This Morning Year 2014 Oct 20

    This week's instalment of Music Monday is Bless This Morning Year from Helios' second ambient album, Eingya.

  • Keep Your Balance 2014 Oct 13

    This week's instalment of Music Monday is Violent Kin's Keep Your Balance from their 2010 EP Velvet Hideout.

  • Blue 2014 Oct 6

    This week's instalment of Music Monday is LeAnn Rimes' Blue, from her 1996 album, Blue.

2014 September

  • Barbra Streisand 2014 Sep 22

    This week's instalment of Music Monday is Barbra Streisand by Duck Sauce.

  • Life Is a Highway 2014 Sep 8

    This week's instalment of Music Monday is Life Is a Highway. The 1991 Tom Cochrane original and a 1998 cover by Chris LeDoux.

  • Blues Traveler 2014 Sep 1

    This week's instalment of Music Monday is Blues Traveler's 1995 hit, Hook.

2014 August

  • Passing Judgment 2014 Aug 15

    There are always going to be things in our lives we don't want and I think that's where non-judgment comes in. Passing judgment on external things isn't helpful, getting angry about things you can't change isn't helpful.

  • White Wedding 2014 Aug 11

    This week's instalment of Music Monday is White Wedding. The 1982 Billy Idol original and a 2009 cover by Queens of the Stone Age.

  • Five Days of Three Positives 2014 Aug 7

    This past week on Facebook, I posted three positive things for each of five days. I thought this Thoughtful Thursday I could re-post all 15 and the story behind each one. This was such a fantastic exercise, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Some days, it was tough thinking up three positive things. When I just let myself think about the simpler things that made me smile during the day or that made me feel relaxed, it came very easily.

2014 July

  • Explanations, Apologies and Compromises 2014 Jul 31

    I'd like to draw your attention to one old and two recent posts to explain, apologize and compromise.

  • Ordinary World 2014 Jul 28

    This week's instalment of Music Monday is Ordinary World. The 1993 Duran Duran original and a 2002 cover by Gregorian.

  • Someone Like You 2014 Jul 21

    This week's instalment of Music Monday is Adele's Someone Like You from her second album, 21, released in 2011.

  • Family 2014 Jul 17

    When I looked for “blended family” images on gettyimages.ca, they mostly included images of similar-looking people drinking smoothies.

  • I Just Wanna Have Something To Do 2014 Jul 14

    This week's instalment of Music Monday is I Just Wanna Have Something To Do. The 1978 Ramones original and a 2003 cover by Garbage.

  • Prairie adventure 2014 Jul 9

    The other day was such a refreshing, relaxing afternoon far enough away from the city to think about the almost limitless possibilities that pioneers faced, as well as the hardships.

  • Horses 2014 Jul 7

    This week's instalment of Music Monday is America's A Horse with No Name (1971) and Patti Smith's Horses (1975).

  • Canada Day 2014 Jul 3

    What I think I liked most was the weird, casual bike ride home. Half of us were on bikes and the other half were walking, with one poor lass riding in a wagon, because of a broken foot. We were riding really slowly, sometimes we'd scoot off and ride around on our own and then loop back, or just hang back and coast along. It was all just so relaxed and comfortable and enjoyable.

2014 June

  • The Gambler 2014 Jun 30

    This week's instalment of Music Monday is The Gambler. The 1978 Kenny Rogers original and a 2011 cover by Uncle Kracker.

  • Business Casual Attire 2014 Jun 26

    I might have been vitriolic in the past about the appearance of my colleagues, they might now say the same about me. And probably should, but I'm good with it.

  • Kate Pierson 2014 Jun 23

    This week's instalment of Music Monday is Love Shack (1989) and Shiny Happy People (1991) both fun, silly songs featuring Kate Pierson.

  • Communication v. Technology 2014 Jun 19

    Text messages are great for small talk and general chatting, but not for a real adult conversation. Email is great for short messages that don't need a lot of discussion, and if you need to reach multiple people and ensure a consistent message. But it can't be used instead of sitting down and talking with people.

  • Nights on Broadway 2014 Jun 16

    This week's instalment of Music Monday is the Bee Gees' Nights on Broadway from their 1975 album Main Course.

  • Your Coherent Story 2014 Jun 12

    I rely on social media to provide me a coherent story about your lives. When I see things that seem to contradict what I thought I knew about you, I have to wonder whether I really know you, and whether I'm interested in knowing you.

  • Tweeter and the Monkey Man 2014 Jun 9

    This week's instalment of Music Monday is Tweeter and the Monkey Man. The 1988 Traveling Wilburys original and a 1993 Headstones' cover.

  • Getting Positive 2014 Jun 5

    It was going to be about getting and staying positive even through crappy times. It was going to be about finding things of my own that make me positive, and focusing on those things through crappy times. It was going to be about not dwelling on negative things and learning the positive lessons from the crappy times.

  • Jackson 2014 Jun 2

    This week's instalment of Music Monday is Jackson, as performed by Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash sometime in 1967.

2014 May

  • Naïve and Gullible 2014 May 30

    Sometimes I know I'm being naïve, and I'm sometimes a little gullible. But I believe that comes from having a certain amount of trust in people, rather than not thinking critically about a given situation.

  • Sunday Morning Coming Down 2014 May 26

    This week's instalment of Music Monday is Sunday Morning Coming Down. The Kris Kristofferson original from 1969, performed by Kristofferson and Johnny Cash in 1980, and a 1998 cover by Shawn Mullins.

  • I’m Only Going to Say This Once 2014 May 22

    There seems to be some idea that money shouldn’t matter at the university, that somehow we should be able to provide any kind of post-secondary education to anyone regardless of the cost. Bullshit.

  • Symphony No. 8 in B minor 2014 May 12

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Franz Schubert's Symphony No. 8 in B minor. I think I like the first movement (Allegro moderato in B minor) the most and picture it as a “dark and stormy night” opening to a movie.

  • Music Monday: Because the Night 2014 May 5

    This week's instalment of Music Monday is Because the Night. The 1978 Patti Smith original and a comtemporary cover by Bruce Springsteen.

  • Living in the Past 2014 May 1

    I have a real issue with the campaign to save door-to-door mail delivery by Canada Post. To me, it means we're trying to live in the past. The world changes. The world has never and will never stop changing.

2014 April

  • Music Monday: Followed the Waves 2014 Apr 28

    Melissa Auf der Maur's Followed the Waves, the first single from her 2004 debut solo album, Auf der Maur.

  • Jobs, Careers and Identity 2014 Apr 24

    A job or career can be a defining part of us. We spend a third of our life asleep and almost another third at work. Whenever we meet new people, they often ask, “What do you do?” And the answer forms a significant part of their idea of us.

  • Music Monday: Til I Am Myself Again 2014 Apr 21

    This week's instalment of Music Monday is Til I Am Myself Again from Blue Rodeo's third album, Casino, released in 1990. This song seems to resonate with me whenever I feel like I'm coming out of a bad situation and just need some time to get myself together and become myself again.

  • What do you need? 2014 Apr 17

    I realized recently that I need to be told exactly what people need, and I will try to be clear about what I need. I can't help solve problems when I don't really know what the problem is, and I can't expect to get that information if I don't ask.

  • Music Monday: True Colors 2014 Apr 14

    This week's instalment of Music Monday is True Colors. The 1986 Cyndi Lauper original and a 2012 cover by Artists Against Bullying.

  • Grief and Loss 2014 Apr 10

    When you're sad, upset, frustrated, confused, doubting yourself, whatever's making you feel uncomfortable, talk to your friends or your family, or find a professional. This is something we all go through and we can help each other.

  • Music Monday: Bittersweet Symphony 2014 Apr 7

    Apparently, there's some controversy surrounding The Verve's very popular Bittersweet Symphony and The Rolling Stones' The Last Time.

  • Thoughtful Thursday: My whole world 2014 Apr 3

    She broke up with me. She dumped me. She wasn't in love with me, something wasn't 100% right, a few other issues. It's sad, I'm sad, I'm hurt, I'm doubting myself, all kinds of other things are being affected by my feelings. I hate it. It hurts and I miss her like crazy.

2014 March

2014 February

  • Music Monday: The Beatles 2014 Feb 10

    On Sunday, February 9, millions of North Americans waited in front of small black and white television sets in anticipation of seeing this new phenomenon from Britain. The audience for that show alone is estimated to be over 70 million people.

2014 January

  • Music Monday: I Got a Girl 2014 Jan 27

    The Devin Cuddy Band opened for Blue Rodeo last week and I was quite impressed.

  • Music Monday: Mattawa + New Morning Sun 2014 Jan 20

    Off to see Blue Rodeo tonight! Here's a cool video of two songs from their new album.

  • Rich and Poor 2014 Jan 9

    If you choose to live somewhere, you choose to appreciate what's there and make it yours. You don't make it yours by making it something else altogether. If you want something else altogether, there's probably already a place like that.

  • Music Monday: Skyscraper Soul 2014 Jan 6

    This is a fantastic tune that always reminds me of my time living in Toronto.

2013 November

  • Remembrance Day 2013 2013 Nov 11

    They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old; Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them. (We will remember them.)

  • Music Monday: Buddy Rich 2013 Nov 4

    I just love Buddy Rich's line, “When I play a theatre, I play the theatre!”

2013 July

  • Music Monday: Try 2013 Jul 29

    This week's instalment of Music Monday is Blue Rodeo's Juno award-winning Try from their 1987 debut album Outskirts.

  • Music Monday: Run On 2013 Jul 22

    This week's instalment of Music Monday is Run On. The 1967 Elvis Presley version and a 1999 cover by Moby.

  • Music Monday: Rebel 2013 Jul 15

    Another Blue Rodeo tune for you all. This time Rebel from the 1987 debut album, Outskirts.

2013 June

  • Music Monday: Wicked Game 2013 Jun 17

    This week's instalment of Music Monday is Wicked Game. The 1989 Chris Isaak original and a 2012 cover by Phillip Phillips.

  • Music Monday: Time After Time 2013 Jun 10

    This week's instalment of Music Monday is Crazy. The 1983 Cyndi Lauper original and a 2012 cover by Tegan and Sara.

2013 May

  • Music Monday: One More Night 2013 May 27

    This week's instalment of Music Monday is One More Night. The 2009 original from Blue Rodeo and easily my favourite song right now.

  • Music Monday: Make You Feel My Love 2013 May 13

    This week's instalment of Music Monday is Make You Feel My Love. The 1997 Bob Dylan original and a 2008 cover by Adele.

  • Music Monday: Suspicious Minds 2013 May 6

    This week's instalment of Music Monday is Suspicious Minds. The 1968 Elvis Presley original and a 1992 cover by Dwight Yoakam.

  • Future Insights in Las Vegas 2013 May 2

    I'm in Las Vegas for the Future Insights web technology conference and I've had a pretty good time. I've heard the same thing a few too many times, but that just reinforces the importance of some of those concepts. I'll definitely be coming back to work with some ideas for doing things better.

2013 April

  • Music Monday: I’m on Fire 2013 Apr 29

    This week's instalment of Music Monday is I'm on Fire. The 1984 Bruce Springsteen classic and a 2011 cover by Whitehorse.

  • Looks like another boycott 2013 Apr 25

    I may now be boycotting evenings at the Yard and Flagon. A recent Friday night was a less than ideal evening and has left me in a bit of a sour state.

  • Music Monday: American Girl 2013 Apr 22

    This week's instalment of Music Monday is American Girl. The 1977 Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers original and a 2009 cover by Taylor Swift.

  • Gettin’ down 2013 Apr 18

    Boy, the weather this winter sure has gotten me down. We've had snow on the ground and consistently freezing temperatures here for almost six months. I didn't think the winter would last so friggin' long!

  • Music Monday: Mrs. Robinson 2013 Apr 15

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Mrs. Robinson. The 1968 Simon & Garfunkel original and a 1992 cover by The Lemonheads.

  • Make It Important 2013 Apr 11

    Thoughtful Thursday. If it's important to you, make it important.

  • Music Monday: Our Lips Are Sealed 2013 Apr 8

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Our Lips Are Sealed. The 1981 Go-gos’ original and a 2004 cover by Hilary and Haylie Duff.

  • Music Monday: Crazy 2013 Apr 1

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Crazy. The 1991 Seal original and a 2005 cover by Alanis Morissette.

2013 March

  • Music Monday: Old Man 2013 Mar 25

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Old Man. The 1972 Neil Young classic and a 2007 cover by the Wailin’ Jennys.

  • Good and Bad 2013 Mar 14

    I don't give money to panhandlers, nor do I give money to anyone out on the street.

2013 February

  • Music Monday: House of Dreams 2013 Feb 18

    With this past long weekend, and a lot of sleeping in, I’ve had the opening of this particular song in my head.

  • Music Monday: Hasn’t Hit Me Yet 2013 Feb 11

    Blue Rodeo's excellent and iconic Hasn't Hit Me Yet from their 1993 album, Five Days in July.

  • Music Monday: Rocket Man 2013 Feb 4

    This week's instalment of Music Monday is Rocket Man. The 1972 Elton John classic and a 1978 cover by William Shatner.

2012 December

  • Music Monday: Song for a Winter’s Night 2012 Dec 31

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Song for a Winter’s Night. The 1967 Gordon Lightfoot classic and a 2012 cover by the Good Lovelies.

  • Music Monday: Mele Kalikimaka 2012 Dec 24

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Mele Kalikimaka. The 1960 Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters classic and a 2012 cover by the Good Lovelies.

  • Music Monday: I Want You Back 2012 Dec 3

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is I Want You Back. The 1969 Jackson 5 original and a 2005 cover by KT Tunstall.

2012 November

  • Music Monday: Landslide 2012 Nov 19

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Landslide. The 1975 Fleetwood Mac original and a 2002 cover by the Dixie Chicks.

  • NaNoWriMo 2012 – Day 15 2012 Nov 15

    I have decided that McGill listens to a lot of old ragtime music. He has an old-timey gramophone and some antique 78s that he plays. When questioned about it, he tells the story of his great-grandpa, Joe McGill, who was known as Ragtime Cowboy Joe, because he would sing his herd to sleep with ragtime music.

  • NaNoWriMo 2012 – Day 6 2012 Nov 6

    Oh my god, I backed over her by accident and squashed her head flat, but it was an accident and I didn't know what to do, so I chopped her up into tiny pieces and put her in my neighbour's garbage can and lied about it the whole time when you came asking me questions.

  • NaNoWriMo 2012 – Day 5 2012 Nov 5

    There’s a second murder (will there be more?) and McGill interviews a woman who had been walking her dog.

  • Music Monday: Dancing Queen 2012 Nov 5

    This week's instalment of Music Monday is Dancing Queen. The 1976 ABBA original and a 1993 cover by U2.

  • NaNoWriMo 2012 – Day 4 2012 Nov 4

    The officer noted McGill’s name and badge number on the sign in form on his tablet. The information transferred directly into the electronic case file; no more trying to track down the officer and the paperwork once the scene was cleared. The department had come a long way in the twenty years since McGill left the academy.

  • NaNoWriMo 2012 – Day 3 2012 Nov 3

    Detective Sergeant Carter McGill flashed his badge to the officer at the yellow crime scene tape. Of course, they recognized each other. But it was protocol, as was the officer noting McGill’s name and badge number on the sign in form on his clipboard.

  • NaNoWriMo 2012 – Day 2 2012 Nov 3

    Similar to, but hopefully better than, yesterday's scene.

  • NaNoWriMo 2012 – Day 1 2012 Nov 1

    This year, I'm going to try to write a murder mystery. Last year's western barely even got off the ground.

2012 October

  • Jim Cuddy Speaks 2012 Oct 31

    Until the early '80s, most Canadian bands were doing everything they could to sound American or British, in order to be successful in North America, if not internationally. By around 1985, Canadian bands were sounding like Canadian bands and becoming popular in Canada.

  • Music Monday: Lovers in a Dangerous Time 2012 Oct 29

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Lovers in a Dangerous Time. The 1984 Bruce Cockburn original and the 1991 cover by the Barenaked Ladies.

  • Music Monday: Jolene 2012 Oct 22

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Jolene. The 1974 Dolly Parton original and the 2004 cover by The White Stripes.

  • I don’t need to engage with you 2012 Oct 17

    I don’t need to engage with someone who’s not engaged with me. Once the topic has moved away from whatever involved me, especially if I still had something to contribute, I'll probably just shut down for a time, until the conversation either comes back around or moves onto something for which I have a contribution.

  • Music Monday: Suzanne 2012 Oct 15

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Suzanne. The 1967 Leonard Cohen original and the 1969 cover by Nina Simone.

  • 11/22/63 by Stephen King 2012 Oct 12

    Stephen King writes some great, creepy stories about killer clowns and rabid dogs and vampires and generally crazy, evil people. And to a certain degree this book is no different.

  • Music Monday: Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) 2012 Oct 8

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down). The 1966 Cher original and the 1966 cover by Nancy Sinatra.

  • Computer Man 2012 Oct 3

    Just because it’s a little ridiculous.

  • The New Tech 2012 Oct 1

    Now that I'm not totally limited in the apps I can run, I'm looking for some cool apps that can make this phone the super-awesomest phone on the planet. Any suggestions?

  • Music Monday: Where the Streets Have No Name 2012 Oct 1

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Where the Streets Have No Name. The 1987 U2 original and the 1991 cover by the Pet Shop Boys.

2012 September

  • Free Stuff 2012 Sep 28

    I put in an ad alerting the community to two free lawnmowers beside my garage. Before I left for work the next morning, the electric was gone. By the time I got home from work, the reel mower was gone. Amazing.

  • Too Much Stuff 2012 Sep 27

    I already have a basement of stuff, a garage of stuff and a shed of stuff. And much of it never gets used. Much of it is just waiting for me to decide that it's actually garbage.

  • McDonald’s Monopoly 2012 Sep 26

    “Is that everything?” “Not even close!”

  • Ravenn Diagram 2012 Sep 25

    Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.'

  • Music Monday: Crazy Mary 2012 Sep 24

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Crazy Mary. The Victoria Williams original and the 1993 cover by Pearl Jam.

  • Music Monday: Personal Jesus 2012 Sep 17

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Personal Jesus. The 1990 original by Depeche Mode and the 2002 cover by Johnny Cash.

  • Like a Soup Sandwich 2012 Sep 15

    Little H, had a bun that she soaked in a chicken noodle soup and had, for whatever reason, set aside for later. Needless to say, the bun was forgotten.

  • The Accident 2012 Sep 14

    As a Christmas present one year, the Laird gave his gamekeeper, MacPhail, a deerstalker hat with ear-flaps. MacPhail was most appreciative and always wore it with the flaps tied under his chin to keep his ears warm in the winter winds.

  • I’m a Grumpy Old Man 2012 Sep 12

    I've been having the same thoughts and experiences and complaints for the last eight-and-a-half years that I've been documenting them.

  • Giant Girl Drinking Milk 2012 Sep 11

    Sometimes, when I look out my back window, there's a giant girl drinking milk behind my house. Strange.

  • Music Monday: Hurt 2012 Sep 10

    This week’s instalment of Music Monday is Hurt. The 1994 original by Nine Inch Nails and the 2002 cover by Johnny Cash.

  • Kids at School 2012 Sep 7

    Kids are back at school, and they drive me crazy.

  • Music Monday: Rusty Cage 2012 Sep 3

    I'm going to try some themed posts for a little while. This week's instalment of Music Monday is Rusty Cage. The 1991 original by Soundgarden and the 1996 cover by Johnny Cash.

  • Off to the Korova Milkbar 2012 Sep 1

    Being a fan of both A Clockwork Orange and Rooney Mara, this is really cool. It’s from a NYTimes YouTube series.

2012 August

  • Happy Birthday to Me 2012 Aug 30

    Thanks for all the birthday wishes, in person, in cards, over the phone and on Facebook!

  • God’s Gonna Cut You Down – Johnny Cash 2012 Aug 29

    Go tell that long tongue liar / Go and tell that midnight rider / Tell the rambler, the gambler, the back biter / Tell 'em that God's gonna cut 'em down

  • Not Ready To Make Nice – Dixie Chicks 2012 Aug 28

    Not Ready To Make Nice from the Dixie Chicks. Something I was thinking about.

  • Saskatoon Cruise Weekend 2012 Aug 27

    I managed to hit up Rock 102's Cruise Weekend yesterday. I saw the Dodge Challenger my sister wants. And I saw a VW truck that I think would be cool.

  • Jolene – Dolly Parton 2012 Aug 26

    Jolene by Dolly Parton. Because it was on my mind.

  • Petunia and the Vipers 2012 Aug 25

    I first heard Petunia and the Vipers a couple of months ago on cbcmusic.ca on the Alternative Country channel and needed to see them live. I found the video for Yes Baby Yes (Cold Heartbreaker) on YouTube and loved it!

  • At Cross Purposes 2012 Aug 12

    We tell students to come to university to get a good job. Once they get here, we tell them it's not about the job, but the education and experience.

  • Life Learning 2012 Aug 9

    A student needs to learn the material and prove he's learned the material; that's how school works.

  • A Philosopher? Really? 2012 Aug 1

    It’s not as though you can finish a bachelor’s degree and hang out your shingle as a philosopher.

2012 July

  • Learning about Myself 2012 Jul 31

    You want to learn about yourself? Spend a few months travelling the world.

  • I Ought to Re-examine my Life 2012 Jul 28

    If your knees aren't green by the end of the day, you ought to seriously re-examine your life.

  • Consolidate Good Times, Come On! 2012 Jul 25

    Like a giant nerd, I have spent the last few days migrating two blogs and two commenting systems to Wordpress.

  • Take Some Responsibility 2012 Jul 24

    I was out to Hudson's Taphouse this weekend, as I frequently am, and saw an example of customer service that was less than admirable. I don't know the details, nor did I ask, but some people were asked to leave and they were not impressed.

  • No Saskatchewan Advantage 2012 Jul 10

    There is no Saskatchewan advantage for the film industry

  • Punchline – Again 2012 Jul 10

    So I come around the corner and there’s two horses in the barn.

2012 June

  • Anarchy in the UK 2012 Jun 24

    On a much smaller scale, applicable to Canada.

  • Revenge 2012 Jun 9

    Now revenge makes sense!

  • Four-way Stop 2012 Jun 4

    I should have posted something Friday when it happened and I was still enraged. It would have been full of profanity and somewhat rambling. I was coming home on my bike and stopped at a four-way stop.

2012 May

2012 April

  • Canadian Stereotype Comics 2012 Apr 29

    Canadians are too nice.. It seems farfetched, but it’s kind of true.

  • Law and Order: Greendale 2012 Apr 29

    You have the right to do whatever you want. Nothing you say or do can be used against you, by anyone, but we’d really like it if you came with us, please and thank you.

  • Stratosphere Thrill Rides 2012 Apr 25

    Imagine sitting backwards on a see-saw balanced 1000 feet in the air. Good times!

  • Historical Monument Wasted 2012 Apr 24

    This seems like a real waste of a very nice reproduction of a historical monument.

  • Bellagio 2012 Apr 24

    A quick set of images of my hotel, my room, and the amazing conservatory in the Bellagio.

  • Patisserie 2012 Apr 23

    A delicious crepe and latte at Jean-Phillippe Patisserie

  • Please tell me what you need 2012 Apr 17

    When someone asks me to do something, if they provide no further direction, I trust that it requires no further direction. All too often, that’s a poor assumption.

  • Springtime Snows 2012 Apr 15

    I had plans to rake my lawn this morning.

  • Scorched Prairie 2012 Apr 14

    A cool, weird scorched prairie

  • Why? #5 2012 Apr 13

    Why is it that whenever you attempt to catch something that’s falling off the table you always manage to knock something else over?

  • Old Gems 2012 Apr 12

    Pokin’ through my old posts

  • Why? #4 2012 Apr 12

    Whose cruel idea was it to put an “s” in the word “lisp”?

  • The Baron in 1977 2012 Apr 11

    Puppy’s been transported to 1977!

  • Why? #3 2012 Apr 11

    Why is it that when someone tells you that there are one billion stars in the universe, you believe them but...

  • Why? #2 2012 Apr 10

    Why do banks charge a fee due to insufficient funds when they already know you’re broke?

  • The Easter Bunny Is Comin’ to Town 2012 Apr 9

    Being Easter Sunday, I chose to watch The Easter Bunny Is Comin’ to Town again last night after our big family dinner.

  • Why? #1 2012 Apr 9

    Why do we press harder on a remote control when we know the batteries are getting weak?

  • Bigcracker.ca 2012 Apr 6

    For those of you who remember me from my posts and reviews on bigcracker.ca, I’ve re-published all 634 posts and 593 comments.

  • like the toad; ugly and venomous 2012 Apr 6

    Duke: As You Like It, Act II, Scene 1, line 548

  • Cracks in the universe 2012 Apr 5

    Doctor Who's crack in the universe

  • You have such a February face, so full of frost, of storm and cloudiness 2012 Apr 5

    Don Pedro: Much Ado about Nothing, Act V, Scene 4, line 2588

  • A Trail of Breadcrumbs? 2012 Apr 4

    Modern day Hansel and Gretel?

  • most pathetical nit 2012 Apr 4

    Costard: Love’s Labour’s Lost, Act IV, Scene 1, line 1126

  • I don’t need to be your friend 2012 Apr 3

    I remember a few gatherings of friends and feeling that I was expected to be friends with people who are very dissimilar to me, but are friends with the others, with whom I am also friends.

  • lewd minx 2012 Apr 3

    Othello: Othello, Act III, Scene 3, line 2167

  • boil’d brains 2012 Apr 2

    Prospero: Tempest, Act V, Scene 1, line 2054

  • Losing Favourites 2012 Apr 1

    In church I heard a lady in the pew next to me saying a prayer.

2012 March

  • fat and greasy citizens 2012 Mar 29

    First Lord: As You Like It, Act II, Scene 1, line 595

  • Woman wants ‘Albino Rhino’ off menu at Earls 2012 Mar 28

    I’ve been consuming Albino Rhino beer for close to 20 years. Not once did I associate it with discrimination against people with albinism.

  • saucy lackey 2012 Mar 28

    Rosalind: As You Like It, Act III, Scene 2, line 1391

  • The Saskatchewan Film Employment Tax Credit 2012 Mar 27

    While I disagree with the Saskatchewan government’s decision to eliminate the film employment tax credit, I also disagree with the disagreement of the budget cut.

  • sprat 2012 Mar 27

    First Lord: All’s Well That Ends Well, Act III, Scene 6, line 1826

  • misshapen dick 2012 Mar 26

    Prince Edward: Henry VI, Part III, Act V, Scene 5, line 2928

  • fishmonger 2012 Mar 23

    Hamlet, Act II, Scene 2

  • It Doesn’t Do That 2012 Mar 22

    I ended up with a few extra days of work recently because someone mentioned people doing something stupid, and I chose to make it stop.

  • lack-brain 2012 Mar 22

    Hotspur (Henry Percy): Henry IV, Part I, Act II, Scene 3, line 858

  • ill-favoured virgin 2012 Mar 21

    Touchstone: As You Like It, Act V, Scene 4, line 2456

  • wretched sinner 2012 Mar 20

    Earl of Salisbury: Henry VI, Part I, Act I, Scene 4, line 530

  • Dogs Driving 2012 Mar 19

    While I was waiting for the bus this morning, I swear I saw a dog driving a car.

  • decrepit miser 2012 Mar 19

    Joan la Pucelle: Henry VI, Part I, Act V, Scene 4, line 2677

  • Chicanas on Bikes 2012 Mar 18

    Two months ago, when 22-year-old Bree’Anna Guzman was murdered in Lincoln Heights, the all-women bike group Ovarian-Pscyos Bicycle Brigade scrapped their previously planned ride to ride instead through the neighborhood to protest the killing.

  • The Friday Foul 2012 Mar 16

    slug

  • tedious fool 2012 Mar 15

    Escalus: Measure for Measure, Act II, Scene 1, line 567

  • king of codpieces 2012 Mar 14

    Biron: Love’s Labour’s Lost, Act III, Scene 1, line 937

  • Pi (π) Day 2012 Mar 14

    3.14159265358979

  • frosty-spirited rogue 2012 Mar 13

    Hotspur (Henry Percy): Henry IV, Part I, Act II, Scene 3, line 858

  • A Brighter World 2012 Mar 12

    Changing light bulbs

  • lump of foul deformity 2012 Mar 12

    Lady Anne: Richard III, Act I, Scene 2, line 224

  • The Element of Surprise 2012 Mar 11

    It’s funny because it’s chemistry!

  • whoreson 2012 Mar 9

    I think Fridays might be for insults that are used frequently.

  • bag of flax 2012 Mar 8

    Ford: Merry Wives of Windsor, Act V, Scene 5, line 2724

  • Pragmatism v. Idealism 2012 Mar 7

    A ban on plastic bags seems reasonable: no plastic bags, no plastic bag garbage. But what if I don’t have a reusable bag with me?

  • flap-ear’d knave 2012 Mar 7

    Petruchio: Taming of the Shrew, Act IV, Scene 1, line 1761

  • Ominocity’s OMFEST 2012 Mar 6

    Saturday night, I attended Ominocity’s OMFEST. It was a really good show.

  • lily-liver’d boy 2012 Mar 6

    Macbeth: Macbeth, Act V, Scene 3, line 2263

  • Free Wings for a Year 2012 Mar 5

    I spent last Wednesday afternoon in line outside Hudsons Tap House waiting to be one of the first 200 people into the restaurant at 6:30 pm, thereby winning a weekly order of chicken wings for the next year.

  • taffeta punk 2012 Mar 5

    Clown: All’s Well That Ends Well, Act II, Scene 2, line 844

  • cuckold 2012 Mar 2

    It seems Billy had a fondness for the term.

  • his brain, which is as dry as the remainder biscuit after a voyage 2012 Mar 1

    Jaques (lord): As You Like It, Act II, Scene 7, line 930

2012 February

  • foul slut 2012 Feb 29

    Touchstone: As You Like It, Act III, Scene 3, line 1533

  • peace, ye fat guts 2012 Feb 28

    Henry V: Henry IV, Part I, Act II, Scene 2, line 772

  • Being a Producer, not a Consumer 2012 Feb 27

    If you begin your day checking the news, checking your email, and checking your notifications, you’ve launched yourself into a day of grazing a mindless consumption.

  • prater 2012 Feb 27

    Henry V: Henry V, Act V, Scene 2, line 3114

  • LEO37: Download Now 2012 Feb 26

    After a 5-year whirlwind of tours through 11 countries, shared stages with some of contemporary music’s great talents, and a personal life that has held its share of highs and lows, Taiwanese-Canadian emcee/producer/turntablist LEO37 has finally emerged with his brand new EP, FANFARE.

  • It’s never Lupus 2012 Feb 25

    Broadway Bridge House.

  • First Date Perceptions 2012 Feb 24

    It wasn’t really a first date, more of a short meeting for drinks to talk and get to know each other. Hopefully, a first date will be forthcoming.

  • Hell is empty and all the devils are here 2012 Feb 24

    Ariel: Tempest, Act I, Scene 2, line 329

  • Put It Back Where It Belongs 2012 Feb 23

    When I was little, my parents tried to teach me to put things back where they belong.

  • dilatory sloth 2012 Feb 23

    Henry VIII: Henry VIII, Act II, Scene 4, line 1611

  • Planning to Plan 2012 Feb 22

    I’m not complaining about the process or the need for planning. I’m driven a little bit nuts right now with planning.

  • degenerate bastard 2012 Feb 22

    Lear: King Lear, Act I, Scene 4, line 775

  • Happy Pancake Day 2012 Feb 21

    I made these delicious pancakes from scratch.

  • breeder of sinners 2012 Feb 21

    Hamlet: The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, Act III, Scene 1, line 1814

  • Great Shakespeare Mug 2012 Feb 20

    A multitude of great insults from a multitude of Shakespeare plays.

  • Decide What’s Important 2012 Feb 19

    And do that.

  • Hudsons Canadian Tap House Saskatoon 2012 Feb 18

    A nice looking place, with lots of wood and big screen TVs.

  • A nice winter’s morning 2012 Feb 17

    Photo

  • Becoming an Expert 2012 Feb 14

    I read Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers last week and it gave me some interesting things to think about.

  • A walk along the river 2012 Feb 12

    A walk along the river this morning at the off-leash dog area.

  • Ironing Out the Wrinkles: Posting from Tumblr to Facebook 2012 Feb 10

    I have spent quite a long time trying to get my Tumblr posts showing up on Facebook, and now I finally did it!

  • Post-secondary Education 2012 Feb 10

    My friends are considering trying to convince their kids to take a year off after high school to figure things out.

  • A Little Bit of Housekeeping 2012 Feb 9

    I maybe use too many kitty cats in my posts, so I will try to use more puppy dogs.

  • Not in My Backyard 2012 Feb 7

    I generally dismiss out of hand arguments of the NIMBY nature.

  • The Problem is not Me 2012 Feb 6

    It turns out that the problem is not entirely me. Unfortunately, I don’t intend to change.

  • I’ll Boycott If I Want To 2012 Feb 4

    I can hold a grudge and I will.

  • My First Complaint – Do Your Job 2012 Feb 3

    My first complaint is about people who don’t do their job and then whine when something isn’t right.

  • This Blog is Now About Complaining 2012 Feb 3

    I’ve decided that I don’t understand people, and I’m not qualified to engage in debates on topics that relate to how people feel and act.

2012 January

  • Two Spaces 2012 Jan 24

    A grammar blog I read the other day reminded me about the practice of adding two spaces after a period when typing.

  • Slash, forward slash, and backslash 2012 Jan 21

    Just slash. But not Slash.

  • What Is the Internet? 2012 Jan 20

    Your internet browser is not the internet.

  • Getting It Wrong 2012 Jan 12

    Politicians, of course, are never wrong, apparently, and when they are, spin instead of admitting it.

  • Dvorak Keyboard 2012 Jan 11

    I had hoped to learn to type quickly and without looking at the keyboard. I had also thought that once I had the fundamentals worked out, I might find a more appropriate keyboard to use.

  • Trading in Your Pain 2012 Jan 10

    If I just get a little bigger, a little more famous, a little richer—then the pain will go away.

  • Administer v. Administrate 2012 Jan 9

    This is another post in my correction and clarification series.

  • Feel Like Makin’ Love 2012 Jan 5

    #1 single in your country of origin in the week you were born

  • New Year’s Resolution 2012 Jan 1

    My New Year’s resolution is to use a To Do list. And a calendar, I suppose. Keep track of the things that I want to do and set up a schedule to get it all done.

2011 December

  • Dragonriders of Pern 2011 Dec 27

    Interesting lessons about oral history and the risks of forgetting the lessons of the past. As well, as the risks of information silos, and having only a few specialists who know the secrets.

  • Illicit v. Elicit 2011 Dec 26

    I used the word illicit and realized that it means something very different from what I intended.

  • Review: The Muppets 2011 Dec 21

    What a terrific movie. It was funny and nostalgic and had great celebrity cameos, as expected from a Muppet movie.

  • Sooner or Later 2011 Dec 20

    You should have indicated a problem with the app sooner.

  • Huckleberry Finn with Robots 2011 Dec 18

    I’m in the process of reading my new copy of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn [Robotic Edition] by Mark Twain, edited by Gabriel Diani and Etta Devine. And I have to say they did a phenomenal job.

  • Voice Recognition Software 2011 Dec 10

    I’m writing this post using only the voice recognition software that I just installed. I’m hoping that by being able to just speak some of my thoughts that I might be able to write a little bit more and a little bit faster.

  • Social Media Connections 2011 Dec 8

    People with a large number of social media connections (e.g., Facebook friends) have a larger volume of grey matter in the amygdala than average.

  • In Your Eyes 2011 Dec 2

    I don’t want to sell anything, buy anything, or process anything as a career.

  • Standing in the Shower, Thinking 2011 Dec 1

    I’ve come up with a lot of good ideas and real solutions by letting the idea percolate while the hot water wakes me up and starts my day.

2011 November

  • Nanowrimo Day 30 – Apparently, This Is It 2011 Nov 30

    Steve had worked with and for a few different criminal organizations, taking time every now and again to train with martial arts and other weapons experts.

  • Nanowrimo Day 29 – Going Generally Nowhere 2011 Nov 29

    Alrighty, it’s been a poor couple of weeks, with many more things other than writing occupying my mind and time. I’ve written a few things, so here’s another short selection from my very short novel.

  • Nanowrimo Day 15 – A New Beginning 2011 Nov 15

    Alright, so the story of poor Carter McGill, betrayed and framed by his brother, forced to go on the run to save himself, is going nowhere.

  • Once Upon a Time and Grimm 2011 Nov 13

    Modern retellings of fairy tales, or rather stories that bring fairy tales into the modern day.

  • Remembrance Poppies: Red v. White 2011 Nov 12

    I had a different post scheduled for today, but I’ve postponed it to tomorrow to write a commentary on red versus white poppies for Remembrance Day.

  • They shall not grow old 2011 Nov 11

    At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them.

  • Melting snow angel 2011 Nov 11

    Photo of a melting snow angel that I managed to snap last night on my way home.

  • Crabbuckit - Good Lovelies 2011 Nov 9

    Absolutely phenomenal. I first heard this the other day on CBC Radio Two Morning’s feature Under the Covers.

  • Day 8 Excerpt from My Untitled NaNoWriMo Western 2011 Nov 8

    It was late, well past dark, when Carter rode the grulla stallion into the barn. The horse became skittish and Carter tried to soothe him with some gentle words.

  • Day 7 Excerpt from My Untitled NaNoWriMo Western 2011 Nov 7

    Clive arrived in Winslow, Arizona to begin work with Kent Gray, the head of security for the Santa Fe to Barstow line of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad.

  • First snowfall 2011 Nov 6

    The first snowfall in Saskatoon. Really blowing around, wet, and heavy.

  • In Which I’m Annoyed by a Whiny Whiner 2011 Nov 4

    Recently on the bus to work, which is also the bus to the university, I overheard a student talking overly loudly about how he had failed many of his midterms and was generally failing most of his classes.

  • Day 3 Excerpt from My Untitled NaNoWriMo Western 2011 Nov 3

    Being on the run, Carter knew he couldn’t use his own name, but what could he use? He needed something he could remember, and something he could use for a while, wherever he went.

  • People Are Idiots 2011 Nov 3

    In a slowing economy, governments need to spend money on paying unemployment insurance benefits, welfare, and Keynesian, public sector, capital projects.

  • Problem Solving 2011 Nov 2

    What are the knowns? What are the unknowns? What are the constants? What governing laws are at play?

  • Day 1 Excerpt from My Untitled NaNoWriMo Western 2011 Nov 1

    The first thing Clive noticed when he walked in was the waitress. For a moment, it was like she was surrounded by a shimmering halo of light.

  • Common Courtesy and Equality 2011 Nov 1

    It’s about not being an asshole.

2011 October

  • William Shatner 2011 Oct 31

    The main thing that impressed me was all the different things he’d done. Nothing really beyond acting, except for a commerce degree from McGill University, but a lot of acting.

  • 13th Ave Coffee House 2011 Oct 30

    My breakfast consisted of a dark roast coffee (Peru/Columbia) and a Power breakfast bowl (granola, berry mix, strawberry, banana, coconut, bee pollen). Allegedly, the banana was kind of brown, so they substituted mango; equally delicious.

  • Michi Sushi 2011 Oct 26

    The service was excellent, and the servers easy on the eyes. I sat at the counter and watched the sushi chefs whipping up some excellent-looking dishes.

  • My fancy room 2011 Oct 21

    My fancy room at the Hotel Saskatchewan.

  • University or Bust? 2011 Oct 20

    I just read an article stating that high school guidance counsellors are beginning to review their advice to students about going to university. I say it’s about friggin’ time!

  • Writing Workshop – Thing 2011 Oct 17

    He vaguely remembered his pa showing him once or twice, but now it just felt like he’d always known.

  • Writing Workshop – Place 2011 Oct 16

    Another day’s ride got him to another grey town. Sometimes he thought he could be riding in circles.

  • The Expert Who Knew Too Little 2011 Oct 14

    You don’t even know enough to realize just how little you know.

  • Color Palette Generator 2011 Oct 14

    Great colour palette tool

  • Google’s suggestions 2011 Oct 4

    I don’t know what I’d do without Google’s helpful suggestions.

  • Puppies 2011 Oct 4

    A dog team in the Prince Albert area, between 1900 and 1918.

  • Street Keyboard 2011 Oct 3

    Seriously, a keyboard drawn on the street.

  • Mountains from Mole Hills 2011 Oct 3

    Geek.com seems to be concerned that “Kindle and Kindle Touch don’t ship with a power adaptor.” As a new Kindle owner, I can’t say it matters.

  • Declutter: The Breadbox Test 2011 Oct 3

    Today, I learned about The Breadbox Test, a clever way to sort out what gets tidied and how.

2011 September

2011 August

  • LEO37: Icarus 2011 Aug 31

    I have spent way too much time working on this guy’s website. But he pays alright, and he’s a good guy, and a pretty solid hip-hop turntablist. http://leo37.com

2011 January

  • My English Essay 2011 Jan 27

    Hey everybody! I just finished writing my first essay for my English class and wouldn't mind a little feedback. Check

  • Rant about Health Care 2011 Jan 24

    I got a little upset with my girlfriend (I'll call her Cupcake) yesterday afternoon about health care. I'm in the

  • A Quick Story about Fall 2011 Jan 21

    As part of my attempt to write often and practice my touch typing, here's a story from the other day.I don't know if

2010 December

  • Full In, Full Out 2010 Dec 17

    I've had this in the “hopper” for a while now. A while ago, I caught a Lifehacker article extoling the

  • Asparagus 2010 Dec 15

    What about this: a tribe of asparagus children, but they're self-conscious about the way their pee smells. -- Elf

  • Android Keyboards 2010 Dec 11

    I don't think I really hyped it up much, but I got myself an Android phone a few months ago. An HTC Desire, to be

  • Dating Tips 2010 Dec 10

    This post is just for fun. I stumbled across some How Stuff Works posts about dating and decided to share some thoughts

  • The One-Minute Rule for Tackling Housework 2010 Dec 9

    Lifehacker turned me onto the topic and I was skeptical, until I read the source article, which was much clearer.

  • Customer Service 2010 Dec 7

    I read an article about customer service late last week and have some comments. My past colleagues may not entirely

2010 October

  • My Day Gets a Little Better 2010 Oct 12

    I have mice living in my house. Gross, I know, but a fact of life and a problem I'm trying to solve. I have a dog in

2010 September

  • Simplicity and Housecleaning 2010 Sep 23

    Given my developing trend of posting simplicity and productivity information, and reading similar blogs, my stepmom

  • Silence is Golden, Sort of 2010 Sep 9

    Sorry for my extended silence this week. I've been working on redesigning this site and have run into some problems. I

2010 August

  • Life Lessons from the Big Cracker 2010 Aug 25

    If you recall, awhile back I posted a blog about regrets. The only comment was from Big T who advised, “No regrets! Forge ahead!” And I am.

  • Sometimes Too Little Is Too Little 2010 Aug 20

    Lifehacker mentioned a Small Notebook post about a hierarchy of cleaning. “That's great,” I thought,

  • Flesh v. Flush 2010 Aug 18

    I noticed this posted on Daily Writing Tips, but didn't really think it was a thing until my boss said it the other

  • Kick-Ass 2010 Aug 13

    So I finally managed to watch the movie Kick-Ass the other day, and I can understand why it didn't do well in theatres.

  • So Many Posts 2010 Aug 12

    You may be wondering why I've been writing so many posts lately, and I'm going to tell you. As I mentioned yesterday,

  • More on Minimalism and Simplicity 2010 Aug 11

    Further to yesterday's post, over the last year or so, I've been keeping an eye on the domain Polonius.com. I was

  • Minimalism, Simplicity, and Moderation 2010 Aug 10

    Alrighty, so yesterday I read a post at miss minimalist about 100 Things I Don't Own. When I went back today to review

  • Webhost Fail 2010 Aug 2

    I'm not sure how many of you noticed, but the website was up and down over the last few days. Many of my other sites

2010 July

  • Telephone, Email, Calendar, Tasks, Books, Music 2010 Jul 29

    With the iPad having sold over 3 million units, a new Kindle coming out, an Android tablet coming out, and Saskatchewan finally getting 3G+ coverage…

  • Holy Filing, Batman! 2010 Jul 27

    I've spent a few hours a day over the last few days filing and cleaning out old files. I've come up with a stack for shredding that’s over 20cm thick.

  • R.I.P. Maury Chaykin 2010 Jul 27

    Apparently, Maury Chaykin died today. That's kinda sad. He was always kinda fun to watch, in Mystery, Alaska and

  • A Best Buy Adventure 2010 Jul 26

    I went down to the new Best Buy in town yesterday ... what a nuthouse! The only reason I was there was for autographs

  • Salt 2010 Jul 26

    As a CIA officer, Evelyn Salt swore an oath to duty, honor and country. Her loyalty will be tested when a defector accuses her of being a Russian spy.

  • Taste of Saskatchewan 2010 Jul 24

    Not to mock Saskatchewan, nor its purveyors of fine food, but A Taste of Saskatchewan is kind of stupid.

  • Rain, rain, go away! 2010 Jul 21

    I don't know about the rest of you, but this rain's starting to get me down. If it's going to rain all summer, fine, I’ll accept it.

  • Sandwich Fail 2010 Jul 19

    I suppose I could have mentioned this Friday after lunch, when I developed my opinion, but I haven't posted here much

2010 April

2010 March

  • Web hosting 2010 Mar 11

    I'm asking for suggestions for web hosts, because my current host is crappy.

2010 February

  • Silver lining? 2010 Feb 25

    Boy, I hope getting killed in Olympic hockey pushes Alexander Ovechkin to get my Washington Capitals a Stanley Cup.

  • Regrets 2010 Feb 2

    I don't know how many of you are aware, but I have a bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering, and have never worked as a Chemical Engineer.

2010 January

  • PPF Neighborhood: Haiti Relief with Médecins Sans Frontières 2010 Jan 29

    Hey Friends, I was up until one o'clock this morning finishing my part of this project, I hope you check it out and help out a great cause, and some terrific artists!

  • The end of an era 2010 Jan 26

    Some bad news today: effective February 28, 2010, Externalgateway.com is closing its doors. Sad, I know, but true.

  • New year, new … something 2010 Jan 14

    (Just to note, I started this a week ago. I don't know what that says about my motivation.)Alrighty, new year, new

2009 December

  • Almost Xmas time 2009 Dec 5

    We're well into December now and I haven't written you guys a real note in over three months. I have been a little

  • That’s weird 2009 Dec 4

    Apparently, Zoo York has a Big Cracker hoodie (or, as we in Saskatchewan say, bunnyhug). No, I don't think I need one.

2009 November

  • Mahna mahna 2009 Nov 26

    Awesome! A blast from the past. (Or maybe not.)

2009 August

  • Happy birthday to me 2009 Aug 31

    Okay, so it's early the next morning, but it's the first time I've had a chance to post anything. First of all,

  • Sorry, we can’t fly in the rain 2009 Aug 25

    Of course, I had to tweet (and now blog) the CBC story about the space shuttle launch being scrubbed. Umm, seriously,

  • Changes to CBC’s The National? 2009 Aug 18

    I would like to alert you to a disturbing situation concerning CBC's The National. It was recently uncovered that a

  • A month of silence 2009 Aug 13

    So I'm pushing a month with no updates here, my apologies. I was on vacation for a week at my mommy's in The Pas

2009 July

2009 June

  • Blast from the past 2009 Jun 25

    My Google Alert for bigcracker.ca fired me an email today letting me know about a reference to bigcracker.ca somewhere in the depths of the interwebs.

  • Relationship woes 2009 Jun 16

    I rarely talk about this stuff, because it has (unfortunately) a low priority for me, but I'm having some challenges understanding my current failure establishing a relationship with a young woman.

  • Research dollars at work 2009 Jun 13

    I love scientific research, don't get me wrong, but do we really need new elements on the periodic table?

  • For the extroverts out there 2009 Jun 11

    This is also for the introverts; to know that at least one other person understands our plight. A few years ago,

  • The rest of my month — update #2 2009 Jun 8

    What's been going on for the last week, you ask? Good question. I've got a to-do list for today that's a page and a half in my notebook.

  • The Up house might really fly 2009 Jun 2

    According to this Wired article from a few days ago, the house in Pixar's new movie Up might really be able to fly.

  • The rest of my month — update #1 2009 Jun 1

    Not much to tell you, I'm still trying to track down freelance work. Using Twitter, I've found RentACoder and oDesk,

2009 May

  • Mobile blogs (part 2) 2009 May 29

    Referring to a previous post, I'm able to email blog posts. I haven't actually done it, but I can. I've now updated this site for mobile devices.

  • The first day of the rest of my month 2009 May 28

    Alrighty, Big Cracker is officially no longer unemployed. I've decided that I am in fact self-employed and will spend the next month hard at work finding freelance jobs.

  • A long-awaited apology 2009 May 19

    I don't know about the rest of you, but this apology has been a long time coming.

  • New design 2009 May 8

    So it took some time, but I've put together a new design for my website. The big problem I had was converting the underlying PHP.

  • Back in business 2009 May 5

    Sorry for the huge delay here, kids, but I've been laid up with bronchitis and busy with some other stuff. The

2009 April

  • Facebook Kaiser 2009 Apr 12

    As you may remember, I'm working on a game of Kaiser for Facebook. (Yes, I'm still working on it, it's just a really slow process!)

  • Writing for the sake of writing 2009 Apr 10

    I've had a couple of ideas for posts over the past week or so, but they never seem to become substantial enough to write.

2009 March

  • What do you know about Whistler? 2009 Mar 27

    My friend Chantal “is going to Whistler BC, in April, has anyone ever been, any input, what to see etc... any info is appreciated!!”

  • Can I get a tall half-decaf nonfat double caramel macchiato? 2009 Mar 27

    “Can I get a tall half-decaf half-sweet non-fat double caramel macchiato with no foam?” was too long

  • S-u-n-d-a-y Night! 2009 Mar 22

    A bit of a nod to the Bay City Rollers. Anyhoo, I'm pretty disappointed that I was stod up for trivia night at the

  • Externalgateway.com web design 2009 Mar 21

    While I probably should have consulted Gwildor about it, I just finished re-designing the Externalgateway.com website.

  • Looking for work 2009 Mar 16

    Because many of you are in or around Saskatoon and many of the rest of you have family or other connections in or around Saskatoon, if you hear about anyone looking for someone with my considerable talents, I’d be grateful to hear about it.

  • Livin’ in a van down by the river 2009 Mar 15

    My friends over at PPF House are looking for a good condition, not on its death bed, tour-sized van for sale or rent.

  • π Day 2009 Mar 14

    Today being March 14 (3/14, or 3.14) is Pi (π) Day. At 1:59 pm, it becomes Pi minute (3.14159).

  • Little Miss Higgins 2009 Mar 13

    I managed to get out to see Little Miss Higgins last night at Amigo's. The crowd was small, but definitely

  • Prize-winning uncle 2009 Mar 10

    While today may not have been a banner day for an uncle hoping for a prize nomination, I found out about an awesome contest for which I should be a shoo-in.

  • System update 2009 Mar 10

    Just to let you know, I updated the Blog Response function here on bigcracker.ca to ensure that even unsuccessful

  • Colonialist Buffoon 2009 Mar 8

    I managed to identify myself tonight as a colonialist buffoon.

  • I live in the country’s most dangerous city 2009 Mar 6

    It was pointed out to me that not even six months after moving here, Saskatoon is Canada's most dangerous city. Thanks

  • Square Root Day 2009 Mar 3

    Apparently, today is Square Root Day. I found this out this morning on CBC Radio 2, Tom Allen felt the need to mention it.

2009 February

  • Money madness 2009 Feb 27

    If you keep track of where your money is going, it's easier to figure out where it doesn't need to go.

  • @ 2009 Feb 15

    This little guy came up in conversation the other day, so I thought I'd drop a quick comment about it.

  • 1234567890 2009 Feb 14

    I realize it's come and gone, unnoticed and uncelebrated by me, and anyone I know, but I also realize that it's somewhat momentous.

  • Need some feedback 2009 Feb 13

    If you were looking to buy a new car, and were doing your research online, would you go directly to the dealer's website, or would you start at the manufacturer's website?

  • Becoming Fabian 2009 Feb 11

    “What do we want?” “Gradual change!” “When do we want it?” “In due course!”

  • Pepsuber 2009 Feb 5

    For those of you who may have missed the Super Bowl (like I did), and love Will Forte's SNL character MacGruber.

  • Bill Gates unleashes malaria 2009 Feb 5

    Bill Gates released a jar of mosquitoes into the audience at the Technology, Entertainment, Design Conference (TED).

  • Habit forming 2009 Feb 1

    This is just a quick update about starting (or stopping) habits. This is the latest article on Zen Habits and was fairly informative.

2009 January

  • Good news … and weird 2009 Jan 28

    It's been, like, 4 months that I've been looking for work and until last week had found maybe 3 jobs to apply for.

  • Home Ownership 2009 Jan 27

    Is it like this with everyone who owns a home? Every time I look around, there's some new project that needs to get done.

  • Gong xi fa cai! Health and Happiness to you all! 2009 Jan 26

    Happy Chinese New Year to all of you!

  • Mobile blogs 2009 Jan 25

    Because I was having some problems posting blogs from my fancy phone, I decided to do something about it.

  • Just keep posting 2009 Jan 24

    I figured I had better keep up my posting streak, so here's something posted.It's Saturday and I didn't really do

  • Why listen to the public 2009 Jan 23

    I attended a public ward meeting with the mayor and our local city councillor, Charlie Clark, and was (somewhat) astonished by the selfish, single-mindedness of some of my neighbours.

  • Free music that makes money? 2009 Jan 22

    I found this article on Techdirt (another of my RSS feeds) about a dude who makes a solid living giving away his music for free and selling his concert tickets at an inexpensive price.

  • DIY iPhone/iTouch stand 2009 Jan 22

    True, this is not a do-it-yourself (DIY) blog. This morning, I found the “Landscape iPhone Stand from Pencils and Rubber Bands,” courtesy Geeky Gadgets.

  • Weighing in 2009 Jan 21

    It turns out that as of yesterday there's a new President of the United States. And he's African-American. Interesting, to say the least.

  • Angels and A-holes 2009 Jan 12

    Funny times. We've had a bit of snow here in the Toontown over the last little while and I'm a little tired of it.

  • Jon Stewart totally gets it right! 2009 Jan 7

    This whole Israel-Gaza thing drives me up the f---in' wall, but Jon Stewart knows where it's at!

2008 December

  • Kaiser for the Facebooks 2008 Dec 16

    Hi everybody! I'm in the process of building a Kaiser game for Facebook and I could use your help. I realize that

  • Hiatus 2008 Dec 2

    Whoa! Pushin' 3 months since I've written anything here, and I wish I had a good reason! I've generally been wasting

2008 September

  • It’s f—in’ me! 2008 Sep 14

    First, I'll warn you, this is slightly offensive--okay, maybe totally offensive--to some, but HI-larious all the same.

  • My vote’s up for sale, too 2008 Sep 10

    I'm not saying that we should have the option of selling our vote. The right to vote is not a luxury that everyone in the world gets and this frivolous treatment is somewhat disrespectful.

  • BBQ time! 2008 Sep 7

    Big thanks to Gwildor, Trikie and Nutmeg for hosting a great barbeque last night.

2008 August

  • Happy Birthday to Me! 2008 Aug 31

    I just want to thank everybody for the great birthday wishes. It's too bad you couldn't make it to the party; I think

  • Fun with public transit 2008 Aug 26

    I'm torn on this issue. On the one hand, I think it's ridiculous for people to get upset about paying for parking.

  • Are you $#!+ting me? 2008 Aug 21

    Seriously, does this not go too

  • No Exit 2008 Aug 17

    I sometimes wonder if subconsciously I agree with Garcin, the leading male character in Jean-Paul Sartre's 1944 play

  • Time to toughen up, son 2008 Aug 15

    When I was a kid, safety was an afterthought. “Be back before dark” was the only safety advice I got.

  • Pics o’ Big Cracker’s new pad 2008 Aug 14

    I've shared this with a few people, but here it is for the world to see, photos of my new

  • Punchline 2008 Aug 11

    So I come around the corner and there's two horses in the barn. And the guy turns to me and says, “Now can I

  • New house, I don’t wanna leave 2008 Aug 1

    Alrighty, I’m getting ready to head back to Saskatoon; just finishing up some laundry, packing, etc.

2008 July

  • Graffito 2008 Jul 31

    Can someone tell me what this says? I thought it was “loft wieners”, but now I think it might be

  • Songs and jingles 2008 Jul 30

    Can someone please explain how I got Neil Diamond's Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show stuck in my head?

  • I’m lovin’ it! 2008 Jul 29

    Alrighty, I'm slightly ashamed, but I'll survive. Gwildor will be happy with my decision to end my boycott of McDonald's after 5 long years.

  • Long time! 2008 Jul 24

    Wow! It's been well over a month since the last post. And the last 6 that appear in the home page date back into March

2008 June

  • Home network advice 2008 Jun 1

    Okay, okay, I know I don't post here too often anymore, and I'm going to try to rectify that, but I'm hoping someone

2008 May

  • Old school LEGO time! 2008 May 28

    Man, I just found the sweetest website! Gwildor mentioned the other day something about finding old LEGO.

  • Freakin’ hilarious 2008 May 14

    I got this from Falzone via the Facebooks ... freakin' HI-larious!

  • Funny Dungeons and Dragons videos 2008 May 14

    So, chatting with my family the other day, I was mentioning some funny D&D spoof videos that I'd seen. It took me

2008 March

  • Beating the odds 2008 Mar 6

    No, it wasn't a fight with the '90s-era rock band. I beat the odds of 1 in 9 by winning a free coffee on my large

  • Because the rest of my day has been crappy … 2008 Mar 4

    One of the guys at work sent this. My day has been a giant pile of crap, so this brightened things a little.

  • The project 2008 Mar 2

    Because I mentioned it before, and because the project that's causing me to be super-duper busy is kind of pissing me off.

2008 February

  • Smoke on the Water! 2008 Feb 29

    For all you hardcore Deep Purple fans ...

  • Holy Overtime, Batman! 2008 Feb 28

    Just to let everybody know, I'm going to be super-duper busy for the next few weeks. The stupid company I work for has

  • The game is afoot 2008 Feb 27

    A foot? WTF? No, no, afoot. It must be some old hunting phrase; the animal (game) walking or running (afoot) rather

  • I love things that are great 2008 Feb 24

    I love things that are great, good things are fantastic. Guess what, I also paint, just a hobby, nothing drastic

  • Fire on Queen Street West 2008 Feb 24

    I'm sure by now you've all heard about the fire this past Wednesday at Queen St. W. and Bathurst St.

  • We Love Valentine’s Day 2008 Feb 15

    Good times had by all yesterday at the Horseshoe Tavern for their Valentine's Day rock fest.

  • Hacky new year of the rat 2008 Feb 11

    After dealing with my site being hacked by someone posing as the Palestinian Hacker, I have less sympathy for the Palestinian cause.

  • Good advice 2008 Feb 6

    I happened across a startlingly good advice column today. I got some answers to questions I hadn't even thought I

2008 January

  • Happy birthday, old friend 2008 Jan 28

    Wow. 50 years old. It's hard to believe. I haven't known it this long, but it's been well over 25 years....

  • New shirts 2008 Jan 27

    Does anybody know anybody who makes shirts? Or would make shirts if asked nicely enough? I own 3 shirts that I love and

  • Saskatoon Blades! 2008 Jan 25

    Alrighty, so I'm going to completely rephrase an e-mail that was sent to me so that it makes sense:A friend of mine

  • Canadian trivia 2008 Jan 21

    Alrighty, I invite all of you to present some obscure piece of Canadian trivia. Here's mine:Samuel Hearne walked

  • Oil crisis 2008 Jan 17

    Just some food for thought, having just finished watching The Kingdom. I'm sure Peter Berg intended to give us a

  • Some [slightly] funny times 2008 Jan 16

    So I saw a poster today for something or other (yeah, I wasn't really paying attention) that said "Making a

  • Bad links 2008 Jan 15

    I've got a couple of blogs saved up, but this one was quick, so I cranked it out. I saw a website advertised on the

2007 December

  • Almost boycotting 2007 Dec 10

    Some of you may know my boycott of McDonald's for discontinuing one of their breakfast sandwiches -- ongoing now for

2007 November

  • Finishing the Game – Review 2007 Nov 15

    Having done a little bit of PHP coding for the Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival, I got free passes to the

  • E-mail names 2007 Nov 11

    Thanks everyone for the e-mail suggestions and votes. I was hoping to get some super-original names for which the dot

  • Remembrance Day 2007 2007 Nov 11

    Well, here it is, Remembrance Day 2007. I spent 2006 in Calgary and 2005 in Ottawa, so this time I stayed home. Well,

  • Guitar Hero III – review 2007 Nov 7

    Woo hoo!! It's been a week with Guitar Hero 3 and the wireless guitar and I'm definitely happy with the investment.

  • All hail the Red and Yellow Knight! 2007 Nov 7

    A little late, I know, but here it is, Big Cracker's adventure to Medieval Times. For some reason, something to do

2007 October

  • Impromptu events 2007 Oct 31

    I had a super-duper night last night and none of it was planned.It was supposed to be D&D night, but the DM

  • Huge URLs 2007 Oct 29

    I know a few people who use tinyurl to produce more friendly URLs for e-mails and blogs, but I'm glad that someone has

  • Eco-choices 2007 Oct 28

    I forwarded this video to all my Facebook “friends”, but I figured I'd also hit those of you non-Facebookers.

  • Another survey 2007 Oct 28

    Okay, everybody, I'm whipping out another fancy AJAX survey. I don't exactly know what I intend to do with the

  • Where’s the cracker? 2007 Oct 25

    So, I'm sure you've all been wondering, where's the Big Cracker? What's he up to? Why isn't he writing? Well, I'm

  • Misleading headlines 2007 Oct 15

    I just read an article with an entirely misleading headline, and what's more, the DIGG community didn't even catch

  • Electo- something something 2007 Oct 11

    So there was an election here in Ontario yesterday. I wasn't overly enthusiastic about it, so you didn't hear any pre-election news from me.

  • What some people will eat 2007 Oct 11

    I found this on DIGG and was amazed by the weird things people will consume as food:

  • The new season has begun 2007 Oct 10

    Sorry, this is now getting a little late, and it might have spoilers, but I figured I'd say my piece about the new TV season.

  • A new domain (numéro deux) 2007 Oct 3

    Since my fancy AJAX survey turned out to be a flaming disaster, I've de-stickied it and I'll let it slowly fade away.

  • Timey-wimey 2007 Oct 2

    So I have a bit of a problem with recent representations of time travel I've seen in some TV shows.On The 4400, people

2007 September

  • A new domain 2007 Sep 25

    Alrighty, everybody, I need your help. I've decided it's time to [slowly] start my career as a freelance web

  • Ride for Diabetes Research 2007 Sep 17

    Hey, everybody, I'm committed to putting an end to juvenile (type 1) diabetes by participating in the Ride for

  • First impressions and misconceptions 2007 Sep 12

    So there was this woman on the subway yesterday with a black eye. My first thought was that she's in an abusive relationship.

  • Casting stones 2007 Sep 9

    I'm often amused and frustrated by the general public. My experiences often have to do with riding the TTC. This

  • See my vest 2007 Sep 5

    I'm not sure what brought this to mind, but, man, I love it!See My Vest -- a song from The Simpsons, sung by C. Montgomery Burns

  • Up yer kilt! 2007 Sep 5

    When I originally read this article I thought, “No, I don't need a casual kilt.” But the more I think about, the cooler it sounds.

2007 August

  • Eureka! 2007 Aug 23

    No, I haven't discovered the principle of buoyancy; that's still Archimedes. But I have found a new show called

  • South of the Border 2007 Aug 15

    Woo hoo! Here I am in sunny Dallas, Texas doing some training on Sharepoint. Leaving the airport Monday afternoon, I

  • Syndication feeds 2007 Aug 11

    Just a quick update. Chowarmaan suggested, quite a while ago, that I include my full blog in the RSS and Atom feeds, so

  • I’m a Guitar Legend 2007 Aug 8

    Woo hoo!! I finished Guitar Hero on Hard last night! No One Knows gave me a ton of trouble and so did Frankenstein, but I whipped through Cowboys from Hell and Bark at the Moon with ease.

  • My trip to Springfield 2007 Aug 3

    So even though I haven't seen the movie about the town, I decided to visit Springfield myself. Here's a picture of me

  • My morning chuckle 2007 Aug 3

    I always get a kick out of this quote: I eat pieces of shit like you for breakfast.

  • New hero disappointing 2007 Aug 1

    I noticed that a new Guitar Hero spin-off has failed.

2007 July

  • Go, Big Cracker, go! 2007 Jul 27

    So I think a very attractive woman was sort of flirting with me on the subway on my way home from work. It was just

  • Riddle me this 2007 Jul 24

    Can someone please explain to me how the Elder Wand passed to Draco Malfoy? (Maybe I'll post this as a question on

  • Three movies in four days 2007 Jul 22

    I'll have reviews out for all three movies in a little bit (probably tomorrow afternoon), but that's been my week

  • A note about spiders 2007 Jul 22

    I made mention of being chastised for killing a spider in the office a while back and now I hope I have made the

  • Many updates 2007 Jul 18

    Wublub's recent post spurred me to post something, but not because I feel that “Facebook killed my website”

  • Memory … all alone in the moonlight 2007 Jul 6

    It's weird how memory works. I was out for coffee with my friend Maki (who I haven't seen in about 10 years) and I

2007 June

  • The Great Canadian Wish List 2007 Jun 25

    Alright, I've been sitting on this for almost a week, and now there's only a week left, so I figured I'd better say

  • Wickedest thing 2007 Jun 21

    There was this pre-teen girl on the subway this morning in the full school uniform get-up, except instead of nice

  • The Great Global Warming Swindle 2007 Jun 19

    I've mentioned my Facebook addiction before, and I think I have it under control. But I happened across a friend of a

  • Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer 2007 Jun 17

    Woo hoo! Super good movie. This is the movie that Spiderman 3 could have been. We got the character introductions in

  • Terrible news 2007 Jun 14

    So, I've basically been told that all the work that our department has done over the last 3 or 4 (or more) years is

  • King Lear 2007 Jun 10

    Shakespeare at Stratford, what more do I need to say? But seriously, I went to see King Lear this afternoon and it was

  • Knocked Up 2007 Jun 8

    Yes, weirdos, the movie, not me and not anyone with whom I've been involved. Knocked Up is a good, fun movie. Katherine

  • Questionable advertising 2007 Jun 7

    This sort of follows from my previous post about violence. And maybe this is a better topic of study for ad-titude.com,

  • Clovis points 2007 Jun 6

    I just read an article on discovery.com that reinforces my skepticism about the way history is interpreted. Thankfully,

  • English lessons 2007 Jun 2

    This gives a whole new meaning to language exercise ....Thanks to Bud for

  • I don’t know what to say 2007 Jun 2

    I was listening to CBC Radio One the other day and I had to turn it off. The discussion was about the increasing gun

2007 May

  • A new job 2007 May 30

    Funny, the last time I mentioned new jobs was about 18 months ago and that was a whole new job ago. Now I'm up early

  • Her first paycheque 2007 May 25

    A young family moved into a house next door to a vacant lot. One day a construction crew turned up to start building a house on the empty lot.

  • Long Delay 2007 May 23

    Okay, sorry, it's been well over a week since I last posted and I have few excuses. Mostly it's that every time I

  • Crave 2007 May 16

    Ahh, avant garde, dramatic art, always thought-provoking and confusing. Or something like that. h! and I went to see

  • Spiderman 3 2007 May 13

    I would love to tell you that the third installment in the Spiderman franchise is fantastic and lives up to all

  • Killing spiders 2007 May 11

    Seriously, this blog is about killing spiders. I killed one at work yesterday and was severely chastised for it.

  • Ha! My thoughts exactly. 2007 May 9

    http://cad-comic.com/comic.php?d=20070509

  • Facebook friends 2007 May 6

    I went for drinks yesterday with 2 old/new Facebook friends. The reason I slashed old and new is that 1 of the friends

  • Say It with Bullets 2007 May 3

    I just finished reading my second Hard Case Crime novel, Say It with Bullets by Richard Powell. The first novel was The

  • Têtes à claques 2007 May 3

    This is Hi-larious ... although, you need a solid grounding in Frenglish.

2007 April

  • Little Miss Sunshine 2007 Apr 30

    Yeah, it was nominated for and won some Academy Awards, obviously my review is coming a little late. I had every

  • The Lookout 2007 Apr 29

    I feel a little bad that I didn't actually write a review for Brick. I think it was one of the last (if not the last)

  • This ‘n’ that 2007 Apr 27

    Just realized that I used “It's all over but the crying” for both posts about the ending of Roll Up the Rim

  • It’s all over but the crying 2007 Apr 26

    Finally 2 months later, I got my first non-Roll Up cup for my medium coffee. While I'm disappointed with the overall

  • Honesty 2007 Apr 25

    I'm sure you'll see this title and think, "Ooh, someone lied to poor Big Cracker and he's professing a policy

  • Am I a Blogger? 2007 Apr 24

    So I've been contemplating writing a real blog. You know, the kind with daily (or multiple daily) posts and maybe

  • Long delay 2007 Apr 24

    I know you guys wait with bated breath for my next post; I apologize for the delay. I've had a number of blogs on the

  • Following instructions 2007 Apr 24

    Just follow the instructions.

  • Social networking 2007 Apr 23

    What's with the giant surge in social networking? I finally got myself a MySpace page a few months ago and am still a

  • Hot Fuzz 2007 Apr 22

    From the creators of Shaun of the Dead comes a cop movie. Fun. Except not as funny as I'd expected. Simon Pegg is a

  • Spaniard in the works 2007 Apr 20

    There is the possibility of a new job with my current company and the entire matter has thrown a spanner into my works.

  • Blades of Glory 2007 Apr 14

    If you've seen the Will Ferrell movie generator, you know the major storyline of the movie. The sidekick in this case

  • It’s all about birds 2007 Apr 13

    I found this Onion article and figured I had to mention it, since my daddy and stepmom (and my sister, to a certain

  • New Will Ferrell movie 2007 Apr 12

    I found this on linkbunnies:Will Ferrell plays Kenny O'Connor, an egotistical, obnoxious tennis player at the top of

  • Handy tips 2007 Apr 11

    I just thought I'd publish some handy tips to help out people as they wander in public: Vary as much as possible

  • Happy Easter … too late 2007 Apr 10

    I was planning on a nice Happy Easter blog over the past weekend, and, surprise, it didn't get done. I got a funny

  • Who stole mah story? 2007 Apr 4

    So I mentioned that my sister sent me some books for Christmas; one of which was Henry and Ribsy. Since I like to read

  • Too bad or not too bad? 2007 Apr 4

    Someone asked me how I was doing, and I said, "Not too bad." "That's good," was the

  • Beating a dead horse 2007 Apr 4

    The software I support has some performance issues. Inconsistently, once or twice in the day, specific parts of the

  • April already? 2007 Apr 2

    April fool's? No thanks. But it was Shuttergirl's big 3-0 -- party, party, party! A gang of folks went for dosa in

2007 March

  • Big Brother may be watching 2007 Mar 28

    I found this interesting article through digg.com yesterday, but it's taken me until today to finish writing. It's

  • A smart blonde 2007 Mar 27

    A guy gets on a plane and finds himself seated next to a cute blonde. He immediately turns to her and makes his

  • Flutter – winner, winner, chicken dinner! 2007 Mar 27

    Since it's all over the friggin' news, I want to congratulate my buddy, h!, for taking the top prize in the Open

  • Shooter 2007 Mar 26

    Since I generally have little better to do on a Sunday afternoon, I went to the movies. The big-ass Paramount (now the

  • Hannibal Rising 2007 Mar 23

    I saw the posters for this movie and it seemed kind of interesting. I'd seen Manhunter, Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal

  • The Micronauts 2007 Mar 20

    I have to apologize profusely to Rob, Mark, Tim and Ali. I went to see their show last Tuesday at the Tranzac and I'm

  • Statistics 2007 Mar 15

    Just out of curiosity, is anyone interested in seeing other Rrroll Up the Rim

  • Daylight Savings Time 2007 Mar 13

    Yeah, yeah, it's Tuesday and DST changed Sunday, I probably should have said something 2 days ago. But I only noticed

  • Ghost station 2007 Mar 11

    Kinda cool. I got to the ride the subway through the old "ghost" subway station, Lower Bay station [scroll

  • 300 2007 Mar 11

    Word to the wise, back is better. That is, sit farther back from the screen when viewing a movie in IMAX. As well, show

  • Reaction to the overreaction 2007 Mar 11

    So, thinking more about Friday's incident. I think I have a better understanding of some of the issues I have with

  • Holy overreaction, Batman! 2007 Mar 9

    So I'm walking across the mall parking lot to work this morning. At the end of the mall, there is a fairly narrow

  • Linux? 2007 Mar 7

    So I just finished an article on using Ubuntu Linux and it's almost swayed me to look at all the software I use and

  • Follow the leader 2007 Mar 6

    I'm sure Smokey got this somewhere else, but I figured I'd copy him .... As I expected, I'm smarter.

  • That’s the ticket, baby! 2007 Mar 5

    Alrighty, boys and girls, I've finally finished the Rrroll Up the Rim stats and posted my own. Yeah, I know, 1 in 20

  • Snack culture 2007 Mar 2

    I only just started hearing the term Snack Culture within the last few days, but I get the impression that it's been

  • Winner! 2007 Mar 1

    Let it be known, I got my first Rrroll Up the Rim winner for 2007 today, on the 15th coffee since the contest began. If

  • What’s in a name 2007 Mar 1

    This is interesting, Gwildor's (a.k.a Ernie Vegas) biggest enemy is the Tooth Puller, and I am ....

2007 February

  • Biscotto grande 2007 Feb 28

    The title is a terrible translation of Big Cracker into Italian. Somehow the Google translator gave me Cracker grande,

  • Please ask a question 2007 Feb 27

    Please don't present a question as a statement.

  • Who wants to work? 2007 Feb 26

    I'm not sure what this article says about China's human rights record ....

  • House guests 2007 Feb 26

    Fun times. This was my second house guest since I moved to the new apartment over a year ago. Juicy is in town for some

  • Another inconvenient truth 2007 Feb 23

    Just when you thought global warming was a problem, here comes another ....

  • Actor shortage? 2007 Feb 23

    It looks like we've hit the end-of-line in bit part actors on network television. Conrad Ecklie (played by Marc Vann)

  • Airplane humour 2007 Feb 22

    After every flight, Qantas pilots fill out a form, called a “gripe sheet,” which tells mechanics about problems with the aircraft.

  • Almost ready 2007 Feb 21

    So, I've got the back-end database structure worked out for the Rrroll up the rim stats, I just need to work out the interface.

  • It has begun … 2007 Feb 19

    It's Rrroll up the Rim time again. I still haven't paid Veedub for last year's staggering defeat, but I've got some

  • Do not touch the computer 2007 Feb 18

    Oh man. So one of the girls at work asks if I can look at her son's computer; it only boots to a blank screen. No

  • Valemtimes’s Day 2007 Feb 14

    So Gwildor's big bro' made a comment about Valentine's Day last night with which I had to disagree. But it might

  • The people on the bus say … 2007 Feb 12

    I meant to write this Friday, after it happened, but I just went home and watched TV.

  • A big move 2007 Feb 9

    So, we had a big announcement at work yesterday, we're moving. At the time, it didn't sound like a big deal, but the

  • The hat puzzle 2007 Feb 7

    Alrighty, here's an interesting puzzle that I ran across at work the other day. There are four men. There are four hats.

  • Mickey D’s 2007 Feb 5

    I don't know how many of you are aware that I've been boycotting McDonald's for about 4 years now, but I am. It all

  • Pan’s Labyrinth 2007 Feb 5

    I was downtown and had nothing better to do with my time, so I went to see Pan's Labyrinth. An very good movie, but I

  • How technology makes life better 2007 Feb 2

    I was riding the bus with Shuttergirl this morning, having a nice chat about Guitar Hero. (I was concerned that I'd

  • Guitar Hero 2007 Feb 1

    I think Gwildor might get upset if I don't mention this. I bought Gwilly's PlayStation 2 from him (much to the

2007 January

  • Check the O.R., you like it so far? 2007 Jan 29

    I was fartin' with my fancy media player and stumbled across the video for Check the O.R., the Juno-nominated debut

  • Line-ups 2007 Jan 28

    One quick tip for everybody: if you're in line, make sure you look like you're in line. I was down to Alternative

  • Stupid crackers 2007 Jan 28

    I don't know how many of you are familiar with the mechanics of bagpipes, so let me tell you. There's a chanter with

  • Rabbie Burns’ Day 2007 Jan 25

    It's all about the haggis, boys and girls. I won't go into any great detail, since with the magic of the interweb I

  • Big Cracker’s Big Pipes 2007 Jan 21

    Thanks to Big Tim, I've got a cool space where I can play my bagpipes. It's the first time in about 10 years that

  • Funny joke time 2007 Jan 20

    I was waiting to see who would post and it looks like only Gwildor. I think all in all we had a pretty good time at Yuk

  • Canada in winter 2007 Jan 16

    So, we're into the second week of January and T-Dot just got it's first snowfall. It started with sleet, freezing

  • Domain names 2007 Jan 12

    I thought my domain name was questionable, but here's a list of some others. Interesting how what's completely

  • Media frenzy 2007 Jan 9

    Sorry, everybody, not much to report since last time, although I did catch up on my lost sleep from Thursday night. I

  • Casually casual 2007 Jan 5

    I didn't sleep well last night, bcause I had laundry to do.

  • Saddam … IMO 2007 Jan 3

    Okay, so while Wublub's joke was pretty funny, I'm still mostly disappointed with the execution of Saddam Hussein.

  • Happy New Year! 2007 Jan 1

    Oh boy, oh boy, it's a new year, with new opportunities! Or, at least, I hope so. Not that 2006 was terrible, but I

2006 December

  • Big Cracker’s Chair of Density .. uhh .. Destiny 2006 Dec 29

    So, for those of you unfamiliar with my furniture, I own a Chair of Destiny. Let me tell you the story ...The year was

  • Back to work 2006 Dec 28

    Back to work, back to work, to show my Dad that I'm no jerk.

  • Merry Christmas! 2006 Dec 25

    Not much done today, except to fart around on the computer. The Xmas parcels from Daddy-o and from my sister have not

  • RIP – James Brown 2006 Dec 25

    James Brown dies at age 73 ...

  • Substitute (Day 5) … last day 2006 Dec 22

    So, I'm done. I only had to cover for 1 week, and the week's over. I enjoyed myself. It felt good to share my

  • Where’s who? 2006 Dec 22

    Just in time for Christmas

  • Substitute (Day 4) 2006 Dec 21

    Hmmm ... not much to say. I'm about a half-day behind in my lesson plan. (Plan? What plan?) I've been prompting them

  • Substitute (Day 3) 2006 Dec 20

    I can now understand some of the challenges in teaching. It's really hard, until you present a "hands-on"

  • Blog saving 2006 Dec 20

    Ha ha, joke's on me! So, I saved the Substitute (Day 2) blog post, since I hadn't quite finished it, but it still

  • Substitute (Day 2) 2006 Dec 19

    Question: How do you tell a group of trainees that what you're teaching them will be used once in the whole time they

  • Substitute (Day 1) 2006 Dec 18

    One down, four more to go. I hammered through what is probably one of the biggest hitters in terms of Horizon calls,

  • Funny useless spam 2006 Dec 18

    So I got a spam post to my blog. It's on a blog from June 2005. Obviously I need to check my spam catcher, but I'm

  • It’s Christmas time 2006 Dec 15

    Well, it looks the code for changing to the Xmas style ran without fail. Notice the green and red borders and Merry

  • Just ’cause 2006 Dec 13

    Actually, I'm posting this just because it's been almost a week since I last posted and I felt I should let people

  • Sink the sub 2006 Dec 7

    VeeDub might catch the connection of the title to my situation, and Wublub'll definitely get a kick out of it. I get

  • Mesmerized 2006 Dec 5

    So I was mesmerized on the subway the other day by a dude's deformity. He had his upper ear pireced, just like I do,

  • Ain’t that the truth! 2006 Dec 5

    I was almost brought to tears by this article ... beware the colourful language

  • Wii!! 2006 Dec 3

    So I'm now back from h!'s place having tried my hand at the new Nintendo Wii. While I think Wii is easily the

  • Morons 2006 Dec 2

    Why would I use debit for $8.77 if I have the cash?

  • Holly Cole 2006 Dec 1

    Yeah, yeah, so this is dated Friday and I wrote it Monday, sue me. I was fartin' around with other stuff all weekend

2006 November

  • I like the internet 2006 Nov 29

    I just finished some updates to h!'s website. Check it out! It's got WPBE's CD cover and Shuttergirl and RLP's

  • Global terraforming 2006 Nov 28

    In an article complementary to An Inconvenient Truth, Jamais Cascio discusses a very dangerous alternative to altering

  • In other news …. 2006 Nov 28

    http://www.theonion.com/content/node/55732/6

  • Explanation 2006 Nov 28

    Shuttergirl asked the other day what it means when there's a music listed on my home page. Let me explain. I use

  • Holy guacamole! 2006 Nov 26

    I felt the need to break the weekend up a bit, to make room for An Inconvenient Truth in its own space and my other

  • An Inconvenient Truth 2006 Nov 26

    So I borrowed An Inconvenient Truth from Shuttergirl and RLP on the condition that I return it to Blockbuster. Fair

  • In my opinion 2006 Nov 21

    Since I'm obviously not too busy at work, I've been reading the online news. I found another article that interested

  • Anarchy now! 2006 Nov 21

    This article from Der Spiegel appears to mark the beginning of the future I would envision. Rather than a reliance on

  • Casino Royale 2006 Nov 19

    Oh yeah, baby!! Friday night, opening night, I went to see the wicked, new, James Bond flick, Casino Royale!! If I

  • The last day 2006 Nov 15

    Alrighty, I'm gettin' ready to go to the airport. The Yateser's and A&M were tremendous hosts. It's good to

  • The good ol’ days 2006 Nov 13

    I get so disappointed when I go back to somewhere expecting things to be spectacular and different, and everything's

  • Kerr-unch! 2006 Nov 11

    A&M were driving me back to my car and we got sandwiched between a mini-van turning right from the left lane and

  • Remembrance Day 2006 2006 Nov 11

    Even though I'm on vacation in he alienated West, I still made sure to get out to a Remembrance Day ceremony. I met up

  • Cowtown’s on fire 2006 Nov 10

    After a fairly uneventful, but waay too early flight, I’m in beautiful, snowy Calgary, Alberta.

  • Agrestic weeds 2006 Nov 8

    I've been watching Weeds via download through 2 seasons (22 episodes) now and until it came up on Dictionary.com's

  • Hand of Doom 2006 Nov 7

    I know you guys were getting tired of always seeing Melissa Auf Der Maur in the Now Playing section of my page, but

  • Long rant 2006 Nov 7

    I'm gonna rant here a bit and then segue into a different rant. I got the Macleans 2006 University Rankings as an

  • Spam: You gotta be kidding me! 2006 Nov 3

    Do you think someone thought that I'd be interested in an e-mail with this subject line? "My peenis is always

  • Again with the crackerMail 2006 Nov 2

    Okay, so even though nobody actually cares, I've released crackerMail v2.0 in its final state. Based on some input

  • brekfers’ sammidges 2006 Nov 2

    Okay, I've started this blog 4 times and obviously never quite finished it. It was supposed to be done Monday morning,

2006 October

  • Take something to work 2006 Oct 30

    What a wacky coincidence! There was a news message on the intranet at work for Take Our Kids to Work day. I saw the

  • Spam posting 2006 Oct 29

    Although I've only had one instance of spam responses to my blogs, Wublub mentioned a problem on his site. To ensure

  • A new puzzle 2006 Oct 28

    The other day at work our funny little team leader gave us a kind of team-building exercise. He broke the larger team

  • Hook me up! 2006 Oct 28

    I got a call from my friend Red this morning that obviously she just had to make. She and Veedub had the kidlets out to

  • Remembering the classics 2006 Oct 28

    A huge thanks to RLP for providing links to these classics ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsBJYS1jBag

  • Is this funny? 2006 Oct 26

    Supposedly this joke should be funny to folks in Saskatoon; I'm not so sure. A man met a beautiful woman and he

  • Wirelessly wireless 2006 Oct 24

    Woo hoo! I got the Range Extender I'd gone looking for Friday (and Saturday, but I refrained from mentioning that

  • Chili today, Hot tamale! 2006 Oct 22

    Ok, so I didn't really post this at 03:30ET, but I'm writing from the perspective that I did (except I'm a whole lot

  • Illegal activity 2006 Oct 20

    I went down to the ol' Canada Computers to get myself a D-Link MediaLounge and a Range Extender. Due the difficulties

  • Blatant disregard 2006 Oct 20

    I couldn't believe the cojones on the two dudes in the subway selling obviously pirated DVDs. I went shopping on my

  • More whingeing 2006 Oct 18

    Sorry, I just have to add these 2 other stories, 'cause they make me laugh. One of the women here was supposed to be

  • Whingeing 2006 Oct 18

    Okay, I like to whine; that's what half of my blogs are about. But I hope I keep my whining realistic and pragmatic,

  • Dress like a slob 2006 Oct 18

    I meant to have this done yesterday, but it didn't happen. It has to do with a column in the free Metro I get on the

  • The Departed 2006 Oct 17

    A litle late, but better than never ... I went out to see The Departed Saturday with h! and RLP. Shuttergirl was in the

  • crackerMail 2.0 2006 Oct 15

    I released a beta version of crackerMail 2.0 this morning and already I've had a couple of reports of bugs. They were

  • Funny jokes 2006 Oct 13

    I tell ya, I don't understand this pervasive joke:I'm carrying something, anything, and someone I pass invariably

  • Hooray for the internet! 2006 Oct 12

    Man, it's so nice to have the internet back in my house. I'm not so concerned about having a working phone, but I

  • What I learned in school today 2006 Oct 11

    I was reading some material for work and felt the need to get some information about 'that' versus 'which', because

  • It’s turkey time! 2006 Oct 10

    Whoop-a-dee-doo! It's Thanksgiving!I went out to visit people in London (ON), and I feel guilty, since I didn't visit

  • I don’t know … it’s Friday! 2006 Oct 6

    I realize now that my Helpful hints have actually hindered me. I can't whinge so much anymore about the idiotic things

  • Helpful hints 2006 Oct 4

    One more time and I promise not to whinge about people's idiotic behaviour. When exiting an elevator, walking

  • Pink for October 2006 Oct 3

    Taking a page from the Smokey book of Bacon and going Pink for October (I might not be able to handle it for the whole

  • The best of both worlds 2006 Oct 2

    I would have thought I already had a blog with this same title, but it doesn't look like it.LEGO + Star Wars = Super

2006 September

  • Too early 2006 Sep 29

    It's too early for me to hate my workplace. I've been in a new job, on a 1-year contract, for 24 days now and I'm

  • Hurray for feet! 2006 Sep 27

    Whew, it was close, but General Bloodglutton had some special healing powder that re-attached my foot. Also, the whole

  • Weekend of magic 2006 Sep 25

    I don't know, it seemed like a good title. There was nothing magic about the weekend, though. I managed to get a giant

  • Dorky dork dork 2006 Sep 20

    I'm not sure whether I should be admitting my dorkiness to everyone, but since at least half of you are at least as

  • Yarrr! It be Talk like a Pirate Day! 2006 Sep 19

    Avast, me hearties, the title tells the tale. Today be the day t' talk like a pirate. The land-lubbin' ninjas fear

  • Movies – double feature 2006 Sep 18

    I managed to catch a special double feature on the weekend, The Wicker Man and Snakes on a Plane.The Wicker Man was

  • Politics … sorry 2006 Sep 14

    A short note on politics tonight, since I had to vote today. "What? Big Cracker, none of the rest of us had to

  • New friends 2006 Sep 13

    I just found out that both VeeDub and Jock have websites. So now I've added 2 new friends to my menu. VeeDub's got an

  • Came and went 2006 Sep 12

    Hunh, Sept. 11 came and went and all I had to say was that I needed a nap. Yeah, well, that's about all I have to say.

  • Indulgence 2006 Sep 11

    I obviously indulge myself a little much on weekends. Often enough on Saturdays and Sundays, I feel like having a nap

  • Music info 2006 Sep 8

    Smokey sent me an invite to hook up on Last.fm, so I did. It's kinda cool, but I'm gonna keep using my NowPlaying

  • Second-guessing 2006 Sep 5

    I'll just quickly mention that I'm in the process of getting some old blogs posted, so you may see two or three more

  • Wedding fun! 2006 Sep 3

    Ummm, it's 5 o'clock in the morning and I'm just getting home. What a good night!!It was RLP and Shuttergirl's

2006 August

  • RLP is my new favourite month! 2006 Aug 31

    The title hearkens back to Gwildor's bachelor party. It seems appropriate since I'm just back from RLP's bachelor

  • Home at last! 2006 Aug 28

    Oh. My. God! I'm finally home! My flight was cancelled (thankfully I knew about it before even leaving for the

  • School times 2006 Aug 27

    Fun. Fun. Fun. I just got back from a tour of the ol' school. It still looked like the school, but the trademark ugly

  • Hawaiian times 2006 Aug 27

    Woo hoo! Kaumauna'wana lei'a! I just got home from a "third wheel" party and, man, you missed a wicked good

  • Old times 2006 Aug 26

    Wow! What a surprisingly good time. I spent the evening at my grade 8 reunion. We had a nice enough dinner at the 2nd

  • Winner, winner, chicken dinner! 2006 Aug 24

    I've been meaning to mention this for about a day and a half ... I won a very close Scrabble game Tuesday night. I had

  • Rest and Relaxation 2006 Aug 22

    I'm on vacation. Man, oh, man, am I ever on vacation. I wake up about 8am, read 'til 9-9:30, eat breakfast out on the

  • One World One Race 2006 Aug 19

    I'll just bet you saw the title of this post and thought you in for another enlightening political discussion from Big

  • We’re at the lake! 2006 Aug 17

    Well, actually, I'm home from the lake. Late Sunday morning, VeeDub's bro', Jock, and his wife, Doc, (yup, Jock

  • Let’s go to the Ex 2006 Aug 13

    Fun times had by all at the Saskatoon Ex. Well, not really. It appeared to be fun, in that there were lots of people

  • Crackers on a Plane 2006 Aug 11

    Up in the air, the junior Birdsmen! Up in the air, upside down! Alrighty, here I am in the plane. I was on a Westjet

  • Post on Terrorism 2006 Aug 11

    Here I am in Pearson Airport in Toronto. I almost connected to the interweb, but couldn't be bothered to pay for the

  • Out to play 2006 Aug 9

    h! convinced me to go see a play last night. It's called Garden and is part of the Summerworks theatre festival. h!'s

  • Rebuttal 2006 Aug 5

    Alrighty. Talking to my crazy sister tonight, I managed to work out some of my thoughts for my rebuttal to Batroc's

  • I’m the worst friend 2006 Aug 5

    It's my good friend Juicy's birthday today, so I sent her a birthday e-mail. I would have called her, but I haven't

  • I have the best friends 2006 Aug 3

    I really appreciate all the excellent feedback about my job dilemma. I'm a little surprised that the majority of you

  • Job-related dilemma 2006 Aug 3

    I'm in a bit of a job-related dilemma and I'm seeking advice. There are 3 jobs at stake: Technical Writer for a

  • Violently opposed 2006 Aug 2

    I'm working on a rebuttal to Batroc's response to my Israel-Lebanon post, but in the meantime I have to relate a

  • The joys of technology 2006 Aug 2

    Whew! Dodged a bullet this morning! I have this nice little 128MB USB flash drive that I got free from a CIRA meeting

  • Political hobnobbing 2006 Aug 2

    I'm so special. I got to meet Howard Hampton and Cheri DiNovo this morning outside the subway. I shook their hands and

2006 July

  • The Israel-Lebanon folderol 2006 Jul 31

    Alrighty, Big Cracker's gonna briefly weigh in on the bullshit nonsense that is occurring in Israel and Lebanon. I

  • Fuckin’ TTC – Chapter the 2nd 2006 Jul 31

    Holy Humidity, Batman! It's hot as the fires of Mount Doom outside and not a single TTC vehicle I was in on my way

  • Fuckin’ TTC 2006 Jul 31

    So every morning, heading north, one train goes to St. Clair West station, then the next goes all the way to Downsview.

  • Help return CBC to its public broadcasting roots 2006 Jul 29

    The recent decision by the CBC's management to pre-empt The National and present a US reality show demonstrates that

  • Facing the Tribunal 2006 Jul 25

    Following on the heels of Gwildor's interview, I had an interview last night after work. I fer sher thought it went

  • James Earl Vader 2006 Jul 21

    Episode 1 is pretty good, but I think episode 2 is better.... Or this one's alright

  • The Descent into Chippy’s 2006 Jul 21

    Horror movie at the Bloor Cinema last night. Good Times! JAC (Gwildor's sis-in-law) invited a bunch of folks out to

  • Jumping on my own Bandwagon 2006 Jul 20

    Okay, so if Gwildor gets to get excited about his job interview, then I'll mention mine, too. I had a phone interview

  • WTF? What happened to my site? 2006 Jul 18

    Holy site change, Batman! What do you think? I've been fartin' around with it for the last several weeks and finally

  • Contempt and burritos 2006 Jul 17

    Sorry, everybody, I've spent the last few days feeling nothing but contempt for the human race. From drivers who

  • It’s been over a year 2006 Jul 12

    For over a year now, I've been part of an unprecedented global call to action to end poverty: Make Poverty History

  • Nacho Scanner of the Carribean and other bedtime stories 2006 Jul 10

    Friday night was a trip down to the Harbourfront with Cyon and, umm, Sonya (I think I need to find out a nickname for

  • The people on the bus go up and down 2006 Jul 9

    So this weekend I managed to see 2 celebrities riding the TTC. First, yesterday, I saw James Gray, the keyboardist for

  • The Long Weekend 2006 Jul 4

    Shmicken sal! Scarbloosh! Aaah ... the gibberish of yesteryear. I don't remember where they came from but those two

2006 June

  • Money Money Money 2006 Jun 25

    Or maybe, Mony Mony (... but the version by Billy Idol) ... Anyway, I had an odd flash of brilliance this afternoon and

  • Hockey in North Carolina 2006 Jun 22

    This is a little old ... As reported in The Onion:Carolina Residents Confused, Terrified As Victorious Hurricane

  • Pirates are better than Ninjas 2006 Jun 21

    So I almost said, “Yarr!” right out loud today.

  • Smarty smart smart 2006 Jun 20

    I'm sorry, but I'm wearing my smartypants today ... I found this on linkbunnies and it blew my mind!

  • What up, dawg? 2006 Jun 12

    I saw a dude on the subway wearing grillz. WTF?Oh yeah, viewer discretion is advised ... I'm rollin' with Bob

  • Arts and Crafts 2006 Jun 11

    I managed to catch Art School Confidential last night at the Revue cinema. It's a shame that the theatre (and other

  • Ecowarrior 2006 Jun 10

    I feel so good about myself today. I rode my bike to the grocery store. I brought some grocery bags from other grocery

2006 May

  • Aaargh! The viruses! 2006 May 31

    So, I'm on the phone with my niece walking her through scanning for viruses on her computer. Yes, right now, while

  • Evacuation … days 4, 5, 6 and 7 2006 May 28

    So, the evac was really over Thursday afternoon when my Mommy came into town. We stayed at a hotel near her conference.

  • Evacuation … day 3 2006 May 24

    Woo Hoo! Wow! Is my apartment ever fucked up! I stopped in again today, mostly to give you an update on the progress,

  • Evacuation … day 2 2006 May 23

    Aaaaahhhh .... The air mattress that I got hooked up with had to be re-inflated in the middle of the night. Needless to

  • Evacuation … day 1 2006 May 22

    So, here I am, evacuated. I'm not sure how many people I told, but landlord needs to get some dudes in to work on the

  • Economics 2006 May 18

    Funny story ... I was reading the good ol' free Metro on the subway this morning and ran into an article about how

  • In the name of Efficiency 2006 May 14

    There's been a bunch of changes around my workplace to increase efficiency, and now another good person has been

  • Lazy Sunday 2006 May 9

    So I stole the title from the HI-larious SNL digital short, which still makes me laugh out loud, but it's sort of the

  • Technobabble 2006 May 2

    VeeDub's comment on my last post reminded me that my sister mentioned that halfway through my Excuuuuse me! post, she

  • What a nice weekend 2006 May 1

    Or something like that. I had a pretty successful weekend, but I felt a bit lousy the whole time. I was supposed to go

2006 April

  • It’s all over but the crying 2006 Apr 28

    So, now that I've stopped weeping over the betrayal I've suffered at the hands of Tim Hortons, I can admit defeat. My

  • The taxman cometh 2006 Apr 24

    Well, it's coming on up on the tax deadline, and I finally got my taxes submitted this morning. I found out that I

  • Falling behind 2006 Apr 21

    Alright, so downloading TV is a lot of fun and means I get a lot of wicked shows without commercials that I can watch

  • Cats and lasers 2006 Apr 20

    Cats and lasers ... Come on, who doesn't love cats and lasers? And when you put 'em together, hold on to your

  • Get a haircut! 2006 Apr 19

    So I'm sitting at the lunch table in the caf' and one of the girls mentions that her son needs a haircut, but

  • Not so funny 2006 Apr 18

    Obviously no one was impressed with the funny video about how the Easter Bunny hates you ... I thought it was pretty

  • The Easter Bunny hates you 2006 Apr 16

    Unfortunately, the Easter Bunny hates you

  • Too much coffee 2006 Apr 13

    HA HA, this is HI-larious!

  • Loving life! 2006 Apr 13

    I could sure get used to this ... I'm sitting at the picnic table in my backyard working on the laptop that's running

  • Ice breakers 2006 Apr 12

    I got this game e-mailed to me and I was addicted:

2006 March

  • W for Whatever 2006 Mar 27

    Wow! What a whirlwind weekend!! Okay, well, not really, I just liked the alliteration. Friday included a good game of

  • Ultraviolet 2006 Mar 23

    I have exactly one word for Ultraviolet ... terrible. I don't mean that no one should go see it, it's not entirely

  • Happy St. Paddy’s Day!! 2006 Mar 20

    What a gong show! I went down to Fionn MacCool's, obviously an Irish place. I'd been warned that if I wanted to get in, I should show up by about 2pm. Well, I don't know about you, but I work for a living and didn't get down to the bar until 6pm.

  • The driver on the bus says, “Move to the back.” 2006 Mar 17

    Maybe it's just me, or maybe it's just people in Toronto, or maybe it happens to everyone all the time, but I have a

  • Slack-adelic 2006 Mar 13

    So, you're all wondering, this Big Cracker idiot thinks he's some kind of blogger, but we haven't seen a new blog in

  • Firefly 2 2006 Mar 13

    No, it's not a reality, yet, but thanks to the info from SmokeyB, I'm gonna try to make it one.

  • Finally off the phones 2006 Mar 4

    Oh. My. Gawd! It's over. No more phones. And now I realize that I have to tell my boss that she can never put me back

  • Nature vs. nurture 2006 Mar 1

    So here's a discussion for the psychologists: Whether I'm naturally an asshole and/or whether my parents taught me

  • More important facts 2006 Mar 1

    So, 3 more work days on the phones and I have now realized a 2nd important fact. Not only does it frustrate me that I

2006 February

  • Rrroll up the rim time 2006 Feb 28

    Yes, folks, it's a new year and time to Rrroll up the Rim! As I did last year, you'll see a running total of my

  • Hired and fired 2006 Feb 24

    I had the pleasure of riding the subway yesterday with my upstairs neighbour, Shuttergirl, and she mentioned an article

  • Important facts 2006 Feb 22

    So, here we are on day 5 of being back on the phones and I finally remember what sucked so much ass about it. It's not

  • Witty repartee takes too long 2006 Feb 20

    So I had a great blog written for today, but my browser timed out and killed it before I finished posting. What's

  • Many layers of the onion 2006 Feb 15

    So once a week I spend some time reading through the latest headlines in The Onion, the finest repository of fake news

  • The future is now 2006 Feb 13

    This touchscreen thing-a-ma-bob is the wickedest thing I've seen in a long time! It reminds me of the cool

  • The bull-mouse 2006 Feb 10

    Whew! Late night, last night!! In fact, early this morning ... I got in about 3am. (Thanks to Shuttergirl for the ride

  • Back to the drawing board 2006 Feb 9

    So, I need to highlight my two concerns of honking and signalling, just to keep it fresh. It's still a major

  • There is no joy in Mudville 2006 Feb 6

    It's a sad day in Seattle this morning. There's no Superbowl XL trophy to bring home. My niece is wearing black.

  • Meeting minutes … turn to hours! 2006 Feb 2

    Why is it that stupid people love to hear the sound of their own voice? As a voting member of the Canadian Internet

2006 January

  • The past catches up 2006 Jan 28

    I got an e-mail from this girl I went to school with who is trying to organize a Grade 8 reunion.

  • Big bad Bobbie Burns 2006 Jan 25

    So, it's January 25, the anniversary of Robbie Burns' birth (way back in 1759). It's a day of bagpipes, kilts and

  • And the winner is … 2006 Jan 24

    I certainly hope the NDP will push for some electoral reform, in the way of proportional representation. I mean, they got 17.5% of the popular vote and 29 seats, where the Bloc only got 10.5% of the popular vote and a whopping 51 seats.

  • Votey Day 2006 Jan 23

    Alrighty everybody, today is Votey Day. As I said to my mommy, I don't care who you vote for, just vote.

  • Yay for Blue Rodeo! 2006 Jan 22

    I know Big Gwilly doesn't care much for the Blue Rodeo, but they're easily my favourite band of all time. I finally

  • Thanks, Mike. 2006 Jan 20

    So, Michael Moore has weighed in with his Canadian election views. I found them very

  • Bill me later 2006 Jan 18

    Sonnuva..!! Every year the same thing! The day comes for me to renew my domain, but I don't get any notification and

  • Goin’ to the candidates debate 2006 Jan 18

    Hip hip hooray! For politics! Yay!I attended an all-candidates debate ... well, forum ... tonight. What a tremendous

  • I want my flying car! 2006 Jan 17

    And we all thought gas-electric hybrid cars were a new concept. Well, I just found out that in the year of my birth one

  • Karma doesn’t have fists 2006 Jan 16

    Karma doesn’t have fists.

  • Math-a-magic 2006 Jan 13

    So, I'm a huge fan of math and its intricacies. It touches my heart to read about people using math in smart ways.

  • Waiting by proxy 2006 Jan 12

    You know what I like? I like walking to the bus stop and seeing someone already there. I like it because it's sort of

  • Bagpipe robot 2006 Jan 9

    This is incredible .... to accompany my bagpiping jokes .... presenting .... McBlare! P.S. I'm feeling a little better

  • Pedestrians 2006 Jan 8

    Today's word, boys and girls, is “pedestrian”. Can you say “pedestrian”?

  • F—ed up dreams 2006 Jan 5

    I think because of my Party of Five reference yesterday, I had a weird dream about it last night. I was somewhere and

  • Westward ho! 2006 Jan 4

    So I downloaded an Apple IIe emulator yesterday and played Oregon Trail. What a good time!! Except my party of five

  • Happy-eh New Year-uh! 2006 Jan 1

    So, here we are in 2006 .... I'm in a new apartment that I'm still in the process of moving into (maybe one of my New

2005 December

  • Speaking of cars … 2005 Dec 28

    I found this excellent Wired article that should solve some of my driving dilemmas ... Say Hello to Stanley(It's a

  • New signalling rules 2005 Dec 27

    So I rented a car for the weekened. A shiny, black 2005 Chevrolet Malibu. It drives nice, and is very comfortable to

  • Chreestmas Eeve 2005 Dec 24

    Only one more sleep 'til Santa comes, yay!! Actually, I've already opened all my presents, and those I haven't

  • Hard to blog 2005 Dec 23

    Bad Blogger, bad! I was doing so well, a blog every day last week, then came the weekend and this week and, well,

  • Unitarians of the world unite! 2005 Dec 16

    To mitigate the religio-political debates that may occur around the holiday season, I draw your attention to a San

  • Interactive voice response 2005 Dec 15

    Coming from a call centre, I definitely appreciate this quote from my Google Quote of the day

  • Litterbugs 2005 Dec 14

    I have a big issue with litter. I mean, just hang on to your trash until your get to a garbage can. Is it really that

  • Hooray for new jobs! 2005 Dec 13

    Not mine. No, sadly, I still have the same old job ... well, actually, I'm not certain I know what my job is this

  • Yoo hoo, here I am! 2005 Dec 12

    Alright, alright, I'm posting, I'm posting!!I realize it's been 2 weeks, but I've been moving. I only got my

2005 November

  • Funny Gwildor 2005 Nov 28

    I realize I just blogged something today, but I noticed Gwildor's moving ... I don't know how long this page'll be

  • Understanding 2005 Nov 28

    Okay, I have to admit, I don't understand people. First, from Smokey's comment on the last blog, I'm pretty sure the

  • The Strangest One of All 2005 Nov 22

    So, easily the strangest thing of all time happened to me tonight.

  • Johnny Cash and Harry Potter 2005 Nov 20

    What do these 2 larger-than-life characters have in common? Each had a brand-new movie released this weekend that Big

  • Keep on Truckin’ 2005 Nov 15

    So I heard a guy on the radio, or somewhere (I can't remember exactly, but I'm pretty sure it was the radio) talking

  • The Grand Old Days of Rail Travel 2005 Nov 13

    So I made a quick stop into the Parliament Buildings for a tour. But my breakfast took me longer than I expected, so I

  • Great Expectations? 2005 Nov 12

    So, when I travel, I usually have some expectation that things will bedifferent wherever I am. For example, that stores

  • Remembrance Day 2005 Nov 11

    So it's 12:30pm, I'm back from Parliament Hill and the National War Memorial:I took a stroll around the Hill and over

  • Modern Music 2005 Nov 10

    Big Cracker reporting from Our Nation's Capital! So, I'm in Ottawa, also known as The National Capital Region, or

  • The afternoon from heck 2005 Nov 3

    Although you may think I'm trying to keep my blogs PG, my descriptionof my afternoon from heck is quite apt. It

  • So tired …. 2005 Nov 3

    Ach, meine gute! (Oh,my goodness!) I am so tired. Work has got me so down, it'sunbelievable. First of all, (well,

2005 October

  • Spyware sux! 2005 Oct 30

    So some of you are probably wondering where I've been all week ... I've been trying to clean spyware and adware off my

  • TGIF (what? Friday already?) 2005 Oct 21

    I can't believe it's Friday. Although I've gotten a ton of stuffdone this week, it's too early to be the weekend.

  • Movie Weekend 2005 Oct 17

    So, it was another 2 movie weekend. And other than that, just generally screwing around.First movie was The

  • Click into action! 2005 Oct 13

    We know that poverty exists in our own Canadian backyard. On October 17, the United Nations International Day for the

  • HI-larious! 2005 Oct 12

    That My Name is Earl show is the funniest thing I've seen in ages! Sure, Corner Gas was funny for the first season and

  • The Washington Capitals 2005 Oct 10

    Well, first of all, Happy Thanksgiving. I'm thankful for the friends and family I have, and with whom I can share all

  • Hockey’s Back (aka Serenity Now!) 2005 Oct 6

    Not only have I actually decided to blog this week, or indeed this month, but Hockey's Back, too! While the local

2005 September

  • The Great Pumpkin 2005 Sep 29

    I just have to quickly rave about the Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks ... 8 out of 10 saltines from the Big Cracker!

  • Gwildor’s Big Day 2005 Sep 26

    Last night was the big man's wedding! Gwildor and Trikie tied the knot in a short, tear-filled ceremony. In Gwildor

  • Brooklyn is my new favourite month! 2005 Sep 18

    Whatever happens in the Grotto, stays in the Grotto.

  • Make Poverty History 2005 Sep 15

    Alright, boys and girls, I did it again. This time it was a letterto the Right Honourable Paul Martin urging him to

  • Film Fest Fun 2005 Sep 14

    w00t! I managed to score tickets to the Toronto International Film Festival to see a wicked new movie called

  • I saw a movie … and I’m telling you!! 2005 Sep 7

    Holy crap, Batman!! Big Cracker wrote a review for a movie! That only took 9 months! Yes, it's true. There's a review

  • The River King 2005 Sep 7

    On what seems to be its official website, The River King is described as being in the “Supernatural Thriller” genre.

  • Long weekends 2005 Sep 6

    Boy, oh boy. Long weekends only manage to remind me of how much time I would rather spend not being at work. I mean, I

  • Oh man! Is it Friday, yet? (oh, and Happy Birthday to me!) 2005 Sep 1

    I am so tired! Tired of work, tired of not sleeping long enough ... oh man! Oh well, whatever, I bring it on myself,

2005 August

  • Big Cracker goes Mobile!! 2005 Aug 29

    Boy! What a weekend! Here we are Monday morning (at work, of course,so that somebody will pay me to blog!), and it's

  • Hip-hip Hooray for RSS! 2005 Aug 26

    So, Wublub mentioned (I don't know, like a jillion years ago) that I have to put together an RSS feed for my blogs ...

  • The Surreal Life 2005 Aug 24

    So I had a very surreal experience last night ... several pints with my boss's boss. There were other people there --

  • The sweetest thing 2005 Aug 19

    So I just have to beat Gwildor to the punch on blogging his amazing feat ... At work we're on a secure floor, so

  • What’s the big deal? 2005 Aug 18

    I like women, I really do. I may be single (a fact that is now 11 years old), but that's not really the point. I have

  • The Adventures of Vomitor and his Faithful Sidekick Barfy 2005 Aug 15

    I'll warn you in advance that this is going to be long, and Iapologize. On that note, let's begin. Although this is

  • Websites n’ stuff 2005 Aug 4

    I was so good about blogging last week, this week, not so much. I've been a little busy putting the finishing touches

2005 July

  • Making up words 2005 Jul 29

    I have to blog today about a beef I have with the modern use of the English language. People like to change the meaning

  • Gwildor … Artist … ? 2005 Jul 27

    Alright, since Gwildor thinks he's some kind of arteest and is going to create some kind of webcomic, I contributed to

  • Nothing huge, nothing special 2005 Jul 26

    Nothing huge, nothing special ... just a quick note that the ppfhouse.com website is fully operational. And with this

  • Cold noodle salad 2005 Jul 25

    Whew! What a week! I was soooo busy, I didn't get a chance to blog! (Well, not really, but it's a good excuse.) So,

  • Heat-induced rage 2005 Jul 19

    I guess in my heat-induced rage, I failed to mention my night out Friday, which happened to be rather eventful. I went

  • Sunday afternoon 2005 Jul 17

    Woo Boy! Sunday afternoon, and I'm roasting like never before ... well, not since last week, anyway. This town is so

  • Dinner with the Fam 2005 Jul 11

    So, what's the haps, homey? A big nada!! Well, that's not completely true. Last Thursday, I went to Hemispheres with

  • Social commentary 2005 Jul 6

    Another tidbit of social commentary that was part of a communication at work. We recently had a food drive for the

  • Live 8 day 2005 Jul 2

    So, yesterday was Canada Day ... I hope everyone had a great day off, enjoyed the fabulous weather here in T.O. and

2005 June

  • Deep thought for the day 2005 Jun 29

    So I learned first-hand the hazards of being environmentally conscious. As you know, I ride my bike to work ... No, not

  • Gay Pride week 2005 Jun 27

    So this weekend was the Gay Pride parade, to conclude Gay Pride week. I have one question, though, when's my

  • How jedi are you? 2005 Jun 24

    Thanks to SmokeyB ... (and Gwildor, since he whined that I didn't credit him when Smokey got it from him) how jedi are

  • Forming habits 2005 Jun 22

    I'm supposed to be flossing regularly, but it's not a habit for me. I've heard that it takes 22 times to form a

  • Slightly maligned 2005 Jun 21

    Alright, I'm trying to get more than 1 blog per week, and I'm on day 6 already. I first have to apologize to Daddy-O,

  • Efficiency and unemployment 2005 Jun 15

    So we had some big announcements at work yesterday. It had been part ofmy goal or career path or what-have-you to

  • Alright, back to work 2005 Jun 13

    Another day, another dollar ... Same s---, different day ... Anyway, I guess another week's gone by, so it's time for

  • Back from vacation 2005 Jun 7

    Alrighty, I'm back from vacation ... You'd almost think I fell off the face of the earth, but I didn't. Sorry to

2005 May

  • Fixin’ computers 2005 May 24

    Alright, so I tried to blog earlier today, but Daddy-O's computer froze. MAN! Did that ever piss me off! Part of the

  • Zooey Deschanel is sexy 2005 May 16

    Ho-Lee Crizzzzap!! What have I been doing for the last week and change?! I look at this site everyday ... no word of a

  • All the weirdos 2005 May 6

    Not much to say, really. I haven't done a whole heck of a lot this week ... I ended up at the Manor Arms pub, not St.

  • One Man Star Wars 2005 May 2

    I meant to put this up this morning, or from work later, but, well ...Anyway, I have 3 words for my experience Saturday

2005 April

  • My umbilical cord 2005 Apr 29

    Just a quick to anyone who cares ... crackerMail v1.0.1 (RC2) is now available. It's been ready for a while and I've

  • Kung Fu Hustle 2005 Apr 26

    Hoowah! Tuesday. Blech. Anyway, I rode my bike to work, in spite of the chance of rain. I bought a new lid yesterday,

  • Not a national issue 2005 Apr 22

    Whoa! What? Another blog in less than a week? What's going on, Big Cracker? Well, let me tell you!First of all, I

  • Pouring rain 2005 Apr 20

    Holy monkey nuts! Was it already a week ago that I posted last? What the heck have I been doing? No, really ... what

  • A wicked new bike 2005 Apr 12

    I got a brand new pair of roller skates, you got a brand new key ...

  • Frank Miller’s Sin City 2005 Apr 7

    I just have to fire off a quick blog, since it's been a week since the last one. Last weekend I went to see Frank

2005 March

  • Fuhjibbered 2005 Mar 31

    Just a quick note ... I don't know what happened to my site, but everything is all fuhjibbered ... I think I made 1

  • Back up and running 2005 Mar 30

    Oh yeah, baby! The 'puter is back up and running! WOO HOO! I don't think I can explain just how much I need a

  • Easter bonnet 2005 Mar 24

    Well, sorry the lack of post in the last couple of days ... My 'puter is now on its 4th power supply in 2 weeks!

  • A solid rock ‘n’ roll outfit 2005 Mar 17

    So, I like Nickelback. I think they're a solid rock 'n' roll outfit. But I'm always open to some other opinions. h!

  • Some jackass honked 2005 Mar 15

    I'll apologize right off the bat about this rant, but, man, am I irked! I know I've mentioned to a few of you my

  • Appreciate the feedback 2005 Mar 10

    I appreciate the feedback I got on the last post ... I didn't expect anything quite so astute from Joey Jack! Thanks

  • A big pain in the ass 2005 Mar 5

    A quick shout out to Wublub for passing exam 1 in his CSC course! Good on ya!I'm hoping you guys can help me with

2005 February

  • Canadian International Auto Show 2005 Feb 28

    So, I'm fully auto-mated after my day at the Canadian International AutoShow. I went with my Uncle and Aunt who came

  • A meaningful title 2005 Feb 24

    Alright, well, I cleaned up the MP3 listing, and solved as many of the variances as I could find. The major problem is

  • Sink the Ship 2005 Feb 21

    So my blog for yesterday (non-existent, as you can see) was cancelled due to a HUGE (!!) hangover! My roommate,

  • World’s Worst Web Page 2005 Feb 13

    When I created crackerMail v1.0 and posted it on HotScripts.com, I felt it a good idea to subscribe to their

  • An astute observation 2005 Feb 11

    Wublub made anastute observation in an email to me yesterday morning ... It's timefor my weekly blog. Is it ever!! I

  • Nothing superfantastic 2005 Feb 1

    Man, I did it again! Another week gone by with no blog! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Actually, I'm not

2005 January

  • Aphrodisiac sex bomb 2005 Jan 26

    Nothing huge, just a funny thing I read today. Maclean's has a section called Upfront, and within the section, a

  • Update about updates 2005 Jan 23

    A little update about some little updates. I'm not sure how well thiswill go over, but I've changed the MP3 listing a

  • Domain suspended 2005 Jan 19

    A quick blog today to apologize for the site being down this morning. A slight problem with renewing the domain. Can you

  • In Good Company 2005 Jan 17

    Unfortunately, I'm not perfect. 'What!?' You ask, incredulously.'That's not possible!' I know, I didn't think so

  • Canada for Asia 2005 Jan 15

    Another week? You're kidding? How did that happen? Not a whole lot to say about this week, while I got some things

  • Unpacking and setting up 2005 Jan 9

    Whew! Another week gone by already. And what a week it was! New apartment, new job ... a lot of unpacking and setting

  • I’ve moved 2005 Jan 3

    WOO HOO! For those of who aren't keeping up ... I've moved. And since you're seeing a blog today, it mean my

  • Happy New Year 2005 Jan 1

    Well, a new year it is, and I finally (today) got my Xmas/New Year's form letters

2004 December

  • Christmas Loot 2004 Dec 28

    Christmas Loot!! Woo Hoo!! So, I'm sure you've all been sitting waiting patiently for a Happy Christmas blog from the

  • Christmas eve 2004 Dec 24

    Alright, it's Christmas eve, I'm at work and, surprisingly, work sucks. As all of you are now well aware, I did not

  • New year, new job, new apartment 2004 Dec 20

    Well, boys and girls, it's late on a Monday night and it's been over a week since I last posted. First, I'll

  • Top Ten New Movies 2004 Dec 12

    So, the results are in ... a landslide victory for 'Top Ten New Movies'!

  • Ocean’s Twelve 2004 Dec 12

    This second installment of the story of Ocean's Eleven comes off brilliantly. If you want a hint

  • Some survey result 2004 Dec 10

    I have some survey results and I'm disappointed by the 'voter turnout'. Current results:movies - 4news - 1other

  • A few aesthetic changes 2004 Dec 4

    So, I'm not sure if you can tell, but I've made a few aesthetic changes to the site ... Did you notice? Are they any

2004 November

  • Monday morning 2004 Nov 29

    Yeehaw! Monday morning! I have a little extra time this morning, since my shift is now 10-6. A month ago there were 4

  • I don’t post often enough 2004 Nov 25

    Alright, alright. I know. I don't post often enough. Settle down. It's been a busy week ... sort of. I'm working on a

  • My love for Melissa Auf der Maur 2004 Nov 19

    My love for Melissa Auf der Maur continues unabated. I managed to watch the episode of CBC's Greatest Canadian that

  • Forcing a file download 2004 Nov 18

    My apologies to anyone who tried downloading from my available mp3s. You probably got the file but it was 0 bytes. I

  • Open for busines 2004 Nov 15

    WOO HOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! This is to let you know that Externalgateway.com is open for business!!After a lot of hard work,

  • Excellent spicy chicken 2004 Nov 14

    WOW! Sunday already? What have I done with my week? Oh, yeah, now I remember ... busy, busy! I was over to h! is for

  • Random House book sale 2004 Nov 7

    So, it's late Sunday night, and I have managed to accomplish at least some of what I wanted. Saturday I got up early to

  • She has a single friend 2004 Nov 5

    HAHAHAHA ... Funny thing last night at class... I've mentioned about a couple of people trying to find me a lady, well

  • Bartending Quiz 2004 Nov 3

    Nothing special, just thought I'd let you know (if you care) my bartending quiz is ready. If ever you wanted to review

  • 5 out of 5 2004 Nov 1

    crackerMail received 5 g's out of 5 from Gwildor. I definitely didn't expect anything that good. Thanks, buddy.I'm

2004 October

  • CrackerMail 1.0 2004 Oct 30

    Woo Hoo!! crackerMail v1.0 has been released!! I gave up trying to write a login function, it was just getting too

  • Searchy-searching on the interweb 2004 Oct 27

    Just a quick note for anybody who has the same problem I did ... I'm using Mozilla 1.7.2 as my default web browser and

  • Good-bye to Wublub and Gonch 2004 Oct 25

    It is with great sadness that we say 'Good-bye' to Wublub and Gonch. They will be making the big move to

  • C.R.A.F.T. 2004 Oct 22

    Well, now I'm 25% of the way through the bartending course and I now know how to close and do inventory control. My

  • My first bartending class 2004 Oct 20

    Oh yeah! Big Cracker can free pour you a whole ton of drinks with vodka in them! Sometimes mixing them up with Tequila,

  • Reviews and puzzles 2004 Oct 17

    Another post, the next day? What's up? Well, I'll tell you ... I got to see Team America: World Police yesterday with

  • Team America: World Police 2004 Oct 17

    - Team America: World Police -Wow! I'm speechless. From the creators of South Park, this is a movie that made me

  • William Shatner – Has Been 2004 Oct 17

    - William Shatner - Has Been -Since I don't have any other 'spoken word' albums in my collection, I wasn't sure

  • One comment 2004 Oct 16

    What? Saturday already? Where did the week go? I haven't gotten hardly anything done on my Big List of Stuff, and I

  • Back in the Big Smoke! 2004 Oct 11

    Okay, back in the Big Smoke! Good news for Wublub ... I guess ... he's on his way to Saskatchewan ... the land of cold

  • Making people believe 2004 Oct 5

    My main reason for being in town is by buddy Nelson/Santo's wedding to the lovely and talented E. And the reason I

  • Keep your pie-hole shut 2004 Oct 2

    Hey, hey! Back in ToonTown!! Good Times!So my buddy Nelson/Santo picked me up at the airport, since my Daddy-o is out

2004 September

  • An inner-city tennis court 2004 Sep 25

    So, tennis is not exactly an “inner-city” sport, and yet while I was downtown today I saw an inner-city tennis court

  • I think not 2004 Sep 21

    Here's something to tide you over for a while ...Descartes walks into a bar.The bartender comes up to him and asks,

  • No ‘Reviews’ board 2004 Sep 20

    So I lied. Well, excuuuuuse me! Yeah, yeah, no Resident Evil: Apocalypse review on the 'Reviews' board ... in fact,

  • Okay, okay … I’m back 2004 Sep 18

    Okay, okay ... I'm back.I don't have much to say right now, but I read about this in Maclean's and thought I'd

2004 August

  • Go-karting with my niece 2004 Aug 30

    Happy Birthday to Me! So, I had intended a quick post again after the babysitting gig, but I stayed for

  • Sunshiny Thursday 2004 Aug 26

    Just a quick update on a sunshiny Thursday morn' in Saskatoon .. ToonTown .. the Bridge City .. Hub City ... well,

  • Juicy’s wedding 2004 Aug 23

    Hey, hey! Ho, ho! Here I is on my vacation ... Woo Hoo! Definitely a more elated Woo Hoo than on a Monday, before work.

  • Mozilla vs. IE6 2004 Aug 19

    Hey Hey!! Here's Big Cracker's blog for this week .. month .. I don't know. Like I said last time, I try to keep you

  • My meagre existence 2004 Aug 9

    Monday, again, boy I never notice how time flies until I realize that I haven't posted anything in a week. I really

  • Late on a Monday night 2004 Aug 2

    Well, a big “Hey, Howdy!” to everyone late on a Monday night. Good news, Gwildor, Wublub and I are now live on

2004 July

  • Friends all your life 2004 Jul 28

    Wednesday, Wednesday, so good to me, Wednesday morning, it was all I hoped it would be... Sorry, that's for Monday ...

  • Taking pictures 2004 Jul 26

    I'm going to apologize right away, because this is a blog pretty much for the sake of a blog. I really don't have

  • Bagpipes are a loud instrument 2004 Jul 20

    Okay, I didn't think I had anything to say today until I read this story on cbc.ca/news regarding the treatment of a

  • Melissa Auf der Maur – Auf der Maur 2004 Jul 20

    The debut effort from the former Hole and Smashing Pumpkins bassist is, in one word, gorgeous.

  • 21st-Century Economics 2004 Jul 19

    I would like someone to explain 21st-century economics to me. I mean, does a CD really need to cost $25 or more?

  • A recent organizational shift 2004 Jul 12

    So, here we are, Monday morning. woo hoo. (Note the subdued, woo hoo.) Mondays drive me nuts. The idiots who call me

  • Good old Wednesday 2004 Jul 7

    Wednesday, good old Wednesday. It's morning, I've got a coffee, it's all good. I'm listening to my good buddy DJ

  • Not the bullies or idiots 2004 Jul 3

    I cannot tell you how good it feels that this is a weekend. After the holiday Thursday, Friday at work felt like Monday

  • Canada Day 2004 2004 Jul 1

    Happy Canada Day - I'm pretty sure I intended to get in touch with people and do something today, but that didn't

2004 June

  • The fringe parties 2004 Jun 29

    Well, it's all over. Paul Martin remains Prime Minister, Stephen Harper remains in Opposition. All parties, including

  • Election Day 2004 2004 Jun 28

    Election Day Woo Hoo! Here we are, the big day: Votey Day!! I will again reiterate my opinion

  • Vote Early and Vote Often 2004 Jun 27

    Boys and Girls ... tomorrow is Votey Day, and I want to urge everybody to Vote ... Vote Early and Vote Often!

  • CFL stats 2004 Jun 24

    Alright!! I finally got the CFL stats working! Although it always kinda pisses me off when I can't figure out why

  • Tooltips 2004 Jun 23

    Nothing special going on, just thought I'd let you know about a feature I added, if you hadn't found it already.

  • The Catcher in the Rye 2004 Jun 23

    I just finished reading The Catcher in the Rye for about the eighth time. What an excellent book!

  • That beef really had a funny smell to it 2004 Jun 21

    So, I definitely feel a little more important after the comments from Gwildor and K. Thanks. And, sorry K, that beef

  • Emphatically and rather coldly 2004 Jun 20

    Obviously, I'm not important enough to merit comments about my boycotting of the staff barbecue

  • Annual Staff Barbecue 2004 Jun 18

    Hey Hey! And a Hoo! Hoo! I don't know, whatever. Anyway, I have this monster beef with a policy at work, and as such,

  • Screwing around all weekend 2004 Jun 15

    Here it is, Tuesday, and me screwing around all weekend and not actually getting stuff done ... well, not exactly, I

  • Timeline 2004 Jun 11

    Having read the Michael Crichton book not long before this movie came out, I was both interested and hesitant to see this movie.

  • The Day After Tomorrow 2004 Jun 10

    I had the privilege of seeing The Day After Tomorrow on the big screen. And let me tell you,

  • Congratulations to the Calgary Flames 2004 Jun 9

    So, Wednesday morning, a couple days late, but I'll put in a little note of congratulations to the Calgary Flames.

  • Max Silverman 2004 Jun 4

    Just a quick plug for my local NDP candidate, Max Silverman ... although I'm considering submitting a blank ballot,

  • New motherboard 2004 Jun 3

    Boy, I didn't realize I hadn't posted in almost a week, but I guess my computer's really only barely back in

2004 May

  • The Distillery Jazz Festival (Review) 2004 May 28

    Wednesday night I was down to the Distillery Jazz Festival, in the Distillery Historic District, in downtown Toronto.

  • Distillery Jazz Festival 2004 May 28

    Alright, I meant to post this yesterday, but, well, I didn't. Wednesday night was my journey to the Distillery

  • Apologies 2004 May 22

    Firstly, I would like to apologize, especially to Gwildor, about my insensitive comments about bullying. I stand by my

  • Cyberbullying 2004 May 19

    Okay, I'm in the middle of this week's Maclean's and there's a big article about cyberbullying. This is an online

  • Happy Birthday 2004 May 18

    A quick note to say Hey, Howdy! And Happy Birthday to Gwildor! The big man is now 27 years old ... still not as old as

  • Get both shoes on the right feet 2004 May 15

    Whew, another week already? I've been at work at least an extra hour every day this week, well, except Monday.

  • Van Helsing 2004 May 9

    Friday night, I went with some friends to the very acceptable Van Helsing. My movie-going companions seemed to think it

  • A weekend blog 2004 May 9

    Hey, Hey! A weekend blog!I had a fairly eventful weekend: out to the movies Friday and out for the (now ubiquitous)

  • Keeping up my end of the bargain 2004 May 6

    Alrighty, so the whiny idiots at work ... oh, sorry, those are callers, I mean, my colleagues at work are somehow

2004 April

  • Professional jazz 2004 Apr 29

    If any of you ever get a chance to see professional jazz musicians play, do it. Now, I will add a caveat to that

  • Forgotten my loyal readers 2004 Apr 29

    Okay, I'm disappointed that there were no responses to the last blog. But, hey, I know you're all busy, busy people.

  • Good stuff coming up 2004 Apr 22

    Wow, 2 in 2 days! I've definitely never been a prolific writer, but I've got some stuff to add to yesterday's blog.

  • Good without the tooth 2004 Apr 21

    Well, still no new editorial for y'all, but I'll at least blog something, since it's been almost a week.I'm feeling

  • Short 1 wisdom tooth 2004 Apr 16

    Hey, Hey! So, I'm home from the Oral Surgeon, short 1 wisdom tooth. Now I'm back to my full complement of 28 (sort of

  • The Ottawa Song 2004 Apr 12

    Okay, you have to check this out ... The Ottawa Song. It takes some time to load, and I'm not sure if you'll need

  • Legal to share music 2004 Apr 6

    Alright, well, I guess I haven't posted too much lately ... I had in my fat head that I would write a nice Editorial

  • Now Playing 2004 Apr 1

    Hey, Hey! And a WooHoo! You'll notice my shiny 'Now Playing' or 'Recently Played' section on the right ... yes,

2004 March

  • Weekend changes 2004 Mar 27

    Just a quick note about a couple of changes this weekend...First, I've cleaned up the menu a bit and added some links

  • Web page editor 2004 Mar 22

    I have this shiny website. I spend a lot of time and effort with the fancy Notepad to create it. I'm comfortable with

  • Inkless Wells 2004 Mar 20

    As you will now notice there is a link to Inkless Wells, Paul Wells' Macleans.ca weblog, in the left-hand navigation

  • Congratulations 2004 Mar 17

    Just a quick celebratory note for my friends Tim and Tonia Shia...their new daughter, Chloe Xiang-Wen Shia was

  • Paul Wells’ Back Page 2004 Mar 16

    So, I get the Maclean’s magazine every week, and I read it cover-to-cover. (Even Barbara Amiel’s column.)

  • Enough of Not Enough 2004 Mar 16

    Alrighty, well, you'll notice that my Enough of Not Enough (RealTorontoSolutions.ca) stuff has been removed. Actually,

  • WinAmp playlist 2004 Mar 3

    Alrighty ... well, not much going on, really. I just thought I'd mention the new stuff in Shared Stuff: the WinAmp

2004 February

  • Guitars and dragons 2004 Feb 24

    Okay, so this is old news to a ton of people, but, man, I was just thinking of Strong Bad's email on

  • Shared Stuff 2004 Feb 21

    I've added a Shared Stuff section. I've put the tribute to my Uncle Jim that was read at his memorial service. There

  • Something worth reading 2004 Feb 10

    I'd really like you to take a moment to read my Editorial for 2004 Feb 9. I spent a lot of time on it and I think it's

  • About death and dying 2004 Feb 9

    It's interesting ... I was about to say funny, but there's definitely nothing funny about today's Editorial. So,

  • A few changes 2004 Feb 8

    Okay, so I've changed up the site a bit. I've moved the original Blog post to a section called Editorials. This

2004 January

  • The inaugural blog 2004 Jan 16

    So, here it is ... the inaugural blog of the BigCracker website. I'm hoping to provide politically astute and