Thursday, July 31, 2008

Too bad it falls on deaf ears

Cory Doctorow, who also contributes to BoingBoing, wrote an excellent article on the absolute irrelevance of the current UK ISP deal made with their music industry. More intelligent discussion on why technology trumps dinosaur business models. My favourite bit:

"Kids are time-rich and cash-poor and have an infinite supply of ingenuity and impecuniousness to apply to the job of getting music for free. Last year, my freshman university students in Los Angeles regaled me with stories of "hard-drive parties" where everyone would gather with guitars, beers and whopping great hard drives that cost less than either the guitars or the beers. While the students jammed, sang and danced, they simply synchronised their drives using whatever laptops were lying around, transferring hundreds of gigabytes' worth of music while composing and recording songs of their own.

It made me wish I was a teenager again: that sounded a lot more fun than painstakingly recording my vinyl to 90-minute cassettes and shyly giving them to girls in the hope of impressing them."

I tell ya, when these bastards (in the entertainment industry) finally fall, they're gonna fall really hard.

But it's all frozen.........

It's now official - there is water on Mars.

We'll be heading there and building Vegas-style resorts any time now...........

I thought the picture I found when I searched 'water on Mars' was funny as hell.

What's on Karl's TV these days

TV shows I'm watching this year:

American Idol / Canadian Idol
Weeds - Season 3 (on DVD)
24 - Season 5 (on DVD)
Extras - the entire series (on DVD)
Swingtown
Big Love - Season 1 (on DVD)
House - Season 4 (on DVD) (as soon as it is released)
Dexter - Season 2 (on DVD) (as soon as it is released)

I love watching TV shows on DVD (can you tell?). You can see them at your own pace, without commercials and without editing.

4 candles on the cake

This little blog of mine is 4 years old...... I've had whole careers that didn't last this long.......

Once again I'd like to thank every reader who takes time out of their day to visit this blog. The numbers have been increasing steadily and I hope you would spread the word amongst your friends to check this little joint out. You keep reading, I'll keep writing. I love an audience.

To the 'lurkers': [tapping the mic] Hello out there. Say hi once in a while to let me know you're out there. Surely you must have something to say about one of the 4400+ posts..........

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

More amazing facts

You've got nothing better to do with your time, so be sure to check out these odd, amazing and unusual facts. Some of my faves:
  • A 'jiffy' is an actual unit of time for 1/100th of a second.
  • The average person falls asleep in seven minutes. (Ppfff! More like 7 seconds for me)
  • The "ZIP" in Zip Code stands for "Zone Improvement Plan."

I can't even think of a great title for this post.....

China now has more than 253 million people in the country online.

The US has almost 305 million citizens.

I think the first number will pass the second one in due course.

More crap from Sears

I've updated a month old post about shopping for shed accessories. Read the 2nd update at the end of the post.

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

How cute is that?

Darlene's always on the lookout for unique gifts for baby Olivia.

She found something funny.

Fun soothers.

P.S.: Not a picture of Olivia....

What's going on?

Imagine you're playing Wheel of Fortune and the only move left is to solve the puzzle.

Can you do it?

Dropped a bomb

There's a new game some folks are playing called photo bombing. Basically, it's when people hang out behind the subject of a photo and sabotage the shot.

Here's a video giving some of the best known samples.

Monday, July 28, 2008

Don't be limited by the reach of radiowaves

If you like streaming radio on your computer / iphone / ipod / other audio enabled device connected to the intertubes, then Mike's Radio World is your gateway to over 5000 radio stations streaming live online.

Who still has a VHS VCR collecting dust?

[Karl raises his hand]

Me.

2 of 'em.

Sunday, July 27, 2008

RPM 24

This artist/group was the first to have its debut album produce 3 top 10 hits.

Can you guess who it is?

How does Rush not make the 100 greatest guitar songs?

Rolling Stone's take on the 100 greatest guitar songs of all time.

OK, where do I start? No Rush. No Max Webster. I challenge anyone to listen to Max Webster's Battle Scar (featuring Rush) or Rush's YYZ or The Spirit of Radio and tell me these aren't some of the greatest guitar songs ever.....

Pictured is Max Webster. Kim Mitchell is second from the left.

It's all about the buzzer...

A contestant tells the story of what it's like to be on Jeopardy.

It's an entertaining and enlightening read.

I love the look on the dog's face....

Fetch is a funny, short little clip that shows what could happen when you try to force a dog to play fetch.

Saturday, July 26, 2008

Do Canadians dream about donuts?

Darlene got up this morning and told me about a dream she had just before waking up. I'll let her tell it in her own words:

"It was a bleak future and the Canadian government decided that for the health of everyone they controlled how many foods with fats you could have. I was in a Tim Horton's lineup where a security guard was doling out the donuts. The lineup was about 100 people, going out the door it was so long. When I got to the front of the line, there were only 2 donuts left. They were beat up and really small and a kind I don't even like. I asked if I could have both of them. People behind me heard what I was trying to do and started a riot. That's when I woke up."

Needless to say...... you can guess where we went for breakfast this morning.

What to get the geek who has everything...

Plain jane USB flash drives are so 2007. What your geek friend needs is a designer USB flash drive by mimobot.

I started beaming the moment I saw their Star Wars series. Tell me these aren't cute. I dare ya.

Learn how do do stuff

Have you ever wondered how to do something and wished you could find an online tutorial on how to do it?

Well, lucky for us, there's this wonderful web article linking to '15 Awesome Tutorial Websites You Probably Don't Know About'. I knew about a few of these, but this is one dope list y'all.

Do the kids still say dope anymore? I guess dope is a little behind the times huh? I wonder if now that the word count for dope in this post is up to 5, the Google bots will think they've hit the jackpot when anyone searches on the word dope.......

What's in stuff

Have you ever wondered what's in stuff like Liquid bandages, lava lamps and sunscreen?

Chemical & Engineering News has 70 (and counting) articles on the chemical composition of various items.

Go Canada!

I've never personally known an Olympian before. That just changed. A friend I used to work with has been named to the Canadian National Paracycle team and is going to compete in Beijing at the Paralympics. Devon is a guide for Brian, who has a sight disability. Together, they ride on a tandem bike. Devon rides up front. Sorry - I had to throw that in there for a laugh. Brian and Devon are the first 2 on the left in the middle row.

I'll be cheering for you guys.

Friday, July 25, 2008

A new week means a new playlist

I just reloaded the playlist over there on the right. This week I highlight the music of Travis.

You won't hear this on traditional radio my friends, but it is solid pop / folk. Enjoy.

Yes, that's the the cover of Ms Spear's song.....

Don't say I didn't warn you...

Yet another example of DRM gone wrong. Bought any music from Yahoo Music?

Sucks to be you...............

Dad...... you're overruled!

In Quebec, a father tried to discipline his daughter by not allowing her to attend a school trip celebrating 'graduation from elementary school', after she disobeyed his rules about risky internet behaviour. The daughter ran to live with her mother and a court overruled the father, who has sole custody, saying the punishment was too severe.

A Quebec family lawyer said about the case that in Quebec, no matter who has custody, there exists joint parental authority. Both parents have to agree on issues of discipline and if they don't, the issue is resolved in court. Of course, while this serves to protect the child, a parent with a bone to pick with the other parent with custody can always side with the child just to spite the other parent. This is unfortunate, because the parent with custody has to live with the child and any ramifications of legal interference. This could set an interesting precedent for future cases.

This is all water under the bridge of course, but back in the day I too was prevented from attending my prom as a form of punishment (I was a bit of a rebel as a teen). Had I known the courts might have sided with me on this one............. ; D

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Calling all geo-hounds

Where is it edition 48 is here! Click the picture for a bigger view.

This one might not be as easy.....

Yeah, I know...... I've said that before.

There be aliens! No really!

According to Dr. Ed Mitchell, the 6th man to land on the moon, UFOs exist. They are in contact with our governments. Roswell was real. You have to hear the interview. Some folks have been suggesting that various governments are eventually going to release their files to the public and let them in on what's been going on.

NASA of course denies it. Could it be sheer coincidence that this year, the Vatican said belief in life on other planets doesn't violate your Catholic-ness?

More to follow I guess............

Oh..... yeah... message to the aliens (if you're listening and read blog posts about aliens):
If you're planning a visit soon and are likely to pull that 'take me to your leader' stuff, you might want to delay your trip until after 01.20.09.

How easily tricked we are

Keith Barry shows some tricks on the mind from TED (2004).

This is some neat stuff.

The clip is long and may time out. You may want to download it to watch the whole thing.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

How not to sell a house....

Here's a blog with tons of humorous potential. Pictures from actual real estate listings that.... ummmm.... should have been left out.

I likes it.

Best card trick ever!

Back in high school, a teacher decided to reward the class by letting students go home early. The catch - he would present a card trick with the help of an assistant, and we had to figure out how he did it. Anyone who could whisper the solution in his ear could go home right away.

Here's what he did. He laid a 3 by 3 grid of playing cards, face up on the table. His assistant was already prepped for the trick. He then told us that he was able to teach people how to tune in to telepathic messages and he would prove it by allowing anyone to point to one of the 9 cards on the table and he would communicate the chosen card silently to the assistant so that they would know which card it was. Once someone pointed to their chosen card while the assistant looked away, he would then call the assistant over and point to various cards, asking if it was the chosen card. The assistant simply answered with a yes or no after each point and was correct every time. Theories started flying in earnest. It was the 3rd card pointed to! Proven wrong on the next demonstration. It was a look, or a facial expression, or something..... but in most cases, the students were wrong. The actual solution was much simpler.

Both the teacher and the assistant had to imagine the 3 by 3 grid of cards not only on the table, but duplicated on each card. When a card was chosen by someone, the teacher indicated (to the assistant) on the first point where in the grid the chosen card was in the grid (the card circled in the picture) by pointing to that imaginary grid spot on a card (the small circle on the example card). So if the chosen card was in the top right corner of the grid as shown in the picture, you simply pointed to the top right corner of the first card you pointed to. That was the tell. If the assistant paid close attention, the indication could be quick and almost imperceptible. The key is to mix it up - don't always point to the correct card on the same number of tries, if you catch my drift. In another example, if the chosen card in this grid was the Ace of Hearts and I pointed first to the centre of the Ace of Hearts asking, "Is this the chosen card?".... the correct answer would be 'yes'.

What I enjoy about this trick even today, is that once someone else in the crowd has it figured out, you can even invite them to be the recipient of your telepathic thoughts (card guesser) and they will magically get it right too.

Syd's world

On BoingBoing TV - Syd Mead - the artist / futurist who designed Alien's, Tron's and my fave - Blade Runner's world.

It's not a long interview, but he does give insight about the 5 different ideas on how the Blade Runner movie should begin. If you're as big a fan of the Sci-Fi classic, you'll eat it up.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Need photo proof of mischief? Might be considered assault...

Not only is taking photos in some UK environs 'illegal' (it's not - but don't tell the bobbies that), if you take photos of juvenile gang members messing around in your neighbourhood, that could "lead to a charge of assault".

Is this stuff unbelievable or what?

You think DRM is trouble? Wait for it......

The MPAA are at it again. Pardon me, but I had to tell you. This time, they want their content broadcast on TV to selectively turn off certain devices in your entertainment system as a form of DRM.

You have to read it to believe it.

Showdown

I like this little clip about Sales and IT departments going to war against each other with nerf weapons.

The thing that made me smile the most though, is the writing on the white board on one wall which appears a few times in the clip. On the board is written: "You can't say Bitch without IT".

Monday, July 21, 2008

To-ma-to

My sister Heidi and I were talking last week about the fact that the tomato is a fruit, but I couldn't remember what specifically identified it as such. So for her (and my) benefit:

"True fruits are developed from the ovary in the base of the flower and contain the seeds of the plant (though cultivated forms may be seedless). Botanically, a tomato is the ovary, together with its seeds, of a flowering plant - therefore it is a fruit or, even more precisely, a berry. Blueberries, raspberries, and oranges are true fruits, and so are many kinds of nut."

It may be just a coincidence but Darlene and I had tomato sandwiches (with cheese).... (and bacon) for supper tonight.

Quote is an amalgam of a Wikipedia entry and and AskOxford entry.

Say it with me..... mesh network

Here's a prediction from yours truly. All the posturing and restructuring and commercializing and restricting the internet is totally in vain. The more big media try to tame and mold the internet into the commercial enterprise they envision, the more they hasten the inevitable evolution in the direction the internet was meant to go. The future is mesh networks. Let me explain.

The current internet is already fashioned on a form of mesh network as it is. The infrastructure has built in redundancy in that it does not rely on one or two links from place to place. But the 'tubes' themselves exist more in the internet's interior as it were. These tubes are owned and operated by the giant telecoms, which means that since they are the only gateway to the backbone of the 'net' - they ARE the internet. As such, it was always just a matter of time before the internet became commercialized. Since monetizing the internet with maximum profit can only work if the entire resource is controlled - and this has yet to happen, although (based on what I've blogged recently) some say it is due soon, it is the next logical step in their business model. The question is no longer if the internet becomes a commercialized, restructured and restrictive entity, but when. This spells trouble for those who insist that the net should be open. But this dreaded evolution has always been predicated on our need of the big telecoms to access the internet - without their 'tubes', there is no network. Until now.

The tubes themselves are cable or fibre or satellite links. But they're no longer the only means to connect us to each other. Thanks to evolving wireless technology, the constant miniaturization of processing power and data storage, the need for these old fashioned links is evetually going to come to an end. As each new gadget, device, phone, PDA, mp3 player, laptop and PC connects using wireless technology, the key to the new internet is the available radio spectrum. If organizations that believe in the ideal of net neutrality buy up auctioned spectrum, the need to rely on commercial ISPs will wane. Mesh networks (especially public ones) are a concept that are still in their infancy, but I assure you, the avant-garde thinkers have already figured it out. The internet of the future will make use of every spare cycle of processing power, every spare MB of storage, every MHz of spare frequency allocation to form a new, free internet that is completely outside the clutches of big media. The internet will belong to the people because it will literally exist in the devices and computers of the people in the form of a huge mesh network. Owned by everyone and nobody.

Fear not my friends, the dinosaur breathes but a few more feeble gasps, before she truly joins the ranks of the extinct.

Sunday, July 20, 2008

The (internet) sky is falling

There's a video making the rounds on the internet warning that by 2012, the internet as you know it will be gone. The resource will become more like cable TV, with tiers of access and most content controlled exclusively by big media. The forums, blogs, independent sites and other resources not owned by big media or the major ISPs themselves will get lost forever in the ether.

That's big news if it's true. I'm very skeptical at this point, simply because of who is fronting the story and who isn't verifying it. (Just Google Tanya Devereaux - that's the girl in the video)

What interests me more is not the veracity of the story, but the implications. Imagine this was really scheduled to happen. What the individuals in the video have to say about participation is essentially true. Nobody in power is going to give a rat's ass. The education system will be up in arms, but if ISPs and big media have the government on their side (and they certainly do today), government can simply threaten funding cuts and the revolt will be over. If a Bill like C-61 doesn't cause outrage in your elected politicians because it turns average consumers into criminals, why would they care if the internet gets completely commercialized? It's win-win for them - no more fringe bloggers trying to unmask them for the sell-outs they are, no more online resources for predators, the list goes on.

But what would you do? The way society is going, trends are indicating.......... very little. That's what scares me the most.

Fool's gold

One of the funniest things I saw on American TV on our last road trip was the commercial for Goldkit.com. They'll buy any scrap gold you have lying around for cash. You just apply for one of their Goldkit packages to be sent to you in the mail. Then you fill the special envelope with your scrap gold and mail it in. Within days you'll have your cheque! It's that easy. Their commercial had testimonials like "I turned in my scrap gold and had enough money to go on vacation!"

Do you know anyone who would trust the postal system to send their gold jewelry in the mail? I don't. I especially like how their statistics don't bear out much of a payout. "We've paid out millions to hundreds of thousands of people." OK, that sounds like the average payout is less than $100. Otherwise, you'd be saying "We've paid out tens (or hundreds) of millions to hundreds of thousands of people." Now, that sounds more impressive. I guess they aren't targeting people who can do simple math.

A little trouble in MacParadise....

I go on and on about my beloved MacBook. Well, I have finally found something not quite right. It's not the laptop itself - it's iTunes. I never really was a fan of iTunes just from hearing what other users said about it. But to be fair, I never used it before buying my MacBook, so I had to at least give it a try. I've been using it for about a year and just recently noticed that there are some songs missing from my collection - not everything I have stored on my PC is in iTunes on my MacBook. This is odd, because I'm sure I copied everything over. But stuff is indeed missing, so I decided to wipe the slate and start over. I deleted the iTunes library (or so I thought) and deleted the music files. I never did bother to see if the missing songs were just missing from the iTunes library, or if the actual music files were missing. In hindsight, that was a mistake. But on adding the whole mp3 collection back into iTunes, I noticed something quite annoying - my library was now showing duplicate entries - all the songs I had before were now showing up twice. Total suckage. I'm sure I deleted the library, but somehow iTunes resurrected a spare copy.

So after adding my entire mp3 collection into iTunes, my library showed a total of 1200 songs more than I had files, meaning I had a lot of duplicates. A little Googling showed that this is an inherent flaw with iTunes. So common that folks have taken to writing their own scripts to help users deal with duplicates in iTunes. I downloaded Dupin, a manager that offers to find and delete duplicates based on various criteria. Although the non-paid version only lets you manage 20 duplicates at a time, I managed to get rid of mine in 30 or so minutes.

Here's hoping Apple recognizes this common problem with iTunes and offers to add duplicates management in a future release of the program.

Saturday, July 19, 2008

I'll give you inappropriate.....

Speaking of inappropriate Barbies...... if they're upset now, wait until they get a load of Nude Beach Barbie.............

By the way, if you made modifications to a Barbie doll, would that be considered plastic surgery?

I hear you groaning........

Barbie's badder than ever!

Honestly, I don't know which is funnier..... The fact that they make a Black Canary Barbie doll, or the fact that some folks are up in arms over a Barbie that wears a black leather body suit, black leather jacket, fishnet stockings and 'I'm gonna f%#@ you up' leather boots.

Who is the Black Canary you ask? Only the baddest female superhero ever!

Word to the world: Lighten up. When they made the 80's Cher (yeah - the one with the 'almost an outfit) Barbie is when I lost all respect for the doll. I mean, it's not like the early Barbies set any bad examples for our kids (can you say unrealistically skinny?).

Thanks to Ernest for the tip.

If you don't got it.... stop flaunting it

Message to AVIS car rental:

If you're going to plaster your rental counters with huge advertisements about hybrid cars available for rent..... ummmm...... you might actually want to have hybrid cars for rent. If not, at least train your staff to act like there's a remote possibility that you might have a hybrid available when someone asks for one in advance.

The staff I spoke to displayed a demeanour to suggest the chances of there being a hybrid car at that location were about as good as finding environmentalist David Suzuki at the Conservative Party headquarters.

And while I'm on my soapbox..... you might also want to remind your staff that when a customer asks if there are any foreign cars available, they aren't looking for a Chrysler 300, a Pontiac G6 or a Ford Taurus. They're looking for a Toyota, or a Nissan, or something like that.

Do ya like my little treatment of their slogan?

Manitoba guard dogs

One of my favourite photoshopped (altered fake) photos.

Ever.

More classic fake photos can be seen here.

Friday, July 18, 2008

If I had my own radio station - Groove Armada

[You're going to see some republishing of my old series 'If I Had My Own Radio Station'. I finally found an online free music library worthy of linking the songs in my posts to without having to host snippets of the songs on my own (limited) web space. No more 30 second clips. Now you get to hear the whole song, albeit in a separate web page. A small price to pay, no? Note - the original posts will be deleted, as their links are now dead.]

Anyone who knows me is aware of my love for electronica. In particular, anything with a soulful groove. There are very few artists in this genre whose entire catalogue keeps me interested as much as Groove Armada. Not so much a group as a project of Andy Cato and Tom Findlay with some awesome guest vocalists, Groove Armada's music has become popular enough to be included in movies, TV ads and the like.

Their first album, Vertigo (1999), produced the hit I See You Baby (shakin' that ass). I got tired of that one fast due to its overexposure. But the album also produced some down-tempo faves of mine - At the River and Inside my Mind (Blue Skies). A compilation record, Back to Mine (2000), produced a couple of excellent tracks, Stanway's Revenge and the smooth Playing your Game Baby. Next came the album Goodbye Country (Hello Nightclub)(2001). This produced the rap-along Suntoucher, the groovy My Friend and Tuning In. Much livelier stuff. Then came Lovebox (2003). I didn't like everything from this album, but Think Twice is a well crafted tune and is likely in the running for my favourite Groove Armada song ever. Hands of Time is a superb throwback to the soul of the 1970s. You may recognize it from the soundtrack of Collateral. It's the song the Jamie Foxx character called "a classic". Soundboy Rock (2007) is another solid album with lots to enjoy. Paris (in my opinion the best track on the album), Love's Sweet Sound and See What You Get are all tracks that would be comfortable in a club, or as background music at a party. Which could be said for pretty much every tune. After all - they are the Groove Armada.

Better and free..... what a concept

411 can kiss my directory ass - istance now that a wonderful Google service has made its way into Canada. I'm talking about Google 411, which has been in the US for a while and not long ago made its way into the Great White North.

This service is awesome. Dial 1-800-GOOG411 and a computerized (but very human-sounding) voice answers and asks what city and province, then the name of the business or category (no residential listings - don't ask me why). Everything you say is repeated back to you (presumably to allow you the chance to correct before continuing). Then it tells you how many listings there are and lists them by number. Once you hear the listing you're interested in, you simply interrupt by speaking the number in the list. You're then given choices of either Google dialling the number for you, or asking for details on the listing, including address. Google will even text message you the details if you'd like..... right to your (cell) phone. I used it a few times in the last few weeks and I am thrilled with it.

The price? Free.

RPM 23

What music legend (not of The Who) had drinks with Keith Moon on the night he died?

If it's not one thing, it's another with AC

Just before I left on my business trip this week, a major research firm asked me to fill out a survey about Air Canada. I happily obliged. I did not hold back. Let me say up front - Air Canada isn't a horrible airline in my opinion. They just need to show Canadians that they care about their customers more. In their defence, I have noticed an appreciable improvement in some of their staff's demeanour. That's very good. I predict that by the time they get the staff marching to the same drum, they'll have a new problem - their equipment.

On the flight to Ottawa, the entertainment system (TV screen on the back of the seat in front of you) was a God send. It made the flight go by very quickly - when it worked. They had to reset the system once for some reason near the beginning of the flight. I'm guessing it had to do with every passenger on the flight suddenly turning their systems on and trying to watch a program all at once. The system probably can't handle it.

On the way back, I would just get settled in to watching a good program (after watching the 10 minutes of commercials that lead into it) when the whole system would go dead. Black. 5 minutes for the staff to notice something was wrong. 5 - 10 minutes to reboot the system. This happened 3 times during the flight. By the time we had a working system, we were beginning our descent into Calgary. If I had a dollar for every rolling eyeball I spotted throughout the plane, I'd have enough to buy supper for two tonight.

Message to Air Canada: Maybe you could look into the robustness of your entertainment system? There's no point in having one if it can't handle the demands placed on it. Oh yeah....... the maps. People are getting a little miffed that there's an option to look at a map of where you are..... but it has yet to see any functionality. Could you please get this up and running?

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Decked out

I was telling my sister Heidi about our new deck and how we haven't christened it yet. She gave me a funny look. Then she says, "What exactly do you mean by 'christened'?" I said, "As in held a party on it ........... What did you think I meant?"

Then we both laughed.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

They really could do better....

Tonight I decided to go check out the Sound & Lights display at the Parliament buildings. The first show (of 2) started at 9:30pm and would last about a half hour. I found the show to be a tad bit on the lame side. Just a bunch of images and coloured lights projected onto the buildings with some audio of Canadian music and quotes from famous people from our history. I give it a 5 out of 10. I mean...... where are the frickin' lasers?! No frickin' lasers! When I realized the show was set to end right at 10:00pm, I thought, hey - this will be great - the show will end just as the bell tower chimes the hour. Nope........ they turned it off. No wonderful resonant bells ringing out. What's up with that?

The walk back to the hotel was pleasant. It's a balmy evening here in Ottawa. I don't get many night in the city walks anymore, so I've forgotten how much I used to enjoy them.

Oh burger.... how I do love thee.....

Colleagues and I were discussing hamburgers today. (Yeah...... that never happens)

One mentioned that if one wants a good burger in Ottawa, one needs to go to The Works. One look at their site and I understood why. Choose the bun, then the patty type, then the topping combination (they have 66 of them). You can even add some extra toppings if the combination you chose just doesn't quite cut it.

So, I decided I had to give them a try. Yeah..... I know.... the sacrifices I make in the name of culinary courage. Anyway, their burger is freaking awesome. A thick, hand formed patty that is cooked to perfection. I chose a topping combination that some would label boring, but would not hide the true taste of the meat - cheddar and caramelized onions. Oh yeah - this place actually knows what 'caramelized' means. Although it comes with lettuce, it's one thin leaf - again, not so much as to distract you from the reason you have a burger............ MEAT!!

There are many choices of sides to go with your burger, from various gourmet poutine selections to onion rings or zesty slaw. Their drinks are served in giant measuring glass cups. You wanna talk milkshakes? How about 37 varieties? Orange coconut for example. I'm glad I didn't get one though, or I would have been so full, you'd need a wheelbarrow to wheel me out of there. The only thing I could fault them on is their unwillingness to make fresh, home-cut fries. If they'd succumb to this, the experience would be perfect.

The Works has 5 locations in the Ottawa area.

Corny geek jokes

Two hydrogen atoms walk into a bar. One says, "I think I've lost an electron."
The other says, "Are you sure?"
The first says, "Uh....... Yeah, I'm positive."

So, a neutron walks into a bar. "I'd like a beer" he says. The bartender promptly serves up a beer. "How much will that be?" asks the neutron.
The bartender replies, "For you?............................ No charge."

Monday, July 14, 2008

See the elements like you've never seen them before....

If you read this blog regularly, you know I'm nothing if not a source of things to do with the Period Table of Elements. So it is with great pleasure that I give you..... the Periodic Table of Videos. The Sodium video is of course - totally explosive.

Chemisterrific!

Movies from music

There's a new trend that may spawn some scary stuff. Abba's tunes became a Broadway musical before touring and finally being made into a movie. Beatles songs have found their way into a movie story based on the lyrics from their songs called Across The Universe.

This isn't a new phenomenon, of course. Purple Rain (Prince) - which actually started as a movie first, The Song Remains the Same (Led Zeppelin), Rock n Roll High School (Ramones), The Wall (Pink Floyd), Alice's Restaurant (Arlo Guthrie), Copacabana (Barry Manilow), Help! and Hard Day's Night (Beatles), Sgt. Pepper's, Yellow Submarine, Tommy (The Who)FM (Steely Dan et al). What's next? I'd like to see movies based on the albums:
  • Dark Side of the Moon (Pink Floyd)
  • Moving Pictures (Rush)
  • Aerial (Kate Bush)
  • Smile (Brian Wilson)
  • Aja (Steely Dan)
  • Rumours (Fleetwood Mac)
  • Duke (Genesis)
  • Chill Out (The KLF) [album cover pictured]
  • Play (Moby)
  • Ágætis Byrjun (Sigur Rós)
  • The Grand Illusion (Styx)
  • Crime of the Century (Supertramp)