Heh...

Ladies and gents... please join me in wishin' my buddy Joe all the best as he turns 27 today.



Sucks that it's on a Wednesday though... we're going to have to work out some sorta something so as to get severely intoxicated at some point in honour of your accomplishments. Sure, anything can age, but... I was going to say something like, oh, I dunno, no one ages as well as you do. Something like that. But I can't honestly figure out a way to make this work. So, what the hell, Joe, congrats. Hope you've got a good many more where that came from.

...Art

Weekends were made for SUCKING.

Called a bunch of people up. No one's available for doing anything. So I'm sitting at home this fine evening, bored out of my skull.

I finally got a chance to put the snow tires on though and put away the pretty aluminum rimmed summer slicks. Now I've added a few pounds to Ellen; ugly steel rims with honkin' knobby thick-walled winter rubber. Yay, increased highway noise! Bah, it had BETTER be worth it as every weather report I've seen has said we're getting snow for the next few days. Mind you, it was supposed to have started this afternoon and now it's getting late in the day without a flake to be seen anywhere.

So help me god, if I slapped on the winter tires and there's no crippling snow storm, I'm going to have to beat the shit out of every meteorologist I can track down. I didn't see my 15cm of snow on Monday, so here's a 15cm bleeding gash across your face YOU SON OF A BITCH!!

For my non-metric friends, that's a bleeding wound just under 6 inches in length.

Speaking of people I want to make bleed, what's with The Darkness? I heard a song of theirs for the first time on my first day back at work... it was playing on the radio and made me shudder. Apparently, a buddy of mine who saw the video for "I believe in a thing called love" said it was all... uhm... well, he hated the song but liked it after seeing the video. They're like all retro-like in appearance too, not just the falsetto vocals from the days of 80's rock. Know what I liked most about big-haired falsetto singin' rock music? IT DIED AWAY. Why are these guys trying to bring it back? Why? It makes my ears bleed. Someone make them stop.

I have a feeling they'll be over soon enough; one of these bands that did well on a gimmick for a while then got shoved aside and forgotten. I can't WAIT for that to happen.

Please. Someone get them off the air. From what I understand, many of the radio DJs don't care for the song anyway. I guess the label's paying them to play it though, so play it they do. Ah, commercial radio. Teh sux0r.

Let's see. Oh, another couple of things... I saw Junkyard Mega Wars today. Two new hosts, both American. The guy I don't much care for, but I don't wish death upon him. The new female host I want dead. Despite what her bio says on that link, she seems incredibly stupid, her banter with the other host is painfully awkward and witless... She's not all that hot even. She sorta reminds me of those chick pro-wrestlers in her gestures and attitude... Shit is she ever annoying. The show itself was okay, the assigned task was neat, the results were interesting, whatever. But that host has got to go. I don't think I could bring myself to watch another episode of it.

And, to finish off my TV report... another new "reality" show hit the air. I sort of wish I bothered to remember what it was called... actually, I think it aired on HGTV Canada... allow me a moment to snoop around...

Hrm. Okay, nothing on the HGTV schedule looks like it. Oh well. Maybe it was on another of those channels. Anyway, here's the idea. It's sort of like Big Brother, Survivor, and like... a taping of Homes for Humanity. A bunch of people are on this show where they build a house together. They get followed around by cameras, people bitch and moan about other people, they plot and scheme... The vote people off in random eliminations... and the last person gets the house.

I'm not making this shit up.

If I was on this show, and somehow managed not to physically harm people and get kicked off, dragged away in handcuffs... the first thing I'd do is hire contractors to come in and rip everything apart and start fresh.

Ungh. Such a bad show.

Welp, that's about that... gunna go watch some more TV... Reno 911's on in a moment. See yas.

...Art

Holy crap.

Yeah, so I've been rather busy last little bit. I've been checking email from my phone, chatting from my phone... I rarely get a chance to sit at an actual computer to do stuff. So, here's a little bit of an update.

Work's plodding along well enough. A couple of days ago I sat down and thought to myself, "hey, this is alright..." as I sat on the toilet at work, takin' a dump, and looking up the score for the Leafs game I missed the night before... For not only was I taking a dump which was a splendid dump, I was also surfing the net, and getting paid for my time on the shitter.

Not quite as good as collecting EI benefits while sitting at home and watching TV, but we all knew that had to come to an end.

Been cold lately, must say I've been rather envious of Joe's remote starter... Ellen (my Acura EL to those who don't know) could really use that trick Essie (Joe's Escort) learned a while back. Nothing says HOLY SHIT THIS SUCKS like hopping out of a nice hot shower and into a car sitting outside in the grip of a -30C chill. Mmmm... frozen leather seats.

I wasn't really going anywhere with that, it's just what I've been thinking pretty much daily for the last couple of weeks during this cold snap.

On a warmer note, Iza and I celebrated the one year anniversary of the day we went out on our first "official" date. While we'd gone off occasionally before then as friends to, say, the movies for example, on January 19th 2003 we went out to Gordon Biersch for our first date. So, this year, it seemed fitting to return to GB to celebrate.

The food was awesome, as always. If you guys haven't ever been, go. The food's on the high end of average cost, but god DAMN it's all so good. Ask for a beer sampler too on your first trip, it'll give you an idea of what they offer.

We had a great night, the only disappointment was that GB's Winterbock had sold out early this year, so because I waited for the 19th to mark the anniversary of drinking what is my favourite beer of all time, I missed out on it entirely this year. Oops. Hey, only 11 more months until Winterbock ships again. This year I think I'm going to have to be there for the keg-tapping party and be the REASON the beer sells out early for the 2004-2005 season.

Ah, Iza. On paper, we shouldn't have lasted at all, but this past year has been great. You've been awesome, it's been great getting to know you better. Being with you has been so effortless; it's great not having to work at a relationship, to struggle to hold things together. Any problems that've come up had worked out splendidly, we've never fought... It's been great. I look forward to the year ahead, I'm sure it'll be filled with more fun, love, and happiness. Love ya, Sweets.

Mmm... mush. You're all free to puke now! Take care, peeps...

...Art

Oh yeah, forgot about this one...

Thanks to Emily for reminding me about this.

Session Start: Tue Jan 13 21:58:58 2004
[21:58] M-sicle: hey... how's the movie career going?
[21:59] RawEffect: ...car...eer?
[21:59] M-sicle: been discovered yet?
[21:59] M-sicle: well, I heard you landed a big acting role and all
[22:04] RawEffect: ...
[22:04] RawEffect: Oh, you mean my 4 second spot in some bullshit web-based ad that all of no one will see?
[22:04] M-sicle: yeah!
[22:04] RawEffect: The nearly no-budget commercial?
[22:04] M-sicle: gooo hollywood!
[22:04] RawEffect: The one I had to pay for my own transportation AND parking to participate in?
[22:05] M-sicle: hey, people have done worse things to break into the business
[22:05] M-sicle: i mean.. it's not like it even had partial nudity
[22:05] RawEffect: The one where I wasn't even given a hot dog for, which incidentally I was promised?
[22:05] M-sicle: ... maybe it wasn't the kind of hot dog you would have wanted, anyway..?
[22:06] RawEffect: The one where they totally screwed my day up by telling me I'd be needed at around 10:30 for 15 minutes, yet they didn't call me in until some time in the afternoon?
[22:06] RawEffect: No, I was promised a hot dog from a hot dog vendor. Apparently they needed one for the commercial, so they were just going to use some real guy.
[22:06] RawEffect: Is that the one?
[22:06] M-sicle: hmm
[22:06] RawEffect: Is that the commercial?
[22:06] M-sicle: no, i think it might've been another one
[22:07] RawEffect: Ooooh.. That OTHER commercial
[22:07] RawEffect: ...My bad.
[22:07] M-sicle: the one where you were promised a hamburger..
[22:07] RawEffect: AND NEVER GOT ONE!

That's right. I was in an ad. One scene, one line. Iza, who paid for parking incidentally, was also deceived into performing in the ad, since someone else who she replaced wisely decided not to show up. It's supposed to be some advert for some random consultation firm who's website incidentally is god-awful and won't be linked to from this blog. It's not going to be on TV, just online, so no one that matters will see it, and further, I'll be all digitized and compressed and streamed and unrecognizable.

Yay me!

Iza's part was to sweep the -58C sidewalk and look confused. Frankly, it wasn't acting... I'm a little confused as to why we willingly froze our assets off for NOTHING too.

Good times.

Anyhoo, that's really it for now. I continue to wish all the non-French a good interval of time until my next blog.

...Art

Catching up with Rofo

Hey peeps.

Some random little bits of news from this end...

Snowboarding at Blue was fun. Went with a bunch of newbs though, which kept me off most of the mountain, but hey. Was entertaining watching a half dozen people picking up on a new sport.

Iza's first day on the snowboard went fairly well, you can click over to her blog to read all about it if you wanna. Link's over there on the right.

I seem to have a gift for teaching. I've noticed this before when another crop of friends took up skiing for the first time... I wasn't even on skiis, but helped many of them along with hands-on help and advice. I seem to have the right combination of patience, and ability to find the newbies all kinds of entertaining that makes for a good teaching combo. Iza suggested I seriously look into taking that up, though I'm not sure she'd appreciate me giving other students the same rewards as incentives to carry on. Hehehe...

Monday I went back to Feherehereherguard. Sixty-six happy faces sent off into the world on Monday, 264 of them today. Yaaayy. Not exactly the kind of work I want to be doing, but what the hell. The pay's a little bit better than collecting Employment Insurance, and it gives me an opportunity to fall into a routine again.

Besides, I'd miss out on stimulating workplace conversations like this:

"So, guess that's that."

"What's that?"

"Uhm... 'That', I suppose."

"Oh yeah, you said that. I guess I wasn't paying close enough attention. Sorry about that."

"Sorry about what?"

"Well, 'that'. Weren't you fucking listening?"

Ah, good times.

I seem to have picked up a cold however... and I think it's from work. Seems like I feel good in the morning, head in there and start feeling bad within the hour... maybe it's an allergy to something there. Like dust. I dunno. Whatever.

Oh, hey, I was hunting around for some information on the Human Resources and Development Canada website. On this webpage, I managed to find the following paragraph:

Any questions, concerns or complaints you may have about how such external service provider handles personal information should be directed to the HRDC Privacy Co-ordinator by e-mail to anc-fas-sfa-atip-aiprp@hrdc-drhc.gc.ca or by calling (819) 994-0416 or writing to 140 Promenade du Portage, Phase IV, Ist Floor, Hull, Quebec K1A 0J9.

WHO THE FUCK thought anc-fas-sfa-atip-aiprp@hrdc-drhc.gc.ca would be a good email address for the Human Resources Privacy Co-ordinator?!? Once again, I blame the French... at least half that shit has to be because of them. The other half... well, hell, is just stupid. Would it be so bad to have privacy@hrdc.gc.ca? I've sent a message to that email address just to ask them how it was that they believed this address thing was a good idea. I'll post the reply here when I get it. Hehehehe... Ah, fucking with the government. You can always count on your good ol' buddy Rofo for this crap, hey?

Hope you all have yourselves a good random interval of time between the time you read this and the time I come back with another blog entry.

...unless you're French. You can go straight to hell.

Toodle-pip!

...Art

WHAT THE FUCK?!? AAAAUUUGH!!!

Okay. So I love to slag the Koreans, them bitches from Taiwan, anything and everything that comes out of China, and shit-ass American engineering... so I felt pretty confident buying a couple of Canadian-made ATI products.

FUCKING CANADIANS!!

Those of you who don't give a shit about my rants, or get really easily lost when someone starts talking about technological wonders, go dangle some car keys in front of your face and close this window now. Ooo! Flashy shiny! Jingle jingle!!

People, I *CAN'T* be the only one this shit happens to, I just can't be. I've had too many things go up in a puff of smoke, or randomly stop working. Not to mention my 30 cell phones that all drop calls, crash randomly requiring removal of battery to reboot, nine out of ten of them don't have the features they claim to have, or the features don't work... I now firmly believe that I am the only person I know who isn't deaf, blind, or retarded enough to notice that NOTHING works as it should.

About my ATI purchases... Actually, wait, before that. I went out and bought a video capture card from Pine. I've got a Pine modem, never had problems with it, whatever. I bought this card and, on the box, it says it requires 95/98/ME/2000/XP. Whoo! I have Windows 2000. Why not XP? Ask Iza. Or Rhys. Or anyone else who switched to XP then either switched back, or wishes they could. But this rant isn't about Microsoft this time, no, everyone knows how I feel about them. It's about ATI. But it starts with Pine.

I installed the card. Started putting in the drivers, and a little dialog box pops up telling me that the drivers for Windows 2000 and XP are beta drivers, and the company will not be updating them. The capture card doesn't officially support 2000 or XP, but they included some drivers and wish you well.

My PC crashed. Hard. DAYS of reinstalling software and rebuilding from the most recent backup I had (mid December... wish I'd backed up during the holidays) have finally restored my PC to a state where it fairly reliably connects to the internet, but still frequently crashes if I do some other random tasks. I'm sure that if given enough time I'll get things all sorted out again... Maybe before the end of this month even! Frankly, even if it had worked, it would have been returned to the store; I can't keep something that the company hasn't bothered to support on any operating system released since 2k came out about four years ago.

The Pine card went back.

I bought ATI. You know, I heard somewhere they were at the forefront of PC video nonsense. I'm failing to understand why. I got their capture card in, and a video card powered by ATI to support it. More driver issues. More tinkering.

Yesterday, I *finally* got everything to work. I even watched some RF-modulated video from one of the satellite receivers downstairs. The video quality wasn't horrible, it WAS RF after all, but the audio. My GOD my ears. SO much hiss, even my good buddy Joe the Deaf Jew would object to the sound quality of this thing. I was willing to overlook it, because my intention wasn't to watch video this way, but to hook a spare receiver up to the PC directly, which would give me superb Dolby Digital sound. Today I brought a receiver up, and went to go hook it up... I stopped dead in my tracks.

Where's my S-Video input?

I was looking at a RCA connector for composite video. Ungh. Apparently in my haste to replace the Pine card, I neglected to ensure that the replacement card had the needed S-Video input. Man, I felt stupid. But then I started thinking... no. I couldn't have been that much a moron. And so, I checked the box.

See that third feature of the card?

ATI says they had a misprint on the boxes. Mmmm... false advertising. Capture card's going back.

Which brings me to my ATI video card. The box for that says "S-Video or Composite connector". Well. It's replacing my '99 Voodoo 3000 card, which incidentally has great quality image AND S-Video output. Just falls short on video RAM, and as such some proggies aren't happy anymore. Like Halo. Again, if it mentions s-video on the box, it'd be really nice to have it on the board too.

I slapped in the new card, and I'm willing to overlook the S-Video output as it isn't my intention to pump video out to a TV with this anyway. But all the images on my monitor have a ghost image, actually a number of them, just to the right of the real image. It's very noticeable, and very annoying. I figured it MUST be a defect. Returned it. The replacement does the exact same thing. Tech support suggests that the refresh rate might be too high. Well, my Voodoo had no problems with this refresh rate, even at higher rates. But I slowed my card down anyway, to 60Hz, which produced a visible flickering in the image. And, still the ghosts appear.

Like seriously. What the fuck.

Video card's going back.

Which brings me to this. I'm offering my services to ANYONE who'll take me. I'll troubleshoot and quality control your products. Image issues, sound issues, handsets crashin' and burning up... I'll find those problems before they make it to market.

...unless... unless no one wants to spend that much time and money. Which, really, why would they? Make shit, we still buy it. Which brings me to this: STOP BUYING SHIT. Why's everyone seem willing to buy cars that blow transmissions at 50,000km like Iza's Kia? Or the minivans I wrote off completely with less than 100,000km? Phones that don't phone, video cards that can't produce good video, what the fuck?

And it doesn't stop there. A month and a half ago, Iza and I made a reservation at the 360 Restaurant at the CN Tower. They called back yesterday to say that their policies have changed, that the time we reserved for isn't available anymore, and they need a credit card to keep our spot. What the fuck is this shit? I called the 360 back and I had a rapid-fire chat with the random broad that answered the phone at the restaurant and re-confirmed our reservation, sans credit card... Who the hell gives out CC information over the phone to someone who randomly calls up when there isn't even a pending financial transaction? WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?

Products are shit, services are shit...

I think I'm going to start a list... a list of links or something. I'll call it Rofo's Hall of Shame. Link to all the companies that deserve a cubevan filled with fertilizer and diesel fuel detonated at their front door.

Ridiculous.

Demand more for yourselves, people. I dunno, I know it won't make a lickin' difference, but... meh, guess it all really is pointless.

Excuse me as I head off to Futureshop and explain to them why I want my money back for everything.

...Art

A New Year, a new feature...

Hey gang. This one's going to be short. My New Year? Pretty damned good. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so here is a picture taken at the New Year partay at the cottage.

Happy New Year, INDEED.

Also, look around. You should see one of those little note feedbacky things on the page somewhere. As of this moment, it seems as though they're all down, but hopefully by the time anyone actually clicks around here it'll be working. Kind of annoys me that it's quite possible I won't be the first one to post a note in there, but hey... C'est la vie, oui?

I'm sorta happy to have that whole season of chaos over and done with. Too much with the crazy. And, now that it's over, perhaps horrible things like this will never happen again. This poor duck drowned in a storefront display for a footbath at the Erin Mills Town Centre. Tragic.

Later peeps...

...Art