Below are the most recent 6 friends' journal entries.

Tuesday, December 15th, 2009
ed_rex	11:34a	The War Against Winter General Winter is back! And only Young Geoffrey can stop him! During the spring and summer of 1977 I saw Star Wars (yes, just "Star Wars") something like 16 times. By the time the movie finally left town, I would put myself to sleep by running over the entire film — including every line of dialogue and each one of R2D2's beeps — in my head, sometimes doing it twice if I was having trouble transitioning to the Land of Nod. Over time, memories of Star Wars evolved into a more personal (though admitedly, an entirely derivative) space-war fantasy of epic proportions, one in which I was the nearly immortal hero, time and again called up to save (ahem — it was mental comfort food, not meant to be a gourmet feast!) "The United Planets" from brutal, worse-than-the-Nazis, alien invaders. And somehow, somewhere along the line, those alien invaders became iconified by winter, by snow. The "invasion" would begin in late October or early December. I would be called upon to save the United Planets from certain anhilation shortly after Christmas and the war would rage for the next several months until, miraculously (and yet, to the detriment of the drama, also inevitably), the enemy was destroyed and all was once again Well With the Universe. Until the next winter. As you can probably imagine, the fantasy grew more perfunctory with time, an endless sequence of sequels, repetitive (and so conducive to sleep), but boring and so ever-more difficult to get enthusiastic about. Young Geoffrey compared to snow-blower I think it's a doubly-good thing I stopped smoking because, since General Winter launched his latest campaign, I have enjoyed more exercise than I probably have over the previous six months. As you can see from the accompanying photos, Ottawa is a genuine winter city and our house includes a significant piece of driveway. Last week saw our first significant snow-fall and the enthusiastic words I spouted upon my autumnal arrival at the begining of October — such as, "I can't wait for winter!" and "No, really, I'm looking forward to shovelling snow!" — now required that I put up or eat those words with an enormous helping of Corvidae. Our first dump saw me shovelling out, from and back, not once, but twice. First in the early evening and then again first thing in the morning. I've had to do it three more times in the last week or so, including spending 45 minutes at it this morning, when I was accosted by one of the women in the semi-detached house across the wall from ours, as she came out to find her car ready to roll out of a well-cleaned drive. She waved at me as I hurled snow high atop the growing pile on the street and thanked me, saying she had been extremely busy lately, but that she would be joining me in the efforts soon. She glanced at the shovel in my hand. "Have you done it all with that?" I said that I had. "Wow," she said, "it looks as if someone had used a snow-blower!" I did this! I laughed, all forelock (if I had a forelock) tugging and aw-shucks toe-scuffing false modesty. "Anyway," she said, "thank you very much. I'll be joining you out here soon, but things have been crazy lately and you've been getting to it so fast ..." "Don't worry," I said, "My dad tells me you kept him dug out the past two winters so I kind of figure we owe you anyway. And I can use the exercise." She laughed. "All right, but once I come back from the East coast after Christmas I'll be helping you anyway. And with that, she got in her car and I went around to the front to take care of her and our front walks. So far, I really am enjoying it and my muscles appreciate getting used for more than typing and walking up and down a short flight of stairs a few times a day. Whether or not I'll feel the same come mid-March remains to be scene, but I'm optimistic that Young Geoffrey will still be shovelling the white stuff with smile on his face and a whistle from his lips. And ... exeunt. (12 Comments |Comment on this)
Saturday, December 12th, 2009
ed_rex	1:04a	Open source superiority - a case study The splendour and misery of Microcrap Windows, of Microcrap Office Some informal remarks towards a modular calculus of open source software (With apologies to Samuel R. Delany or, indeed, to anyone who actually knows what "a modular calculus" means; it's late, I'm tired and feeling the urge towards "humorously pedantic usage of the English language") I'm feeling vaguely heroic as I fade towards sleep on this very early Saturday morning. First came the rescue of Raven Tresses' laptop which, shortly upon her arrival home from work, refused her any but a frozen mockery of her normal desktop display. Dusting off the mental files left over from my days in the worlds of help desk hell, I asked to take a look at her machine, sagely nodded as the still somewhat familiar WindowsXP desktop appeared before me, I made sure she had back-ups of most (if not necessarily all) of her files, explaining that we might need to try restoring the system to a previous state. "But first," I mumbled, stumbling after the unfamiliar terminology, "Let's see if it'll boot into safe mode." Raven powered-cycled the beast and I hit a couple of F keys, stopping the process, then found a way into the fabled Windows Safe Mode. The screen's resolution was awful, the few default icons bloated and blurry, like a drunkard's self-analyses. But we had navigability! And, realizing I really didn't know what I should do once there, I moved with outward confidence to "Explore" the Control Panel, hoping a further course of action might leap out at me like the hideous graphics on an amateur's website. Fortunately, Raven desired sustenance and so, having nothing immediately better to offer, I suggested she try re-booting and said I'd take another look after supper, if necessary. (You all know where this is going; if the Dilbert panel above didn't give it away, plain old experience will have for most of you.) Though two manual reboots hadn't accomplished the task, one manual reboot and a brief, directionless visit to Safe Mode did the trick. Raven was back in business. Or so she thought. After she had cleaned up after my (frankly, very sub-par) dinner, she asked me whether I was able to open up the latest Microsoft Office file types — the ones which end in ".docx" rather than just ".doc". You see, she's still running Microsoft's Office2003. And the latest version makes files which, er, aren't compatible with previous versions of the company's own fucking software. Built-in obsolescence has seldom been so blatantly predatory. Gentle Readers, I admit it: I smirked. My voice could have lubricated a fleet of battleships, such was my smug self-satisfaction. "Why yes," I said, smiling a smile at once wondrous and yet nauseating to behold. "I'm running Linux — which comes with OpenOffice. Just send me the files." Rather than belting me and then shoving me out of my chair, Raven displayed a saintly patient tolerance and merely inserted her USB key into my machine. Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents appeared on my screen and I converted them all into a format she could use. And Gentle Readers, she thanked me while she wiped the oil of my magnanimity from the aforementioned data storage unit. Oh yes, before that, she'd had a similar problem, this time with an obsolete version of Adobe Illustrator, which wouldn't allow her to manipulate an image created with one more reason. And I, never having needed to separate a logo from its background, fired up TheGimp, consulted a few online forums, and soon saw her with a usable graphic for her work. All of which is to say: People! Next time you're looking for an upgrade or a completely new piece of software, at least investigate the open source alternatives out there! Stop being voluntary prisoners of a rapacious corporate behemoth whose idea of innovation is to create new, proprietary file formats designed to separate you from your money, not to help you get things done. And thus endeth tonight's sermon. Next time! 60 per cent less gloating! Young Geoffrey promises! (6 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, December 11th, 2009
ed_rex	7:10p	God bless America "In some other universe I am warm and content and not looking at spending two years in jail for the crime of having been punched in the face." — Peter Watts, December 11, 2009 Peter Watts, one of my favourite writers — and possibly the best hard SF writer on the scene today — was beaten up and arrested by U.S. border guards while attempting to cross back into Canada on Tuesday. He says (and I believe him) that he was punched, kicked and pepper-sprayed and (of course) has now been charged with "assaulting a federal officer" and faces two years in prison. He's back home in Toronto right now but looking at humongous legal fees. Cory Doctor at BoingBoing appears to have broken the story, and it includes links both to Watt's own blog and to a Paypal donation address, donate@rifters.com. Incidentally, Watts has released all of his work under a creative commons license, so if you're not familiar with his stuff you can get yourself all caught up via his site. And I highly recommend that you do. (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, December 10th, 2009
ed_rex	12:31p	Old man is old Since I'm listening to the Beatles as I type, this seems too appropriate not to share. (Comment on this)
ed_rex	11:42a	Random gloats: The snow, the shovel and I Delightful agonies I am in pain. Thighs and bicepts, forearms and pecs, even my mats and abs are, by turns, engaging in a cacophony of complaint and gratitude. As those of you in the north-eastern States and eastern Canada know, we've just had our first, belated, blast of winter and I — determined to live up to my warm-weather claims to love winter and to be looking forward to shovelling snow — yesterday did twice clear both the walkways and sidewalk in front of our house and our neighbours', as well as the rather long driveway in back. (Why the neighbours? Simple enough: for the past two winters the young(ish) women living next door made sure to shovel out my father and it seems to me a favour that ought to be repaid. And also, I can use the exercise.) Photo courtesy of the Phantom Photographer I'd post pictures of the piles I've made, but sadly, my camera decided to give up the ghost somewhere between some few days prior to my departure from Toronto and two or three weeks subsequent to my arrival here in Ottawa. And so instead, a belated picture of the jack'o'lantern the roomate, Raven Tresses and I carved back on Hallowe'en (the flesh of which I last night made into the final pie that good gourd will provide. I have not yet quite managed to recreate the accidental Best Pumpkin Pie in the World which I made more than a decade ago, but I'm closing in with the ever-braver application of spices such as garam massala to the mash. But more on my culinary adventures anon). Socialism! (sic A belated note on the slow upticks of my social life. First, I finally had the pleasure of meeting beable in the flesh last week. We met at the National Archives to see a film showing as part of a European film festival. This one from Romania and, honestly, not a particularly good one. Earnest and melodramatic, it reminded me of what I imagine Canadian cinema was like in the 1970s — or maybe, what American movies of the week, still are. Whereas Young Geoffrey has 173 LJ usernames on his "Mutual Friends" and "Also Friend of" lists, and whereas it seems to him that it is mostly the same cast of characters who post comments, he has grown Curious and so, has Determined to Inquire as to just Who among those listed actually reads his journal? Poll #1497169 Roll Call! Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 18 Whereas Young Geoffrey has 173 LJ usernames on his "Mutual Friends" and "Also Friend of" lists, and whereas it seems to him that it is mostly the same cast of characters who post comments, he has grown curious. Whom among the listed actually reads his journal? View Answers Young Geoffrey's journal is the light of my life! I check for updates daily and pine when there are none to be had. 5 (27.8%) I read Young Geoffrey's posts when they show on my friends' list but don't otherwise consider him. 6 (33.3%) I scan Young Geoffrey's post and sometimes read them. 4 (22.2%) Who is Young Geoffrey and why are you asking me about him? 0 (0.0%) The land is strong. 3 (16.7%) If you selected the third option above ("I scan Young Geoffrey's post and sometimes read them,"), please indicate which type of posts most interest you. View Answers Book reviews 6 (46.2%) General reviews 5 (38.5%) Doctor Who! 3 (23.1%) Personal entries - general interest 10 (76.9%) Personal entries - pathetic whining 11 (84.6%) Personal entries - sex and relationships (wat dat?) 11 (84.6%) Other (will explain in a comment) 1 (7.7%) Other (I have better things to do than explain in a comment) 1 (7.7%) None of the above 0 (0.0%) I didn't even read as far as this stupid poll 1 (7.7%) Following said movie, we repaired to a nearby tavern where I proceeded (as is too often my wont) to significantly out-drink my companion, though she assured me I grew neither maudlin nor particularly stupid (always good to have such a reassurance!). We then repaired to her place for more talk and the lending (to me) of several geeky VHS movies I still need to re-watch. In return, I promised to supply her with The Sarah Jane Adventures. And somehow, it was past 2:00 AM by the time I returned home to a house dark and silent. (And was surprised to find I can walk to the Archives in almost exactly 30 minutes; Ottawa is indeed a small city, or at least, its core is.) What else? I swear I had a third topic in mind, but the stream of my consciousness appears to have dried up — or, perhaps more seasonally appropriate, frozen over. And so, a(nother) poll! Indulge me if you will, Gentle Readers! Celibate house-husband As some of you may know, I rather enjoy cooking and have been doing so since before I moved out onto my own at the ripe old age of 17. Not such a big fan of doing dishes, mind you. And so, as Raven Tresses and I have gotten to know each other (including via more than one over-night talk sessions in the living room), I have taken to including her in meals. And recently, we formalized the arrangement. Rather than duplicate (and, too often) waste food, particularly of the vegetable varieties, we've started pooling our food dollars and further, more often than not the food itself. Since I'm cooking anyway, having Raven do the washing up afterwards most nights seems an eminently fair bargain. And she works long hours; and I do enjoy making sure she's eating proper food rather than stoping in at Tim Horton's near her work, so I try to have something for her to take with in the morning as well. I know, I know — macho much? Right. Got work to do. Enough self-indulgence. I'm out of here. (16 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, December 8th, 2009
ed_rex	7:36a	Do you want a spanking? I know that a number of you are artists, some professional and more of you of the aspiring variety; it is the latter towards whom this poll is primarily aimed: those who are self-publishing or working with very small presses (or whatever is the equivalent in your particular medium/media). When wearing my critic or reviewer's hat, my inclination is to accentuate the positive, particularly when dealing with the "small fish" of the arts and especially with those exploring self-publishing and/or open source methods of distribution. In other words, I'm inclined to simply ignore work that doesn't interest me or which I find inhabits that large grey area between Bad and Good. (Unless of course I'm being paid for my opinions or something truly repugnant is also dangerously popular. But neither of those latter conditions is likely to apply to the marginal and the up-and-coming artists out there. Hence the poll, below. I am curious what creative folk think about reviews. Is any publicity good publicity? If someone (er, that might be me) on your friends' list reads or views or listens to your work and doesn't think too highly of it, do you want to know it or would you rather I just keep my big mouth shut? (For the record, I'm willing to risk the hurt feelings; if I release something, I'd rather a bad review than none at all.) Poll #1496171 Is all publicity good publicity? Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 11 I am a: View Answers Musician 0 (0.0%) Visual artist 1 (9.1%) Writer 6 (54.5%) Some of the above 4 (36.4%) None of the above 0 (0.0%) Other (I will comment to explain) 0 (0.0%) Other (I won't comment to explain 0 (0.0%) I want to be reviewed: View Answers Only if the review is a rave 0 (0.0%) Only if the review is at least somewhat positive 0 (0.0%) Whatever - I just want my name out there! 10 (90.9%) I don't want negative reviews 1 (9.1%) I will kill negative reviewers 0 (0.0%) My work is released in the following manner(s) View Answers Self-published 4 (36.4%) Small-press 3 (27.3%) Mainstream publisher 2 (18.2%) Just in my blog; I am not yet ready for prime time 6 (54.5%) (14 Comments |Comment on this)