The reason why I watch Jon Stewart

When you can have an inflammatory guest like Sen. Rick Santorum on a show and have a calm and serious debate (and yet, still funny) without it deteriorating into a shouting match, you know you're watching Jon Stewart.

And to those who think he threw softballs at him, I say again, "YOU'RE WATCHING THE COMEDY CHANNEL." He's not Bill O'Reilly. He won't chew out his guests, regardless of who they are. I watch it for the insightful comedy. If an interesting debate ensues, so much the better, but it's not expected.

We definitely need to demand better from the mainstream media, though I wonder if it's less of a problem up here?

"Fly me to the 2003 UB313...that doesn't sound right"

Hot off the presses courtesy of Boing Boing:

NASA has apparently discovered a 10th planet circling our Sun.

They've been looking for this for a long time. I really hope they didn't make a mistake. The tentative name is 2003 UB313 (clever, those physicists and astronomers) but if the International Astronomer's Union names it Planet X, I will be so disappointed in them.

Keeping up with the Googles

Before I go further, I must say that Blogger's photo uploader, while convenient, makes laying out the page a bit frustrating, particularly because the spacing and the layout in 'preview' mode does not coincide with how it is actually viewed by others; thus, making it a guessing game as to how photos should be placed (as encountered on the post below).

In any case, the real meat of the post concerns Microsoft's release of Virtual Earth, their answer to Google Maps. While Google Maps blew Mapquest and the like out of the water with it's 'google'-simple interface, Microsoft was definitely attempting to halt the onslaught that Google's been making in recent months.

While I must confess I'm fond of recent Google products (Scholar, Maps, Earth), Virtual Earth's sliding zoom-scale and panning capability is smoother than Google Map. And particularly in the United States, aerial photos have much higher resolution. Having said that, Virtual Earth currently has no aerial photos of anywhere outside the US (I'll reserve judgment on this issue and see what Microsoft comes up with in a few months) and it's always a hybrid map/aerial photo, which may cause problems for people who only want one or the other. In any case, I don't know if many people will switch to Virtual Earth, or if it's even relevant, since most people aren't heavy map users (unlike a quasi-map nerd like me).

Regardless, Microsoft is no longer the innovator of mass-use computer software. Google's the new shark in the tank. The question is, will people despise Google the same way they did Microsoft since once you're on the top of the mountain, everyone else is clamouring to bring you down (or whether it'll different because the technology's been free for the most part).

Catch Up

I've been meaning to blog these last few days but having to catch up with all the news and blog feeds I get has actually consumed more hours than I expected. Many stories I wanted to comment about are now probably old news so it's probably not worth it. Instead, I'll quickly summarize my trips to Calgary and London, Ontario.

Having never been out west before, it was definitely an enjoyable trip, especially during the Calgary Stampede (no pictures unfortunately). Anyone would love a citywide party, and I am no exception. I got a general feel of the city (especially the way addresses are handled) and it's easy to figure out the history of the city based on the way the street layout.

Taking a stroll along one of Calgary's many trails with my friends Jess, Moni and her niece Emma to the Calgary Zoo.

In some respects, Calgary is a contradiction. There's now a resurgence in demand to live downtown, within walking distance of various amenities but at the same time new suburbs (in traditional, sprawling fashion) are being built at an enormous pace, as evident on the flight into the city. But I guess, if you have tons of money to spend, you can please everybody.

I was very impressed, however, by the large amounts of greenspace running through the city, moreso than, say, Toronto. While they're not prevalent in all areas, the irony is often you can only access them by automobile. It helped that the weather was gorgeous and people were frequenting these areas and that Calgary got more rain than usual, making the vegetation quite lush.

And of course, seeing the Rockies for the first time blew me away. I never even ventured in that far, ending up only in Kananaskis Country. Just being able to hike into some of the trails was just invigorating. With views like the one above, how can one not want to spend all their time there?


When you get to witness a cowboy fording a river on a horse, how can you not enjoy yourself?

Another area I was impressed with was the University of Western Ontario. Though people complain of its sprawling campus, it is large mainly because of the size of the university itself, hosting upwards of 30 000 students. Again, so much more greenery (particularly large trees and gardens rather than straight lawns) than say, Queen's University. It's also particularly interesting to see how the built form on the main campus tends to remain consistent throughout different periods, save a few buildings (Staging Building, Weldon Library and the Social Science Centre are unfortunately on the wrong side of different). But it makes me so disappointed at Queen's that it doesn't provide a proportionate amount of greenery that Western does, especially on a hot, summer day. So while I still think Queen's is one of the greatest schools in the country (I'm a little biased, I can be upfront about it), it's certainly lacking in the vegetation department (and the wireless internet, but that's another post.

But this felt good, getting me back into the swing of things.

They'll rupture the time/space continuum!

So the US Congress passed a law expanding Daylight Saving Time into March and November as part of a package to reduce energy use.

Is it just me or is this the dumbest argument for changing the way time is measured in North America. I know time doesn't actually exist blah blah blah...aside from that, if they're serious about energy conservation, they really should just make Daylight Saving Time 12 months of the year. I mean, why only save daylight 9 months of the year? you're wasting those 3 months! In fact, this scheme is obviously much easier and much more logical than say, giving incentives to individuals to reduce their own energy consumption by the 2.2% they've saved from current DST.

And I love the Congress-induced vertigo already happening in Canada if we don't follow suit. This is what politicians will be dealing with if Bush signs it into law, instead of talking about real issues. Oh, I can't wait for the cacophony of the Left bemoaning how following suit will diminish our sovereignty and the Right arguing how Canada will create a rip in the time/space continuum if we don't. Hey, US Congress, have I said how much I appreciated what you do for us lately?

And to those politicians who say this will help them because they can turn on their streetlights later...You do know YOU can change when the lights come on in your city RIGHT NOW? You do know you control your lighting system and not the Sun, right?

I'm going to lie down. Maybe when I wake up, it'll be 3PM last wednesday and none of this will have occurred.

Stream of Consciousness in Calgary

Spending time with Tara, Jess and Moni in Calgary has been phenomenal. I've seen so many parts of Calgary (Eau Clair Market, Calgary Zoo, Princes Island, Elbow River Trail, Stampede Park) and hiking in Nihahi Creek was one of the most wonderful experiences I've ever had.

And yet, while it's been so fun to see my friends, I'm constantly feeling this twinge of regret/sadness underneath it all, and I don't know why. Also, the smallest little thing about my friend is annoying me right now and while normally it wouldn't, it is at the moment. I can't explain it, I want it to go away but I can't.

In any case, I've learned there certainly is a different mentality out here. And I respect it, and it shouldn't divide us as a nation, but it does, both in how we view the West and how they view the East (case in point, the Alberta Separatist Party). There is so much potential in this nation and what we can achieve. What's stopping us is the petty squabbling and stereotyping that is so easy to do. If we just worked a little harder...

Also, I need to frickin remember that when I'm talking to my friends in Ontario or calling them, that there is a 2 bloody hour time difference between here and there...

For some final props:
Tara: Thank you so much for taking me around Stampede. Lethbridge was interesting, albeit still very suburbanish. We'll have to work on our golf game together.
Jess: Thank you for taking us to Nihahi creek and spending all that time with me. I'm sure you had tons of stuff to do getting settled but I really appreciate the fact that you spent so much time with me as you did. Stay the way you are, and don't you dare go cowboy on me.
Moni: Thank you so much for housing me and just being my other half. Emma's the cutest niece ever and it'll be wicked fun if you return to Ontario

Calgary +1

I've finally arrived in the City of Calgary.

My urban planning-senses are tingling as there's much of the city to explore...plus the Stampede of course.

Since I'm living in my friend's place which is right off one of the major streets of Calgary, I got ZERO sleep. But really, who needs sleep?

There's not a cloud in the sky right now so we're going to make the most of it...looking for furniture.

AND going to the Calgary Zoo.

You'll hear more when actually interesting things happen.

Front Page News

Omar El-Akkad, as some of you might know, was Queen's Journal editor last year, on the floor of Morris 2 Residence in first year and was one funny guy at Golden Words.

He's currently an intern at the Globe and Mail and just so happens to get his first story printed on the front page this week. You can read it HERE.

Check out his blog, Epileptic Penguin. His run-ins with John Stackhouse and other random Toronto happenings are pretty funny.

Final Fantasy has a home...in my CD player.

Let me be the first to say that I'm so far from the hipster-Indie music scene that I couldn't wear a fedora and sweatbands if my life depended on it. Needless to say, when Final Fantasy (Owen Pallett) was coming to Kingston, I wasn't exactly jumping at the chance to see him. But when a friend offers a free ticket, who am I to refuse?

The Elixir nightclub was packed with Kingston hipsters, and my friends and I were definitely outnumbered 10-1. I just wanted to leave tonight without a staredown.

I had no expectations of what Final Fantasy would sound like, which is probably one reason why I was so blown away by his performance. Before I continue, you must know that Final Fantasy consists mainly of him, his violin and a looping pedal. It is this fact alone that makes him brilliant.

His songs are all structured the same. He'd play a sample live that gets looped throughout the song. Each successive layer of looped samples build into a rich layer of sounds that your brain is just trying to wade through, all leading up to a massive crescendo, when it crashes into the dreamy beginning, ending with him playing his original sample again and completing the circle of life...

I definitely did not expect such a rich texture of sounds coming from one violin. And I think listening to mainly mainstream music also helps with that surprise. But it's incredible watching him squeeze every musical juice possible out of that one violin. And all his samples are such catchy hooks that I find myself tapping to the beat without realizing it. My one complaint is that his songs are structured the same. With the versatility that he already possesses, I'm surprised I don't find more diverse types of songs. Not that I'm complaining, it was still pretty damn entertaining to watch.

So, if you're interested, check out Final Fantasy's website. Or check out any show near you. Even if you end up not liking him, you have to give him respect at how much he can make you rock out to a violin. I've never been so enthralled by someone playing a classical instrument.

Weirdest moment of the night: watching Owen scream into his violin to add his voice to a looping hook. I don't think I've ever seen someone yell at a violin before, let alone his/her own. And I think this will be the one and only time where Judy Blume got a shout out at a concert.

I'm sure Optimuscrime will have pictures.

Update (June 8, 2005 6:25 pm):

As promised, you can not only check out pictures from Optimuscrime, but he also has a video of one of the songs HERE.

And in other news...

1) Be thankful that the worst that can happen TO teachers here is be on strike or be fired...

2) Realistically, I think the government of Nova Scotia should buy it. On the other hand, if I owned it, I think I'm not only going to find treasure, but the budget surplus as well...

3) This is for Andria...they found a new species of Dolphin! Well...not quite. They've always been there. We just figured out that they were genetically divergent from another related species.

4) Frivolous lawsuit #9,453,056...(I've lost count...):A Russian astrologist is suing NASA in Russian court for 300 MILLION DOLLARS. She believes that crashing their probe, Deep Impact, into Comet Tempel 1 will endanger humanity becuase the comet MAY alter course towards Earth (yep, and I MAY hold my breath when it happens, but I ain't gonna...) and that by affecting the comet in any way, it will affect HER life and cause her "moral trauma"...if only you could actually laugh these cases out of court...

Funny Municipality Names in Ontario

In my quasi-research for my master's paper, I've run across some funny names in Ontario. So here they are, for your amusement:

Township of Burpee and Mills
Township of Calvin (obviously it's funny...)
United Townships of Dysart, Dudley, Harcourt, Guilford, Harburn, Bruton, Havelock, Eyre and Clyde (phew, I'm out of breath...)
Township of Limerick (There once was a township named Limerick...HA!)
Town of Mono
Township of Moonbeam
Town of Spanish (There's only one requirement to live here. Can YOU guess what it is?)
Township of The Archipelago
Municipality of The Nation
Township of Tiny
Township of Zorra (it's almost Zorro...)

Obviously, it's a subjective list. You could find other names to be amusing, like Puslinch...or Newmarket.

Three things the World could do without...

1) A plush 'facehugger' toy from the movie Aliens. Aww, this thing that's laying eggs in my body through my mouth is soooo cute...

2) Another movie involving Tom Cruise or Dakota Fanning...because I will stab my eyes or ears (or both) if I hear Dakota Fanning scream one more time or see Tom Cruise look anguished as Tom Cruise does ALL THE TIME...

3) Starbucks' "Make It Your Drink" guide to Beverages. If I need to read a book to order a drink, I'm in the wrong place. Ironically, that's exactly where I'm posting right now...