Trippy, But Kind of Cool 2010 Mascot Cartoon

Microsoft Word’s Close Document Buttons

I’m fond of Microsoft Word. I really am. As a word processing program, it won the battle fair and square: it’s the best all around application for moving large amounts of formatted words.

Running on Windows though, there’s an interface anachronism that drives me nuts.

A Windows application lines up three buttons along the top right edge of it’s main window. Those three in the top row on the right hand side. The red X button, as everybody knows, closes the application.

Below that, you can see another X. In most cases, that X would close an individual window (your document, in this case) leaving the application running.

Unless you have a single document open, as it turns out. In Word, if you have a single document open that second X closes the application as well as your open Application.

This would make sense if it were on a Mac, sort of, but on Windows it’s just the kind of inconsistent behaviour that drives me nuts.

Eight New Universities in a Week

In what appears to be an attempt to remove all meaning whatsoever from the term university, the Campbell government has announced the eight university in just over a week.

Emily Carr to become university
Name change recognizes what the Vancouver art institute is already, president says
MARSHA LEDERMAN, April 29, 2008 at 4:26 AM EDT
VANCOUVER — From the comic strip sensation For Better or For Worse to Generation X to First Nations masks made out of Nikes, graduates of the Emily Carr Institute of Art + Design have made significant contributions to popular culture - not to mention serious art.

Now the school can boast an achievement of its own: It will be granted university status to become the Emily Carr University of Art + Design (ECUAD)
…
Last week, the B.C. government announced it would grant university status to Capilano College, Kwantlen University College, Malaspina University-College and the University College of the Fraser Valley.

My personal favourite announcement was Capilano College. The Premier’s own commissioned report recommended against this change, based on the fact that both Simon Fraser University and the University of British Columbia were too closely situated. Despite this recommendation, Premier Campbell designated Capilano a university.

The Premier’s sister is on the board of the college. Think that had anything to do with it?

Pretty soon, there won’t be any colleges left, and there sure won’t be any value in a university degree earned in British Columbia.

Cleese Idol

Worth watching just to see Ben Mulroney get shot.

Baseball Diamond, McGee Elementary School

Liberated Photos

So, in quite a random fashion, I discovered that one of my photos was liberated the other day. You can see it here and the original is posted here or on my Flickr profile here, which is where it was actually liberated from.

Continue reading "Liberated Photos"

Silly Silly Prince Edward Island

Canada’s smallest province has Canada’s highest concentration of golf courses. Why would a sensible government ban cosmetic pesticides but allow the largest offenders to continue to use them is a very good question.

Any pesticide ban should exempt golf courses: committee
Last Updated: Wednesday, April 23, 2008 | 9:10 AM AT

A legislative committee looking at the use of cosmetic pesticides on P.E.I. is recommending that any ban implemented should cover the whole province, with the exception of agriculture and golf courses.

The committee was not asked to look at whether a ban should be put in place; only at how one might be implemented. It presented its findings in the legislature Tuesday.

Cringely on IT Consultants

This week’s Pulpit column at Cringely paints the truest picture of the I.T. consulting world I’ve read in such a public forum in a long time.

One of its best points is this one:

Who does YOUR IT consultant really work for?

A question I’ve often advised people to ask. If the short and long term goals of a consultant aren’t aligned with your organization, it’s virtually impossible that any working arrangement is going to end with both parties happy. It, of course, takes two to tango and companies can be as much to blame as consultants are.

Snow in Manning Park

Out Here on the Raggedy Edge…with 3G EVDO Cellular Service

In Midway again, for a little visit. This time with my laptop from work, and a Telus Mobility Sierra Wireless EVDO Internet card.

Surprisingly, this little town (serviced by a single tower from Telus, and not at all by Rogers) has full speed 3G Internet on the cellular network. Fun.

Penguins in the Park

Surprising, But Rational

I think the surprising thing here is that this decision came from a supposedly pro-business free market Conservative government. It’s a pretty rational decision though.

Federal government blocks sale of MDA space division
Last Updated: Thursday, April 10, 2008 | 8:24 AM ET CBC News

The federal government on Thursday blocked the $1.3 billion sale of the space technology division of Vancouver-based MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates to a U.S. firm.

In a letter this week to Alliant Techsystems Inc., Industry Minister Jim Prentice said he is not satisfied the sale will be a net benefit for Canada, the minister confirmed Thursday.

Tibet & The Olympics

I’ve been mulling over the issue of Tibet, the Olympics and a potential boycott for a bit now. I don’t buy the argument that “the games aren’t political…” or that “the last boycott wasn’t effective, so why bother this time…” but it seems as if there’s no appetite for a boycott, so such is life. Welcome to the modern politician: no backbone.

So here’s a thought…why wouldn’t the Canadian Olympic Team give every Canadian athlete a Tibetan flag. When the team entered the stadium the athletes could raise them in support.

If every nation considering a boycott did this instead, this would be a massive show of public support broadcast into every corner of the world.

No discussion of boycotting Olympics’ opening ceremonies: MacKay
Last Updated: Tuesday, April 8, 2008 | 5:24 AM ET
CBC News

The federal government hasn’t considered the possibility of boycotting the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympic Games, according to the defence minister.

Repeating comments made by Prime Minister Stephen Harper last week, Peter MacKay told reporters Monday the issue has not been addressed by the federal cabinet.

“Without having the discussion, we can’t rule anything out, so we’re not at that point,” MacKay said.

The Mike Wallace Interview

The Henry Ransom centre has posted a series of Mike Wallace Interviews from the early days of television. Some of them are interesting stuff, including the Frank Lloyd Wright one, which I used to actually own on video tape.

The blatant promotion of smoking by Wallace is odd and seems out of place, but it was a different time.

Early Morning, April 4 / A Shot Rings Out / In the Memphis Sky

40 years ago today Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis.

Perhaps There Is Still Hope for Television

Despite poor ratings, the best show on TV has been renewed:

NBC announced on April 2, 2008 that 30 Rock will return with a third season as part of NBC’s fall schedule. It is currently unknown how many episodes the season will consist of and it is also unknown when the season will premiere.

Since I plan on moving with no TV at some point in the next year or so, I’ll have to find some…other way of watching it.

Kids in the Hall Reunite For a Tour

Interestingly, the tour comes to Seattle but not Vancouver.

Sad, But Also Sadly Needed

The hollow tree’s been strapped together and held up by human means for some time now, and I think it’s time to let nature take its course here. That doesn’t make it any sadder. I’ll miss it.

Stanley Park’s hollow tree gets the axe
Last Updated: Tuesday, April 1, 2008 | 2:19 PM ET

One of Vancouver’s oldest treasures will soon be cut down but its legacy as a tourist attraction will live on.

On Monday evening, the Vancouver Park Board voted to cut down the hollow tree on Park Drive in Stanley Park.

The 13-metre-tall stump is at least 700 years old, but storm damage in recent years has caused its decomposing hollow trunk to tilt dangerously.

Best Sports Coverage Ever

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