The Bulldogs are Cheating

Tristan’s Antipodean Adventure: Prologue

4 March 2011
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Packing.

Is there ANYTHING more frustrating than packing for a long journey with minimal space? The endless second guessing of what to take and what to leave behind has led me to take a break and start my travelogue posts a little bit early. As I write this I’ve just received confirmation that my New Zealand adventure tour is all set (though I imagine our time in Christchurch will be minimized from the original plan given earthquake aftermath.)  In a few short days I’ll be hiking those beautiful mountains from Lord of the Rings, snorkeling with turtles and clownfish and perhaps even swimming with dolphins. Winnipeg weather is conspiring to give me a frigid send off to remind me of what I’m escaping.

Since so many family/friends wanted to keep up with how the trip is going and I didn’t feel like sending out mass emails, I figure I’ll update  with travel posts here on occasion. Don’t expect much for the first bit though as I recover from 28 odd hours of airport/flight time and spend some time getting to know my tour mates. I’ll be checking my usual email addy(s) when I can though, and likely checking on facebook as well.

See you all in time for sandbagging!

So yeah… about that updating.

5 December 2010
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Categories: Site News, Things Toast cares about...

This term has turned out to be one of the most hellish experiences of my life, however… some 13 days from now (one prof willing,) I’ll be free of school forever. Hopefully with some of those fancypants letters next to my name too.

If all goes as planned this will subsequently become my travel blog.

On the road…

28 August 2010
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446

I’ll be moving home in the next week or so (including a 2500km-ish drive) so updates will likely be non-existant. Twitter updates if anything, but international data charges are beyond stupid so I’ll probably have the phone off. Hopefully I’ll have some fun pics once I’m home at least.

I never knew that Roger Ebert was such a good writer…

24 August 2010
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I randomly ended up on Roger’s blog a while back and came across this post on the topic of racism. I could explain further, but I humbly implore you simply to READ MORE.

Travel Ideas

22 August 2010
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travelI’ve been in school a long time. A really long time. Even when you consider that I took some time off it’s been way too long. At long last, it is coming to an end (cross your fingers) this December. Exactly four months from today marks the end of the December exam period and the last possible day that I can have an exam. In celebration of the momentous moment (and since I can’t actually go to my convocation until May) I’m planning a bit of an epic trip post-grad. My question is… where should I go?
First: A few guidelines
1.    Nowhere in North America: I’ve covered the continent pretty exhaustively, and the bits I’ve missed would be fairly easy to do in an one or two week trip over the next couple years.
2.    I’d prefer to stay away from places I’ve been before, again… most of North America, Mexico and the route from Paris to Barcelona. I’ve got lots of new places to see.
3.    I have no massive desire to go to Japan.
4.    I’m planning to get SCUBA certified this fall and plan to do some diving.

Second: Current Ideas
1.    China: My cousin is living in Shanghai at the moment, if they’re able to put me up for a week or two I’d love to use it as a base. Not really close, but I’d love to go to Xi’an in person and see Qin’s tomb.
2.    Thailand: Food = awesome, political instability less so.
3.    Australia/NZ:  If I do the asia thing, these will be on the list. Friends just returned from 8 months or so in Australia and will hit them up for tips.
4.    Likewise various islands, Chuk, Fiji etc…
5.    Bhutan/Nepal: Probably too high a financial commitment for one place
6.    India: Some interest in going, but I’m not sold. If I could avoid the big cities for the most part I’d be more convinced.
7.    Kenya: I’d love to do the Safari thing
8.    Egypt: Recent Art History class has only made me want to go here more.
9.    South Africa: Not the most fun country security wise for travelling on the cheap (or so I hear from a recent visitor, correct me if I’m wrong)
10.    Brazil: See #9
11.    Peru: If I go near South America at all, this will be top of the list. Macchu Pichu and Nazca would be amazing.
12.    Europe in general seems to demand the mega Eurail pass and do whatever.
13.    England/Scotland/Wales/Ireland: No brainer, trip has been put off twice… I’m going
14.    France: not entirely convinced I need to go again, if I did I’d want to check out the north and east regions, maybe a quick Riviera visit if it wouldn’t bleed me dry.
15.    Spain: I’d definitely enjoy visiting Barcelona again, maybe making it to Gibraltar. I’d really enjoy hitting the Canary islands as well, but that may not be feasible this trip.
16.    Holland: Absolutely, I’d like to see more than just Amsterdam however.
17.    Prague: Architecture along would make this a must do.
18.    Italy: I’d like to visit rome for a bit, Tuscany maybe elsewhere
19.    Greece: An Aegean cruise of some sort followed by a stay in Athens would be wicked.
20.    Germany: Not entirely sold on Germany, but not against it either.
And that’s just 20 off the top of my head… any thoughts?

3 Quick Hits: Scootch closer children…

21 August 2010
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What were they smoking?
Totally old news but recently randomly discovered
Check out this Wikipedia entry about a superhero team known as Section 8. Note the altogether bizarre heroes.

Of particular note:

  • Dogwelder: A thin, silent man in a welder’s mask who spot welds dead canines to evildoers.
  • The Defenestrator: A large, burly man … who obsessively carries around a window through which he forcefully throws criminals.

When I first heard about this I figured… it must have been the 60s and it must have been some good product. Actual date of publication 1997.

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The Walken
It has become a well known fact that Christopher Walken can make almost anything sound surreal and creepy/hilarious by reading it aloud. His reading of the Three Little Pigs (find it on youtube) is fantastic and Jay Mohr’s amazing impression as he reads Goodnight Moon on a Simpsons episode is in much the same vein. However; Mental Floss linked to this video the other day and more or less blew my mind.

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The end of sleep:

04_civilization5_jpg_595x1000_q85
In a move that will unquestionably have a major impact on my study patterns as I complete my last term of school, Firaxis is releasing Civilization V this fall. CIV IV is probably the game that has most consistently caused me to look at a clock after what feels like a 90 minute session and realize that it’s 3am. Early incarnations were good, but IV, especially post-Beyond the Sword expansion was an addictively epic experience.

And now here comes CIV V. The CIV lovers among you will likely notice on the screenshot above that (in addition to some pretty amazing graphic changes) we’re seeing a shift to a hexagon-based grid for units. The keener eye will also notice a return to proper siege damage units. The changes go much deeper when you read further with units not necessarily dying off as a result of a combat, no more unit stacking and a complete revamp of how city fortifying works. I’m not certain, but it seems as if firaxis might be making a leap here that makes it a relearning experience for the hard core fans, but perhaps a bit more accessible to the new fan. I certainly think I’ll need to really adapt my playstyle for the new combat, but I probably should have done that already anyway. I’m certainly not going above prince difficulty on the first session though.

Also of note for those of us who hate fighting with Gamespy, it will be a steam game.

Skol, Vikings, Let’s GO!

18 August 2010
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minnesota_vikings

So the Favre saga is over for another year as number 4 is back with the Purple and Gold for one more (dare we say last?) run at a Super Bowl.

As a Vikings fan, I have to say I’m pretty happy he’s back. Even though his stupid throwning error at the end of the NFC Championship Game last year cost the team a Super Bowl appearance (I don’t think Longwell would have missed from where they were if he’d just done a hook slide) they certainly wouldn’t have been there without him. I can’t blame the guy for trying to make it more of a sure thing, I just wish he’d thrown it out of bounds. Many Vikings fan just believe that the team is cursed to never pass the conference championship again. The year prior to signing Favre, the Vikes had stumbled around with Gus Frerotte and Tavaris Jackson in a battle of who could provide the least amount of support for Adrian Peterson’s power rushing attack.

Suddenly with Favre the missing piece was there. Favre still had his head for the game, his strong and accurate arm and some spectacular receivers. More importantly, he had arguably the game’s best rushing tandem to present another threat and take some of the pressure off him when he was tiring. Favre looked like a little kid in a lot of the games last year, celebrating with guys half his age touchdown after touchdown. I was there in the Metrodome for the 34-3 pantsing of the Cowboys in the playoffs last year and you really couldn’t tell that the guy was over 40.

So what will this year bring? Who knows? I certainly think the Vikings have a shot at a Superbowl appearance. Hell, even non-vikings fans should be cheering for the vikes. Maybe, just maybe if Favre won another Lombardi Trophy he’d retire and stay retired.

Earworms (Commercial Edition)

13 August 2010
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Categories: Meanwhile... at stately Wayne Manor.

In the vein of the earlier earworm post I have a more important question… Is there anything more insidious than that very special brand of commercial that finds a nook and simply won’t leave your head for hours or days after you hear it? United Furniture Warehouse has even had campaigns based around singing the jingle. I do try hard to not let advertising impact my buying decisions, but I can’t say it doesn’t affect me.
For me growing up a lot of these jingles were seen on the slightly shitty American stations we’d get piped in from random American cities. Back before Winnipeg had NBC and CBS via Minneapolis we had Michigan stations (until people complained that the news from there was too violent.) Once we got Fox our stations came first from Toledo and now from Rochester NY.

One of my all time favorites was the dog jingle for a car dealership. It featured an animated dog and cowboy and the following lines:
•    “Hey dawg, cmon dawg… Me an’ dawg want you to come on down to Telegraph Road, RIGHT NOW, get a good deal” “WOOF”

It has probably been 15-20 years since I’ve seen that jingle, but at least 3 of my friends can still sing it word for word.

Sometimes it’s not even a musical jingle just a specific shouting pattern. A perfect example of this is Jim “The Hammer” Shapiro a Lawyer from upstate New York who shouted at the top of his lungs and gave himself various other nicknames including the “meanest SOB in town” as he tried to solicit injury cases.  He was pretty much the epitome of the american lawyer stereotype.
•    “I’m Jim “THE HAMMER” Shapiro and I sue drunks, call 1-800-546-7777”

He made a lot of variations over the years and somehow I still know the phone number by heart.

Sadly I can’t blame the Americans for the worst of them all. A commercial jingle so vile that even as they change it every season the main theme is still stuck in your head… I speak of course of: Marineland.
•    “In Niagara Falls Ontario, Marineland is the place to go… etc…”


This one has such tenacity that a few of my friends use it as a rickrolling type video knowing that if we trick someone into seeing even the opening few words they’ll have the whole song running through their brains constantly for a week. Personally I’m hoping having lived out here and seeing the commercials even more often may have increased my immunity a bit.

Apologies for any site wonkyness, had to rebuild it right before leaving.

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