the pod bay door

I’ve been banking with Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) since 1968. Why? They were the closest branch to my house when I was a kid in St Boniface, Manitoba. Throughout the decades, the service in branches has been excellent. However, on the U of A campus where I work, it’s gone from good to poor to SBT: Sucks Big Time.

To wit: 1) many years ago: CIBC shuts down its campus branch and moves it five blocks off campus; 2) shortly thereafter: CIBC removes its two Instant Tellers from the Student Union Bldg; 3) sometime later: CIBC removes one of its two Instant Tellers from the entrance to my bldg (both heavily used); 4) this morning: CIBC removes the other, very heavily used Instant Teller for reasons unknown. This is a bank machine that has a long lineup most times during the day. It’s now boarded up with a hand written note advising customers to call a number and complain – duh. My first e-mail of complaint to the imaginary customer service suits is below. My advise: don’t bank with them if you haven’t. Now it’s time for me to consider my alternatives. What’s sad is that the service I get in my branch is penultimate – the people there genuinely seem to care about their small change customers like me. But the Suits must think differently – I guess students, the bulk of the users of machines like the ones outside my library, aren’t worth their time.

Here’s the text of my e-mail to the faceless wonders at CIBC:
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All I want for Christmas is a nice photo management program like Gallery.

A fascinating interview with Jessamyn West, creator of Librarian.net, is available in the latest issue of Library Juice.

I saw Solaris on Saturday, and the film moved me considerably. It’s a remake of the 1972 film of the same name, based on the book by Stanislaw Lem, which I’ve not read. The film is about a psychiatrist who is summoned to a space station orbiting the planet Solaris, on which strange events have taken place – each member of the crew has a “visitor”, someone from their past.

The film begins as a straightforward narrative, but then moves away from a linear story line. Despite the sf setting, it feels more like a love story, and it moves at the same pace as 2001: A Space Odyssey, my all-time favorite movie. Fifteen minutes into the film I was smiling, feeling the heavy influence of that film on director Stephen Soderbergh (which he has also acknowledged). Like 2001, it does not answer any questions, leaving the viewer wondering what just happened. For me, the film’s feel was very much 2001, and I loved it for that reason. The music, feel, (even a line uttered by Natasha McElhone taken right from 2001), the pace, all evoked Kubrick’s masterpiece for me. The non-obvious ending is puzzling and frustrating, but the film is worth the effort. There are no fast-moving spaceships, no aliens per se, no phasers. Expect the unexpected.

I had an otherwise quiet weekend. I attended a apartment warming party on Saturday night at my friend Elan’s place, and it was nice – I knew no one there, yet found her friends to be warm, delightful and interesting. I also hung out after work on Friday at the Power Plant with friends, and I enjoyed that a lot.

There are some beautiful and amazing women in this town…

Every time I visit New York, I have dinner with my friends, the illustrators Leo and Diane Dillon. Those of you who’ve been in my house know that my walls are covered with their signed prints and posters. They have won 2 Caldecott Awards, in 1976 and 1977. I have perhaps 40 of their illustrated childrens’ books, the complete set of the Ace Science Fiction Special books featuring their cover illustrations from 30+ years ago, and other assorted works. Leo and Diane’s son, Lee, is a brilliant artist and designer in his own right. Lee’s company, Fusion Designs, is “a Gallery of unique greeting cards, jewelry, prints and original artwork“. Please have a look, and perhaps order a few Christmas presents! The Dillons are international treasures.

Rustboy is a short film animation project of Brian Taylor. The film isn’t finished, but the site is worth investigating. It’s amazing stuff, and Taylor’s loaded 13 very short movies of the work he’s done so far. The finished project should be worth the wait.

It’s hard to believe this is real. I mean, check the lineup and then look at the songs being covered! The soundclips don’t work here, but they do on the CD NOW site.

I’m going to Mars. I don’t remember signing up for this.

If you are a fan of The Onion, check out this interview with Rob Siegel, editor-in-chief, and Carol Kolb, senior editor. It was featured on the NPR program Fresh Air on Wednesday, 27 Nov 2002. When you’re finished, check out Team Onion. Then read Why Journalists Eat Up The Onion.

I have a stack of Onions at home going back 2-3 years, thanks to a friend who works at U Wisconsin Madison. He kindly sends me the paper copies every few weeks. Many people think The Onion is an online webzine, but in fact has always been a newspaper first. It began publishing in Madison WI in 1988. Its website came online in 1996.

Also of interest, a Dec 2000 interview with Eric Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation. The book was a fascinating read, and may influence one’s decision on whether or not to eat at McDonald’s, for example.