the pod bay door

:: My mind has been elsewhere for the past few days, for reasons known to some of you. Here in Edmonton, a few days of grey skies and wet, clammy weather ended today, with that bright, shiny thing called Sol beaming light and warmth on the city, improving everyones’ moods.

I spent part of today at the TELUS Centre, where NanoForum Canada is being held. As one of the engineering librarians, building and maintaining the UA Libraries’ collections in nanoscience and nanotechnology is my responsibility. NINT, The National Institute for Nanotechnology, is housed on our campus, and will move into its own building when construction is completed in 2005. At this time, faculty from at least nineteen different departments on campus are working and/or have research interests in nano-whatever.

It would be interesting to prepare a list of all the new words entering the language that begin with the prefix “nano”. Today I learned two new ones: nanorosette, and nanostencil. No, “Nanook” doesn’t count. A rosette is a six-membered supermacrocycle. Rosette nanotubes that self-assemble could be used as tiny scaffolds. The chemist leading this area of research is Hicham Fenniri, formerly of Purdue, but now working at the U of A as a chemisty professor and a NINT researcher.

:: With Geoff Harder, I maintain another blog, STLQ. I was pleased to learn that STLQ has received some press of late. Stephen Abram mentions STLQ in the latest issue of Information Outlook, and the blog was highlighted twice, once in a brief review, in the latest issue of SciTech News, the newsletter of a number of SLA divisions.

:: Jenny mentioned a new book out this month that I think will be worth reading, especially since I’m old enough to have lived through the period in question. The book is Kill Your Idols: A New Generation of Rock Writers Reconsiders the Classics, Edited by Jim DeRogatis and Carmél Carrillo:

Kill Your Idols is a collection of 34 essays in which some of the best rock critics of Generations X and Y address allegedly “great” albums that they despise. This anthology is every bit as thoughtful, provocative, entertaining, and valuable as Stranded, but it also returns some vital, stimulating debate to the canon of rock and roll history. Kill Your Idols is a spirited assault on a pantheon that has been foisted upon this new generation of music critics, a defiant slap in the face to the narrow and hegemonic view of rock history presented by the Baby Boom generation’s critics. As a collection of the new generation of rock writers, it is the first of its kind, as well as the first and only anthology devoted solely to critiquing rock and roll’s most sacred cows.

Nothing like insurgents kicking dust in the face of the old guard. Go for it, I say. Some of the albums ripped apart by these young lions include The Beatles, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, The Beach Boys, Pet Sounds, The Rolling Stones, Exile on Main Street, The Sex Pistols, Never Mind the Bollocks . . . Here’s the Sex Pistols, and U2, The Joshua Tree. Will it be informed criticism, or Gen X whining? The foreword is available, as are a few reviews.

:: I returned to Edmonton from Nashville a day earlier than scheduled, on Thursday, 10 June 2004. The conference was a good one, my 13th SLA, and my 11th since 1993. The conference was held at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, the largest facility of its kind – whatever kind that is – I’d ever seen. Enormous glass atriums with lush, tropical indoor gardens, walkways, waterfalls, and an indoor river connect the hotel and convention center sections of this sprawl, kept at 72F all year round. The place seemed to have a sense of humour as well. The utility costs must be staggering. Nonetheless, it was nice to have the convention in one location rather than many, as it was in NYC last year. More details about my conference time are available at STLQ.

Away from Opryland and the conference, I did little else while I was there. There was a party at the Wildhorse Saloon in downtown Nashville, which was the only time I made it into the city. After spending some time at the Saloon, some of us wandered over to the Country Music Hall of Fame – not to go in, but to catch a free bus ride back to Opryland! I did not make it to the Grand Ole Opry either, despite it being on the same grounds as Opryland. My disinterest in country music aside, yes, it would have been cool to visit these places, but the time nor the moment never did seem right. By Thursday the 10th, Nashville was swarming with country music fans, coming from all parts of the world for the CMA Music Festival.

The last night I was there, I wandered a bit past my hotel, and noticed a store with the sign, Ernest Tubb Record Shops. I decided to check it out, and entered country music heaven. Wall to wall CDs and cassettes – yes, an entire wall of prerecorded cassettes, there is still a market for them, and it’s in country music – trinkets, doo-dads, curios, photos, music books, souvenirs, you name it. The place was packed with what appeared to be a tour group, and while standing in line to pay for a couple of items, I listened to them talking, detecting more than one British accent. I asked one of them if they were over from the UK. The fellow said they were part of a tour, organized by a UK country music disc jockey, who was also present. It was very surreal to be in a country music store in Tennessee, only to be surrounded by c/m fans speaking in English and Scottish accents, waxing poetic about the CDs and souvenirs they were buying. When asked if country music was popular in the UK, he said to me that if you were from the UK and liked country music, you were “considered to be a bit of a mick.”

In Nashville, I learned that “tea” means “unsweetened ice tea.” “Tea” was served at every luncheon and dinner buffet I attended at the conference. If you want what we call tea, one asks for “hot tea.” A number of new friends I met at the conference, many of them true southerners, took me to Cracker Barrel, a restaurant chain that features true southern homestyle meals. Well, sorta.

It was quite the experience. I checked the menu, noticing many items with “n’” in the title: Salads n’ Such, Vegetables n’ Sides, Beverages n’ Juices. After careful consideration, I ordered the Grilled Pork Chop from the Country Dinner Plates menu, and my two “vegetables” were Fried Apples and “Dumplins”. Not dumplings, but dumplins. Others at the table ordered the Breaded Fried Okra and Turnip Greens, promising me I could sample them. At least one order of Hickory Smoked Pork Barbeque arrived afterwards, which I can only describe as shredded meat. This was also served at one or more convention events earlier in the week.

The meal was not one of my most memorable dining experiences, but the amazing company made up for it. I can best describe the “dumplins” as thick, white, square-shaped pieces of what seemed to be pasta, smothered – no – drowned in what appeared to be a white goo. The fried apples and pork chop were ok, and the turnip greens and breaded fried okra I sampled seemed fine. I passed on dessert. The weird thing is, someday I want to go back and try something else on the menu. {Note to my new friend in NC: Hey, Mary, does that sound like a heckuva deal (as they say in Minnesota?)}

Mary, btw, bought me a Moon Pie, which was quite tasty, and reminiscent of a Wagon Wheel, available from our corner store for a nickel, when I was a kid in Winnipeg. In fact, moon pies are called wagon wheels in some parts – It sez so right here. Further investigation reveals that the Wagon Wheel was the creation of Garry Weston, the “UK son” of Canadian biscuit baron, Garfield Weston. NiceCupOfTeaAndASitDown.com, mentions the UK and “Canadian Wagon Wheel” in their “Biscuit of the Week” discussion from 29 June 2003. Too bad the pictures aren’t working.

Biscuit of the Week? Mary, thank you for the Moon Pie! 🙂

On Wednesday evening, Christina Pikas and I visited Opry Mills, a local mall, to see Shrek 2. Before the movie, we browsed Tower Records, where I purchased a DVD, the D-Day Anniversary Edition of Saving Private Ryan. This will no doubt shock Heavy G and KGo (that I actually bought a DVD, that is). While in the store, I listened to a CD called Happenstance, by Rachael Yamagata. I liked the sound: a deep, smoky voice led by her piano and backup band, and good songwriting with catchy hooks. Comparisons to Norah Jones will be inevitable. I passed on buying it there, but on a lark, checked the local A&B Sound when I returned to Edmonton. I asked the multi-pierced goth druid working the help desk if the store had a copy, thinking the chances were as good as him knowing who Yamagata was in the first place. Well, he had no idea who she was, but he did find her on the in-store db. Then, when he pulled a copy from the shelves, I was so stunned that I bought it on the spot. It’s a great record, and I’m glad I made the effort to look for it in town. Miracles can still happen.

The people of Nashville are incredibly friendly to visitors, something I’ll always remember about the city. I have never been overseas, but upon my return, I checked the list of 50 states, to determine how many I have visited in my life. The number is 25: California, Connecticut, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming. So, 25 more to go!

In 2.5 weeks, I am off again, to Winnipeg, and then St John’s, for the KG wedding. Time flies, and seems to move faster when you get older. In Nashville, I saw old friends, made some fascinating new ones, and experienced a pretty good professional conference. Other things happened as well, about which I will write at a later date. Now, I find myself staring into the void, wondering what life has to offer next, and trying not to think too much about it all…

:: I’ve been in considerable pain for the past few days, upper body pain on my left side. No, it’s not heart-related. The symptoms suggest shingles, but there is no rash or reddened skin. It hurts to put on a shirt, or sit in my car, as the pain is on the left side of my back, as well as my front ribs on the same side. It’s annoying (duh) and maddening, because the doctor can’t really treat it as shingles, unless the rash or blisters appear. Also, constant pain is exhausting. I can focus, go to work, etc., but by supper-time, I’m worn out.

I leave for Nashville on Saturday, so I am predictably concerned, and very frustrated. I don’t want to go there, not knowing if whateverthehell I have will worsen. So I have to take it day to day.

:: Derryl sent a note about the availability of SCTV on DVD. This 5-disc set covers the first season of SCTV Network 90, which ran on NBC in the early 80s. I’ve added it to my wish list.

I loved SCTV, and wonder if the classic SCTV 30-minute episodes will ever be available on DVD. Those shows were produced in Toronto, and in 1980-81, in Edmonton. There is a good website devoted to SCTV here, which links to the official Second City web site, among others.

:: DDB is a worldwide advertising agency (206 offices in 96 countries). They seem to thrive and exist on ideas. Their web site is worth a look. Even better, check out the Canadian DDB site (you’ll need Flash). Launch the Canadian site, and watch the fat men in yellow pajamas. It’s fascinating. I think I’d like to work for them. The web site screams sense of humour, and freedom to create. From the “Careers” section of the Canadian site:

Do you have a lot of crappy ideas? If so, we’d like to hear from you. You see, we’ve found that really creative people tend to have lots of ideas – most of them lousy. And that’s okay. As Thomas Edison once said, “I’ve never failed. I’ve simply discovered 12,000 ideas that don’t work.” (Granted, 12,000 “boo-boo’s” seems a little high, but you get the point.)

Interested? Write to us at igottawork@ddbcanada.com and we can discuss acceptable rates of failure.

The work culture has its foundation in four freedoms: from fear, to fail, from chaos, and to be. Among the tenets of these freedoms:

• Management by intimidation has no place in an organization dedicated to nurturing creativity.
• It is the job of management to first point talented people in the right direction and then to judge their work. But if the approach to that work is responsible and intelligent, people must never be criticized for daring to fail.
• Each individual has a right to be treated with dignity, to be supported in his or her ambitions for higher achievement, and to be provided with a place where a career can grow in the direction of one’s own choosing. But beyond providing for professional growth, talent must be permitted to enjoy a life in which there is also time for laughter, and music, and love, and celebration, and the space to enjoy them.

Can I start tomorrow?

:: Thank you to everyone who wrote or commented about my increased heart rate. Subsequent to having an ECG on Thursday and visiting the doctor, I stopped drinking my Starbucks French Roast coffee. Within 24 hours, my heartbeat was down to the mid-80s. I just checked it again, and the reading was 76 bpm, which for me is remarkable.

Shannon sent a link to an article about high caffeine levels in coffee.

The biggest bang for your buck, with more than double the levels of caffeine compared to the lowest levels, were found in coffee from Starbucks and Second Cup.

Of course, at Starbucks, rarely do they serve French Roast over the counter – you have to buy it and make it yourself, which is what I do with it at work. The article does provide responses from the coffee companies, including Starbucks:

We emphasize that any absolute numbers reported on caffeine levels in Starbucks coffee do not reflect what a customer would receive in every cup of Starbucks coffee. There are many variables that contribute to caffeine content from cup to cup.

Regarding Starbucks regular drip coffees, customers can expect an average of 160 milligrams of caffeine per eight ounces.

The article notes that “Health Canada recommends no more than 400 milligrams of caffeine a day.” That said, if the data from Starbucks are correct, even drinking 1-1.5 cups of regular drip French Roast shouldn’t affect my heart rate. Or should it? In this case, it appears that a particular brand of coffee had an effect on me. On the plus side, the ECG revealed that my heart is in great shape, with no abnormal rhythms of any kind.

:: It is a long weekend in Canada, Victoria Day, and it’s been somewhat lazy. In no particular order, so far today I worked out, weeded a section of a filing cabinet (and fed my paper shredder a lot of paper!), cleaned up stuff in the background of my web site, cut the grass in the front and back yards, watered the small patches of dirt in which plant life can be found, loaned a copy of Time Out New York to someone who is leaving for NYC on Wednesday. I still want to clean one of my bathrooms today if I can find the energy, and add some decorative rock to the base of my little oak tree in my front yard. I also want to put up my backyard canopy, with the help of a neighbour. And go for coffee and read a bit. I am feeling lazy and overwhelmed with life – no different from any other day.

:: A federal election has been called in Canada for June 28, which also happens to be my birthday. At this point in my life, I find most politicians to be without many ethics or principles, if any. In my front yard is a sign supporting the local Liberal candidate. I doubt he’ll win, but I would never vote for the right wing. This time around, I don’t know if I will vote at all.

:: Two weeks from now, I’ll be in Nashville. Three weeks after I return, it’s off to Winnipeg and Newfoundland and then back to Winnipeg. A few weeks later, it’s September. Summer moves by too quickly. It’s isn’t fair.

:: The guy who came to my door on May 19, asking for $5 to refill his daugher’s inhaler, never returned the $5.

The wall has been painted. It is done. The work is complete. With the considerable help of my friend, Kathryn, the wall, covered in pink wallpaper for over a decade, is now a lovely shade of green, from Behr, known as Scotland Road. The kitchen is still a warzone, and needs to be cleaned up, but not for a few days. The white cupboard will be repainted as well, and the baseboards need to be reinstalled. Also, for those who remember, the pink face plates for the outlets and light switches in the kitchen have also been replaced, with plates of a grey colour.

Click on the picture to see a set of photos detailing the blessed event.

:: I discovered a fascinating web site last night, or more specifically, an online ad. But what intrigues me more is how I got there. In the February 8, 2004, issue of the New York Times Magazine was an article by Clive Thompson, called “The Virus Underground.” The article is about an elite group of computer virus writers, some of whom are members of the Ready Rangers Liberation Front. The virus code, or “malware”, which they create is freely available for downloading from their site(s), but almost always, the viruses do not do permanent harm. The codes offered do not (necessarily) harm machines like Sobig.F, Slammer, Blaster, or the recent MyDoom.A, which were designed to do permanent and serious damage, and whose creators have yet to be found.

I checked the rRlf site, and while there, looked at the links page. I noticed on the list a website called Collision Detection, and the name next to it was “Clive Thompson”, who wrote the article I was reading. Thompson’s site is a blog, which “collects weird research I’m running into, and musings thereon.” Scanning through Thompson’s entries, I noticed one titled, “The coolest ad I’ve ever seen“, which caught my attention.

There is a GE commercial running on TV these days which features a string quartet playing music on a stage. The bodies of the musicians, however, are made of water. The online ad opens in a smaller window, and features one “water-bodied” violinist playing a few notes. The ad morphs into a heading about water technologies, and 16 drops of water in a row are left on screen, each representing a different note in a major scale. Moving the cursor over top of a drop from below plays the note. Move your cursor fast enough, and you can play a tune! I was able to do the five-note run from CE3K without much effort. Try it yourself.

What’s of further interest is how Thompson found the ad: he was trying to read an article in Salon, but without a subscription, he had to click on an ad to view it, which was this ad.

:: I had an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) on Friday night at 8:45 pm, in the region around my left elbow, where I have lateral epicondylitis, aka tennis elbow. At the hospital, I had to remove everything I was carrying and leave it in a locker, and wear a hospital gown and a robe over top of that. I was asked if I ever had an eye injury which left metal lodged in my eyes. I was placed on the bed of the imager, and a camera was wrapped around my left arm, and the arm was held in place with straps. I needed to lie slightly to the right of the bed, which was uncomfortable, because as the bed moved into the imager, my right arm was jammed up against the inside wall a bit too tight for my liking.

I was also given headphones to wear, because of the constant loud banging sounds made by the magnetic field gradients. An example of the sound can be heard here. I was in the imager for about 25 minutes, trying not to breathe too deeply or move at all, while doing my best to reduce the pressure against my right elbow. “Your MRI Exam” provides an accurate description of my experience that night.