the pod bay door

:: I discovered this afternoon, by serendipity more than anything else I suppose, that I had the wrong binaries loaded for NetPBM. Er, duh. Like, how would I know? Anyway, I uploaded them to my server, and Gallery started working on my site. I’ve loaded a handful of photos so far, and will continue to work on tweaking things in the next few days.

:: I’m feeling slightly better than yesterday. Bones and muscles not aching as much. It was very cool in town here today, and is 1^oC at the moment. Apparently snow has been falling heavily in other parts of Alberta. Still, I’ll take this over what Hurricane Isabel is about to give the eastern seaboard.

:: Some time back, during an NYC trip, I was introduced to Rainsong guitars. They haven’t been available in Alberta, but a rep for the company was scheduled to come through Edmonton this week and visit Avenue Guitars, far and away the best guitar shop in Edmonton, and the only one I frequent. I’m looking forward to playing one again soon.

:: September 12th, “The Day After” for many people, I suppose, is a significant day in my life. It’s my father’s birthday, the birthday of another very close friend, and the day in 1983 I was hired to work at the SciTech Library, where I remain to this day. For me Sept 12 is always a day of celebration.

:: What a sad morning, however. I woke up to learn that Johnny Cash and John Ritter both passed away overnight. Ritter’s death was a shock, as he appeared to be in fine health when he collapsed on the set of his television show. Cash’s death resonates through the music industry – his influence and impact was and is immeasurable. What other artist, late in his or her career, would cover Soundgarden and Nine Inch Nails? He is already sadly missed.

:: I heard from my new host, and have the necessary information to begin setting up on their server. I’ve installed MT 2.64, and will begin configuring it tomorrow. Wish me luck, I hope it all works.

:: I spoke with a personal trainer at the Y today, and will meet with him on Sept 11 for an initial consulation. Tomorrow it’s another meeting with the nutritionist.

:: Last night I sat on the edge of my bed, and stared at the bookcase next to it. I looked at, maybe 10 different books of interest that I’d like to read. Couldn’t decide which one to read next. So I went to sleep instead. I’m no further ahead tonight.

:: The e-mails with the SobigF worms seems to be diminishing in number. Maybe the creator did discover girls. Or something. Maybe not.

:: School started today. Yesterday 23 new bright, flat-screen terminals were installed on our main floor. Today the new students attacked them with a fervor. The days of wondering if the new cohort of students is familiar with computers and peripheral devices is over. Already today, a student asked if he could plug his memory card into a USB port on the new machines (which aren’t configured yet for said cards). Most of us don’t know a USB port from a bottle of port. So the learning curve is steep again.

:: I’m going to take Geoff’s lead, and take a few days off from blogging. That said, don’t be surprised if something turns up here within a day or two.

:: One of the great hot dog stands in NYC loves Al Franken. BTW, I like Al Franken, too.

:: Moose and Squirrel Go Digital! My favorite cartoons have always been those produced by Warner Bros, and I reported recently that a 4-DVD set of classic Looney Tunes will be released in October. Next to Bugs & Co., I loved the Jay Ward cartoons, led by Rocky and Bullwinkle, and including Mr Peabody and Sherman, Fractured Fairy Tales, George of the Jungle, Hoppity Hooper, and many other brilliant creations. I learned today that Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends: Season One is now available on DVD as well. Reviews I’ve found have been very favourable. Another item to add to the always lengthening wish list…

:: I forgot to mention that a highlight of the weekend in Calgary was visiting an old friend: dr T, aka Terry K, my first roommate in Edmonton. We met in residence in 1978, and shared an apartment from Dec 78, for about a year, until he moved on to bigger and better things. Terry and I played much gee-tar together “in those days”, and he still has the chops. I met his wonderful wife Bev (also a guitar player, of the classical variety), and their beautiful daughter, Nicole. I was amazed that he remembered the words to a song I wrote that year – dr T, I bow in your general direction!

The past two years have seen me re-establish contact with many important people from my past. I reconnected with my dear friend Cathy G last year in Winnipeg (hadn’t seen her since 1973 or so), and this past July, with dozens of old high school friends, most of whom I hadn’t seen since 1971. I hadn’t seen Terry since the early 80s. It’s nice to know that one can go home again, in the sense that true friendships last a lifetime.

:: Had a two-hour meeting with a nutritionist today. It’s the first step in my attempt at a permanent lifestyle change in my eating habits.

:: Jeff Bezos of Amazon.com has founded a new company called Blue Origin, a company whose focus will include space tourism. (Don’t expect much from the website, though.) It’s Bezos’ new space programme. (From: Bill Maher)

I will be away for the next few days, on the road to see the Dan. Can’t promise any posts during this time, but one never knows…