And then...

Somewhere in there, all the fish died.

And I also shaved the beard.

Holy crap, I'm on YouTube (PEI)

Here's the East Beach (Cavendish) in video, co-starring me.


[My first video!]

Okay! Back to Canadia!

So then, two months later, I went back up to PEI - this time for three weeks! In April, the winter had eased up, although snow had just dumped down over Easter weekend. The group of local kids on my flight from Montreal mentioned it, and I later found out it was a huge whiteout snowstorm that took the town from no-snow to piles-everywhere overnight. There was a big, cheering crowd awaiting our flight, and it turned out these kids had just won 2nd place in the national juniors Curling competition.

Since I was going to be living in Canada for so long, I decided to live like a native. So, I ate great seafood and drank Maritimes beer. By the way, I mentioned previously that PEI is known for their Island Blue Mussels - true enough. But apparently, their biggest agricultural product is potatoes, and several signs around refer to "Spud Island"...


[Picture is portal to a collection of Kris-pix!]


Mostly I worked. I'll spare the details. But I did get to the Racino - no horse races that day, and I played slots as long as I could stand it with no poker seats opening. Apparently, the Blackjack was coming around this summer. Another vice law change in the works: beer (and "pop") will soon be available in aluminium cans (nothing but glass bottles island-wide now). Also Sunday shopping has been approved, and many consider it the province's way of opening up retail alcohol sales on Sunday. Liquor stores are the only place to buy carry-away, and they are 100% government! I also visited the comic book store and bought this book.

Okay! The only real ray of sunshine during my trip (both figuratively and literally) was the long weekend Kristine came up. We had a great time, we rented a car, drove around a bunch, and you might not believe me if not for her pictures (click above example for more). Skies were gray and cloudy up until the day she arrived, but for the whole time she was there, it was really, really beautiful and sunny.

On Saturday, we drove up to Green Gables in Cavendish. Unfortunately, this iconic location wasn't open on Saturday. So we went to the nearby north shore, where we saw crazy cliffsides, next to grassy dunelands, next to a beautiful beach. The cliffs area was especially amazing with jutting, dark red clay crags battered by deep dark blue waters. It was primordial.




We saw New Glasgow, on the(ir) River Clyde, and this whole island somewhat resembled the Scotland of most of their ancestors. We drove down to Summerside, start of the North Cape Coastal Drive - see icon at bottom. We saw the Confederation Bridge - longest bridge over waters that freeze. If you make it to the island, don't miss the south shore's Victoria-By-The-Sea. We went because of the name, and it's as quaint as it sounds. Not at all set up for tourists (much unlike Cavendish/Green Gables), but it has an awesome 1950's or 60's fire engine.

Kristine eventually made it back to Green Gables (she read the book as a girl) when I returned to work, and we also had a great time in Charlottetown. She took my new favorite picture of myself in the fanciest restaurant we could find (clandestinely due to the fancitude):





The North Cape Coastal drive is something we missed, but I saw the sign a few times and really wish I could have gotten a t-shirt with the symbol on it. Great design!



P.S. The more I think about it, the more I think I got two events reversed. Now I think the Curling kids were in February, and the NHL playoffs started in April. This is why you blog in real-time, kids!

More Magic Pictures

This popped up pseudo-randomly (or not at all) on Flickr.

Pretty interesting photo approach - click for set:

Whooo boy!

Speaking of my neighborhood, one week and two blocks away...



The Linus Pauling Quartet will be playing the 4th of July, at Rudyard's!




NovoxSpace.

Be there, or be elsewhere.

In The City

Before we go back in time again, here are some modern (or contemporary, or taken-today) pictures of my "fonky" neighborhood. Full set, plus "Insomnia" diptych.

Okay! Back to the, uh... past.

[First off, per Carey's request, I've now uploaded a batch of select Chicago '06 photos here. Photos by Kristine!]

So, soon after the new year, in February, I was sent on a business trip (one of two so far) to the frosty climes of Chalottetown, Prince Edward Island. For one week!



It's a sleepy seaside city, until summer - when it becomes the Florida Keys of eastern Canada. It's probably pretty hopping right now, with all it's beaches and campgrounds, pubs and discotheques. In February, it was bitterly cold... snow piled up everywhere, Atlantic winds whipping around - really great change from Texas.

The Stanley Cup playoffs were just starting, and I picked the Ottawa Senators to root for (no lie). Not too shabby, they only ended up losing in the Finals to the freaking Anaheim "Ducks".

Also, PEI is famous for their Blue Mussels - but really, I ate a lot of seafood and it was "all good" (as the kids say).

In addition to a bunch of work, I bought a disposable camera and took off to wander around. Click to see all the photos fit to view:


I am no photographer, and I basically got to roam as far around as I could during a cancelled interview slot. So, not bad!

Crash Course in ConLaw

Slate is starting their annual round-up of the soon-to-be-ending Supreme Court term.

Click the magic Supreme Court picture to begin!


[Ahhh, the good old days...]

Steranko!

Working on a project, found some nice comic book art from the 1960's.

So I'm sharin'!







Click last cover for Wiki on artist, Jim Steranko!

Newsflash!

I've just been informed that Guitar Hero II was a Christmas gift, and not birthday.

So, that brings us up to December...

I am a Hero II

So, as usual, September ended, and October progressed along its merry way. Eventially culminating in my birthday (or Hallowe'en, if you're not me).

I was lucky enough to get Guitar Hero II for the PlayStation2.



This is a great game that everyone really enjoys. Between this and the first one (which I've since picked up), there's a lot of fun to be had. Good mix of songs, and the guitar controller makes it fun for non-gaming peoples and non-guitarist persons,... but also for the non-Non types.

Here comes the Wiki!!!
July brings the '80s. And then, GH3 will be released this fall, apparently with "Paint It, Black" rocked straight off the original masters. And rumors about about Rock Band, including mics and drums along with the guitars and bass.

So, if you have a PS2, XboX, etc..., get it and get ready!


[I believe this might be "Difficult."]

Videopongroundupyeah!

More YouTube goodness. (Sorry for not mixing it up more, as I strive to catch up.) But several Pong videos are available, for those of you without Firefox.

Here are the two "studio" videos:





And two vintage (2000) live vids:





Just for posterity's sake... and your enjoymentainment!

Catching up, Pt. 2 (almost all YouTube's)

So, after all of that running around Chicago, Mike and Ottto showed up, and Kristine left town. I moved into some slightly scummier digs, and went to the Touch And Go Records' 25th Anniversary celebration.

Neither Butthole Surfers nor Slint attended. And only PW Long performed, rather than all of Mule, but still...

We did see Scratch Acid (o yeah!):


And Killdozer:
V*I*D*E*O and crazy man finally gets kicked out.

And Big Black:


As well as Shellac. And that was all on Saturday...

Catching up, Pt. 1

Back when I left off regular blogging, we were in Chicago.

Going to provide a couple of pictures, and a whirlwind round up. Just to, y'know, catch up!

So, here's what Kristine and I saw:
State Farm HQ!
The Art Institute of Chicago - amazing amount of amazing art.
Millenium Park and Navy Pier... Meh.

The Shedd Aquarium, with a 7' eel! Very nice aquarium.


The John Hancock Building Observatory - dizzying.

And The Friendly Confines of Wrigley Field!


Photographic evidence says that, in the battle for last place in the NL, the Pirates won. (Cubs 7-Pirates 2)

[Backfill: Carey asked for more pix, so there! Kristine's photography.]

Wha...? Where?

Mebbe I'm coming back!

Look out now...