Category: Me

Final thoughts on our holiday trip

Dan DickinsonLeave a comment

It seemed like we were gone longer than nine days. Some parting notes & elaborations:

  • First of all, travel: flying on WestJet kicked ass. Both legs of the trip were on time, smooth, entertaining (seriously…the staff is actually friendly and quite funny at times) and free of incident. Our rental car and hotel room were the same, a claim my brother could not make.
  • Spending time with my family is, as always, the thing I look forward to the most. I only get to see my family once or twice a year at most, and wish it were more, so the visit — especially over the holidays — is always rewarding. Endless games of crib with my dad, silly laughter with my brothers, delicious treats prepared by my mom, gentle ribbing with my sister-in-law and SWMNBN and lots of playtime with my fantastic nephew and two nieces.
  • Speaking of my nephew and nieces, my oldest brother and I agree: my other brother and his wife have raised the three best kids we’ve ever seen. I saw plenty of not-so-good kids on this trip, and it made me appreciate even more the job their parents have done.
  • The time Nellie and I spent with my brothers and their lady friends for dinner a few days ago was especially memorable as we had yet another great meal at Da Maurizio and found a new wine bar (which I’m pretty sure was called Mosaic wine bar, though I can find no trace of it online).
  • Halifax now feels so different than when I lived there…perhaps it’s because I now have money and can afford to visit nice places, or perhaps it’s because those nice places have sprung up in recent years. Perhaps it’s because friends like MLS live there now. I don’t know…for the first time since I moved to Toronto I felt like I could live in Halifax again.
  • Finally, according to my siblings, I apparently still come across as surly. I’m a little surprised at that; I’m genuinely very happy. Sarcastic and introverted, sure, but I love every minute I’m awake. I just don’t want people — especially my family — thinking I’m depressed or despising everyone. My life, compared to most of the planet, is remarkably easy; to paraphrase David Cronenberg, the reason I can be so dark is because I’m so well grounded in what’s light.

And that’s it. I’m glad to be back home after nine days away, but already I’m trying to figure out how to see my family next year.

Here’s the flickr picture set.
[tags]westjet, family, halifax, da maurizio, surly[/tags]

"Aw yeah. That golden rule."

Dan DickinsonLeave a comment

We finished season 4 of The Wire last night. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: best show on TV. And I cannot wait for season 5.

.:.

I see that someone has claimed my old Radiodan blogspot URL. In case anyone’s worried that I’ve lapsed into writing long treatises on the subject of radio dramas, t’ain’t me. Update your links & readers.

.:.

Use transit in Toronto? This map is quickly going to become indispensable, methinks. [via Torontoist]

[tags]the wire, radiodan, toronto transit[/tags]

Have I mentioned how much I hate the word "monetize"?

Dan DickinsonLeave a comment

This NY Times story entitled Craiglist Meets The Capitalists kind of describes how my life feels.

“Jim Buckmaster, the chief executive of Craigslist, caused lots of head-scratching Thursday as he tried to explain to a bunch of Wall Street types why his company is not interested in “monetizing” his ridiculously popular Web operation. Appearing at the UBS global media conference in New York, Mr. Buckmaster took questions from the bemused audience, which apparently could not get its collective mind around the notion that Craigslist exists to help Web users find jobs, cars, apartments and dates – and not so much to make money.”

I’m a socialist, am pro-Kyoto and have no problem paying as much tax as I do, yet I work for a bank, am halfway to an MBA and have a copy of The Wealth Of Nations on my bookshelf. I understand the profit motive, but I certainly think it has limits. I’d like to think I’m the middle ground that the bankers in this story can’t understand. Actually, I live in constant fear that I’ll end up like them.
[via Yes But No But Yes]

.:.

Lindsay Lohan claims she’s been going to AA meetings for a year in the same breath that she says she hasn’t had a drink in a week. Apparently Lindsay learned math at a Verizon training seminar.

OK, I apologize…I’ve been posting about overbaked harpies like Lohan and Paris Hilton too much lately. I’m falling for their ploy to stay in the public eye. Never again.*

* the author reserves the right to talk about them if they do something quantum-physics-level retarded.
[tags]craiglist, ny times, lindsay lohan[/tags]

Time is not on my side

Dan DickinsonLeave a comment

According to the {1/2 your age + 7} rule It will be August of 2017 before I can look at Hayden Panettiere and not feel like a lech.

That could be a problem ’cause…well, look. That’s what I see in hi-def every week. NOT fair.

Wait…I wouldn’t be able to date her until 2017*, but I only have to feel like a lech ’til she’s 19…and that’s in two years! Sweet! Heroes probably won’t even last that long…

*of course, I’ll still be married to my lovely wife. right honey? ha ha. ha ha ha ha.
[tags]hayden panettiere, heroes[/tags]

No help for Parrsboro after all

Dan DickinsonLeave a comment

It looks like the employment optimism that took over my hometown a few months ago has come crashing to the ground. It all sounded pretty fishy from the start — adding 1500 jobs to a town of 1300 people? — but I still hoped for the best.

Sadly, for the past few days I’ve been reading about the apparent collapse of the deal on (former elementary schoolmate and now reporter) Andrew Wagstaff’s blog, and now the story’s showing up on the CBC site as well. It’s too bad, but I can’t say I’m surprised; this guy Kerry Martens sounded like he had more style than substance. I’ve dealt with enough “visionary sales” guys to know that 90% of what they say is horse shit.

That town’s in such dire need of jobs…I think it was even crueler to dangle this in front of them and walk away than to never have mentioned it in the first place.

[tags]parrsboro, headz games, griddly headz, andrew wagstaff, kerry martens[/tags]

"Two long-bearded guys spreading ideas that make people lose their faith"

Dan DickinsonLeave a comment

As much as I dislike the practice of marketing in general, I firmly believe that there is a special, absurdist place in hell for brand managers.

.:.

Speaking of hell, I think it’s inside my throat. Never have I been so tempted to claw out my own windpipe.

OK, maybe I have once before.

.:.

Kansas has one thing going for it: it’s more rational than Turkey.

“The root of the terrorism that plagues our planet is not any of the divine religions, but atheism, and the expression of atheism in our times (is) Darwinism and materialism.”

Riiiiiiiiiight.

[tags]marketing, brand, cough & cold, turkey, muslim creationism[/tags]

Not a bad day so far, considering I've already had a needle in my arm

Dan DickinsonLeave a comment

Went to get some tests done this morning, as per the doctor’s orders: first, an “upper GI series”, where they stuck me on this crazy table and x-rayed me a bunch of times while I drank water, alka-seltzer and some kind of weird pasty stuff; second, a quick blood sample. It’s all related to the heartburn I’ve been feeling pretty steadily for the past 6 weeks or so.

The initial tests were at 8:30, and I was done by 8:50. Hardly any waiting, very nice doctor, very cool screen where I could see my own esophagus working, whiz-bang and I was out. The blood test was upstairs, so I waited for a few minutes and then the test was over in about 30 seconds. Usually it’s impossible to draw blood from me; last time I had blood drawn they stuck me twice in each arm before giving up and going into the back of my hand. This woman, however, got me on the first stick and had a full vial in about 20 seconds. I kind of didn’t believe her when she said she was done. Anyway, two tests later and I was on my way back to work by 9:05. Can’t beat that.

The muffin I just ate tasted extra good, as it was the first thing I’ve been allowed to eat in 14 hours. I was also happy to see a sign on the doors downstairs telling all the jackasses to stop hitting the wheelchair button just because they’re too fucking lazy to turn a knob and pull.

[tags]medical tests, wheelchair button, lazy-ass bastards[/tags]

The good, the bad and the hyperextended

Dan DickinsonLeave a comment

I definitely have a cold. Sore throat, stuffed up goodness. It’s not that bad yet, but it’s enough to be annoying.

I also seem to have pulled a muscle (?) in my chest last night while dismantling the TV/stereo equipment. I assume it was from trying to gently drop the 101-pound TV into the box; I actually don’t remember doing it. All I know is that this morning it hurts to do…well, anything.

On the plus side: I have the day off, I finished my stats assignment last night, and my new TV & stereo are being delivered today.

[tags]cold, pulled chest muscle[/tags]