tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78106505780411354992012-01-27T12:46:37.684-05:00A Whiskey Tango Fox MomentCatellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.comBlogger8581100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-84700129395187596592011-12-08T12:04:00.001-05:002011-12-08T12:50:04.274-05:00

The City of Toronto is currently wrestling with yet another "budget crises". One of the programs on the chopping block is the student nutrition program. This program is to ensure that children from poorer homes have at least one nutritious meal per day to compensate for the lack of food provided at home. So moved by the plight of poorer children in his ward, Councillor Doug Ford donated $1,000

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-53353155252333742092011-12-05T12:55:00.001-05:002011-12-05T14:39:54.744-05:00

I have had a long uneasy relationship with the Ontario education system. The further I got away from the education I received, the less relevant that education appeared to be. I tried to chalk this experience up to a personality quirk, and didn't dwell on it too much further. And then I became a dad, with two sons entering our education system, and that has resurrected all my negative feelings

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-50982411109114007412011-11-25T18:05:00.000-05:002011-11-25T18:05:47.532-05:00

Quite the dustup on Twitter today over whether or not Peter Mansbridge's salary should be publicly disclosed.  I came out on the side of the firmly against. Emmett Macfarlane surprised me when he tweeted: "I am in favour of a 'sunshine' list for the entire fed govt, just like Ontario's." and quickly countered my reply with "People arguing a sunshine list doesn't "do" anything. Transparency is an

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-66253643530130879312011-11-14T11:17:00.001-05:002011-11-14T11:18:32.582-05:00

As a Microsoft License administrator for our company, I need to create a LiveID account to access our license agreements.  So I started down that path, got stuck at the LiveID password reset option (which is mandatory).  In order to create an account, I have to select a Question Answer combo that I have to correctly reply to in case I need my password reset. These are the available questions: 1)

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-32045742226683553242011-11-09T20:29:00.001-05:002011-11-09T20:30:08.370-05:00

So today the panic hit when Google announced they were ending development and the availability of the Gmail App for Blackberry.  The information conveyed so far implied that Blackberry users were left with only one option, the Web only interface. I use Gmail on my Blackberry, so this announcement concerned me a wee bit.  What confused me (and Chris) is that the Blackberry already has native

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-18795786385697035912011-10-17T21:49:00.000-04:002011-10-17T21:49:33.768-04:00

While my sympathies lie with the Occupy Some Street protests happening world wide, I ain't entirely behind them either. I do agree that the growing wealth divide in the West, including Canada, is an issue. I also do not have a problem with the lack of a coherent voice out of the movement. Criticisms that it doesn't have a coherent point are offside as far as I am concerned. More on that later..

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-68345426415279003782011-10-05T12:19:00.000-04:002011-10-06T14:01:44.767-04:00

I am seriously angered by Tim Hudak's campaign in the 2011 Ontario Provincial Election.  Why? Because he has turned the Ontario PC party into the political equivalent of the Boston Red Sox. Dalton McGuinty and the Ontario Liberal party do not deserve another majority mandate.  Period.  But (for me anyway) the Ontario Liberals are the least worst option.  This has nothing to with how well Dalton

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-12080174580334062102011-09-29T14:49:00.002-04:002011-09-29T14:49:24.580-04:00

What he said: He said the Conservatives would rather let the market resolve consumer reaction to digital locks, suggesting if many buyers balk at them, companies would offer alternatives. “The movie industry has digital locks on some films and not others ... An informed consumer makes the right choices. If people don’t want to buy a piece of software or a movie that has a digital lock, the

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-65273391829148165672011-09-14T13:27:00.000-04:002011-09-14T13:28:59.292-04:00

The title should be enough warning for you... While using the bathroom, do you find yourself composing tweets in your head that you wish you could post to Twitter, but you don't because, well, people think you're strange enough? No? Just me huh. Time to use Catelli's rule #1. "It isn't strange when I do it." In no particular order, here are the unsent Tweets that have occured to me

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-78239278162865765462011-08-04T21:52:00.002-04:002011-08-05T09:46:02.007-04:00

Today the Government of Canada did a shit-stupid thing by announcing "saving $100 million to $200 million annually" by creating "a more efficient and secure information technology system, but also a cheaper one". They stressed the "initiative will have no net cost" Oh really????? How do you consolidate "a hodgepodge of email systems, data centres and networks" that use "more than 100 different

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-62002724507482182142011-07-07T12:52:00.000-04:002011-07-07T12:52:27.706-04:00

Top ISPs agree to become copyright cops This is a frightening development with serious long-term implications for Internet users. At first glance, it does make sense for ISPs to monitor for "copyright" content and to alert for violations. But... With technology what is assumed to be happening and what actually has to take place are two different kettles of fish. Just monitor for copyright

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-76885130875663773812011-07-05T13:53:00.000-04:002011-07-05T13:53:52.101-04:00

Background starts here: (Briefly, a man asked a woman to have coffee in his hotel room while alone with her on an elevator. Creeped and scared the woman. She went public, various reactions ensued. Seriously, read the background stories.) Whenever I read a story like this, I can't help but personalize it and put myself in somebody's shoes.  In this case the male's.  This story hit home because

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-19151688493707626702011-06-24T13:12:00.000-04:002011-06-24T13:12:45.737-04:00

Let me start with a real-life allegory for the current Canada Post situation. My dad is a retired fire fighter, and this is one of his stories. My dad's crew gets a call, and arrive to find a residential driveway gloriously engulfed in flames. It was a gasoline fire, so a chemical suppressant had to be used. In discussions with the homeowner, the following series of events transpired. The

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-17462221012760241332011-06-01T14:13:00.002-04:002011-06-01T14:15:07.474-04:00

Me: Please accept my credentials Security Appliance: Configuration invalid, cannot validate credentials Me: WTF!  This worked last week! Security Appliance: Configuration invalid, cannot validate credentials Me: Fine.  How about this configuration? Security Appliance: Configuration invalid, cannot validate credentials . . . (3 hrs later after trying every conceivable configuration permutation

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-50291992903846008312011-05-06T21:58:00.001-04:002011-05-06T22:00:43.626-04:00

Consumers feeling ripped off over gas prices. Few topics get people riled up as much as gas prices. As someone that drives 150 kms a day, you'd think I'd be on the side of the riled. I'm not. While gas prices can/do/have made me wince and cringe while filling up my vehicles, I really don't curse the "greedy" oil companies responsible. Why not? All companies are greedy. It is a simple

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-1478754016324403122011-05-03T13:47:00.002-04:002011-05-03T14:05:38.838-04:00

I suppose like many people, I am still numbed by the results of Election 41, 2011. The Bloc Quebecois was obliterated, and the Liberal Party was decimated. The Conservative party has a solid majority and the NDP is now the official opposition with an unprecedented number of seats. We have returned, in effect, to a two party parliament. Oh yeah, and Elizabeth May won the Green Party’s first

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-61635459253053278092011-05-01T13:47:00.000-04:002011-05-01T13:47:40.519-04:00

The Twittercloud is having quite the debate over Kady O'Malley's announcement she does not vote, federally at any rate. The inestimable Dr. Dawg came down pretty harshly on this announcement, (as have others). Up front I am saddened by this announcement; as engaged, intelligent, informed voters are what our electoral system needs more of, not less of. But I will respect and abide by her

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-20630596958568095692011-04-26T16:06:00.002-04:002011-04-26T16:06:13.668-04:00

None of your lip Do it.

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-10408064929419007792011-04-25T23:07:00.000-04:002011-04-25T23:07:21.970-04:00

How soon after the results of Election 41 are in and we start hearing the calls for Michael Ignatieff's head? How about tonight? *Note: I started this post before I read Kelly's comment. We have two federal leaders: Harper and Ignatieff that can't much change the minds of the electorate, despite both parties having low support in the polls. Neither can overcome the weakness of the other. Add

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-18926422492313817832011-04-20T20:24:00.001-04:002011-04-20T20:42:51.855-04:00

"What is SpeedBoost? SpeedBoost™ is a new technology that detects when there's available bandwidth and automatically increases speed when you need it most; turbocharging your streaming video, online gaming and downloading activities! SpeedBoost technology is available with the Rogers network and is included with your Hi-Speed Internet service at no additional charge." There's something fishy

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-65298443841355508592011-04-20T08:18:00.002-04:002011-04-20T09:41:52.512-04:00

Kelly McParland takes Michael Ignatieff to task for daring to talk honestly, openly and truthfully about the prospects of a coalition government (official or otherwise) should another Conservative minority fail to win the confidence of the house. His frank discussion with Peter Mansbridge was "far-out-nuts" and handed Stephen Harper a gift on a silver platter (and a side order of champagne, brie

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-44385699894347040572011-04-11T10:45:00.004-04:002011-04-11T23:41:31.689-04:00

Slacker: Spends all day getting coffee, wandering the office talking to co-workers, surfing the internet, forwarding jokes, etc. TWL: Spends all day getting coffee, wandering the office talking to co-workers, surfing the internet, forwarding jokes, etc. How to spot the difference. TWL sufferers have trouble remembering basic facts, lose their coffee mug in random locations, blank out

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-37178536856293265992011-04-07T21:02:00.001-04:002011-04-07T21:12:43.171-04:00

I asked on Twitter a few days ago, has Stephen Harper made any campaign pledges that are not contingent on eliminating the deficit or winning a majority? The silence of the crickets was very informative. So far (by one count), Harper has pledged $3 billion in tax credits once the deficit is eliminated.  Which got me thinking, if all these miraculous pledges come to fruition, won't their

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-55990091087890545622011-04-07T15:33:00.002-04:002011-04-07T15:34:51.977-04:00

Three Phone Tips for Antisocial People Like Me Who Hate Phones Like the author of the above linked article, I dislike using the phone. I will put off calls I have to make just because I hate the damned thing so much. I do like talking to people, I just don't like phones. In a strange way, I think I find phones more impersonal than twitter or e-mail. Write that statement off to a personality

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-55435328443094272622011-03-29T20:35:00.004-04:002011-03-30T10:06:46.990-04:00

So Stephen Harper announces a plan to implement Income Splitting for families once the budget is balanced. I figure this will happen around the same time when we solve Climate Change or discover World Peace..... There has been much to-ing and fro-ing over whether this is a fair initiative or an attempt to start a Mommy war. Stephen Gordon Frances Woolley summarizes some of that here. I must

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-53560514991958581012011-03-25T16:08:00.005-04:002011-03-25T20:52:16.303-04:00

I am close to incoherent rage on how the media is handling the coalition question. The very existence of this question and how the media are delivering it shows their contempt for Canadians and for our democratic institutions and how they work. Jiminy Frakkin Cricket! At every turn Ignatieff has to answer hypothetical questions about an unknown future makeup of parliament. But the same

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-46915644388320057252011-03-08T11:44:00.001-05:002011-03-08T11:45:39.860-05:00

..But it is all out of our pockets! The national [Conservative] party transferred money to 67 local candidates, who then transferred it back to be spent on national ads. ... Elections Canada reimburses all candidates 60 per cent of their eligible expenses if they meet a certain threshold of votes. The money comes from the public purse. Court documents show Elections Canada reimbursed more than

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-114333507733707722011-03-07T13:00:00.001-05:002011-03-07T13:03:23.669-05:00

Lies, damned lies, and politicians.... I read Marc Garneau's submission to the CRTC this morning and nearly had an apoplexy. This submission is nothing more than populist generating clap-trap that isn't worth serious consideration by anybody. So therefore it is an official position of the Liberal Party of Canada. Useless 'effin gas-bags the lot of them. Anyway, so lets do a point by point

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-38128612926019304592011-02-21T11:10:00.001-05:002011-02-21T11:13:01.188-05:00

Apparently inserting words into a document after the fact is standard procedure.  I echo Andrew Coyne, if this is true, produce other documents that have been modified in this way. I also want to add, has no one in our government ever heard of one these?  There are better ways to indicate that a proposal is not accepted.  Well-understood and clearly communicated ways that don't require

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-4284819883072215362011-02-15T21:04:00.001-05:002011-02-15T22:17:22.421-05:00

He is also a liar, viciously partisan, mean-spirited and a buffoon. For all else, what Dan Gardner said.

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-11111728094443674682011-02-15T10:36:00.000-05:002011-02-15T10:36:05.279-05:00

To clarify a possible miscommunication, I'm not saying the public at large should not be concerned about DPI.  The public should be concerned about it in the larger context. When the public at large is warned of the dangers of a particular technology, and that technology becomes the focus of a movement, the public is then putting on blinders to what the true danger is.  The "problem" the public

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-21992743820997463902011-02-09T20:58:00.002-05:002011-02-09T21:41:27.969-05:00

I may have to drop Chris Parsons off of my Twitter feed... Today he tweeted a link to an article about DPI technology.  Yet again, another misinformed post decrying the evils of Deep Packet Inspection technology and my blood pressure quickly started to rise again.  If I want to maintain my health and sanity I'll have to stop reading these posts; posts which Chris is damned good at finding! This

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-53847938049799719772011-02-03T20:47:00.001-05:002011-02-03T20:57:37.188-05:00

For those that still use cable or satellite providers, has anyone taken a hard look at their bills lately?  Can anyone explain why Bell/Rogers/Cogeco et al. are allowed to get away with such high rates? With Internet traffic, there is a plausible justification for usage based billing (in an ideal none-fucked-up Canadian telecom landscape.)  Data traffic has ebbs and flows and usage varies.  

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-26113756647547674422011-02-02T21:00:00.001-05:002011-02-02T21:02:32.943-05:00

I am an island, I really don't give a rats ass about the latest CRTC ruling involving Usage Based Billing by Canada's telcos.  The best none-hyperbole analyses that I have read so far has been by the indubitable Michale Geist.  Well indubitable to others... Before I continue, I have a quibble with M. Geist's point about how the Gateway Access Service (GAS) is not truly part of the Internet and

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-22689137723139292282011-02-02T17:03:00.000-05:002011-02-02T17:03:20.533-05:00

Disclaimer: Yes I know Egypt is the most important thing going on in the world right now. My only comment on the Egypt crises is this: I await the final result after the smoke has cleared. Until then, I do not worry about it or preoccupy myself with it. I do hope that Egyptians manage to get a free and open society, but as I am not Egyptian, it is entirely in the hands of the Egyptian people

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-52573341305350549702011-01-27T07:58:00.000-05:002011-01-27T07:58:39.341-05:00

If our company agrees that an employee needs a smartphone, the company will provide a brand new, current generation Blackberry and pay for all of your data and voice charges. You can use it for business and personal use. Yet some employees insist on wanting to use a personal device, because they don't want to carry two. Somehow "Free" and "Can Be Used For Personal Use" completely escapes them.

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-63732075662293022802011-01-26T12:39:00.001-05:002011-01-26T12:40:16.288-05:00

Let's say that your house had serious structural issues and had to be completely torn down and rebuilt.  Let us also say that you have been desiring a new kitchen for the last 10 years. Which would you do first? In the corporate world, you would do the kitchen first. Why? Because it adds immediate functionality (real or perceived, the distinction is moot). Rebuilding a house just replaces

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-63105966382392246072011-01-26T12:32:00.000-05:002011-01-26T12:32:08.267-05:00

I think the introduction of Lotus 1-2-3 was when business efficiency peaked.  Everything else has just been fluff since then.... And no, the introduction of e-mail did not improve productivity!

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-67024033832518851602011-01-19T20:34:00.000-05:002011-01-19T20:34:39.600-05:00

skdadl queried: Is Twitter affecting your writing? Are you becoming more succinct? "No."  Was my rather succint reply.  Which is true.  I did not lie, but it is not the whole truth. Twitter is proving to be an interesting, and addicting, medium.  When I compose a "tweet" I have to ensure that I can convey my message within 140 characters.  Many tweets have remained untweeted (probably to no

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-35430496375758667452011-01-19T14:34:00.000-05:002011-01-19T14:34:46.186-05:00

Minister Flaherty announced the following changes to Canada's home financing rules. Maximum term of 30 years (down from 35), and home owners can only borrow up to 85% of the value of the home (down from 90%) .  The justification is to rein in consumer debt.  The irony is that it was this very same Conservative government that allowed the 40(!) year mortgage in 2006, and have been slowly

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-55210440461386814382011-01-13T11:01:00.000-05:002011-01-13T11:01:51.193-05:00

Little bit of an uproar in the Twitterverse over the Oct 2010 by the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council decision to ban the un-edited playing of Money for Nothing, by Dire Straits. Andrew Coyne is calling for the CBSC and the CRTC to "get knotted." *I had to look that one up The morning hosts on Y108 also took exception to this ruling. The one aspect of the outrage is everyone is arguing

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-57979209123792026192011-01-11T12:26:00.002-05:002011-01-11T12:30:51.819-05:00

Last week a note was sent home to all the parents with kids in grade 1. The school was organizing two activity days as part of their physical activity curriculum. Parents were asked to sign a permission slip to allow their children to participate. The activity? Skating. For $6 they would be bused to the local arena, once in January and once in February. Many parents are slightly panicked,

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-81740607073543190702011-01-11T11:36:00.001-05:002011-01-11T11:37:41.257-05:00

OK, I accept the argument, tolls are the answer to our traffic woes. Question, who can afford to pay them? Andrew points out that commuters are driving longer and longer distances to get from home to work. What he does not look at is why we do so. As an individual with a 150 km round trip, which takes two or more hours a day, he fails to ask why do I subject myself to it? I do so because of

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-47878106483767440362011-01-10T16:20:00.000-05:002011-01-10T16:20:39.945-05:00

Via No Magic Here: Today's challenge, the BBC Top 100. Instructions: Bold those books you’ve read in their entirety, italicize the ones you started but didn’t finish or read an excerpt. 1. Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen 2 The Lord of the Rings – JRR Tolkien 3 Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte 4 Harry Potter series – JK Rowling (all) 5 To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee 6 The Bible 7 Wuthering

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-63740759859117317562011-01-10T15:01:00.001-05:002011-01-10T15:02:17.328-05:00

Much as I agree with Dawg and Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik that the level of eliminationist rhetoric is dangerous (and more prevalent and mainstream on the right half of the political sphere than on the left), Jared Loughner might not be the right person to make this connection on. Reading through the guy’s rhetoric, it’s clear that he’s crazy to the point of political incoherence. ..

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-51858508067878451452011-01-05T15:53:00.000-05:002011-01-05T15:53:02.532-05:00

What is the lesson to be drawn from the following story? Our main backup system is an EMC Avamar backup to disk solution. Instead of writing our backups to tape, we store them all on a large central disk solution. Net benefit, instead of backing up a select critical group of servers to 13 different tape systems, that would take over 24 hours to complete, we now backup all of our servers to one

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-42426587311831986372011-01-04T12:35:00.002-05:002011-01-04T12:42:17.214-05:00

Cat Stevens had it wrong, our continual development of roads and high rises haven't stopped the children from playing, it's an over-protective society. (Which ties in neatly with the continual hyper-ventilating about our obese kids.) Almost every week my wife tells me of a new rule on the playground at our kids' school for one activity or another they are not allowed to do. If there's snow,

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-82534475091728467202010-12-24T20:59:00.000-05:002010-12-24T20:59:57.577-05:00

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-88190249741320442022010-12-22T11:00:00.000-05:002010-12-22T11:00:12.910-05:00

"The British government has joined China, Iran and Australia in seeking to actively restrict access to [porn on] the Internet." Why are politicians so outraged about porn and children viewing it? Why is it such an issue that it, and it alone, requires laws and regulations governing that access? I understand why people find porn objectionable; I also understand if they don't want their kids to

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-65009464035204255332010-12-17T09:02:00.001-05:002010-12-17T09:06:45.775-05:00

Two articles that attempt to show that Cloud Computing is gaining acceptance.  But one problem I have not seen adequately explained is one of access and inter-connectivity. The first article linked (the easy migration of VMWare images to Amazon article) has a hint of what a major Cloud Computing impediment is: "The length of time to import a virtual machine depends on the size of the disk image

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-51871585689874203142010-12-16T20:56:00.000-05:002010-12-16T20:56:05.291-05:00

I took a crack at explaining why the Wikileaks document dumps could have a negative effect on the individual, specifically anyone employed in the public service.  I still stand by my assertion that people have an expectation of privacy in everything they do, even in the public arena.  We expect that there is a natural lower limit on the people that will read and digest any of our communications.

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-45187339285734512702010-12-13T20:57:00.001-05:002010-12-13T21:00:39.763-05:00

I was happy to hear that CHYM FM was going to play nothing but Christmas music from Dec. 1st on.  Christmas is my favourite time of year, and I love singing along to all the classic Christmas Carols. I wasn't able to tune in all that often, just a few minutes here and there, but it was often enough that I noticed something funny.  Tonight on the way home from work I was able to tune in for a

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-60183367597581627052010-12-08T15:20:00.000-05:002010-12-08T15:20:56.310-05:00

It is getting interesting out there on the intertubes. When you see disputes like this arise, you have to remind yourself, what's the first rule of business? Make money. How do you do this? By selling as little as possible for as much as possible. We call that "what the market will bear". Every business has to find that magic point of what the market will bear in terms of price markup.

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-78467906930574064222010-12-02T21:31:00.003-05:002010-12-02T21:43:09.094-05:00

I'm a (cowardly?) fence sitter when it comes to the latest Wikileaks data dump. I neither think it is the most treasonous evil thing to happen, but neither do I think it is the greatest evolution of information freedom ever. I do think that Wikileaks is a natural reaction to the excesses (perceived or otherwise) of western governments since 9/11. But like all reactions to excesses in one

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-1656493382913420762010-11-30T10:25:00.001-05:002010-11-30T10:27:01.606-05:00

I finally have a basement (with apologies to Colin James) Yes, the last piece of trim has been installed, and the kid's toys are finally moved out of the living room!  Yee Haw!  "Kids go downstairs and play, Mommy and Daddy want to hear themselves think!" Ever since we moved in to our house in July of 2000, we've had water issues in the basement, an issue our builder, Reid's Heritage Homes,

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-71484741392475313482010-11-25T16:29:00.001-05:002010-11-25T16:29:54.063-05:00

Ontario gov’t won’t release employee Internet records Damned straight they shouldn't.  Releasing this information is akin to the Ontario government releasing annual employee reviews, disciplinary notes, all e-mails sent by employees, etc. etc. Yes working in the public sector puts you under more of a microscope, (which is one reason why I will not take a job there) but employee internet access

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-49420343821518431592010-11-24T15:18:00.001-05:002010-11-24T15:19:18.908-05:00

Take a minute to understand this flowchart: This is a concise problem-solving methodology for the "How Do I?" type question you run into when using a computer. E.g. How do I print an envelope from Microsoft Word? There are many people that self-identify as computer illiterate, and can't conceptualize how to use a computer. They want their tasks written down in step-by-step form so that they

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-88960135190117191722010-11-17T20:38:00.001-05:002010-11-17T20:41:58.713-05:00

You might have noticed that my politically motivated blogging has all but disappeared. Where is my sense of outrage? Why am I not railing against the idiocy our Government espouses on a regular basis? Today we had the Conservatives in the senate tossing out a bill approved by the House of Commons. No debate, no reasoning, just tossed it. Previously, we have the Harper government unilaterally

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-15707450102649269682010-11-10T15:17:00.000-05:002010-11-10T15:17:49.698-05:00

IT admins mourn Xserve's death: "What is the point? Every time we get them inside the corporate IT culture they pull this crap," [Jason] said with obvious exasperation. "It gets to a point where, you know what? Enough's enough. They obviously don't want to be there." Apple's decision to kill their server line leaves me with mixed feelings. There is one in our organization. Do I support it?

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-67679471669301091062010-11-09T12:56:00.001-05:002010-11-09T12:58:22.947-05:00

The title of this post could be "Why your IT guy hates anything that he doesn't already use and know" but that's too wordy. And the idea came from this annoying article on C|Net. And I have a personal hate on for Apple. They are the only technology company that I loathe. I could spend hours explaining why I loathe Apple in particular, but I'm going to come at this from another angle. I've

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-32569344598216381622010-11-01T12:02:00.000-04:002010-11-01T12:02:46.455-04:00

Do you know the 3-second rule? The if food hits the floor it's safe to eat if you pick it up in 3 seconds or less? I have the same rule in conversations. Mine is the 3 sentence politeness rule. I use this rule with sales people at my door or cold-calling my home. If you do not get the polite hint that I do not want to talk to you, I get rude, and fast. I absolutely agree that people should

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-89808321219643365912010-10-18T15:18:00.000-04:002010-10-18T15:18:59.213-04:00

Hands up if you live in a smaller community and have no idea who is running for your town/regional/city council and what their platforms are. Yeah, me too. My local Cambridge "newspaper" (and I use that term loosely) is a complete waste of time, especially if you want current, useful information about anything, including elections. No candidates have come by, no flyers have been distributed.

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-44704731286480929652010-10-15T11:44:00.001-04:002010-10-15T11:49:01.758-04:00

As a liberal, I have a hard time embracing Michael Ignatieff and the Liberal Party of Canada. And it is all boiling down to one point, he's not a leader, he's a follower. Michael Ignatieff is still an enigma. I have no idea what principles will guide him if he ever becomes Prime Minister. The LPC is starting to release policy planks, but that is not the same thing. I don't have the time to

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-41896756689941136122010-09-29T15:53:00.000-04:002010-09-29T15:53:25.737-04:00

I want to sound a note of caution about laughing at the inanity of the Tea Party Movement. Matt Taibi has very clearly eviscerated self-identified Tea Party members in this very thought provoking article. Those of us outside are nodding our heads in recognition, agreeing that Tea Party members are "..full of shit. All of them." I do not disagree with this assessment, and neither do others.

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-19698034313785419062010-09-29T12:28:00.002-04:002010-09-29T12:28:39.340-04:00

Go read, now! That's an order!

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-60526413614867187522010-09-27T14:02:00.003-04:002010-09-27T14:03:37.382-04:00

The following is a true story.  Names have been changed to protect the stupid. A friend of mine, Jim, is a police officer for the city of Guelph, Ontario.  For those that do not know, Guelph is a small city with good sized university.  Like universities everywhere, the beginning of September is considered "frosh week" with all kinds of drunken shenanigans perpetrated on the long-suffering

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-65999834151837315942010-09-23T21:07:00.001-04:002010-09-23T21:26:52.162-04:00

From a comment in my last blog post: "Completely off-topic, but I thought you might want to see this and, perhaps, weigh in. Scary stuff." Yes it is scary. And it has nothing to do with the virus itself. I'll tell you why it's scary. Most, if not all, of the PLCs (Programmable Logic Controllers) that are on manufacturing lines or other industrial facilities have no security in them whatsoever.

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-9051596393375066802010-09-20T15:09:00.001-04:002010-09-20T15:12:28.278-04:00

Via Twitter, I read an interview with BMO Senior Economist Sal Guatieri. I haven't taken Economics 101 (isn't it obvious?), but Sal's conclusion that we are not headed for a double-dip recession rang false with me. The key statement that jumped out at me was this: "Canadian consumers likely need to tighten their belts a little bit. There’s no question we are sitting at a record level of

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-60489796892733977582010-09-16T21:16:00.000-04:002010-09-16T21:16:00.976-04:00

Or so implies John Baird.  I share Ken's sentiment.  Namely, what the hell? This constant attack on "the elites" is a self-destructive political strategy.  At various times they have denigrated experts, intellectuals and Torontonians as elites.  To be branded elite, is to branded with a scarlet "E" by the Conservative Party of Canada. Apparently being smart or a citizen of a specific area is to

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-36212240045351256742010-09-09T21:36:00.001-04:002010-09-09T21:54:47.415-04:00

The last two nights, CBC's The National has devoted significant air-time to the bullshit kids getting sick from WiFi story.  They have gone so far as to demand that Health Canada investigate.  Health Canada, to its credit, is sticking to the science and saying no. What CBC is unwilling or unable to understand, is that there is nothing magical about wireless networking devices, or WiFi. It is a

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-15671146022179298532010-08-26T23:58:00.001-04:002010-08-26T23:59:27.339-04:00

It keeps coming up that the gun registry is the hammer to solve all our gun related problems. An old saying comes to mind, when you have a hammer everything looks like a nail.  All these examples keep citing a central point that "because they searched the registry, they were able to obtain a warrant and remove the guns." Maybe I'm being a little obtuse here.  But it appears to me, that since

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-9880364498865115682010-08-24T12:35:00.000-04:002010-08-24T12:35:47.516-04:00

Steve laments that there is no sensible discourse on the topic of the gun registry. The most frustrating part of this entire long gun registry "debate" is the lack of any middle ground, as proponents and detractors distort and present one sided arguments, that can't even entertain any evidence which doesn't fit nicely into the preconceived bias. So here's my attempt at providing some rational

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-82132210387822281672010-08-22T17:37:00.002-04:002010-08-22T17:47:46.650-04:00

Just came back from a nice two week vacation at Bon Echo Provincial Park over in Eastern Ontario. Overall we had a great time. Bon echo is a beautiful park with a lot to offer. We know we want to go back as we didn't experience everything we wanted to. Every time I go camping I experience a "moment". A period of complete calm and harmony. It's always experienced while in the woods, on a

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-47254461379674678842010-08-07T22:44:00.001-04:002010-08-07T22:44:29.632-04:00

Technology ain't going where I'm going. See you in about 2 weeks!

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-85118753172757241612010-08-06T11:02:00.001-04:002010-08-06T11:06:20.550-04:00

As a Systems Admin responsible for maintaining servers, networks and other IT equipment on a corporate network; I have come to rely on certain programs that make my job easier. In random order, my particular software toolkit is comprised of the following. 1. PuTTy: Switches, Routers, even servers still are managed through a remote telnet or SSH shell. PuTTy is an essential tool for supporting

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-26284751555057829622010-08-05T10:55:00.001-04:002010-08-05T10:59:45.044-04:00

Via Chris, I learn about this. Google and Verizon, two leading players in Internet service and content, are nearing an agreement that could allow Verizon to speed some online content to Internet users more quickly if the content’s creators are willing to pay for the privilege. I hate this kind of reporting, because it is very misleading. You cannot pay any sum of money to "speed up" content

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-70175250750118908862010-08-03T11:35:00.000-04:002010-08-03T11:35:14.857-04:00

Much hue and cry of late over the future of RIM and its Blackberry Smartphone. I've always had a Love/Huh?  relationship with the Blackberry.  I love the Blackberry as a corporate user.  Combined with the Blackberry Enterprise Server, a corporation gets unparalleled secure mobile access to its internal messaging platforms, files, and other data sources.  The important word there is, SECURE. 

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-74359446600781588302010-07-28T12:59:00.003-04:002010-07-28T14:21:27.403-04:00

Someone send OPP Chief Julian Fantino back to school (and send the reporters covering this as well). These are irrelevant statistics: In 2008, there were 322 highway traffic deaths on OPP-patrolled roads compared to 451 in 2007, the release states. Last year, there were 310 highway traffic deaths. How many drivers were on the roads? Important context to the whole discussion no?  Especially

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-13526334468567312302010-07-27T21:28:00.000-04:002010-07-27T21:28:06.580-04:00

There's no such thing as justice for the dead. Justice is only for the living. Justice has two primary goals; rehabilitation and protection for society. Vengeance and punishment should not be motives except as means to achieve the two primary goals.

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-32725098892230310102010-07-27T12:01:00.001-04:002010-08-04T21:33:36.197-04:00

1. There is no process so simple that cannot be frakked up beyond all reason or logic. 2. Being busy and being productive are two distinct ideals that are often at cross-purposes with each other. 3. Meetings exist to delay and confuse. Also to stroke the ego of the organizer of the meeting. 4. Ignoring a problem until it goes away is a valid problem solving method. 5. If you wait until all

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-76407795139882236392010-07-26T11:46:00.001-04:002010-07-26T11:49:13.014-04:00

Regarding the census, Ken Breadner commented: I just broached this with my wife, who used to run a successful market research company. I was stunned to find she sides with Harper and Clement on this. Her argument is that quite a lot of census data is essentially useless a week after the thing's taken. Especially economic/employment data, in this volatile economy. She also independently

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-72489006714358202362010-07-22T10:12:00.000-04:002010-07-22T10:12:23.571-04:00

WTF?  http://unambig.com/the-perils-of-too-much-pacifism/#comment-17859

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-67280001100109951732010-07-20T16:38:00.001-04:002010-07-21T09:12:34.086-04:00

Argument 1: The Long-Form census invades our privacy.Rebuttal: That is an argument for canceling the Long-Form, not making it voluntary. Making it voluntary skews the bias and decreases the reliability of the data. Argument 2: The data is available from other sources.Rebuttal: That is an argument for canceling the Long-Form, not making it voluntary. Making it voluntary skews the bias and

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-19253790419458083752010-07-17T09:51:00.000-04:002010-07-17T09:51:21.836-04:00

Paul Wells doesn't come right out and say it, but the implication is there that the recent appointment process resulting in David Johnston as our GG was done to ensure there will be a compliant patsy in office. I understand this thought. As a Certified Harper HaterTM I automatically assume evil intent whenever I am informed of his latest vile deeds. So for arguments sakes, I will accept this

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-55773115817699020842010-07-15T11:39:00.000-04:002010-07-15T11:39:12.403-04:00

Am i the only one confused by the spate of drownings lately? There's a recent one that has me perplexed. Toronto man Bun Chang Tang, 31, apparently drowned Saturday morning at Wasaga Beach. He ran into the water to catch a ball and disappeared. He was pulled out of the water around 11:30am following an extensive search. For those that are unfamiliar with Wasaga, the water is like 3 feet deep

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-66393150758188441372010-07-12T16:46:00.001-04:002010-07-13T11:57:07.916-04:00

Ahhh!! I can't take it anymore! The next person to mention "cloud computing" to me is going to experience physical violence. The "cloud" is an outsourced hosting provider. Nothing more, nothing less. The value of said hosting is the same as always. Value for the money. Anybody considering it has to consider the cost/benefit of outsourcing vs. DIY. They also have to consider performance,

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-45761826351325442712010-07-12T12:04:00.000-04:002010-07-12T12:04:39.257-04:00

An Egyptian co-worker has been amazed by the overly aggressive tactics of the Dutch squad during the World Cup. I tried explaining to him that us Dutch are competitive to a fault.  We bring it to a whole new level. It was a concept that eluded him. We Dutch are a hard-working, sensible, frugal (some say cheap) people. We are not dainty or adorable. We are prideful, brash and LOUD. And I

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-32339906825997477202010-07-09T12:45:00.000-04:002010-07-09T12:45:23.431-04:00

Computerized stock trading leaves investors vulnerable I was concerned enough about relying on computers to make decisions for us in trading. But my concern was lessened knowing that computers will follow the rules they're given. My problem is, I don't think deviously enough. One of the ways traders misled investors in the past was by conducting sham trades with themselves. A trader might

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-33489768624299906462010-07-09T12:31:00.001-04:002010-07-09T12:34:15.064-04:00

Our liberty loving Conservative Government only cares about the liberties that are important to them: Apparently, the long mandatory survey was scrapped because it offends the staunch libertarian principles of the Harper government.Yes, the staunch libertarian principles of the government. The Harper government. The government that thinks marijuana decriminalization is a Marxist plot, an

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-24123398005258547792010-07-08T19:58:00.000-04:002010-07-08T19:58:36.756-04:00

Every time I see him:  I think of this: I find the resemblance uncanny.

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-23665452756188415402010-07-05T13:15:00.001-04:002010-07-05T22:30:32.712-04:00

Canada's tough new anti-tobacco law, Bill C-32, comes into effect at stores near you on July 5. Retailers will no longer be allowed to sell fruit- and candy-flavoured cigarillos (little cigars), cigarettes, and blunt wraps (rolling papers made of tobacco). My snarky response, thank goodness I gave up the Colts Black Cherry Cigarillos and now smoke the full size straight Cuban cigar! (or

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-68137133127529943282010-07-02T13:00:00.000-04:002010-07-02T13:00:20.623-04:00

Do we have concrete examples of how the info gathered from the long-form census was used to abuse individual liberties? “Our feeling was that the change was to make a reasonable limit on what most Canadians felt was an intrusion into their personal privacy in terms of answering the longer form,” Erik Waddell, spokesman for Industry Minister Tony Clement, said Tuesday. MOST? Really?!?!?

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-1468861235341658982010-06-30T22:27:00.002-04:002010-06-30T22:29:58.288-04:00

Over the years, I've found two beers that I cannot choke down, no matter how thirsty I am.  Those two are Miller Lite and Coors Light. So when Coors Light announced that there cans change colour when they reach the appropriate level of "coldness" I just smiled at the irony.  As any true beer drinker knows, chilling a beer kills flavour.  If a beer has to be cold to be palatable, it obviously

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-26730803843989984742010-06-29T14:08:00.001-04:002010-06-29T14:11:17.803-04:00

Following up to my last post, I do want to address what I see as the wrong-headed blame being placed on the police during the G20 summit. Not that their actions are blameless, or rather, were perfect, but they were normal and expected. Can you think of any other profession where you are expected to intuitively understand and know how to deal peacefully with any person in any emotional or mental

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-11248127970563947882010-06-28T13:31:00.001-04:002010-06-29T14:31:48.674-04:00

If there is one concept that eluded the G20 organizers throughout this whole debacle is that Toronto (as any other urban setting) is a city that belongs to the people.  You cannot deny people access to their own city where they work live and play and be consistent with the democratic principles that our country was founded on.  If you want to host a large secure exclusive access meeting in a

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-12066923501195703342010-06-27T14:50:00.000-04:002010-06-27T14:50:46.783-04:00

One thing I always wanted to do as a kid while camping, is ride my bike. But with all of the gear we had to pack, there just wasn't any room. And bike racks were not that common back then. Now that I have kids of my own, now they're pestering me to take their bikes. So I investigated bike racks, and settled on this: It's a Proformance rack by ProRac. It is an awesome design. No screwing

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-89883169319262647272010-06-22T23:07:00.003-04:002010-06-22T23:09:02.178-04:00

So I find myself in Falls Church Virginia this week.  (Across the river from Washington DC on the outskirts of Arlington Virgina.) I'm down here for some training and certification for a product called Autonomy Zantaz EAS.  Flew in Monday, got lost trying to find the hotel, and had my first training session today. Virgina, or what I've seen of this small corner is an attractive state for sure.

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-66786476669452015002010-06-18T20:47:00.000-04:002010-06-18T20:47:44.650-04:00

I succumbed after all.  On my drive home tonight I bought a Lotto Max ticket.  Just pissed away $5 on a dream. That dream is get out of my rut.  It's not that I hate my job, but I don't like it either.  My original plan was to work here for 3 years, get the experience and get out.  And then the tech crash that started the century happened. So here I am 12 years later, bored out of my frakking

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-33819786235009963372010-06-17T14:09:00.000-04:002010-06-17T14:09:16.086-04:00

I am not a protester by any stretch of the imagination. I am (or was) a peaceful law and order type that believes the best way to change a system is from within, not without. But the way the organizers have turned downtown Toronto into an armed camp is provoking me.  The more I read about how the common citizen is being chased away so pampered world leaders can meet in luxury and security

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7810650578041135499.post-5921935148911661742010-06-17T13:17:00.001-04:002010-06-17T13:21:03.171-04:00

Because of the insane level of security around the G20: Banks, Schools, Provincial parliament, Tourist sites are all shuttering up. As well as several other businesses, functions and other places people visit.  Toronto is not worth going to. Which means the only people showing up in downtown TO are the G20 invitees and the protesters. Makes rounding up the trouble-makers and shipping them off

Catellihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09400214911422450425noreply@blogger.com0