Sub C View

2010-05-01T00:00:00.001-06:00

Geekin' with Leonard

2010-04-24T23:51:00.000-06:00

Pussywillows & Croci, Oh My!

2010-04-21T08:45:00.000-06:00

The Flame Shone Brightly

2010-02-28T23:58:00.001-07:00

Peters' Drive In

2010-02-21T23:38:00.000-07:00

So Long, January...

2010-01-31T23:26:00.000-07:00

Wow, It's Been a Year...

2010-01-21T23:16:00.001-07:00

Following the Flame

2010-01-20T23:52:00.001-07:00

Lights On, Lights Off

2010-01-18T23:04:00.001-07:00

You Can't Kill da Google!

2010-01-16T15:30:00.008-07:00

Well, it's early in the new year, and already China is exerting its' significant global economic influence, by putting the brakes somewhat on its' burgeoning economy. That makes Google's announcement earlier this week, that due to hacking on its' Chinese web center, possibly government condoned, it was removing previously agreed to blocking of "sensitive or inappropriate material" on its search engine, that much more interesting. Google also intimated that unless a more business friendly climate was created by the government, it would pull out of China altogether. I must admit, that takes cojones. Google was at best, 30% of the share, but obviously was a significant thorn in the side of the Chinese search engine, Baidu.

So, after reading the above installment of "Pearls Before Swine", I couldn't help but make a little alteration. I think sensitivity to local cultural sensitivities and mores is a must in international business, but China also must realize that you can't expect companies to tolerate bullying, and that you can't expect such a large, educated population to have Tianamen Square blocked from their collective consciousness forever.

As Goes Our Christmas Tree, So Goes The Year, The Decade...

2009-12-31T23:52:00.006-07:00

Most decades, and most years (except this one), start out with great promise, optimism and hope, much like the trees we bring into our homes at Christmas, brightening them with lights and shiny decorations. However, these measures of time, or Norwegian spruce as the case may be, don't always live up to our exalted expectations. Sometimes, sometimes the needles don't stick to the tree worth a damn, no matter how much water and fertilizer you give it, and fall off like everyone's stock portfolios a year ago, or Stamps fans off the bandwagon. Sometimes, sometimes you just have to make sure there are no ignition sources nearby, then take a shovel, scoop up the year's debris, dump it into the garbage can of yesteryear, and once again, start anew.

Happy New Year everyone, and here's wishing you all the best in 2010!

It's Not Easy, Being Green...

2009-11-29T23:35:00.002-07:00

The above images taken in September are of the skeletal structure for the temporary seating being built at the northwest end of McMahon stadium, for the Grey Cup. They were filled for several hours Sunday with very eager and excited (mostly) Rider fans, and now are once again empty, and soon to be dismantled. The images below are of the fans streaming off the Banff Trail LRT platform, and towards McMahon stadium, about 2 hours before game time. I suspect many are much less exuberant right now.

Hopefully, unlike the temporary stands, the Roughriders will not be dismantled (due to free agency), and will once again be a contending force for 2010's Grey Cup in Edmonton, their 2nd best "home away from home".

Saturday at the Grey Cup Parade & Festival

2009-11-28T23:52:00.004-07:00

I headed down to watch the parade on Saturday. It began about 20 minutes late from the planned 11:00 am start, but it was a pleasant day around the freezing mark, and the crowd, being in a rather festive mood, was none too concerned. The parade had just under 2000 participants, a few colourful floats, many great marching bands, and of course, a strong western horseback ridden presence. Following the parade, and walked a few blocks over to Stephen Avenue, where the Grey Cup Festival took place over a few blocks. I spent an hour or so at the ScotiaBank CFL Experience in the Telus Convention Centre, testing the accuracy of my throwing arm, and taking in the memorabilia and photos. On the street were various booths, a concert stage, an encore by one of the marching bands, many creatively garbed fans, and very, very long lineups to get into Riderville.

Please note there are many more photos in the folder in my Picasa Gallery link at top left.

And So It Begins...

2009-11-25T12:46:00.006-07:00

The Roughriders arrived in town yesterday, and were supposed to take the field at practice today. I wonder if the 'Rider fans have begun their pilgrimage west?

Never mind...

RRRIIIIIIDDDEERRRRSSSS!!!!!

2009-11-22T22:45:00.005-07:00

I would say that Yola is looking past Calgary to the Grey Cup next week, but she's not, because we're in Calgary, and the 'Riders will be here in the Grey Cup. Sweet!!! With about 300,000 odd (and I mean odd) Sask. ex pats here in Calgary, this town will be painted green like it's never seen this week. Hard to believe that it's the first time in 78 years that the Als and the 'Riders will square off in the Grey Cup. GO RIDERS!!!!

Second Spring

2009-11-21T23:51:00.005-07:00

After a winter-like October, the first 3 weeks of November have seemed almost like a second spring. The wildlife in Confederation Park, seem to be treating it as such. The redpolls, house finches, blue jays are among those enjoying the relatively balmy temperatures. The magpies seemed content to lounge around, curiously watching what Yola would coax out of the tall grass. Meanwhile, the resident muskrat was using the bonus extension of open water to gather some twigs and grass for his creekside larder.

Frightday the 13th

2009-11-13T10:58:00.010-07:00

For those amongst you who go out of their way to avoid walking under ladders, breaking mirrors, the number 13, and oh-so-achingly-precious-but-cloyingly-vacant teen vampire dramas (the latter actually being a good idea), here are some photos to set your heart atremble. This formidably ferocious feline, he of black (okay, charcoal grey and white) fur and feverish focus, will furnish those who flagrantly afront his forays with fortune so foul, they will forever feel his fierce fangs inflict fiendishness upon their fleshy flank of fear. Yet, his stealth is so smooth, so successfully succint, seldom will you suspect his shadowy, surreptitious ubiquity. Behold: Charlie!

Jack o' Lantern Study: Day 10

2009-11-11T15:49:00.004-07:00

From "movie star" to has been - how quickly they fall. Jack's predilection for leering at passersby from frosty porches has led to his demise - first developing a Popeyeish squinched face, progressing rapidly to something resembling an "orange hole", a warp folded into itself on the space-time continuum. Ah well, the squashed squash will be worm food in our compost bin soon enough.

Scary (& Childish, Amateurish) Movie

2009-10-31T23:16:00.003-06:00

Hope everyone had a Happy, Hale & Hearty Hallowe'en!

The Bronze Age

2009-10-29T17:06:00.010-06:00

Due to this fall's weather pattern of a very warm September changing abruptly to a frigid October, many of the shrubs and trees did not have a chance to adapt for the normal shutdown of their foliage. The result was a more bronze to brown cast to many leaves. On the morning of October 23, I found the bronze cast of the willow, lilac and other shrub foliage to be quite striking in the morning light. I particularly liked the leathery texture of some of the lilac leaves.

Community Garden Plot 2009 - R.I.P.

2009-10-23T23:51:00.004-06:00

On last Friday, the 23rd, I finally managed to put our Community Garden plot to rest. I wish I would've rescued the one viable cabbage head, but it was now smelling rather foul. What remained consisted mostly of the wilted squash, freeze dried sunflowers, the dried strands of pole beans, and the aforementioned cabbages. Some of the edamame bean plants also remained, and had turned a beautiful light bronze colour. There were also two small rows of underdeveloped beets and carrots. I did manage to harvest three viable parsnips though (hidden under the ropy masses of the sunflower "trunks"). I pulled out everything, composting what I could, and turned the earth over to winter for another year.

Sunday in the Park

2009-10-19T23:54:00.005-06:00

October 18 was an interesting Sunday in Confederation Park. It was mostly overcast and a bit chilly, but that didn't deter the Calgary Roadrunners X-Country running club from holding a race early in the afternoon. There was also a mixture of patterns and texture in the ice and melt on the pond, which the mallards, crashed on like a Slip-n-Slide; and of course families with frisbee hungry dogs.

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-10-12T23:55:00.010-06:00

I hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving, despite the record breaking cold temperatures this morning. If you look closely enough, you can see the beauty in a day like this - whether it's the delicately frosted grass blades as they dangle over a partly frozen creek, "salted" varicoloured leaves, or the intriguing blend of shapes and colour in the icy emanations of a storm drain pipe.

They Live among Us...

2009-10-09T23:58:00.003-06:00

Over the past few weeks, even before "The Big Chill", we've noticed an increasing number of uninvited houseguests, mostly ladybeetles(bugs). This was facilitated by my leaving the back door open slightly when I was home during the warmer weather, so Charlie the cat and Yola the dog could come and go as they please. Thus, the ladybugs were able to bypass the usually strict immigration protocol. They are actually very unobtrusive, and keep to themselves in the three main sites - just trying to find a warm place to survive the winter. And really, isn't that what we all want?

Not Calvin, DEFINITELY NOT Hobbes...

2009-10-08T23:57:00.004-06:00

Admittedly much after the fact, I'm placing my 2 cents worth here regarding the incident at the Calgary Zoo early Monday morning. These are pictures I had taken of Vitali during a (legal) visit early in July. Now, would you consider getting into the personal space of this beautifully fierce creature a good idea? Personally, I preferred to get up-close-and-personal using my 300 mm telezoom. But that's just me.

Apparently, such cogent thoughts did not enter the (likely) illicitly lubricated brains of the two wannabe kitty-huggers scaling the perimeter fences.

In an interesting note, it was revealed earlier Thursday that the "leader", and most seriously injured of the two, has a common-law relationship with the security guard on duty that came to his rescue. It appears she was not complicit, but probably left wondering about her rather poor judgement in men.

That said, I hope the young man recovers fully, and they are both able to face the trespassing charges against them. May I propose the judge consider the punishment to be a 3 hour lecture from leathery animal do-gooder Bob Barker (no PETA babes need apply).

One of the best comments about this incident came from a listener on CBC Radio's Homestretch: "Too many idiots, too few tigers."

Would You Believe...

2009-09-30T23:47:00.010-06:00

...that a week ago it was 33.2 deg C!? Since it's going to feel fall-like and maybe even downright chilly over the next few days, let's relive that glorious (smokey) warmth from a week ago in pictures, shall we?

Yola: Last Day as ConeDog the Squirrel Chaser

2009-09-23T13:52:00.004-06:00

Beauty in Plant Death

2009-09-22T23:59:00.004-06:00

On Monday, the last day of summer, we had our coldest night of the season, where we measured a low of 0.1 deg C at the house. Today, we had our warmest day of the summer (measured at 32.8 deg C at the house), yet it was actually the second day of fall. The way that summer failed to make a punctual arrival has made this lingering warmth in September that much more sweet, but it will soon end. And so will the verdant life of our garden plot. Previous to the chill, a combination of decreasing light, mildew, other fungi and insects had already begun to sap the vibrancy of the foliage, and now it has accelerated. This light frost seemed to affect mostly the squash and pole bean leaves. The combination of these factors has created its' own strange beauty in the withering leaves, if you look closely enough.

The Secret Life of Squash

2009-09-21T23:47:00.016-06:00

When we orginally decided to grow pattypan squash in our community garden plot, we thought, because the fruits are a diminutive size in grocery stores, the plant itself would not consume much space either. Wrong. The plants become similar in size and shape to their more robust cousins, the ubiquitous zucchini, and have taken up almost half of our 8' X 12' plot. And prolific - great gourds, are they prolific! They're the bunnies of the squash world, and if you blink, they'll grow to the size of a mother ship, vs the usually thought of smart-car-version-of-a-flying saucer. The flesh is similar to a zucchini, and is quite good marinated and grilled, stuffed, sauteed or in a stir fry, etc. However, on day 7, after you've shovelled down your third helping of pattypan surprise casserole, you're willing to bolt outside and deposit 10 lb sacks of the the scalloped urchins on the porches of every neighbour on the block.

That being said however, despite the multitude of flowers and little buds (see photo taken today below), and a promise of more warm weather remaining, the gourd hordes are now expanding at more of a snail's pace.

2 months - Or Longer??....

2009-09-10T23:17:00.014-06:00

Well, due to a combination of: glitches determining the cause of a PC malfunction (snuffed operating system (os)); vacationing in Saskatchewan, then BC; trying to reload said 'os' to some semblance of what was before, with much frustration; being overwhelmed by the 32 odd GB of photos with no home but their flash cards; and yes, just plain laziness, I have not posted in well nigh these past two months, or is it millenia?

As I look at my dog Yola, fitted funnel-like with her "Elizabethan Collar", she makes me think of a cross between the RCA Victor dog and Laika, the Russian canineonaut of some 52 yrs ago. How did this come to pass? About 1 month ago, we felt a small, suspicious lump just above her groin on her right side. A visit to the vet seemed to indicate from aspirated fluid that the mass was benign. Tammy and I headed on our trip to BC, and the proposed minor surgery postponed to our return. Yesterday was the day of the procedure, and she certainly read something into my body language, because despite normally being reluctant about going to the vet, yesterday she was downright obstinate, and refused to get out of the truck. I prevailed in the end, and Yola had her surgery, which went well (the mass ended up being a foreign body, perhaps a quill segment or wood, walled off by a cyst). The worst was yet to come, though, with the ignominy of her having to wear this, this ... thing.

She's got another 10 days to go with this, but I'm sure she'll survive. She's certainly milking the sympathy for all it's worth in the meantime. I shouldn't poke too much fun, but there's an odd mix of sympathy and an urge to chuckle as she clonks around with this thing like Maxwell Smart with the cone of silence around his neck. Anyway, here's her scar, wanna see?:

I promise: the next few posts will be more photos, less verbose.

Chester Lake Hike

2009-07-09T23:50:00.007-06:00

This past Saturday, July 4, Tammy and I, along once again with friends John and Rebecca, decided to declare our own independance from the Stampede, and headed out for a hike in Kananaskis. As we travelled south from the Trans Canada down highway 40 through Kananaskis, the skies were looking dark and brooding. However, as we turned northwest onto the Smith Dorien road, things began to look better. When we reached our destination, the trailhead to Chester Lake, the sun was bright and warm.

As we strode up the refurbished trail, we paused occasionally to enjoy the flora (here some heather blooms), the scenery, and some oxygen.

In about 80 minutes, the just-past-prime meadows of glacier lilies greeted us, and soon after, Chester Lake itself.

We proceeded to find a very suitable picnic spot, content to enjoy the view and our lunch.

Satisfied, we began our trek back down the trail. Yola, however, had some unfinished business to deal with - the incessant squeaking of the pikas (similar to chubby ground squirrels). I think her dirt smudged smile says it all.

Her work done, Yola quenched her thirst in a refreshingly ice cold creek on the way down. Once back at John's vehicle, we followed the Smith Dorien into Canmore, for a (well?) earned beverage and some pub grub.

Stampede's in Town

2009-07-04T23:30:00.016-06:00

Yes, for the next week, Calgary will be tapping once again into its' legitimate and also its' who-the-hell-are-you-trying-to-kid cowboy roots. Practitioners of the legitimate variety were to be found setting up their trailers at the staging area for the parade, etc. near the confluence of the Bow and Elbow rivers at the Fort Calgary grounds. One of the few areas in the centre of the city with good access to grass, water and a relatively quiet area for some exercise for the equine visitors (that's in addition to the politicians that flood into town to put on an ill-fitting white stetson and flip pancakes).
Yeee-haaww!

Happy Canada Day!

2009-07-01T11:04:00.008-06:00

It's Canada Day, and how better can one celebrate on a beautiful summer's day (one where the low temp was 4.3 deg C) than with a little 1 on 0 street hockey, as my young neighbour down the way demonstrates. So get out and tug your zipper, roll some stain on that fence, plug that camera full of alkaline batteries, or tinkle the synthesized ivories - just revel in the wonders of Canadian invention!

Garden Update IV: 100g Bag!

2009-06-30T23:26:00.012-06:00

Yesterday, I had a strong craving, one that I couldn't satisfy with any old mass produced, chemical laden product of a southern state. No, I needed me some U of C No. 1 green, and I needed it BAD. So, I grabbed a baggie, hopped on my ride, and headed down to the patch...
It was nice to collect some of our own edible greenery (had wilted spinach with some chops tonight).

On Saturday, Tammy and I placed some bamboo poles and twine around our patty pan squash and pole beans, in anticipation of training them as they climb.

Below are a couple of photos of the garden in general. As can be seen, some of the more experienced veteran gardeners are further ahead, but we're doing okay.

I was also glad to find out that two seedlings we had almost given up on, a pumpkin and squash plant, are actually showing new growth. The squash, seen below left, is further ahead, but still it will be iffy to mature in time. Below right are the edamame beans with neighbouring marigolds.

Noctilucent Clouds, Luminescent Celebrities

2009-06-26T22:51:00.009-06:00

These are photos I took of noctilucent clouds about 1/2 hr before sunset on Wednesday at Nose Hill Park. They are named noctilucent because they are usually only visible just prior to sunset and into deep twilight. I was able to distinguish them while wearing sunglasses, and altered brightness and contrast to approximate that effect. These tenuous, ripple textured bands and layers of ice crystals exist between 50 to 70 degrees latitude in the uppermost part of the atmosphere, the mesosphere. They are seen mainly during the summer months. Their existence has really only been known for a little over 100 years, and are becoming more common, perhaps pertaining to climate change.

I mention luminescent celebrities, because as one of many thousands of teenaged fans that owned one of the famous "red swimsuit" Farrah Fawcett posters, maybe, just maybe, one can visualize the textures of that famous mane in these skyscapes.

Head for the Hill

2009-06-24T23:57:00.016-06:00

On Sunday, we went out for our first official hike of the year, with some friends from Cochrane, John and Rebecca. We decided to start with a short, fairly easy walk with some scenery, climbing the hill overlooking the Station Flats area of the Elbow Valley. It was a gorgeous day, and we found a good scenic spot for lunch.

Below, Yola relaxes in her "private" shade, Tammy extols to Rebecca the benefits of a hat to prevent the "bleached blonde" look, and John demonstrates the here to for undiscovered use for dried apricots that have become soft and malleable in one's backpack.

And despite being somewhat late, there was floral abundance along the trail. Below, orchids, violets and Indian paintbrush.

Garden Update III: The Harvest Begins!

2009-06-23T21:56:00.019-06:00

As you can see above, our exhaustive toil in the garden patch has been rewarded by the beginnings of great bounty. The radishes are crisp, tasty, and fairly mild, with a slight zing at the finish.

Below are photos indicating the state of the garden today (thanks to a cool June, growth is slow, but improving). The spinach is coming along nicely, however, and we'll soon be noshing on that.

The young patty pan squash and edamame beans have interesting leaf patterns:

In Honour of Father's Day Yesterday...

2009-06-22T23:49:00.012-06:00

...ducklings! Lots of the flapping, frantic little fuzzballs. Last week, I took the first two pictures along the Bow River in South Calgary of a Mama merganser and her(?) brood of 16(!). I was since told she may have been running daycare.

The following two pictures of mallard ducklings were taken at nearby Confederation Park last week. The mother remained close by.

Calgary Enters the 21st Century! Hurrah!

2009-06-12T10:30:00.008-06:00

It's been a long time coming, but finally, the city's curbside recycling program began in our neighbourhood this morning.
Never mind that we're nearly a decade behind Edmonton, and even Red Deer - at least it's here. It may take a couple of weeks to clean up the backlog we have stored up - as we used a private recycling firm through March.

Now, if the city would only find some cajones to put some proper bike lanes in areas of the city away from the river paths, so cycling to work doesn't have to be considered an extreme sport. By that time however, the only wheels I'll be propelling will be the ones on my walker.

Burnt Pine (not Sienna) Sunset

2009-06-11T13:30:00.010-06:00

I took these photos back on May 29 when a prescribed burn to attempt to limit the pine beetle spread occurred near Canmore. In the first image, I was able to capture the smoky orange glow at sunset on Nose Hill, with the reflection on a seasonal pond that will usually disappear by July. The camera was equipped with my wide-angle lens, and set on a tripod to record multiple exposures, which I used to create this pseudo HDR image and bring the trees out of total silhouette.

The second image also used multiple exposures up a Nose Hill coulee, but was hand held, so the HDR image is a little more "jittery", but I still like the effect.

Clothesline Art to Art that Grows

2009-06-08T23:41:00.026-06:00

Last Sunday, as we did on the last Sunday in May last year, we went for a drive south of Calgary to the Leighton Art Centre's Clothesline Art Sale, where they have painting from local artists pinned in and outside tents around the old house that serves as the main gallery. There was also a short sculpture walk in the nearby woods, with stumps serving as dais's (daisi?). The view on such a nice day was also terrific, and wagon rides were also available.

Afterwards, we stopped down the road at the Priddis Valley Garden Centre, a work of art in itself, with funky, warm colours, unique sculptures, structures, doodads, a welcoming host and warm atmosphere.

Snowbarb!

2009-06-07T00:37:00.010-06:00

Well, we did get snow on Saturday, not a dump, but still, snow - on June 6! One should not be surprised however, with Calgary's multitude of micro-climates, not just by geography, but by calendar, too. We had probably our third or fourth micro-spring for 3 days last week, now a few days of our fifth or 6th micro-winter since the equinox... I'm staring at a full moon as I write this, and I'm sure there'll be a lovely blanket of frost by dawn.

Garden Update 2

2009-06-05T23:57:00.015-06:00

It's the eve of a potential early June snowfall (why do we try to garden here again?), and I'm wondering how all the fresh young shoots I observed sprouting up on Thursday will fare. The radishes and spinach were first to appear over a week ago, then the beets, the patty pan squash and pole beans, and Thursday the bush beans, edamame beans and carrots. Pictured here in order are the radishes, spinach, pole bean, patty pan squash, and (look closely) beets. The marigolds we chose may not have the insect repellent qualities (witness our friend here) of some other varieties.

Iconic Calgary

2009-06-03T12:13:00.007-06:00

Noon today was the deadline for the the contest run by Swerve, the magazine insert in the Friday Herald, for an iconic Calgary photo. After some hemming and hawing, I submitted the above image. I felt it wasn't stereotypical, and told a story (the sandstone boulders on Nose Hill are reminders of the early building blocks of downtown Calgary). Some of the other photos I was considering are below:

Garden Update

2009-05-27T14:20:00.008-06:00

On Sunday evening, we planted some sunflower seeds in one of the southern plots, and added a few marigolds for colour and hopefully, insect reduction.

Evening Rainbow

2009-05-27T14:14:00.005-06:00

Late Monday evening, a late evening thundershower provided NW Calgary with a long-lasting rainbow, and vivid colours on the back end of the storm as the sun set.

Canadian Gothic

2009-05-21T15:29:00.004-06:00

As of last Friday, Tam and I became proud leasers of an approximately 8' X 12' plot of land at the community garden on the U of C campus. Since we both have dirt stained fingers and variably green thumbs in our blood, we're looking forward to harvesting a copious bounty of organic veggies. We're taking a modified square foot gardening approach (more like 2' X 2.5'), with units laid out in a grid which we will plant and hopefully rotate. I will keep the blog photographically updated with our progress, weather permitting.

Is it Spring Yet?

2009-05-21T15:03:00.010-06:00

Through the winter that overstayed its' welcome, and the long, cold, lurch into spring, this season has yet to be as warm and colourful as we think we deserve. Like the leafing out of the trees, my blog posts are a few weeks behind. It was comforting that such bulb borne blooms as those of the native crocus, and the daffodil, could remind us what time of year it really was.

Time Sink o' the Day 3

2009-03-30T03:41:00.002-06:00

Did you hear the one about the farmer, the sheep, and the LED's? This is kind of cool, sort of like the Benny Hill stop motion bits, except without busty the women, and it's actually clever:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDAM5lSPCwk

Runnin' Back to Saskatoon

2009-03-25T22:35:00.000-06:00

Went back to the alma mater in Saskatoon last weekend to partake in the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the oldest student social society on the U of S campus, the Ore Gangue. It was started by some farsighted (and probably alcohol deprived) geological students in 1934. Many field trips and ingenious ways to imbibe in a pseudo-social setting have ensued since. Here's a photo of my bro and I at local watering hole Bud's on Broadway, to cap the "Green is the Colour" pub.

Go Green

2009-03-17T09:56:00.000-06:00

Ahh, Begosh & Begorrah! May all the sweet blessings o' the Emerald Isle be upon ye this day! I'm only 1/8 Irish, but it's the sentiment that counts.

Remember the 3 R's of being green: Reuse, Recycle, and Rider pride.

Stewart tears Cramer a new one.

2009-03-15T14:04:00.000-06:00

I'm a big fan of both "The Daily Show with John Stewart" and "The Colbert Report", since I love satire that skewers the ridiculous, disingenuous and downright criminal actions of public figures. Stewart is particularly effective and scathing when his satire is backed by righteous anger. One of his better moments occurred when he faced off for an entire show with the blowhard investment prognosicator Jim Cramer from the show "Mad Money" on CNBC. Here's the link to the episode:
http://watch.thecomedynetwork.ca/#clip147736 (in 4 parts).

It's pitiable how Cramer practically begs for forgiveness, but Stewart repeatedly counters with video excerpts of Cramer's own self-indicting blather. Fun to watch.

Instead of "Caveat Emptor", maybe today's financial advice should be "Operor non fides vestri opulentia per viaticus monens fraus" (Don't trust your life savings with fraudulent financial gurus).

Forgot to Blow My Own Horn

2009-03-14T08:15:00.000-06:00

I recently had this photo published in March edition of the free monthly Calgary magazine "Avenue" as part of their "My Calgary" photo contest. I took this photo early last October, on one of the last really warm days of the fall. I was looking south towards Prince's Island Park from underneath the pedestrian bridge. I enhanced the colours of the fall foliage using the HDR technique from several (hand held) exposures.

I guess it's March, huh?

2009-03-12T11:10:00.000-06:00

After taking 5 weeks off the post, I thought I'd post a few photos of our wonderful trip to Roatan, Honduras in the third week of February. It's the largest of the Bay Islands off the Carribean coast of Honduras. About 60 km long and 3 km wide, it has one of the largest fringing reef systems outside of the Great Barrier Reef. We stayed at the Paya Bay Beach resort in the northeastern part of the island, a very beautiful location. We had a very relaxing time, and made some good friends among the guests and staff. Hopefully I can get the slide show to work. If not, here's the link to my Picasa Web folder (click on the slideshow for the captions): http://picasaweb.google.com/yolazdad/RoatanTrip200903?

Orange Twilight

2009-02-05T20:06:00.000-07:00

As we start getting into February, the orange twilight becomes noticeably longer and more colourful. Nothing like a Nose Hill sunset after a beautiful chinook-y day.

Warmer than Tampa

2009-02-05T08:19:00.000-07:00

Yes, yesterday was one of those rare days where we could say we were warmer than Tampa, Florida. Calgary reached a temperature of 14 deg C at the airport, whereas the best Tampa could muster was 13 deg C. So there.

Time Sink o' the Day 2

2009-02-02T23:46:00.000-07:00

Watching the Colbert Report last night, the guest was Dan Zaccanigno, the co-founder of a cool site called Indaba music (http://www.indabamusic.com/community). It basically brings musicians of all stripes across the world together, collaborating with, mixing and re-mixing each other's music tracks. Check out the mixes of Stephen's words that he (wink, wink) "discouraged'.

Fun Time Sink o' the Day

2009-02-01T16:29:00.000-07:00

I came across a fun time waster the other day. You're probably familiar with the now ubiquitous Shepard Fairey posters:

This website ( http://obamiconme.pastemagazine.com/entries/new.html ) lets you upload photos and create your own. Here's a few of my poor examples:

along with some found on the website:

Have fun.

Windy, but I'll take it.

2009-01-28T14:40:00.000-07:00

Typical Calgary weather the last couple of days, strong west wind (very strong yesterday), mostly sunny, and dry. Taking my dog Yola for a walk in a nearby park yesterday, the wind gusts were whipping up the snow, and it was cold on my thinly gloved hands.

Yola, the great rodent tracker, thought she heard the creepings of mice under the crusted snow.

Meanwhile, having a macro lens on the camera helps you appreciate beauty on a small scale, like this leaf perched on an icy dome over a creek, formed during the recent cold spell.

Welcome to the Year of the Ox

2009-01-26T18:52:00.000-07:00

It's now the Year of the Ox in the Chinese calendar, and I wish everyone well. My partner T just finished the last commision in the series of 12 papier mache creations designating each year. Here's a photo of the Ox, freshly hung in her dentist's office this morning.

Tip a wee dram fer Robbie Burns

2009-01-25T19:04:00.000-07:00

Acchh! All lassies & laddies - being 1/8th Scottish from my mother's side, I say it's not to late to have one for Robbie Burns today, the 250th anniversary of his birth.

X Marks the Spot

2009-01-25T08:55:00.000-07:00

I trust that last night's record $67+ million Lotto 6-49 jackpot was divvied up amongst deserving souls. I'm sure that had I bought a ticket, I would've been amongst them. ;)

Refrozen after the Thaw

2009-01-22T19:15:00.000-07:00

Yesterday may have been part of the denial stage. Today, I'm feeling a little more numb - much like the Robin at left in the weather which blew in grey, cold and brisk. The warm chinook winds are gone for now, and I must face reality - which in truth, is not so bitter. Definitely, the warm wishes of friends and family greatly ease the chill. Of course, there's also my wonderful companion Yola (pictured in her prime-time portfolio at left).

A New Day

2009-01-21T12:20:00.000-07:00

Allow me to introduce myself - my name is Bob, and my tag line is SubCMan. I live in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

This is a new day, both for the Obama administration, and for myself. As of yesterday, my career is temporarily a victim of the growing global recession and the resulting crash in commodity prices. In the short term, I hope to use this time to explore interests, such as photography, that I didn't feel that I could devote enough time to previously.

In the coming days, weeks, months (?), I hope to comment / vent on things and ideas that interest me, interspersed with photos, and perhaps the odd comic sketch. Thanks for stopping in.