tenoarman

2006-08-24T08:50:00.000-03:00

2006-08-24T08:43:00.000-03:00

Trying Typepad again

2006-07-24T19:35:00.000-03:00

I'm now over at Hermit da Blog, forever or a few days, but this blog at Blogger will be my backup.

zip.ca sucks

2006-07-24T16:59:00.000-03:00

They have their moments, but renting dvds through the mail is going down as downloading films becomes more legal and reliable.

Zip.ca charges you when you switch membership levels, even when you're on a "Free Trial".

Very sneaky.

Seven days to return all the films. They have confidence in Canada Post when the shoe's on the other foot, I see.

oui, c'est aussi chaud aux Maritimes

2006-07-21T15:08:00.000-03:00

I'm sweating, but am so glad I quit smoking seventeen days ago as the cigs would be more disgusting than usual. I'd also have to worry more about flying ashes when the fans on.

Oh, I now have incense so I still have to be careful.

I'm so happy to have a dvd-rent-by-mail club back in my life.

I'm also pleased to have Audible.com back in my life. I don't think I'll buy one book this time though. I'm more into interviews with Charlie Rose and Bob Edwards. Thank you, Audible, for changing the subscription plans. I love books as well, but not nearly as much. I still have some books that I've never heard the conclusions to.

At least I can pay for these babies now.

Now, I have to find a way to pay for the past a bit better.

I complain about my eczema and anxiety, but other people; even in my families, are suffering more, yet they move on with their lives.

Oh, don't worry, I'll have a rant here soon about our Canadian Health Scare that is not in the news as often as it should be.

How I mostly love the weather

2006-07-13T03:51:00.000-03:00

Foggy, yes, but I don't miss the heat in Montreal and Toronto. I could barely breathe in those cities, and it didn't matter whether cigarettes were in my life or not.

It's still hot down here in the Maritimes but living closer to the water has its advantages. It's still warmer in the suburbs so I'll still get my share of heat when I visit some relatives.

My apartment is hot, but I can stand it more than others who visit. I should leave my window open more, but then it rains such I can't leave it open too much. Plus, there's a question of security.

I'm sure I could find a larger apartment for a little more money, but most things are included where I reside, I'm forced to walk a little, and I love having concrete between myself and "the others". Oh, and I do have debts, and no job security.

Guess I'll stay where I am.

Must win the lottery or find a second job later this year. I want more money so I can actually go out more.

Ninth day without cigs is about to begin. My vocal chords may take awhile yet to be clear of everything. Oh, and I'll have to cut down on coffee in the coming months as well, but one thing at a time. No coffee at home. No cigs anywhere.

Okay, rest my eyes a bit more, and then maybe go to work before the day shift gets there. May get some groceries on the way back, and have a few beers. Damnit, work starts again on Sat morning.

Walk in the rain? There's coffee I can make at work if I can make it there. Plus, I've never gone to work more than an hour before the day people show up. Some people think I'm crazy for studying stuff on my days off, but I'm better than I used to be. Plus, if third-world countries are taking the jobs of third-world states and provinces, I'd better learn this stuff as soon as I can, whether it's for a reference for future jobs or to keep the current one.

Day 6

2006-07-10T21:16:00.000-03:00

Tomorrow will be a week without smoking cigarettes. I shouldn't say that it's been a week yet, as that would be counting my chickens before they've hatched. Every day is a risk.

I didn't think I'd make it to day six.

We'll see how it goes tomorrow.

I'll be broke after that for my days off. It was stupid to buy cologne when I had just paid some debts last week, but I needed incentive to smell great, as opposed to being Smokey the Bear.

Learning all the time, of course.

Outsourcing will push NB down, again.

It's been fun buying U.S. products during Bush's reign of terror, but now that the Canadian dollar is so high, many are eating their words, while the jobs go extreme East and South.

Visiting the families may not be for as long as I'd hoped. I've been here, what, three months?

I'm only a contractor so the chances of being converted are not so good. Actual employees are moving around to different shifts, so contractors have reason for alarm.

I saw a bit of the great environment people have raved about, but what a difference from the first ten weeks to the last two.

Why am I so loyal without any guarantees? I shall debate this as the minutes/days/weeks/months/years go by.

I hope I can find a way to remain in Saint John as this hermit should be near his families. The big cities are nice to visit, but not as friendly.

Day 3 without cigarettes

2006-07-07T15:38:00.000-03:00

Yes, I'm doing it. After being back here in NB for a few months, I've enjoyed being near the families, and my apartment is mostly nice. My job environment is mostly great. There will always be rumours when the U.S. dollar is so low, so yes, NB will be screwed in the coming years as the call-centre jobs move to the third-world countries.

I was running out of cigs for a week, so yes, I was kind of planning for a few days of detox before work starts again on Sat.

So on Tues, a few hours before my shift ended, I gave away a full pack, cig case, and a lighter to one of my co-workers who gives me a lift home after many of the twelve-hour shifs.

I was smoking an average of seven packs a week, and every two weeks, it was nine as I would drink alcohol.

I'm going to gain weight, for sure.

I want to feel better when I wake up in the mornings.

My eczema will probably go down as well since cigarettes are number-one on the list.

I've been lighting a lot of incense, drinking water, and chewing gum.

The real test will be tomorrow when I go back to a nice, but still stressful job. I didn't want to wait six months until I really know the position, as the job may not even exist.

I bought some expensive CK's Eternity so I should smell pretty good, at least in the mornings. lol One day I'll find a small bottle of the stuff for my work locker. Even if I don't use it at work, I'd at least have it for when I leave work for the day.

I wish I could be a light smoker, but I should be the toothpick-guy instead.

It's only day three, but if I slip, I'll try again.

Smoking stimulates the flow of "feel good" chemicals in the brain

2006-07-03T08:36:00.000-03:00

Richard Simmons on Whose Line...

6:21

chocolate commercial you may have seen already

2006-07-02T21:42:00.000-03:00

http://www.cybersalt.org/cl_video/chocolate.mpg

--
Aaron
http://www.tenoarman.blogspot.com/

2006-06-30T21:33:00.000-03:00

Robin Williams on Whose Line

Waking up B4 the alarms

2006-06-24T04:57:00.000-03:00

So rare, but nice when it occurs. Especially when one of them is on the cellphone and it's annoying as hell, plus I usually set the countdown timer a couple times without really being able to see.

Very dangerous stuff but I have yet to be late for work, in my life; though I haven't worked as much as the majority of my generation.

I guess anxiety can be good at times. :o)

So yes, it's very early but twelve-hour shifts can be brutal when one doesn't know the job yet.

I'm starting to relax though, as my employer doesn't expect me to know everything for months, or even years. I just have to adapt.

Heck, I can even remember my dreams this week, and that hasn't happened in years; except for when I take naps.

Now if only I could dream about quitting smoking and/or singing. It'll happen when I enter one of those realities again.

Okay, must check TotalFark and FeedLounge before heading to work. Maybe I'll walk if I get out of here too early for the bus.

Marie-France's replacement

2006-06-23T19:00:00.000-03:00

I hope she's great, and that mp3's are available. What will I listen to in French this summer, other than at work? I don't like the French version of the excellent CBC Radio 3 podcast. Okay, I'll check http://www.radio-canada.ca/radio/baladodiffusion/ for the other offerings, and we'll see what's there in the fall.

Christiane Charette reprend le créneau de Bazzo
Après avoir reçu, étudié et refusé des offres de la télévision, Christiane Charette a choisi d'effectuer son retour médiatique derrière le micro de Radio-Canada, dans la plage horaire d'Indicatif présent de Marie-France Bazzo.
Date: Vendredi 09 Juin 2006

Feeling guilty about not studying for work

2006-06-23T16:45:00.000-03:00

I looked at some of my work stuff, but not enough. Then again, even if I had, I wouldn't know as much as I'd like to be comfortable through the learning stage.

Saturday-Tues looms so I shall listen to some podcasts that I've been neglecting. Oh, I'll still look at some work stuff, just not for hours.

Can I please fast forward to months from now where I know my job a bit better?

The stove's working

2006-06-22T16:53:00.000-03:00

Now, I just have to be careful to only cook a couple times on my days off.

Eat mostly Nutribars at work from Sat-Tues. Yeah, probably not so healthy, but I'll try to have avicados in the AM or late PM.

My waist! I want to lose twenty more, or ten if I quit smoking.

life

2006-06-21T11:06:00.000-03:00

I'm pretty happy as a bilingual rep in a call centre, and though it's only been a month since training ended, I'm somehow accepting the daily changes that occur.

Am also dealing with the fact that it'll take months, and years, for me to be as comfortable as I'd like.

I do a lot of homework right now, but that's because I can't wing situations as well as some of the others. Well, that, and the fact that I'm only a contractor, so the sooner I improve, the better.

I'd like to get a larger apartment, but the rent prices down here are expensive. I've heard that it's because students come here to study, and are willing to pay. I don't know enough to agree except that I found it strange that I could find apartments in Montreal for the same price; though not uptown, of course.

So, do I add a second job now, so I can have more money to spend?

Looking at Saint John's available jobs can be depressing.

I think I may just have to improve my job skills, quit smoking, get a better futon/couch rather than increase apartment space, quit smoking in a month or two when I'm less stressed at work, and start looking at what types of songs are performed during funerals. I work during the times people get married. :o)

I blogged about this stuff before, and will again while I attempt to improve.

Finally got a better stove. At least, I think it's better; will test it today or tomorrow. I'll have to get on the stepper more if I'm frying things again. :o)

I saw a bit of the basketball game last night. It was alright, but officiating mistakes bother me, though not as much as the dozens of errors I make each day. Dealing with it.

Goilers means Go Oilers

2006-06-19T21:16:00.000-03:00

I hope they win. Too bad, it's 21:07 where I live and the game hasn't started yet. Must go to sleep.

I saw a lot of hockey a handful of years ago.

My work schedule means no-can-do.

Will I have to find a job where there's less homework? (I give myself stuff to learn, but the lectures will begin about stats, perhaps as early as tomorrow.)

Time will tell.

My contractor and employer, along with myself, have invested lots over the past two months. Twelve-hour shifts can be brutal, but the three days off are great. However, if I'm studying and/or thinking about the job during that time, is it really a vacation?

And then, I have to translate much of the documentation I get into French.

Perhaps a different part of the company will be where I end up. I can speak French very well, but I need more reliable info to study. Translating on-the-fly is easy for many people, but not all.

Blah, blah, I'm supposed to go to bed. Maybe I'll get to hear the anthem singer, and then dream about doing a better job.

Bob Cole and Harry Neale

2006-06-14T23:09:00.000-03:00

Man, I hope these guys retire soon.

I rarely watch, and especially listen. Mute the volume and listen to something else, if you can, but then you lose the crowd atmosphere.

Remember the CFL games without announcers, many of us enjoyed it.

Given the amount of options in tv and Internet land, you'd think there'd be an option to remove the commentary.

Adapt or die.

sorry, previous post doesn't have her picture

2006-06-14T23:06:00.000-03:00

Who knows why. If you visit the page for CBC personalites, you can see her picture, but it's best to watch her live show anyway, so you hear and see how she's more than just great looking.

A reason to watch the news again

2006-06-13T18:08:00.000-03:00

Sarika Sehgal is on in the afternoons until 17:00 EST Is she Mon-Fri? I don't know. I can only see the end of her show on Mon and Tues, but know for sure that she works on Tuesdays.

She is beautiful, intelligent, stylish, and outgoing.

Enjoy.

French English dictionary

2006-06-08T11:00:00.000-03:00

My friend sent me the following, and I find them helpful. Mostly looking at the French one for the next year, though, with my being a bilingual tech rep.

a really good french dictionary: http://fr.answers.com/
and the english one is good too http://www.answers.com/

spam from 506-642-9521?

2006-05-29T20:58:00.000-03:00

This damn number is calling me every couple of days asking me to call 1-866-294-1770

The message was something about bonds, I believe. Some guy with a accent, sounds French.

Then when you call that 1-866 number, it's actually 753-753-something (It would help if the lady on the machine actually said the number rather than auld, ault, or whatever.

Mark it off as spam, and ask Aliant or whoever to block the damn thing. It should be a feature. I should check my phone, maybe it's possible, but I think I'd have to upgrade.

I used to pay Rogers $3/month to block my number, but Aliant wanted $5 or something, so I couldn't afford that, now that I'm taking care of everything, and besides, the phone companies should do more for what they make us pay. Hello VoIP? Sometime, I may make the switch, but I'll let them work out the bugs in the big cities first.

Update: Marie-France Bazzo's going to tv full-time

2006-05-18T17:27:00.000-03:00

TV is so much bigger in Quebec, so most citizens will be happy. I can get Radio-Canada and TQS down here, but not Tele-Quebec.

There's not many torrents with Quebec content, so Quebecers, and those with expensive cable and satellite will get to watch her. I still prefer listening to her, and many others, than watching.

Here's the La Presse article.

Marie-France is leaving Indicatif Present at Radio-Canada

2006-05-18T16:36:00.000-03:00

Marie-France annonce son départ de l'émission Indicatif Présent

Damnit, I haven't listened to her announcement yet, but a lot of enthusiasm for listening to French media just went down.

Ever listen to the other hosts? Booooooooooorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnggggggggggg.

Good luck finding a top-notch replacement.

The podcast has been so popular, and helped my English ears, etc. Oh well, I have a bilingual tech job so I get a lot more practice, but still, I'm not talking about arts, world events, etc., in my second language.

Enjoy people and things while you can as you never know when you'll lose them.

Big Bird clip when he learns Mr. Hooper is dead

2006-05-18T12:14:00.000-03:00

I didn't remember this particular scene.

You Tube has the video clip.

(via On the Fence)

Gotta love invasions

2006-05-17T10:52:00.000-03:00

Not the of the war variety, but damnit, when the Admin for my apartment state that they're going to have somebody in to look at my place, why can't they do so on the date mentioned?

Incompetence, obliviousness?

Yes, those things and much more.

Oh well, I can't afford a castle, and even if I could, it wouldn't be perfect either.

It was only two people, and one of them just took a couple photos for some financial assessment as the place was renovated.

I like my small box.

Only thing missing is a stove repair, or better yet, a replacement.

I'll give them another week, and then call them again and see if it's even on the horizon.

Don't you forget about me, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't you forget about me... or any of the announcements.

At least they didn't show my place without permission to other tenants, like they did last month.

Help me change the world, people. It's hard enough to change our own behaviour.

I'm keeping it together, but watch, they'll come back in a few minutes.

I must remember that it's not personal. They're not invading just to upset me.

All parties involved are happier as years ago, I would be flipping out much more than publishing a blog entry without any profanity. lol

Skype free to CAN and US until beg. Jan 07

2006-05-15T18:29:00.000-03:00

Skype has some bugs right now, and I don't have a mic, so won't install this program for now.

I don't think it's working for IP's beginning with "7" -- like myself, I'm quite sure.

Anyway, if Skype asks you to buy credits, you can ignore the message, yada yada. Check the Skype forums, and FAQ's.

http://www.skype.com/download/skype/windows/

I think it's only for Windows 2000, XP, etc.

Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada

2006-05-14T08:54:00.000-03:00

(I had to put Canada as Google has plenty about a NB in NJ.)

Okay, here's some quotes from "City Under Siege":

This pipeline like Bloom said is 145 kms long. The Rockwood park portion is 2.4kms .The rest of that line has to go through the city residential areas at some point.

They have not once came out publicly and stated that there will be disruption of any kind when it comes to this pipeline. There will be major disruptions.Disruptions beyond anything you have ever seen.

What does that tell ya. It tells you that these pipelines have been known to explode and when a pipeline that circles an entire city the size of this one decides to explode

Just look at Saint John,it's the poorest city in the entire country ,27% poverty. The Irving's are not our knights in shining armour

Call the National Energy board on the link below' anyone can intervene and speak at the hearings. Show your opposition.

Is Irving using the pipeline proposition through the park and city to take everyone's mind off of what was once the real issue? The LNG (liquid Natural Gas Terminal)? //

That blog rocks, and I wouldn't have known about these plans since my families haven't mentioned them, I refuse to pay for newspapers that lack in quality, the Public Library had one local newspaper for everyone to share; on my first, and possibly, last visit.

And I barely listen to local radio. The CBC just came out with a weekly podcast of the Maritimes, but so far I haven't heard them discuss this meaty issue.

I'll have to do some more research on this issue and see what others are saying..gc.ca/index_e.htm

The new life

2006-05-12T23:29:00.000-03:00

Is it perfect? Of course not.

However, even though money is tight, I'm at least able to pay my
current expenses, in addition to three debtors I have.

Two of those debtors will be paid this year, and/or next year.

The other one's for life but I'm thankful it's not the government or a
bank, and I was able to live on the Internet for a long time, when I
was unhealthy, so I think of it as a type of schooling.

Man, I hate making mistakes at my new job, but sixty-percent of the
info should remain in my brain, and I'll work on improving that over
the days, weeks, and years.

I tried quitting the cigarettes twice, well actually, once this week.
It didn't work out, but I'm smoking less inside my home, and may just
smoke at work as I improve my employee standing.

I would smoke a lot more outdoors of my apartment, but I'm in a part
of town that has some strangeness around, so that's that. It's good
for my anxiety to speak to many kinds of people, so I may just face
the music rather than hiding; at least in the daylight. lol

So that's that.

Happy Mother's Day to all of the moms out there.

Census

2006-05-12T23:11:00.000-03:00

I don't think I've ever done this thing, but this time I was at a
stable place; though it's only been six weeks or so, and decided to do
it.

I was able to enter the code online so I didn't have to mail it back.

I thought it'd be longer, but it only took five minutes; though that's
because my life is simpler than most.

The White House still loves war guys

2006-05-09T22:29:00.000-03:00

I didn't read the article but the headline says it all:

White House nominates Gen. Michael Hayden for CIA director role

I'm not even going to link this crap.

Maybe find a copy of Bill Maher's last HBO show, as it had some good
moments; though not about this latest news.

Fixing things even more

2006-05-09T22:20:00.000-03:00

Back in the darker days, I accumulated debt while being ill, and
without steady work. I needed things to feel better, etc.

Well, I'm now near a larger network of family, and have a job as a
bilingual tech. Yes, it's not PERFECT like I dream of, but even in
this early stage of learning, I can tell how great the atmosphere is.

But I owe people for the past.

So the only internet subscription I now pay for is di.fm as they have
twenty-six playlists, and they recently lowered the price to $9 USD
per month. It's very reasonable as buffering only occurs about
three-percent of the time, in my experience; and I'm guessing.

Online storage was nice, but not great enough to warrant fifteen a
month. I'm more into downloading new content anyway, and I'm happy
enough with free podcasts from the likes of Radio-Canada, History
According to Bob, and CBC Radio 3. Oh, and I also narrate some work
stuff as well, though it's not helping me as quickly as I'd like.

The cigarettes have got to go very soon. I'm paying people back, so
the cigarette expense is not needed. Perhaps I'll be a light, social,
or reform smoker, but the situation must change. I don't even smoke
the damn things to their conclusion anyway.

The Internet is a drug enough, and so is an mp3 player. Many do not
have these things, so I must learn to not take them for granted.

It feels good to pay on the debt.

I shall try to find a job for one day each week, you know, for extra
cash. It is possible when a stressful guy lives alone.

Of course, that last bit may take a bit more time as I'll be learning
new stuff at the present job for a few months; and probably always
learning.

I've barely been watching tv, though I do glance at some hockey games.
My tv is not so great, but this won't need upgrading for a bit, as I'm
more into this Internet thing. I love being able to at least listen to
some cable programs, especially when it's included in the apt. rent. I
feel bad when I cheer for American hockey teams to win, but there are
a lot of Canadian players on those teams so I do possess some kind of
patriotism. I admire the successful hockey clubs rather than simply
the players, unlike before.

I walked a lot last week, while being upset at the lack of bus service
on Sundays, and how it's not good for the environment when most people
drive vehicles, how do the poor people get to work, etc. I shall be
working Sat-Tues very soon, so will still walk as much as possible.
However, if I get a second job I'll have to get a monthly bus pass
again; unless I find something local.

Try finding a place to buy a stamp at 8:00 AM in this town. I went to
a couple places that were open, and supposedly sell them, but alas,
they didn't have any left. Pros and cons, pros and cons, but happier
to be back in the smaller city.

Okay, that's it.

Are you bilingual and in Saint John?

2006-05-03T21:38:00.000-03:00

If you're bilingual and looking for a job in a call-centre environment, please comment here, and I may have a job for you. I'm only starting out at this company myself, but I can see that it's a great place to work.

Greatest Living Pitcher

2006-05-03T18:49:00.000-03:00

My father brought the following to my attention. He knows his math and says that if you tally all the votes, there are three extra ones. I agree with him that Clemens should have even more votes, but I think Roger's personality and potential use of substances; no matter how legal, may have short-changed his score.

No greater living pitcher than Clemens

It's golfing season for the Habbs

2006-05-03T06:43:00.000-03:00

Yes, I wanted Montreal fans to be happy this morning, but when you really watch the team play, you realize the lack of offense, defense, faceoffs, finesse, etc.

Now I don't have to support any one team and just enjoy the games. I still like cheering for underdogs like the Sabres, even though they're an American team, but really I just want to see end-to-end action rather than watching a team struggle to play the game at a consistent level. Entertainment as well, but without having to listen to U2's Bono after every home-scored goal.

How much money will Gainey offer Huet now? I'd offer an incentives-based contract as Gainey keeps making mistakes with the core players: Theo, Koivu, and Kovalev. Also, Huet has moments of brilliance but he also has moments where he's looking the wrong way, plus he gets tired, and has had some injuries. He shouldn't get more than three million from the Habs, unless he attains the bonuses. I guess another club will sign him, but we have too many areas to address.

I think we have one more year left with Souray, and I look forward to it. Great shot, but not a very good brain. He gives up a lot more goals than people realize. He takes bad penalties when he leaves his stick on the ice in front of opposing shots, and his great shot sometimes results in penalties for delay of game when he shoots pucks into the stands.

Markov will be looking for a raise as well, but again, he gets injured, and didn't look so good since early winter, in my opinion.

Address the D, get rid of Ribeiro. I don't know how long we're stuck with Zednik.

The Canadiens D

2006-04-28T21:10:00.000-03:00

It sucks, of course.

Nice screen on the second goal; I don't know who did it.

I wasn't watching but if Souray hasn't already put his stick down in front of opposing shots, he will sometime this game, and it'll hurt the team

Montreal has one of the worst defense core, but what's worse, is when they can't even follow basic instructions.

Can Montreal still win this game? It doesn't look good, but we'll see if they can wake up in the next two periods. Conditioning has never been a forte so I'm not optimistic. I'm sorry. Yes, I'm a fan, but I'm also not dreaming in technicolour, either.

I liked seeing Forsberg make some great moves for the Flyers. I don't know who I want to win that series as I despise both coaches, but in hoping Montreal makes it to future roads; which they won't, I want other tilts to be long.

Koivu's gone, again

2006-04-27T19:40:00.000-03:00

I love the guy, but he's cursed, and I cursed Bob Gainey for giving him so much money as this player is not worth four or five million per year.

Oh well, I still love the Canadiens, but I just think of the mistakes in the organization; paying a third of the payroll to a few players, not addressing the lack on defense, plus the conditioning and development problems.

Montreal: Eviction of non-paying tenants to get easier

2006-04-25T20:54:00.000-03:00

The Montreal Gazette, April 25th, 2006

Apartment owners rejoiced yesterday at news the province plans to make it easier to evict tenants who don't pay their rent, while tenant- rights advocates blamed the government for creating the backlog of cases at the rental board.

But Municipal Affairs Minister Nathalie Normandeau said the primary aim of a bill, which may or may not be introduced this spring, would not be to evict tenants but "to improve the performance of the Régie du logement (rental board)."

Whether most Quebecers want another referendum or not, Jean Charest will probably lose when it comes time to vote; a couple years still, I believe.

Charest, a Conservative, doesn't do enough to try to help those who are at the bottom of the totem poll. He's a business guy leading the Conservative Liberals of Quebec. However, there's a big difference in how much a welfare recipient receives in Montreal, when compared to where I am now. I'm of course, working now, and I'm very happy, but the poorer people get like $250; I don't know about those with disabilities.

Yes, a larger city like Montreal can be more expensive, but a small bachelor apartment in Cote-des-Neiges was $405 with heat included, and electricity was twenty-one bucks, while the apartment I got in Saint John is $410 with everything included plus cable tv, though I'm close to uptown. There are pros and cons to both places. A larger city has more groups that try to help too many people from starving, but nobody can save them all, I understand.

For myself, a couple of the pros of being back home are:

Being back in a small Englishland where I'll be less anxious; though bilingual on the phone, so I don't lose what I gained, nor do I waste those handful of years reading Le Devoir plus listening to CKAC and Radio-Canada.
Being near the families, catching up with friends, and finding it easier to make new ones.
Work is easier to get to.
I'm not invisible anymore. (Also, a con.)

The cons are:

The damn bus. No bus service until 10:30 or so on Sundays? Oh well, at least I can walk to the West Side in an hour, like I did recently. Guess I'll start walking to and from work more as I don't want to pay extra money for a montly bus pass that I can't always use. Guess I understand why more and more people are driving vehicles. The environment is screwed, but this is a smelly city anyway; yeah, yeah, they'll one day really fix the smell, but it'll take decades or more.
The wind.
I'm not invisible anymore.

While I'm back in New Brunswick now, I'll still follow some of the Montreal news.

(Okay, that's it, just wanted to blog a larger post. I didn't bring back work to study as I need a break from trying too hard to take in everything my new job entails. Trying to fix machines over the phone will be a little stressful, but hopefully once I get my feet wet in English, I'll be more comfortable in French. Or not, but it's still a good job, and the atmosphere is surprisingly positive.)

Global Warming ceased in 1998?

2006-04-16T23:48:00.000-03:00

A contrarian view that I hope will be expanded upon in a future New York Review of Books feature. This article is too short and even if there's some truth, I haven't heard good things about AP6.

Amazing Juggling Finale

2006-04-16T21:16:00.000-03:00

This clip of amazing juggling finale -- Google Video stream -- may not be new to many, but it was to me, and it's fantastic. Thanks, Dad, for bringing it to my attention. Chris Bliss rocks.

Anti-smoking crusader takes on one final task

2006-04-10T01:30:00.000-03:00

I must quit the stupid cigarettes soon myself. I have some debt, and a new lease on life. I complain about some small problems now, and I'm just adding to my anxiety by smoking and drinking too much caffeine. I also must start exercising more, as I may have a job on a headset taking incoming calls. Cleaning as well, but more walking to do very soon. Besides, I need to listen to my mp3 toys again.

Okay, rambling hermit, here's the quote of the article about a crusader that doesn't have to lie to the United Nations:

The woman who became the public face of Health Canada's campaign against second-hand smoke is now also a spokeswoman for the Heart and Stroke Foundation, even though she is dying of lung cancer.

Heather Crowe, a non-smoker, was diagnosed with the disease after working as a waitress for 40 years.

Bush and Iran

2006-04-10T01:24:00.000-03:00

Seymour Hersch is an investigative reporter for The New Yorker, and though he probably goes over the top at times, there's a lot of truth in what he writes as well. Rumsfeld, Cheney, and W hate him, so we should at least read what he has to say. http://www.newyorker.com/printables/fact/060417fa_fact

However, it may take a bit of time. I recommend buying a copy of WebEyes to add to Internet Explorer so you can read long articles like this and all of nybooks.com without the need to scroll.

Oh my, it's getting late, but I think I'm beginning to get comfortable back here in Saint John. We'll see how I make out by walking to and then taking the bus tomorrow, and then cleaning for my sister, unless an interview comes up on short notice.

I hope my place in Montreal gets assigned to someone else soon. My friend is taking care of it, but I'm trying to help by posting a few online ads.

testing without Touch Pad

2006-04-09T15:41:00.000-03:00

Can I finally blog and type in peace?

I think turning off this program/problem will do it. I'm curious about what exactly Touch Pad does correctly, but I'll Google that another time.

Or, ask my father when I see him. I haven't seen him in almost eight years and didn't see him as much as other sons. We'll see what happens this time around. By email and phone, he seems much happier and even if our relationship doesn't end up being as nice as we both hope, I hope it's a sustainable one this time; and that'll depend on mostly myself as I give up too easily.

He's suffered some personal losses and I was in the big city while only knowing one person, basically.

We've both changed, for the better.

I think I'll be less jealous of the successful people this time as I'm mostly happy in a small, but concrete place. However, I'd like my neighbours to stop burning chickens and their toast so the Fire and Police deparments don't visit as often. It's always something, isn't it? Dope smokers on other side of wall, fridges to bring in and/or return, a lady showing my apartment to others without my permission; and when I'm not leaving, etc.

I'll try to influence others as much as possible, but I have to learn to accept them more as well. It's not going to be easy, but I'll keep trying.

Are you Russian?

2006-04-09T15:08:00.000-03:00

Someone asked me if I was Russian. Nope. I know my accent isn't a Quebecois or Maritime accent, but it's definitely not Russian. :o)))

At least I can understand most of the people here. I haven't had a full day of hibernating yet.

I was tired most of the week but I'm feeling better now that I had a eight-hour sleep last night; my second time this week. My eyes get worse than others when I don't sleep enough.

I guess it's time I post to this blog from Internet Explorer or Blogger as this laptop is upsetting me within Gmail and FeedDemon.

I'm babysitting so swearing is at a minimum; not at all so far.

CDN bachelor apartment for rent

2006-04-09T11:52:00.000-03:00

Small but cozy apt. at Darlington and Barclay. Plamondon and Outremont metro stations are fifteen minutes away by bus.

Coin-operated laundromat, and a depanneur are in the building. Chinese, fruit, and dollar stores right across the street, along with landlord representatives. Metro grocer open pretty late five minutes up the street on Van Horne; the mall also has a Pharmaprix, SAQ, hair places, etc.

Rent is $405 including heat. Electricity is currently $21/month.

Lease is over October 31st, but you could decide two months beforehand if you want to stay.

Credit check for sure.

If interested, please contact Miriam at mirpublic@gmail.com

April Fool's Day is today

2006-04-06T11:08:00.000-03:00

Sorry about the subject line. I'm the only fool as I lack the footwear for my walk up a hill today. I guess I'd be more of a fool if I didn't at least learn the whereabouts of the building where I live.

I like my place. The families did more than my wildest dreams.

I have an Internet connection! A little slower than Videotron in Quebec, but perhaps Rogers will be increasing the speed in the upcoming months. Since I'll be busier, I shouldn't need much more speed, but the problem is that Rogers has a damn bandwidth limit. I had unlimited before so 100 GB will probably not be surpassed, but what if I can't make it home to stop something from uploading after I've downloaded it?

Rogers should remove the limit or charge. I hear rumours that some people are charged while others are not. Yeah, yeah, life's not fair, but there are more important things to complain about.

I was going to to live without a land-line phone but that's just not feasible now that I plan on working for at least three employers, and have families here.

Saw my sister and my nieces and nephews, and my Mom and stepfather so far. Quick visits but over time I'll try making up for the years of non-contact. Laundry is the same price in this building and more bang for the $1.50 when it comes to the dryers so my clothes will be on fire! This laptop doesn't like Gmail, but it's a loan until the desktop is passed over to me in a week or two. Can't really complain about fantastic donations now can I? :o)

A donut story

2006-03-30T20:00:00.000-04:00

Or should I say doughnut?

(I posted this to a cousin, but thought I'd blog it as well.)

I've been a minority in Quebec for years. Actually double that since I had a health and language issue.

Now that I'll only have the health one in the Maritimes; though I may have the language one at a phone job, and to a lesser extent in person, I wanted to share my first experience serving a minority in Toronto back in 1996:

Customer: One thousand donuts please.

Me: Ummm, pardon?

Customer: One thousand donuts.

Me: (take a look behind me to quickly count) I don't think we have that many, and I believe you're supposed to call ahead of time for such a large order.

Customer: In a box? (gesturing a small square with her hands)

Me: OHHHHHHHHHHHH, you mean a dozen donuts.

Customer: Yes, please, one thousand donuts.

Moving in days, now

2006-03-30T17:21:00.000-04:00

Wow, I decided to get out of here as working on call, and then having a eight-week contract, but not having the damn info on who the supervisor is, and what location I'd at least be starting at on April 1st, was too stressful for me.

It was a nice job working in French, changing my phone messages to be bilingual, etc. It helped me get back into society, but I have too much energy to struggle here anymore.

I may have a bilingual job in Saint John, but I'd mostly be living in English, and I crave that right now. I have soap operas of my own to face, and we'll see what happens. No children of my own, or anything. Just a few times I got stupid while drinking many moons ago.

I hope everyone's doing well, though I must admit that I'll have some jealousy, but I can't compare myself to every success. I can only improve on my situation.

I'm not perfectly bilingual, but others say I criticize myself too much; who me? lol Of the original four in my family, three are perfectionists. My father and sister have a higher intellect, of course, but perfectionism is itself a weakness, though striving for it can be helpful. It can also put extra strain on imperfections in yourself, and others.

I can't wait to get back to a smaller city near people who contribute to their respective family trees. I'm different as I don't drive a vehicle, and nor do I want children of my own. Learning to be an uncle of three will be quite enough, thank you. Who knows, though? If I were rich, I'd get an operation so I would never have children, but this is hardly the time to make that call. Besides, I might become irresponsible. And, with many people living longer, perhaps I or a future partner would want children at fifty-or-sixty-year's old. Don't count on it though, I don't want to pass anxiety or whatever on to a kid. I'd also be a poor father, both financially and so on. Any questions can be answered via the Internet, son/daughter, that's where I go. lol

CBC will add more podcasts

2006-03-28T00:16:00.000-04:00

http://www.cbc.ca/podcasting/

I signed up for their mailing list, but hope they add quality, and especially As it Happens.

Indicatif Présent of Radio-Canada podcasts most weekdays, and the shows are like a hundred minutes long. I might add that the quality in French is a hell of a lot better than even As it Happens, but luckily I've learned of this treasure.

CBC will probably follow NPR's lead and not have the top couple of shows available, and that would be a shame.

Oh well, HNIC is Leaf Nation and the best news podcast is mostly for Quebecers; and former ones, like I'll soon be -- around the world.

Spring's around the corner

2006-03-27T10:40:00.000-04:00

Tuesday:
Sunny. High 10.
Wednesday:
Sunny. Low minus 1. High 10.
Thursday:
Sunny. Low plus 1. High 10.
Friday:
Cloudy with 60 percent chance of showers. Low plus 5. High 13.

Google Beta

2006-03-26T23:07:00.000-04:00

Will Google improve Gmail if they start charging a little bit? Maybe change their privacy terms and servers, and people would pay a little:

We're sorry, but Gmail is temporarily unavailable. We're currently working to fix the problem -- please try logging in to your account in a few minutes.

White House and Global Warming

2006-03-26T22:02:00.000-04:00

CBS' 60 Minutes from 2006.03.19 looks interesting, so I'm downloading it now.

CBS 60 Minutes (EXXON-White House Censor Global WarmingScience (2006.03.19) avi (Clip: Excellent video, slight audio absynch, 12 minutes.) As a government scientist, James Hansen is taking a risk. Hesays there are things the White House doesn't want you to hear but he's goingto say them anyway. Hansen is arguably the world's leading researcher on globalwarming. He's the head of NASA's top institute studying the climate. But thisimminent scientist tells correspondent Scott Pelley that the Bush administrationis restricting who he can talk to and editing what he can say. Politicians, hesays, are rewriting the science. As the drama unfolds in this segment of CBS's 60 Minutes(Mar 19, 2006), it is clear that an Exxon lobbyist was hired by the White Houseto censor NASA and other government agencies reporting to public, includingwhat Hansen believes is a dangerous,tipping point in global warming coming in the next 10 years, is limiting what the public should know. The hack butchering reports is now an Exxonexecutive. But he didn't hold back speaking to Pelley, telling 60Minutes what he knows. Asked if he believes the administration is censoring what hecan say to the public, Hansen says: "Or they're censoring whether or not Ican say it. I mean, I say what I believe if I'm allowed to say it." What James Hansen believes is that global warming isaccelerating. He points to the melting arctic and to Antarctica, where new datashow massive losses of ice to the sea. Is it fair to say at this point that humans control theclimate? Is that possible? "There's no doubt about that, says Hansen. "Thenatural changes, the speed of the natural changes is now dwarfed by the changesthat humans are making to the atmosphere and to the surface." Those human changes, he says, are driven by burning fossilfuels that pump out greenhouse gases like CO2, carbon dioxide. Hansen says hisresearch shows that man has just 10 years to reduce greenhouse gases beforeglobal warming reaches what he calls a tipping point and becomes unstoppable.He says the White House is blocking that message. "In my more than three decades in the government I'venever witnessed such restrictions on the ability of scientists to communicatewith the public," says Hansen. Restrictions like this e-mail Hansen's institute receivedfrom NASA in 2004. "… there is a new review process … ," the e-mailread. "The White House (is) now reviewing all climate related pressreleases," it continued. Why the scrutiny of Hansen's work? Well, his GoddardInstitute for Space Studies is the source of respected but sobering research onwarming. It recently announced 2005 was the warmest year on record. Hansenstarted at NASA more than 30 years ago, spending nearly all that time studyingthe earth. How important is his work? 60 Minutes asked someone at the top,Ralph Cicerone, president of the nation's leading institute of science, theNational Academy of Sciences. "I can't think of anybody who I would say is betterthan Hansen. You might argue that there's two or three others as good, butnobody better," says Cicerone. And Cicerone, who's an atmospheric chemist, said the samething every leading scientist told 60 Minutes. "Climate change is really happening," saysCicerone. Asked what is causing the changes, Cicernone says it'sgreenhouse gases: "Carbon dioxide and methane, and chlorofluorocarbons anda couple of others, which are all — the increases in their concentrations inthe air are due to human activities. It's that simple." But if it is that simple, why do some climate sciencereports look like they have been heavily edited at the White House? Withscience labeled "not sufficiently reliable." It's a tone ofscientific uncertainty the president set in his first months in office after hepulled out of a global treaty to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. "We do not know how much our climate could, or willchange in the future," President Bush said in 2001, speaking in the RoseGarden of the White House. "We do not know how fast change will occur, oreven how some of our actions could impact it."

Bill Maher's latest HBO program was great, so find that if you can as well, especially the end of the show.

Moving back to the families

2006-03-26T00:48:00.000-04:00

I miss home, and rarely lived in Saint John as I was mostly in the suburbs. I did make a few mistakes when drinking to excess; it wasn't even that often, but when it did, I was out of control in my younger years, and I'll face whatever consequences. Light drinking is okay. Must avoid or leave parties that bring drugs out, even the light ones as they also messed me up.

Will one day sing at karaoke or whatever, but again, do not have to remain the whole evening getting drunk. Can drink non-alcoholic beverages, which are cheaper as well.

Do not let others support my love of whatever. Yes, my families are helping me get started, but must not take advantage of this. Will also have to be more of a family member so it's more even. I don't want to owe the whole world anymore.

Luckily my families have expanded.

I'll still be a part-time hermit, I'm sure. I didn't have high-speed Internet until I moved to Montreal so I'll be more than okay with access to the world of information. Also, there should be a library or two in uptown Saint John.

I will miss many aspects of Montreal, but I was mostly unhealthy here due to my anxiety, which will always be there, but it was augmented in a mostly-bilingual place.

I'll still read Montreal news, and listen to the Habs in both English and French, though NHL.com's buffering will take some patience.

I'll try listening to Gabriel Morency on Team 990 though the stream has been pathetic in the past.

I have to find an eye doctor down home.

I'll probably have to work a few different kinds of jobs until I take some courses one day.

I must cut down and eventually quit smoking, again.

I haven't had a hangover in eight or nine years. I believe I've matured enough to stop when I've had enough, but we'll see.

The hermit has to learn how to keep some things secret when taking between families and friends.

Will still try to live without a tv at home, unless cable is included in the price for rent.

Will try not to have coffee at my place; I've gone eleven days right now.

What else? Yes, it will be a shock for a bit. I plan on being single for awhile, maybe forever. Would like to make some friends, and improve my life.

Bus price is only five dollars less than in Montreal.

No Dollar Cinema -- Films in SJ are at least eight dollars, so I won't be going unless going with family -- or large meals for a dollar like at MultiCaf; I went around eight times.

Will I regret moving back again? For the most part, I shouldn't. I will miss being invisible in the bigger cities.

I can't wait to mingle and speak English again, but it was good to be a minority for awhile. I'll always be a bit of a minority in terms of health, but the language issue can affect the former.

2006-03-25T21:12:00.000-04:00

I'm only adding this for my profile picture as Blogger doesn't like finding my image at Streamload MediaMax.

Web-based Microsoft Word

2006-03-24T18:25:00.000-04:00

Looks good so far, though maybe only in English for now, and Firefox browser: AjaxWrite

test

2006-03-23T14:42:00.000-04:00

I'll be here soon. Was paying for LivingDot with Wordpress, but had to cut some subscriptions due to discovering Streamload MediaMax; online storage.

Testing out moblog, and will be surprised if it works yet.

Also surprised if hyperlinks work.

http://tenoarman.blogspot.com/

I'm at Typepad again

2005-06-26T13:49:00.000-03:00

This time until I die as I'm tired of moving around, messing up search engines, and not having a reliable place to publish my links and rants. tenoarmancurrent is my home.

Now using MT

2005-01-29T01:34:00.000-04:00

I hope I keep my Movable Type blog this time. I've messed up search engines by quitting free and paid services these past few years. So I'm at tenoarman.net now.

Mostly at Typepad

2005-01-16T18:57:00.000-04:00

Livejournal server was down so I'm back to having three blogs. Here's my Typepad blog that I may keep after the three-month trial.

I'm at LiveJournal

2004-10-17T19:15:00.000-03:00

Blogger's good, but I prefer LiveJournal so this is where I post.