WASHINGTON - The Bush administration says two trailer trucks found in Iraq are "positive proof" that Saddam Hussein was producing biological weapons, although no trace of biological agents was found in them.
I'm sorry, but "no trace of biological agents found in Iraq" is not news. It's common knowledge.
The CIA released a six-page report concluding the only logical purpose for the equipment in the trailers is to produce biological weapons agents.
Oh, well, if the CIA says it, it must be true. All this is is "positive proof" that George W. Bush and his cronies are lying, murderous, thugs. As if we needed more proof of that...
Friday, May 30, 2003
Five on Friday:
1. What do you most want to be remembered for?
Being a better man than George W. Bush.
2. What quotation best fits your outlook on life?
Oi! Thump.
3. What single achievement are you most proud of in the past year?
Not dying.
4. What about the past ten years?
See above.
5. If you were asked to give a child a single piece of advice to guide them through life, what would you say?
Oi! Thump.
1. What do you most want to be remembered for?
Being a better man than George W. Bush.
2. What quotation best fits your outlook on life?
Oi! Thump.
3. What single achievement are you most proud of in the past year?
Not dying.
4. What about the past ten years?
See above.
5. If you were asked to give a child a single piece of advice to guide them through life, what would you say?
Oi! Thump.
Thursday, May 29, 2003
I almost forgot!! Today's Thursday Twiddler:
1. You are in charge of 100 people in imminent danger of death. The best way out will still mean that 10 of them will be left behind, to die in a fairly ghastly manner. Would you make the choice as to who those ten would be, or would you draw lots. And, in either case, would you include yourself in those who (possibly) would be left behind?
Now this is a hard one. I'd like to think that I would remain behind as one of the doomed 10 (the others would, of course, be volunteers, or chosen by lot if necessary), keeping a stiff upper lip and bucking up the spirits of those who are to die with me. A movie of the week would follow... However, I'm going to get all semantical (is that a word) here and point out that the question makes mention of the best way out, not the only way out, and therefore I'd keep looking for an escape plan that could, even if it was a remote chance, allow everyone to survive.
2. You fire an incompetent employee, who then files a hefty wrongful discharge suit. The charges are bogus, but the court case will be long, time-consuming, and expensive. Would you settle out of court? If you knew that you were eventually certain of (costly) victory if you didn't settle, would you anyway?
I'd just shoot him. Who would suspect?
3. What is something you enjoy that is a chore for most people?
Oddly enough, putting things in alphabetical order. I don't know why I enjoy it (probably a wee touch of OCD), but I do.
1. You are in charge of 100 people in imminent danger of death. The best way out will still mean that 10 of them will be left behind, to die in a fairly ghastly manner. Would you make the choice as to who those ten would be, or would you draw lots. And, in either case, would you include yourself in those who (possibly) would be left behind?
Now this is a hard one. I'd like to think that I would remain behind as one of the doomed 10 (the others would, of course, be volunteers, or chosen by lot if necessary), keeping a stiff upper lip and bucking up the spirits of those who are to die with me. A movie of the week would follow... However, I'm going to get all semantical (is that a word) here and point out that the question makes mention of the best way out, not the only way out, and therefore I'd keep looking for an escape plan that could, even if it was a remote chance, allow everyone to survive.
2. You fire an incompetent employee, who then files a hefty wrongful discharge suit. The charges are bogus, but the court case will be long, time-consuming, and expensive. Would you settle out of court? If you knew that you were eventually certain of (costly) victory if you didn't settle, would you anyway?
I'd just shoot him. Who would suspect?
3. What is something you enjoy that is a chore for most people?
Oddly enough, putting things in alphabetical order. I don't know why I enjoy it (probably a wee touch of OCD), but I do.
I just went upstairs to the Tim Horton's to fuel up for the afternoon push (we'll see how long that lasts), found myself grinning like an idiot at an unbelievably cute young lady up there, and got busted by her. She smiled back, rather than, say, calling the cops or pepper-spraying me, which is good.
This day is turning into extreme boringness. There's not much going on in world today - apparently Canada is going to be running the G8 conference coming up in France and Switzerland, which should lead to much improvement of U.S.-Canada relations (time will tell whether I'm being sarcastic). George Bush, or course, is already making a pillock of himself, as he will be gracing the conference for less than a day, before he heads off to help de-stabilize the Middle East. In far more important and interesting news, there is a rumour floating around that the next season of Enterprise will feature romance between T'Pol and Captain Archer...
Wednesday, May 28, 2003
First the D&D movie sequel, now this...
LOS ANGELES - Canadian teen singer Avril Lavigne's hit single about a teenage girl who rejects a skater boy is to be adapted into a feature film.
Paramount Pictures has hired ER writer/producer David Zabel to adapt the words of the song "Sk8ter Boi" into a movie, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Well, why not? Just about everything else has been turned into a feature film, and at least this flick comes with something vaguely approximating a plot. I actually surprised myself by not being able to come up with the expected level of cynicism over this one. It doesn't sound like it's going to be the standard sort of pop music movie, i.e. an thinly-veiled excuse for the artist to play as many of her songs as possible in a two-hour time period. However, it will probably make a lot of proto-punk teenage girls happy, and the message is better than a hell of a lot of what's being tossed at the world's youth these days. And yes, there's a decent chance that by any any real critical criteria the movie itself is going to be execrable, but it's not going to be any worse than what Adam Sandler (for just one example) is capable of on any given day.
Lavigne's writing team Matrix - Scott Spock, Lauren Christy and Graham Edwards - who co-wrote the song, will act as consultants on the screenplay.
They will also produce the movie soundtrack.
Hey, I think I guessed what one of the songs from the soundtrack is going to be! Aaaah, there's the cynicism...
LOS ANGELES - Canadian teen singer Avril Lavigne's hit single about a teenage girl who rejects a skater boy is to be adapted into a feature film.
Paramount Pictures has hired ER writer/producer David Zabel to adapt the words of the song "Sk8ter Boi" into a movie, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Well, why not? Just about everything else has been turned into a feature film, and at least this flick comes with something vaguely approximating a plot. I actually surprised myself by not being able to come up with the expected level of cynicism over this one. It doesn't sound like it's going to be the standard sort of pop music movie, i.e. an thinly-veiled excuse for the artist to play as many of her songs as possible in a two-hour time period. However, it will probably make a lot of proto-punk teenage girls happy, and the message is better than a hell of a lot of what's being tossed at the world's youth these days. And yes, there's a decent chance that by any any real critical criteria the movie itself is going to be execrable, but it's not going to be any worse than what Adam Sandler (for just one example) is capable of on any given day.
Lavigne's writing team Matrix - Scott Spock, Lauren Christy and Graham Edwards - who co-wrote the song, will act as consultants on the screenplay.
They will also produce the movie soundtrack.
Hey, I think I guessed what one of the songs from the soundtrack is going to be! Aaaah, there's the cynicism...
Tuesday, May 27, 2003
I found the initial link for the item below on this excellent blog, and thus it become the first item in TVFOH's comprehensive list of other people's blogs that I like to keep up on. Hooray!!
By Steve Levin, Post-Gazette Staff Writer
A nationwide e-mail campaign against the local Make-A-Wish Foundation has been organized by a family values organization that claims the Pittsburgh chapter accepted donations from "pornographic programs" during a recent comic book convention.
.
.
.
The e-mail campaign was organized by the nonprofit American Family Association, formed in 1977 by the Rev. Donald E. Wildmon to promote traditional family values in the news media. The association's Web site (www.afa.net) provides links to both the national and local Make-A-Wish foundations in its Action Alert section under the headline: "Make-A-Wish defends chapter's porn convention proceeds."
Oh this is just charming. I knew the AFA people were scum, but attacking an organization that helps terminally ill children is low even for them. They ought to be ashamed of themselves, but all know they won't be, as people like that have permanently lost the ability to feel shame, contrition, responsibility, or pretty much anything except spite and bile. However, a quick look at their website did give me one good chuckle:
Three and a half years ago, Iowa Family Policy Center (IFPC) helped convince Kum & Go convenience store owners to remove hard and soft-core pornography from their 313 convenience stores. At the time, Kum & Go said their "corporate moral ethos" prevented them from selling such material any longer, but now it's back. Despite the avalanche of phone calls they have received from Iowans who have asked them to take it back out, Kum & Go continues to sell pornographic magazines in their stores.
You know, I can't imagine not being able to buy porn in a place that calls itself "Kum & Go."
A nationwide e-mail campaign against the local Make-A-Wish Foundation has been organized by a family values organization that claims the Pittsburgh chapter accepted donations from "pornographic programs" during a recent comic book convention.
.
.
.
The e-mail campaign was organized by the nonprofit American Family Association, formed in 1977 by the Rev. Donald E. Wildmon to promote traditional family values in the news media. The association's Web site (www.afa.net) provides links to both the national and local Make-A-Wish foundations in its Action Alert section under the headline: "Make-A-Wish defends chapter's porn convention proceeds."
Oh this is just charming. I knew the AFA people were scum, but attacking an organization that helps terminally ill children is low even for them. They ought to be ashamed of themselves, but all know they won't be, as people like that have permanently lost the ability to feel shame, contrition, responsibility, or pretty much anything except spite and bile. However, a quick look at their website did give me one good chuckle:
Three and a half years ago, Iowa Family Policy Center (IFPC) helped convince Kum & Go convenience store owners to remove hard and soft-core pornography from their 313 convenience stores. At the time, Kum & Go said their "corporate moral ethos" prevented them from selling such material any longer, but now it's back. Despite the avalanche of phone calls they have received from Iowans who have asked them to take it back out, Kum & Go continues to sell pornographic magazines in their stores.
You know, I can't imagine not being able to buy porn in a place that calls itself "Kum & Go."
Monday, May 26, 2003
GABORONE, May 25 (Reuters) - Botswana goalkeeper Modiri Marumo was sent off during a penalty shootout for striking his opposite number during Malawi's Cosafa Cup quarter-final win on Sunday.
Marumo was beaten by the first three kicks taken by Malawi and lashed out at opposing keeper Philip Nyasulu, who had attempted to give him a conciliatory pat on the back of the head.
Lesson #1 in how to become very very unpopular with your team-mates. Has anyone ever heard of a sending off during a shoot-out?
Marumo was beaten by the first three kicks taken by Malawi and lashed out at opposing keeper Philip Nyasulu, who had attempted to give him a conciliatory pat on the back of the head.
Lesson #1 in how to become very very unpopular with your team-mates. Has anyone ever heard of a sending off during a shoot-out?
Lame Moments in Sports #2
Annika Sorenstam misses the cut at the Colonial. Yes, I know this has been done to death already, but now it's my turn. Sorenstam's missing the cut is not lame because it indicates that she can't play with the guys. It doesn't. It's not lame because it indicates that the LPGA in general can't give Sorenstam a challenge. It doesn't do that either. It's lame because it took a classy, talented, althlete, performing under tremendous pressure and in the face of some of the worst sportsmanship ever, and did not give her a happy ending. Instead, it let morons like Fulton Allem wander around thumping their chests while relief oozed from every pore on their bodies.
Ah yes, Fulton Allem. "The golf gods don't lie," he said, or words to that effect, when informed of Sorenstam's failure to progress to the third round. In that spirit, I though it might be interesting to examine exactly what the golf gods have to say about Allem. Let's see here... Well, they say he hasn't won a PGA tournament since 1993, which was also coincidentally the last time he placed in the top 100 (yes, one hundred) on the money list. And was also the last time he finished in the top three in a tournament. He's scrabbled a handful of top-10s since then, but none of those since 1998. He hasn't made half the cuts in a season since 1996. He's two for nine on making the cut so far this year, and is averaging 74.18 strokes a round, one-and-a-half strokes worse than Sorenstam's PGA average. In short, the golf gods say that the only reason anyone in the golf community is going to remember Fulton Allem is because of his being a shithead one fine May weekend late in the twilight of a career that defined the word "unspectacular."
Annika Sorenstam misses the cut at the Colonial. Yes, I know this has been done to death already, but now it's my turn. Sorenstam's missing the cut is not lame because it indicates that she can't play with the guys. It doesn't. It's not lame because it indicates that the LPGA in general can't give Sorenstam a challenge. It doesn't do that either. It's lame because it took a classy, talented, althlete, performing under tremendous pressure and in the face of some of the worst sportsmanship ever, and did not give her a happy ending. Instead, it let morons like Fulton Allem wander around thumping their chests while relief oozed from every pore on their bodies.
Ah yes, Fulton Allem. "The golf gods don't lie," he said, or words to that effect, when informed of Sorenstam's failure to progress to the third round. In that spirit, I though it might be interesting to examine exactly what the golf gods have to say about Allem. Let's see here... Well, they say he hasn't won a PGA tournament since 1993, which was also coincidentally the last time he placed in the top 100 (yes, one hundred) on the money list. And was also the last time he finished in the top three in a tournament. He's scrabbled a handful of top-10s since then, but none of those since 1998. He hasn't made half the cuts in a season since 1996. He's two for nine on making the cut so far this year, and is averaging 74.18 strokes a round, one-and-a-half strokes worse than Sorenstam's PGA average. In short, the golf gods say that the only reason anyone in the golf community is going to remember Fulton Allem is because of his being a shithead one fine May weekend late in the twilight of a career that defined the word "unspectacular."
Friday, May 23, 2003
Continuing with the theme of geekiness, I went and saw The Matrix: Reloaded last night, and it's definitely worth a look. Although the concept no longer seems quite so interesting (duh - it's a sequel) and the plot is pretty much a standard love-story/sci-fi-action romp type of deal, it is easily visually pleasing and stylish enough to make it fun.
Hurrah! Word is, there's going to be a sequel to the D&D movie!!! Awesome!! Remember in the first one, when the Wayans guy died, and the other guy, the one who was in the Superman show, threw his head back and screamed "Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!" to the uncaring audience? Remember when the same guy announced the finding of the entrance to the dungeon with the deathless line "Here's the entrance to the dungeon"? Remember Jeremy Irons on some sort of bizarre PCP high? Remember the tense scenes in "the maze," a diabolical arrangement of three rooms in a straight line? Remember the completely incomprehensible ending, with all the characters turning into Tinkerbell clones and flying away (oops, sorry, that was a spoiler). Remember? And now they're going to do a sequel!! This is the best news I've heard all day!!!
Ok, this is garbage. A big slap upsides the head to anyone who even thinks about spending their hard-earned money on this sort of crap.
This week's Friday Five:
1. What brand of toothpaste do you use? Crest
2. What brand of toilet paper do you prefer? Last year's phonebook (kidding. Kidding!!!)
3. What brand(s) of shoes do you wear? Docs
4. What brand of soda do you drink? Coffee
5. What brand of gum do you chew? I don't usually, but whatever happens to be at hand, I guess.
1. What brand of toothpaste do you use? Crest
2. What brand of toilet paper do you prefer? Last year's phonebook (kidding. Kidding!!!)
3. What brand(s) of shoes do you wear? Docs
4. What brand of soda do you drink? Coffee
5. What brand of gum do you chew? I don't usually, but whatever happens to be at hand, I guess.
Thursday, May 22, 2003
BERKELEY, CA—Nineties punk Drew Tolbert, 29, expressed scorn Monday for the punks of today, denouncing them as "phony poseurs unworthy of the word 'punk.'"
Brilliant stuff from The Onion this week. This whole article, in addition to making me laugh out loud, caused me to think back on the many pointless debates I've engaged on the topic "What is Punk?". For the sake of my sanity, I declared a personal moratorium on the argument a few years ago, deciding in the end that 'Punk' meant whatever you wanted it to, but I'm well aware that the debate goes on certain quarters. Usually, the debate over whether a band is 'punk' begins at roughly the moment when the band's video first appears on Muchmusic (or MTV, or what-have-you), and continues until entropy has ended the faint quivering of the last atom in the universe. This is because people are going about the argument from the wrong end. The question, rather than "What is punk?" should be "What is not punk?". And therefore, with great pride, I bring the first installment of the Big List of Things That Are Not Punk. Submissions are welcome.
These Things Are Not Punk!!
1. Post-It Notes
2. Bright copper kettles
3. Hallmark cards
4. Christine Aguilera (this is too easy!)
5. Authors who rip off Tom Clancy
6. Tom Clancy
7. Blink 182
8. Anybody, and I mean anybody, who reads Maxim magazine for any reason.
9. Voting for the Canadian Alliance
10. Incorrect use of the word 'patriotism.'
11. Reality TV (did I mention that this is easy)
12. Several types of food (I'm not saying which ones).
13. That drunk guy in the pub who insists on telling you his life story.
Let me stress that this is only a preliminary list, but it is a start, and you are now much wiser!
Brilliant stuff from The Onion this week. This whole article, in addition to making me laugh out loud, caused me to think back on the many pointless debates I've engaged on the topic "What is Punk?". For the sake of my sanity, I declared a personal moratorium on the argument a few years ago, deciding in the end that 'Punk' meant whatever you wanted it to, but I'm well aware that the debate goes on certain quarters. Usually, the debate over whether a band is 'punk' begins at roughly the moment when the band's video first appears on Muchmusic (or MTV, or what-have-you), and continues until entropy has ended the faint quivering of the last atom in the universe. This is because people are going about the argument from the wrong end. The question, rather than "What is punk?" should be "What is not punk?". And therefore, with great pride, I bring the first installment of the Big List of Things That Are Not Punk. Submissions are welcome.
These Things Are Not Punk!!
1. Post-It Notes
2. Bright copper kettles
3. Hallmark cards
4. Christine Aguilera (this is too easy!)
5. Authors who rip off Tom Clancy
6. Tom Clancy
7. Blink 182
8. Anybody, and I mean anybody, who reads Maxim magazine for any reason.
9. Voting for the Canadian Alliance
10. Incorrect use of the word 'patriotism.'
11. Reality TV (did I mention that this is easy)
12. Several types of food (I'm not saying which ones).
13. That drunk guy in the pub who insists on telling you his life story.
Let me stress that this is only a preliminary list, but it is a start, and you are now much wiser!
This looks like fun... Here's this week's Thursday Thumb-Twiddler. I don't know if I'll make doing these Q&A things a regular practice, but I'll do some from time to time at least.
1. If the President called up and said that he'd do his darnedest to implement any one policy or program you chose, what would
you choose?
Reading "Prime Minister" for "President"... I'd require every Canadian schoolchild to learn not only English and French, but Gaelic and at least one aboriginal language too. Albertans would be required to learn Chinese as well.
2. Is there scientific knowledge best left undiscovered?
Yeah - the knowledge of what happens when you crack an atom. Whoops, too late.
3. If you could proclaim a new national holiday, what would it be and how would we celebrate it?
I'd institute "Party in Iqaluit Day." Attendance would be mandatory.
1. If the President called up and said that he'd do his darnedest to implement any one policy or program you chose, what would
you choose?
Reading "Prime Minister" for "President"... I'd require every Canadian schoolchild to learn not only English and French, but Gaelic and at least one aboriginal language too. Albertans would be required to learn Chinese as well.
2. Is there scientific knowledge best left undiscovered?
Yeah - the knowledge of what happens when you crack an atom. Whoops, too late.
3. If you could proclaim a new national holiday, what would it be and how would we celebrate it?
I'd institute "Party in Iqaluit Day." Attendance would be mandatory.
'Vive la France! Vive le Canada!' hails PM
OTTAWA - Prime Minister Jean Chrétien says France and Canada must work together to restore trust with the United States after recent tensions over the war in Iraq.
Hmmm. This probably won't go over very well in Washington, land of the Freedom Fry. I wonder what Paul Cellucci thought of it all. Oh wait, there's more...
Most of the remarks at the state dinner were in French, and at least one VIP in attendance, American ambassador to Canada Paul Cellucci, might have missed most of what was said.
Awesome!! The U.S. ambassador, who just a few days ago was rumbling on about the deep friendship between the U.S. and Quebec, apparently doesn't speak French, and yet sat through an entire state dinner without being able to understand the speeches! Think of all the fun that could have been had!
OTTAWA - Prime Minister Jean Chrétien says France and Canada must work together to restore trust with the United States after recent tensions over the war in Iraq.
Hmmm. This probably won't go over very well in Washington, land of the Freedom Fry. I wonder what Paul Cellucci thought of it all. Oh wait, there's more...
Most of the remarks at the state dinner were in French, and at least one VIP in attendance, American ambassador to Canada Paul Cellucci, might have missed most of what was said.
Awesome!! The U.S. ambassador, who just a few days ago was rumbling on about the deep friendship between the U.S. and Quebec, apparently doesn't speak French, and yet sat through an entire state dinner without being able to understand the speeches! Think of all the fun that could have been had!
What on earth is up with the Canadian Alliance?
At a time when political conditions ought to be perfect for Stephen Harper's party, it languishes at roughly 15 per cent in national support, barely a third of that enjoyed by a tired third-term government led by a prime minister who has clearly overstayed his welcome.
What's up with the Canadian Alliance? Well, um, for starters, they're really boring and irrelevant. Plus, they've lost the "Stockwell Day Train-wreck" factor that so mesmerized the Canadian public a couple of years ago. So, while the NDP and the Conservatives are quietly marshalling forces, doing what they have to, and at least pretending to oppose the Liberals, and Chretien's people are finding new and amusing ways to piss off the United States, the CA is sitting on its collective bottom like a lump. I actually cannot remember the last time I heard an Alliance MP say anything at all, on any issue.
At a time when political conditions ought to be perfect for Stephen Harper's party, it languishes at roughly 15 per cent in national support, barely a third of that enjoyed by a tired third-term government led by a prime minister who has clearly overstayed his welcome.
What's up with the Canadian Alliance? Well, um, for starters, they're really boring and irrelevant. Plus, they've lost the "Stockwell Day Train-wreck" factor that so mesmerized the Canadian public a couple of years ago. So, while the NDP and the Conservatives are quietly marshalling forces, doing what they have to, and at least pretending to oppose the Liberals, and Chretien's people are finding new and amusing ways to piss off the United States, the CA is sitting on its collective bottom like a lump. I actually cannot remember the last time I heard an Alliance MP say anything at all, on any issue.
Hey look! All the posts from yesterday have appeared, and things seem to be working normally. Anyway, as I was trying to say yesterday, things have been happening over the last couple of weeks, while I was stomping through the woods of southern Ontario. Vijay Singh made an ass of himself (I was going to make that a Lame Moment in Sports, our second, but it's kind of old news now). Ari Fleischer, Bush's chief liar, finally choked on his own bile and quit. So did Christine Todd Whitman, Bush's chief environment-raper. Now, on the surface, this would seem like good news, but we all know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that those two are going to be replaced by worse. And, on the subject of American politics, it seems likely that a couple of their Supreme Court Justices may be retiring, and if the prospect of Bush and his fellow travellers getting the right to replace them doesn't fill you with terror, then you haven't been paying attention. Happily, the Texas Dems seem to have found a way to foil the worst excesses of the Republican regime, and, even more happily, Molly Ivins has written an excellent column about it.
Sporting-wise, Arsenal won the FA Cup, and Spurs cut loose Teddy Sheringham, leading to speculation that the boy might be returning to his South-East London roots. The Senators have pushed the Devils to game 7, and the Minnesota Wild actually scored a goal in their series against Anaheim before heading home for the summer. The Blue Jays seem to have an offense. Canada seems to have a professional baseball league (more on this later).
I'm sure other things happened too, but that's all I can think of for now...
Sporting-wise, Arsenal won the FA Cup, and Spurs cut loose Teddy Sheringham, leading to speculation that the boy might be returning to his South-East London roots. The Senators have pushed the Devils to game 7, and the Minnesota Wild actually scored a goal in their series against Anaheim before heading home for the summer. The Blue Jays seem to have an offense. Canada seems to have a professional baseball league (more on this later).
I'm sure other things happened too, but that's all I can think of for now...
Wednesday, May 21, 2003
Well, I'm back. It was a lovely trip, and in the end I didn't mind the fact that I didn't get any blogging done. Of course, there's now about a cubic mile of stuff to wade through and offer my oh-so-valuable commentary upon, but oh well... First of all, I actually got to watch a European soccer match this afternoon, as a result of being clever and remembering to take a couple of days of after my return to E-town. Unfortunately, Celtic couldn't get past Porto but such is life. It was a fairly dire first half, but things picked up in the second, and it actually turned into a fairly enthralling match. Hopefully this will be the beginning of a renaissance for some of the smaller leagues in Europe.
Thursday, May 08, 2003
Wednesday, May 07, 2003
It probably gets lots better than this, but not in terms of close finishes in the Scottish Premier League! Rangers and Celtic separated by 1 goal, with one match to go. The only way in which this could get tenser would be if they were playing each other in that final game, but we'll put up with the next best thing, as Celtic host Hearts (3rd in the table), while Rangers play the same role for Kilmarnock (4th in the table). And to think that only a couple of weeks ago Rangers looked to have it sewn up.
Catchphrases get old, it's a fact. Not that long-ago, commercial-watchers were thrilling to the antics of a group of cell-phone-owning morons screaming "Whaaasssuuuuuuup!" at each other, but trying evoking images of that ad campaign now and you're likely to get punched out. Well, I've got another one that needs consigning to the scrapheap of history (heh.).
You see, I just punched "post 9/11" into google and got back "about 2,030,000" matches (I suppose that should be "about 2,030,001" now). Two-million, thirty thousand. I mean, really. Yes, we live in a "post 9/11" world, but for heaven's sake it's getting more and more post 9/11 all the time! We're now all but 20 months post 9/11! Can we please, please, try to stop basing our every action on that one terrible morning in 2001!? I do not mean by this that we need to forget what happened on September 11, 2001, or stop honouring and remembering those who died, or trying to punish those responsible, or anything like that. What I do mean is that we need to get rid of our pavlovian response to the phrase "post 9/11", the response which runs along the lines of "Because you invoked those words, any course of action you have associated with that phrase I shall take as reasonable and even necessary, up to and including inserting microchips under my skin in order to track my movements." Can we please stop caving in every time words "post 9/11" are uttered, usually with a resigned shrug of the shoulders by the utterer, out of fear that if we don't, we shall appear insensitive at best and treasonous at worst?! And could you, dear reader, the next time somebody tries to justify some piece of stupidity, or incompetence, or unpleasantness, using the images of the falling WTC towers, could you please make them lay out the connection for you in detail?! Please can we start doing this? Now?
And don't get me started on "...or the terrorists win."
You see, I just punched "post 9/11" into google and got back "about 2,030,000" matches (I suppose that should be "about 2,030,001" now). Two-million, thirty thousand. I mean, really. Yes, we live in a "post 9/11" world, but for heaven's sake it's getting more and more post 9/11 all the time! We're now all but 20 months post 9/11! Can we please, please, try to stop basing our every action on that one terrible morning in 2001!? I do not mean by this that we need to forget what happened on September 11, 2001, or stop honouring and remembering those who died, or trying to punish those responsible, or anything like that. What I do mean is that we need to get rid of our pavlovian response to the phrase "post 9/11", the response which runs along the lines of "Because you invoked those words, any course of action you have associated with that phrase I shall take as reasonable and even necessary, up to and including inserting microchips under my skin in order to track my movements." Can we please stop caving in every time words "post 9/11" are uttered, usually with a resigned shrug of the shoulders by the utterer, out of fear that if we don't, we shall appear insensitive at best and treasonous at worst?! And could you, dear reader, the next time somebody tries to justify some piece of stupidity, or incompetence, or unpleasantness, using the images of the falling WTC towers, could you please make them lay out the connection for you in detail?! Please can we start doing this? Now?
And don't get me started on "...or the terrorists win."
Usually I like to give people a break, but TSN's new racing columnist, Todd Lewis, has not in any way impressed me yet, and in his latest column I caught him sneering thusly at Dario Fanchitti:
Just a question: What was Dario Franchitti doing in England at the CART race? I realize he’s injured and out of his ride with Michael Andretti’s team for sometime, but with this being Michaels final run at Indianapolis, both Dario and Tony Kanaan injured and substitute drivers running in their place, shouldn’t it be all hands on deck to try and help the team? If Franchitti’s back injury isn’t too painful for him to endure a plane ride to Britain shouldn’t he be at Indianapolis Motor Speedway offering whatever wisdom he can provide.
Franchitti's back wasn't too painful for the plane trip to Britain because the injury actually occurred after he got there (he crashed his motorcycle in Scotland). Mr. Lewis needs to check a map, his facts, or both.
Just a question: What was Dario Franchitti doing in England at the CART race? I realize he’s injured and out of his ride with Michael Andretti’s team for sometime, but with this being Michaels final run at Indianapolis, both Dario and Tony Kanaan injured and substitute drivers running in their place, shouldn’t it be all hands on deck to try and help the team? If Franchitti’s back injury isn’t too painful for him to endure a plane ride to Britain shouldn’t he be at Indianapolis Motor Speedway offering whatever wisdom he can provide.
Franchitti's back wasn't too painful for the plane trip to Britain because the injury actually occurred after he got there (he crashed his motorcycle in Scotland). Mr. Lewis needs to check a map, his facts, or both.
LETHBRIDGE, ALTA. - Police in Lethbridge say alderwoman Dar Heatherington, who disappeared over the weekend, has been found alive and well in Las Vegas.
OK, usually when someone goes missing, and her car, purse, and keys are found in a parking lot, it does not bode well for a happy outcome to the case. Now a lot of people are going to want to know how the hell she ended up in Las Vegas after vanishing in Great Falls, Montana, but for the nonce the main thing is that she is alive and apparently in good health. I don't know that I've ever been at either end of the emotional scale that her family in Lethbridge must have experienced over the last few days.
OK, usually when someone goes missing, and her car, purse, and keys are found in a parking lot, it does not bode well for a happy outcome to the case. Now a lot of people are going to want to know how the hell she ended up in Las Vegas after vanishing in Great Falls, Montana, but for the nonce the main thing is that she is alive and apparently in good health. I don't know that I've ever been at either end of the emotional scale that her family in Lethbridge must have experienced over the last few days.
Talking to a friend of mine last night about this whole Book of Erotic Fantasy thing, and he was pretty much aghast. His main problem with the BoEF was the unnecessariness of it all. He also pointed out that although the Book of Vile Darkness did have a big old (im)mature content label on it, it was not an entire book devoted to sex in the game. And I have to concur in some ways. I mean, our Tuesday evening game has a minor sexual component to it (by which I mean that, at least one character has had sex in the course of the game), and we haven't really needed an enormous sourcebook to do it with. It's just occasionally part of role-playing. Furthermore, we haven't felt the need to go into description of what's going on, or roll dice, or use tables, or anything of that nature (and there hasn't been any heh-heh, heh-heh, heh-heh laughter, either). So, where I'm leaning right now towards saving my money and staying away from Mr. Valterra's book. I shall be interested, however, to see what the reviews have to say.
The snow has changed to rain, which is a distinct improvement - I quite like the rain. Fun though it is to bitch about it, this latest bit of precipitation is exactly what the doctor ordered (particularly if you're a farmer or might have to deal with a forest fire at some point), after the drought debacle of last year. Of course, it's going to be a bit hard on profiteering-minded southern Alberta hay farmers, but oh well. On the bus the last few days I've noticed that the river is nice and high, and hopefully will stay that way (might make things a bit more exciting for the folks on the Edmonton Queen!).
Tuesday, May 06, 2003
Joe Strummer was a big supporter of Future Forests and a great friend of our founder, Dan Morrell. In his memory, Future Forests have planted 50 trees in a forest at Orbost on the shores of Loch Bracadale, on the Isle of Skye. This beautiful site is set against the majestic Macleod's Tables.
Well that's just cool. The Isle of Skye is one of the most beautiful places on Earth, and for Joe Strummer to be memorialized there is just awesome.
Well that's just cool. The Isle of Skye is one of the most beautiful places on Earth, and for Joe Strummer to be memorialized there is just awesome.
Monday, May 05, 2003
Valar Project, Inc. to release the “Book of Erotic Fantasy” in October 2003 - the first roleplaying game, compatible with the best selling Dungeons & Dragons ™ fantasy roleplaying game, that deals directly with sex and sexuality.
OK, my final opinion on this work is going to depend on the quality of the product (Yes, I'm a gamer. You don't like it, too bad). As far as whether or not it's a good idea in the first place, there are a number of schools of thought:
School 1: "Don't do it, it'll just give the Jack Chicks of this world more ammo to shoot at RPGs." A true and valid argument, but rather moot, since the fundie hordes have no trouble finding their own ammo.
School 2: "Don't do it, sex has no place in D&D." True for some groups, not for others. Not a reason not to publish the book at all.
School 3: "Go for it! Screw the fundie hordes! If they want to hate us, we'll give them reason!" Moot argument again - fundie hordes have no trouble finding reasons to hate us.
There are probably other opinions on this matter. However, one thing about this whole situation that has amused me is the reaction of Wizards of the Coast, which released the following statement:
Wizards of the Coast is in no way associated with the product, "The Book of Erotic Fantasy," referenced recently on [websites]. We find the subject matter distasteful and inappropriate and do not endorse, condone, or approve of its use with the Dungeons & Dragons game. While the OGL license allows anyone, even our employees, to produce products that are compatible with Dungeons & Dragons, Wizards does not approve or control the theme of any third-party D20 product. For Immediate Release Contact: Anthony Valterra
Valar Project, Inc.
1909 N. 47th St.
Seattle, WA 98103
206.675.8552
This is just hilarious to me, coming as it does from the same people who released The Book of Vile Darkness with such fanfare, with sealed "mature content" excerpts in Dragon magazine, and promises that WotC was really pushing the envelope here, no question, yup, this was for adults only, really bad stuff, shock your pastor with this etc. etc. Anyway, for them to turn around and get all starched in the bum about somebody else's sex in D&D book seems to me to be at least a little bit hypocritical.
OK, my final opinion on this work is going to depend on the quality of the product (Yes, I'm a gamer. You don't like it, too bad). As far as whether or not it's a good idea in the first place, there are a number of schools of thought:
School 1: "Don't do it, it'll just give the Jack Chicks of this world more ammo to shoot at RPGs." A true and valid argument, but rather moot, since the fundie hordes have no trouble finding their own ammo.
School 2: "Don't do it, sex has no place in D&D." True for some groups, not for others. Not a reason not to publish the book at all.
School 3: "Go for it! Screw the fundie hordes! If they want to hate us, we'll give them reason!" Moot argument again - fundie hordes have no trouble finding reasons to hate us.
There are probably other opinions on this matter. However, one thing about this whole situation that has amused me is the reaction of Wizards of the Coast, which released the following statement:
Wizards of the Coast is in no way associated with the product, "The Book of Erotic Fantasy," referenced recently on [websites]. We find the subject matter distasteful and inappropriate and do not endorse, condone, or approve of its use with the Dungeons & Dragons game. While the OGL license allows anyone, even our employees, to produce products that are compatible with Dungeons & Dragons, Wizards does not approve or control the theme of any third-party D20 product. For Immediate Release Contact: Anthony Valterra
Valar Project, Inc.
1909 N. 47th St.
Seattle, WA 98103
206.675.8552
This is just hilarious to me, coming as it does from the same people who released The Book of Vile Darkness with such fanfare, with sealed "mature content" excerpts in Dragon magazine, and promises that WotC was really pushing the envelope here, no question, yup, this was for adults only, really bad stuff, shock your pastor with this etc. etc. Anyway, for them to turn around and get all starched in the bum about somebody else's sex in D&D book seems to me to be at least a little bit hypocritical.
WEST KINGSDOWN, England (AP) - Rookie Sebastien Bourdais won the London Champ Car Trophy at Brands Hatch on Monday, ending Canadian Paul Tracy's string of three consecutive wins.
Doh! Tracy came 17th out of 19 after his engine caught fire on the 118th lap. However, he still leads the overall standings by 11 points from Bourdais. The win should give Bourdais confidence enough that the shananigans of his first two races shouldn't be repeated, which is bad news for everybody else on the circuit.
I actually "watched" this race on Cart.com's automatic online timer, which was surprisingly effective. I find that quite often these live update services don't really perform very well, so it was nice to see one that does.
Doh! Tracy came 17th out of 19 after his engine caught fire on the 118th lap. However, he still leads the overall standings by 11 points from Bourdais. The win should give Bourdais confidence enough that the shananigans of his first two races shouldn't be repeated, which is bad news for everybody else on the circuit.
I actually "watched" this race on Cart.com's automatic online timer, which was surprisingly effective. I find that quite often these live update services don't really perform very well, so it was nice to see one that does.
Saturday, May 03, 2003
Goddamn it's a slow news day today. Colin Powell is busy trying to reassure various countries that they're not on some sort of hit list, when they know damn well they are (I really feel sorry for Colin Powell some days). George Bush is insisting that the U.S.A. will find WMDs in Iraq if it takes them forever, and all the obvious implications thereof. And so on and so forth. However, I did get one good chuckle when re-reading this article about the same-sex marriage B.C. court decision. And here it is, folks, one of the dumbest quotes ever made in public:
"Institutions are not about rights. They are about serving society. And marriage does a very good job of that," said Michael Martens, a spokesman for Focus on the Family.
Institutions are not about rights? What the fuck does that mean?
"Institutions are not about rights. They are about serving society. And marriage does a very good job of that," said Michael Martens, a spokesman for Focus on the Family.
Institutions are not about rights? What the fuck does that mean?
Ruud van Nistelrooy hit a superb hat-trick as Manchester United maintained their surge towards the Premiership title with a 4-1 win over Charlton at Old Trafford.
Actually, the real story here (well, one of them anyway) is chapter two in the continuing Old Trafford Goalkeeper Crisis. Let's just say that Charlton's goal should never have happened in a million years. Now, this was not 100% Roy Carroll's fault, as Roy Keane probably owes Carroll a pint or two for an absolutely criminal backpass, but Buddy, when one of your team-mates hot-potatoes you the ball, with his feet, into the penalty area, hoof the friggin' thing into touch, not blindly on the ground up the pitch. Ye gods. Anyway, a new name as possible replacements for Barthez (who was on the bench today) was being bandied about by the commentators, and it is that of American Tim Howard, currently toiling for the NY/NJ Metrostars. So, to review, we have the following possibilities:
Fabien Barthez (not looking likely)
Roy Carroll (Possible, but dropped a clanger today)
Antti Niemi (Still favourite, I think)
Rustu Recber (A very very good goalkeeper, my favourite of this lot)
Petr Cech (Qui?)
Brad Friedel (Has done wonders for Blackburn, might turn out to be a brilliant choice)
David James (Currently enjoying a sort of renaissance, but big question marks remain)
Tim Howard (Big gamble to go straight from MLS to Old Trafford #1)
Actually, the real story here (well, one of them anyway) is chapter two in the continuing Old Trafford Goalkeeper Crisis. Let's just say that Charlton's goal should never have happened in a million years. Now, this was not 100% Roy Carroll's fault, as Roy Keane probably owes Carroll a pint or two for an absolutely criminal backpass, but Buddy, when one of your team-mates hot-potatoes you the ball, with his feet, into the penalty area, hoof the friggin' thing into touch, not blindly on the ground up the pitch. Ye gods. Anyway, a new name as possible replacements for Barthez (who was on the bench today) was being bandied about by the commentators, and it is that of American Tim Howard, currently toiling for the NY/NJ Metrostars. So, to review, we have the following possibilities:
Fabien Barthez (not looking likely)
Roy Carroll (Possible, but dropped a clanger today)
Antti Niemi (Still favourite, I think)
Rustu Recber (A very very good goalkeeper, my favourite of this lot)
Petr Cech (Qui?)
Brad Friedel (Has done wonders for Blackburn, might turn out to be a brilliant choice)
David James (Currently enjoying a sort of renaissance, but big question marks remain)
Tim Howard (Big gamble to go straight from MLS to Old Trafford #1)
WEST KINGSDOWN, England (AP) - Canadian Paul Tracy moved a step closer to becoming the first CART driver to win the first four races of the season.
Tracy, from Toronto, won the provisional pole Saturday for the London Champ Car Trophy, securing a spot on the front row for Monday's race.
You know, Paul Tracy is going to lose a race at some point this season. Just when is the question, though. He's driving extraordinarily well, although to be fair some of his fellow drivers have had some appallingly bad luck. Still, nice to see Mr. Tracy doing well, and in a Player's car too.
Tracy, from Toronto, won the provisional pole Saturday for the London Champ Car Trophy, securing a spot on the front row for Monday's race.
You know, Paul Tracy is going to lose a race at some point this season. Just when is the question, though. He's driving extraordinarily well, although to be fair some of his fellow drivers have had some appallingly bad luck. Still, nice to see Mr. Tracy doing well, and in a Player's car too.
Friday, May 02, 2003
Well, that's enough politics for one day. You know, I really never had much inclination to listen to heavy metal music or to be part of that 'scene' (Wanna know why? Well, here's one reason!). Having decided that the whole thing was pretty much a wash back in the days of 'hair' metal, I blissfully ignored the subsequent 'rap'-metal and 'nu'-metal phases, and there may have been others too. However, a couple of weeks ago I was in my local on Saturday evening (traditionally live music night) and was absolutely blown away by a nu-metal band. I mean, I went and bought their CD right there at the gig, and I usually don't do that. Anyway, they're incredibly awesome and excellent in every way, they're called Gate, and their web-page is here.
VANCOUVER - A top White House drug policy official is threatening retaliation from the U.S. if Canada relaxes its laws against marijuana possession.
Bite me. The U.S.'s drug policies manage to combine brutality, needless cruelty, and ineffectiveness to a point that boggles the mind, yet successive generations of American politicians have not had the courage to make it stop. Half a second's actual, rational, thought would reveal that giving potheads criminal records does absolutely nothing to prevent or mitigate the social ills caused by serious drug addiction. And buddy, when your lot gets around to actually punishing the amphetamine freak who dropped the bomb on those Canadian soldiers, then you can talk to us about drug policy. Until then, take your criticism and shove it up your ass.
David Murray, right-hand man to U.S. "drug czar" John Walters, says he doesn't want to tread on another country's sovereignty, but warned there would be consequences if Canada proceeds with a plan to decriminalize the possession of marijuana.
Fuck you David Murray (and John Walters too, for that matter). Doesn't want to tread on another country's sovereignty? Doesn't want to tread on another country's sovereignty? Treading, or rather trampling, on other countries' sovereignty while claiming to be the defenders of freedom is what the United States of America is all about under its current administration.
[snip]
"You can't wall this off saying, 'We're only talking about a little cannabis.' Our experience is they come together like the Four Horsemen," he said.
Don't lie. Your experience, like the experience of every other country in the world, is that casual marijuana use has absolutely no effect whatsoever on the social fabric except to make it ever-so-slightly mellower and to give it a mild craving for munchies. And yes, we're only talking about a little cannabis here, so you can settle down.
Murray said Canada's reputation in the global community would be forever altered if it decided to decriminalize pot.
"It's not just Canada's relationship with the United States that would change; it's Canada's relationship with the world," he said.
Yes, our relationship with the world would change. We would join the infamous Axis of Countries That Have Actually Figured It Out. Won't this world be a better place when an American president has the courage to bring the U.S.A. into that group?
Actually, I'm not really that angry with the U.S. over this. They didn't actually elect the useless fuck currently occupying the White House, and there are too many good Americans working very hard to improve the world for me to actually sustain any kind of serious rage at their country. I am, however, pre-emptively very angry with the Canadian pundits and politicians (Stephen Harper, I'm looking in your general direction) who are going to weigh in with how we now shouldn't decriminalize pot, not because of any evidence that it's a bad idea, but out of craven terror that we might somehow offend George W. Fucking Bush.
Bite me. The U.S.'s drug policies manage to combine brutality, needless cruelty, and ineffectiveness to a point that boggles the mind, yet successive generations of American politicians have not had the courage to make it stop. Half a second's actual, rational, thought would reveal that giving potheads criminal records does absolutely nothing to prevent or mitigate the social ills caused by serious drug addiction. And buddy, when your lot gets around to actually punishing the amphetamine freak who dropped the bomb on those Canadian soldiers, then you can talk to us about drug policy. Until then, take your criticism and shove it up your ass.
David Murray, right-hand man to U.S. "drug czar" John Walters, says he doesn't want to tread on another country's sovereignty, but warned there would be consequences if Canada proceeds with a plan to decriminalize the possession of marijuana.
Fuck you David Murray (and John Walters too, for that matter). Doesn't want to tread on another country's sovereignty? Doesn't want to tread on another country's sovereignty? Treading, or rather trampling, on other countries' sovereignty while claiming to be the defenders of freedom is what the United States of America is all about under its current administration.
[snip]
"You can't wall this off saying, 'We're only talking about a little cannabis.' Our experience is they come together like the Four Horsemen," he said.
Don't lie. Your experience, like the experience of every other country in the world, is that casual marijuana use has absolutely no effect whatsoever on the social fabric except to make it ever-so-slightly mellower and to give it a mild craving for munchies. And yes, we're only talking about a little cannabis here, so you can settle down.
Murray said Canada's reputation in the global community would be forever altered if it decided to decriminalize pot.
"It's not just Canada's relationship with the United States that would change; it's Canada's relationship with the world," he said.
Yes, our relationship with the world would change. We would join the infamous Axis of Countries That Have Actually Figured It Out. Won't this world be a better place when an American president has the courage to bring the U.S.A. into that group?
Actually, I'm not really that angry with the U.S. over this. They didn't actually elect the useless fuck currently occupying the White House, and there are too many good Americans working very hard to improve the world for me to actually sustain any kind of serious rage at their country. I am, however, pre-emptively very angry with the Canadian pundits and politicians (Stephen Harper, I'm looking in your general direction) who are going to weigh in with how we now shouldn't decriminalize pot, not because of any evidence that it's a bad idea, but out of craven terror that we might somehow offend George W. Fucking Bush.
Thursday, May 01, 2003
AUSTIN, Texas -- Don't worry about a thing! The Texas Legislature is riding to the rescue. Oh, sure, we still have a $10 billion deficit, but the House just outlawed gay marriage. At last, we're safe from the hideous threat of gay marriage, which would have directly ruined our entire lives.
On the other hand, we have the lawmakers in Texas. This is Molly Ivins at her finest. She's always great to read, but her most fun columns are the ones where she takes aim at the Texas Legislature, and this one is a very fine example of that. From the same column:
You'll be happy to know that Bill Zedler (R-Tarrant) has introduced a bill concerning pubic hair (about which I cannot say more, since the rest of the bill is totally unprintable). Zedler's against pubic hair. We still have a $10 billion deficit. I love living under Republican governance.
Unprintable? Not here! Here ya go - H.B. 2257!
On the other hand, we have the lawmakers in Texas. This is Molly Ivins at her finest. She's always great to read, but her most fun columns are the ones where she takes aim at the Texas Legislature, and this one is a very fine example of that. From the same column:
You'll be happy to know that Bill Zedler (R-Tarrant) has introduced a bill concerning pubic hair (about which I cannot say more, since the rest of the bill is totally unprintable). Zedler's against pubic hair. We still have a $10 billion deficit. I love living under Republican governance.
Unprintable? Not here! Here ya go - H.B. 2257!
VANCOUVER - A 10-day logging protest six years ago is going to cost Greenpeace more than $6,000 after a court in B.C. said the environmental group has to pay loggers for lost wages.
Madame Justice Janet Sinclair Prowse ordered Greenpeace and two of its members to compensate four loggers who lost work when protesters shut down a logging site on Roderick Island in May 1997.
Wow, the B.C. courts are having a good day today! This is absolutely the right decision in this case, but I wish Greenpeace had had the sense to pay the loggers up-front. Not only would it have been the right thing to do, it would have been very smart from a public-relations perspective. One of the major arguments trotted out by the anti-environmental brigades is the "threatening peoples' livelihoods" line, which serves nicely to distract folks from the real point of the environmental movement. It would have been nice to see a major environmental group pull that argument's teeth.
Madame Justice Janet Sinclair Prowse ordered Greenpeace and two of its members to compensate four loggers who lost work when protesters shut down a logging site on Roderick Island in May 1997.
Wow, the B.C. courts are having a good day today! This is absolutely the right decision in this case, but I wish Greenpeace had had the sense to pay the loggers up-front. Not only would it have been the right thing to do, it would have been very smart from a public-relations perspective. One of the major arguments trotted out by the anti-environmental brigades is the "threatening peoples' livelihoods" line, which serves nicely to distract folks from the real point of the environmental movement. It would have been nice to see a major environmental group pull that argument's teeth.
VANCOUVER - Preventing gay couples from marrying is discriminatory and Ottawa must relax its rules, the B.C. Court of Appeal ruled Thursday.
Cue the screams of "judicial activism! judicial activism!" from the right. Cue also (from the same sources) the sombre invocation of "family values" and the "sanctity of marriage." There's gonna be tons of material for this page for the next couple of weeks!
Cue the screams of "judicial activism! judicial activism!" from the right. Cue also (from the same sources) the sombre invocation of "family values" and the "sanctity of marriage." There's gonna be tons of material for this page for the next couple of weeks!
I just accidently exited the program I was using, so, while it's reinitializing (which takes about five minutes), I'll relate to you this little tale. Several weeks ago I was on the number four bus one evening, heading off to meet friends. The bus was full-ish, so I was standing towards the front as we trundled across the Quesnel bridge. As we reached the south side of the river, the driver got on the PA (usually used for things like "You at the back settle down!!") and asked "What bridge was that that we just crossed?" Since I was standing right beside him, I told him. The driver then asked, once again on the PA, what the name of the river was. I answered him again, feeling slightly perturbed that I was on a bus whose driver apparently did not know where he was. However, the penny dropped when he asked (yes, yes, over the PA) what the next city downriver was - apparently, he had decided to have a round of Trivial Pursuit with his passengers. Anyway, I answered him again, and he said "The gentleman (!?) at the the front wins!" and gave me a lovely keychain. It was just about the nicest thing that's happened to me in a while.
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