HappyHappyDonut

Enough already.

The typical pro-Indian business puff piece. "Oh you in the West, you do not fully understand your chakra and you also can not compete in the 21st century." Meanwhile, who the hell can't get their head out of their asses long enough to make sure the trains run on time, the sewage gets treated, and more ... see Too Many Missed Opportunities.

Posted by sparky on September 6, 2007 8:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

August 4, 2007

One handsome guy!

IMG_9719.jpg
Originally uploaded by ktrueman.

Can it get any better than this ?

Posted by sparky on August 4, 2007 2:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

July 28, 2007

Happy Dog

IMG_9656.jpg
Originally uploaded by ktrueman.

A wonderful week of camping with Das Uberhund. Here is after fetching a ball in the river not too far from our campground.

Posted by sparky on July 28, 2007 7:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

July 17, 2007

Anglo-Russian relations.

With the UK's ejection of 4 Russian diplomats in the wake of that country's refusal to extradite the accused killer of former KGB spy Alexander Litvinenko, The Economist and many other media outlets are reporting that relations between the former Great Powers are at a low. Russia is apparently hinting at less and less cooperation on matters of security though it could get worse.

Those with their feet planted on the ground know what this means.

Russia is planning to severely limit a number of key exports, specifically mail-order brides. You know what this means. Make a bee line to sites like RussianEuro.com, choose the Slavic beauty of your dreams (conveniently lost in the early 80s style-wise) and don't bring your American Express. 'cuz they only take cash.

No word yet on what President Putin plans to do regarding other fine products of the Motherland such as:

(still communist) toothless Babushkas
vodka swilling homeless old men
criminalized veterans of the Chechen war

'nuff said.

Posted by sparky on July 17, 2007 11:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

June 17, 2007

update coming soon.

Trying to figure out how blogging fits in a Facebook world. ugh.

Posted by sparky on June 17, 2007 10:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 3, 2007

Ich bin gejoostet.

I got a beta invite to Joost yesterday. Wow!

For a beta it is really solid. Can't take my eyes and ears off of the Ministry of Sound TV channel.

Ken

Posted by sparky on May 3, 2007 5:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

April 22, 2007

Term paper done.

Finished my last term paper. There won't be one of those for a while (I hope). One less source of stress. Now I have to finish up my thesis project abstract and hand that in as well. And then we are often to the races.

Should go to bed now, but there is Game 6 of the Calgary-Detroit playofff series. 9 minutes left...

Posted by sparky on April 22, 2007 11:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

April 12, 2007

Second last presentation.

I had my final presentation in my sociology class at the University of Montreal. I decided to play for keeps, including a picture of Pierre Trudeau in my presentation. The topic was the evolution of Canadian and American Identities in the intervening years since (the late) Seymour Martin Lipset published Continental Divide in 1990.

This was my second last presentation for my master's degree, but the last one in this course.

I have one left -- my thesis dissertation -- which I plan to do in a little less than a year. And then that will be that.

Until some other course program book makes its way into my hands.

I had a great meeting with a professor who has accepted to be my new thesis director; this is significant because I will get to go back to my original thesis idea, one that crossed my mind before I even finished my last graduate degree.

Posted by sparky on April 12, 2007 9:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Whither Kilgore Trout.

Kurt Vonnegut passed away last night; the NY Times has a wonderful informative obituary to the writer who was probably my favorite of all. I came to Vonnegut rather late in life; that is if you compare it with that of high school students who get their first taste of Vonnegut in high school English classes.

I must have been almost 30 the first time I picked up one of his novels -- Slaughterhouse Five -- I believe. I was immediately drawn to his sense of humour -- edgy, but not too cynical -- and his style of prose. I can point to a number of my own blog writings which consciously -- or not -- sought to imitate his style.

My favorite novel is The Sirens of Titan; I love the way it builds up as well as the denouement. I have 7 or 8 of them on my bookshelf, which means another to go, leaving aside the compilations of short stories.

If there is silk lining in it all, it is that Vonnegut's main protagonist, a certain Kilgore Trout appears to be doing well. Though we have not heard from him in a number of years, we have no reason to believe he is the worse for wear.

So it goes.

Posted by sparky on April 12, 2007 9:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

April 7, 2007

Stressed.

If I had a twitter account, i would keep writing things like "shit. Fuck. Shit."

It is only 6 minutes and change into the Habs-Leafs game and I have to admin that I ams tressed out to hell. heart is pounding. Thanks God Cristobal looks good.

Posted by sparky on April 7, 2007 7:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)