Jason's

Misguided

Blog: Sept 2003

Blog:

• Sept 29: The Blue Jays finished third for the sixth season in a row (best since this curious streak began), and made progress toward a wild-card birth next year. The all-stars aside, pitchers Towers and Kershner made their marks, while Johnson and Catalanotto hit consistently and in clutch situations. Add a reliable starter, solidify the bullpen, and 2004 could be the year of the Jay.

  Lost in Translation short review: A character-driven story, well acted and set in the perfect location. The movie shows the hilarious clash of culture and behaviour that somehow brings two adults, aged years apart, together to find happiness.

  Renting movies is a lot like sharing underwear: you don't know what's been done with it. Trying to watch a badly scratched double-sided, special edition DVD of The Transporter proved so futile that I returned it for a VHS copy instead.

• Sept 26: Breakups are always hard, so it's with great reluctance that we bid farewell to Canadian rockers Big Sugar, and the Headstones. Though only seeing the latter band twice, I saw the former over a dozen times and never left a show disappointed.
• Sept 24: Blog updates have been infrequent lately, but I would be remiss for not writing about the leader's debate in Ontario. Although I couldn't watch it all, a few points stuck out. The moderator must manage the debate better and stop all three leaders from speaking at once. McGuinty's best attack was for the government's record of dividing the population, putting some groups ahead of others, such as the wealthy, corporations, and the 905-belt. However, Hampton performed well by staying more focused and on topic, especially as the other leaders deflected harder questions. For more information, visit Elections Ontario, Fair Vote Canada and CRIC (public opinion analysis).
• Sept 15: A beautiful woman (Sandra), famous bar (Horseshoe Tavern), local band (Sadies), and classic beer (Molson Stock Ale) combined for a great Saturday evening. However, we witnessed another Jays' loss on Sunday to bring our season record to 1-3. Better luck next year.
• Sept 10: Wednesday night marked the end of frosh week with Yorkfest, headlined by I Mother Earth. The lead singer's immaturity aside, they put on a very loud and lively show that we enjoyed. Being back on campus we noticed how young students look today, no thanks to the double-cohort. However, with youthfulness comes stupidity: trying to use a cell phone during a concert is laughable. Let's hope this generation of students learn more than cramming for exams, fast food nutrition, and communicable diseases.
• Sept 2: The Labour Day long weekend is about two things: the end of summer, and the International Air Show at the CNE. With a blanket in tow, we found our usual spot near the announcer's booth on the shore of Ontario Place and watched three hours of aerial acrobatics that ended with the Snowbirds. Unfortunately, the weekend is also about people with strollers full of screaming kids, and saying "excuse me" each time you bump into one. The fireworks from Lakeshore Blvd. and the derby between gawking motorists and police trying to chase them away were a treat.

Web Design:

• Many designers have taken existing sites and converted them from table-based to pure-CSS. Demonstrations aren't done to embarrass the original designer, but to show the power and benefits of using styles for layout. The web can't move forward without innovation and commentary.
• Looking for inspiration? Sample the entries from any of these ongoing and past design contests:
  • WThRemix
  • Intersmash
  • ReUSEIT
  • DevArticles
  • No Sight at Night
  • SitePoint Community

Politics:

• I made a wish last night. The Tories got knocked off the electoral map, and the NDP formed a strong opposition. Hey, it could happen.
• Ottawa has an appealing pedestrian mall on Sparks Street. Montreal just participated in the international Car Free Day. Meanwhile, Toronto can't decide the future of the Gardiner Expressway, or adequately fund public transit.

Of Interest:

• Once again, I was scooped by an excellent eye editorial that details my feelings for the new Ticketmaster auction system. What the writer fails to address is the advantage broadband internet users have over dial-up dinosaurs like myself. Technology has always favoured those who could afford to buy it first. The rest of us patiently waited for the product to gain commercial success and the price to drop. However, I can't afford high-speed access, or dizzying prices for stadium concerts. No problem, I'd rather support smaller venues anyway.

Projects:

• I've started volunteering at Jewish Vocational Services in support of the CanadaInfoNet Mentoring Program. My role is to edit documents for the site and design HTML newsletters.

 

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