Happy New Year!

The new year will be happier for some than others. Today at lunch, we went to the same restaurant we always go to on Saturday mornings... the same one that hosted my wife's surprise 50th birthday. Nothing is weird about going to this place on Saturdays. What is weird is that on Friday night, we couldn't think of anywhere to go to dinner, so we went to our usual Saturday spot. As we prepared to go again for lunch today, we even toyed with the idea of going somewhere else, until I mentioned that the owner might have a heart attack if we didn't show up at our usual time to sit at our usual table.

So we went. And it wasn't there. I don't mean the business had closed overnight. I mean the building (or at least most of it) wasn't there. The owner was standing in the deserted parking lot, along with what seemed to be half the Windsor Fire Department. But the building was gone, except for some cinderblock facia. This restaurant has had a sports theme, and there was a ton of priceless memorabilia inside -- signed jerseys and rare photographs of deceased sports legends, and the like.

It will take some time to determine the cause of the blaze, and the owner has indicated he intends to rebuild and reopen (thank goodness!), but for now, a lot of good people will have been thrown out of their jobs, and the owner will have to live with second doubts about whether there was any way he could have foreseen this circumstance. Early coverage of this event is already on the internet and will probably appear in the next issue of the local paper.

I wish him, and all you readers out there, the best of new years.

Merry Christmas

Sure, I wish there was world peace. But in lieu of that, this is the next best thing.

The Funeral

Max's funeral was today. It's mid-December, and the weather was wonderful. There was a bit of condensation from the previous day, but otherwise, the weather was agreeable -- not even cold enough to see your own breath in the air!

The funeral services were well attended, and the procession to the cemetery was long and very impressive. Max was truly well-liked. At the gravesite, the earth was soft and easy to shovel, and many took part in the honour of heaping dirt onto the casket. Back at the wake, there was much food and many people available to do the prayers. It remains to be seen how many men show up this week for the twice-daily prayer meetings, but today, there was a lot of respect shown for Max's memory.

Moratorium on Florida and California Death Penalty is stupid

This post is not about whether the death penalty is justifiable or constitutional. It is about the laughable state of affairs currently existing in Florida and California, two states that currently have the death penalty. It seems that there have been recent botched attempts to put inmates to death in these states, and because of the possibility that the inmates' constitutional protection against cruel or unusual punishment may have been violated by these botched attempts, executions in general have been placed on hold.

Let's examine the insanity of these claims. If we assume that the only people who are actually strapped to the tables are those whose appeals have all been exhausted (and I'm not speaking of guilt or innocence here -- that's fodder for another debate entirely), it seems clear that by this time, it is the state's intent to kill these people. At the rate of something less than 10 executions per year, and no way to do "dry runs" on real people, it's understandable that some procedural errors are going to occur due to lack of practice. After all, when you're trying to stick a hypodermic needle into the arm of someone who doesn't want it there, you might make a mistake caused by stress or personal discomfort. And those types of errors, while not intentional, may cause distress to the inmate when the chemicals start to enter his/her system.

So what constitutes cruel or unusual punishment? My opinion is that to qualify as "cruel", these infractions must be intentional in nature (i.e. wanton torture, either physical or emotional -- which is intended to harass or degrade the inmate). The lawful application of a final judgement, to me, does not constitute an intentional infraction, even if a procedural error occurs in the process.

When you examine any punishment that requires that an inmate be prepared prior to execution, either by being strapped to a table with hypodermic needles inserted, or strapped to a chair with electrodes affixed, there is a possibility that the preparatory procedure will be botched. It is indeed possible that lethal injection, death by hanging, and death by electrocution are prone to a greater degree of error in the preparation. I believe the only process that makes sense is death by firing squad. Human firing squads can practice on dummy targets without a great deal of preparation, and the skills required to deliver death by firing squad are not any different from the skills required to kill in combat, making the act less "unusual" than that of hanging, electrocuting, or injecting someone. However, in this day and age, I don't believe it is fair to place the psychological burden on a human firing squad. The introduction of robotic "marksmen" with laser sighting technology that could home in on a target patch affixed to the inmate over a vital organ would allow for virtually instantaneous death.

If states wish to repeal their laws authorizing executions, let them do so. But while these laws are on the books, the use of a firing squad as a means of execution should allay everyone's fears about cruel or unusual punishment.

Mixed feelings

The last 24 hours have been strange. It started yesterday morning at the daily prayer meeting. One of the guys was holding the latest version of the Jewish Community Centre news magazine. It's published three times a year, and the Chanukah issue had just hit the streets. I have an ad in that publication, so I took a look. My ad had been professionally prepared based on a concept I had sent to the artist, and it looked perfect. It was also in a great location within the publication. If that didn't brighten my spirits enough, my friend Max had come up to me, that perpetual twinkle in his eye, and commented on how nice my hand-writing was. I had sent Max and his wife a card thanking them for their patronage, and wishing them a happy holiday.

Among the thoughts in my note was how I appreciated his efforts in organizing the breakfast that is served to members of the congregation that show up for Sunday morning prayers. I had been thinking about donating some food to help out with that breakfast, and after weeks of procrastinating, I finally decided to take the plunge for this Sunday's meal.

I tried to call Max to find out when I could deliver the frozen food to him but his line was busy, so I tried someone else who I know has a key to the synagogue. He told me that Max had passed away during the night.

You never know when you, or someone you know, will leave this earth. I'm so glad that the last words I had with Max were kind and pleasing. And though I'm saddened that he won't be around anymore to help brighten each day, I know that his time on earth was wisely spent, and that he will now be honoured for his efforts.

Keeping busy

Yeah, I've been keeping busy, but that heading isn't about me. Right now on TV, there's a movie called After the Thin Man. There's a bit player in the movie who I think is named Lee Phelps. He reminds me of Ed Asner. In fact, I thought it was Ed Asner, until I realized that in 1936, Ed Asner wouldn't have looked that old. I looked up Lee Phelps on IMDB, and discovered that this actor had been cast in nearly 600 movies during his career. Which got me to wondering whether any other actor in history has been in more movies. If anyone wants to do the research and let me know in the comments area, I'd be curious to know.

Blind Hatred

I want to start with a statement of fact. I don't watch political commentators on TV, nor do I listen to them on radio. Such commentators, regardless of their political views, are on the air to get ratings. Without ratings, they have no platform. Therefore, I believe, specially during "sweeps week", the shows that would be broadcast are more inflammatory in nature than you would normally find.

That being said, there is no denying that there are places in the world where blind hatred is taught to an entire society, beginning with the children. As a Jew, I have experienced personal persecution during my lifetime. Sometimes, the persecution was the result of child peer pressure ("he's a Jew, it's alright to pick a schoolyard fight with him -- we'll back you up"), sometimes it was the result of "innocent" remarks ("I went to a store to buy something, and I Jewed the guy down a few bucks").

The thing about being brought up with blatant persecution is that you develop a thick skin. You weigh things carefully, trying to determine whether a particular person's actions are the result of ignorance, or hatred. At a recent prayer meeting, a friend of mine asked whether I had seen the Glenn Beck show about Radical Islamic Fundamentalism and the hatred that is taught to their children. I had not seen it, and took some time today to search for a replay on YouTube. I found a video and watched it. It was disturbing. I wanted to post a link to it here, but instead, found another copy of the video with the ability to "embed" the video on a website.

I have chosen to embed that second recording, even though it is not the exact copy I watched. I'm telling you this in case there are problems with the video. If there are, I urge you to go to YouTube and search for "Glenn Beck Exposed". That should result in a suitable video link being delivered. In my original search, I found many show snippets of a few minutes each. There were only two links I found that were at least 40 minutes long (the actual play time, minus commercials).

Here's the embedded link:

Updates

Though each event on its own merits little mention, as a whole, things are moving in a positive direction. Having suffered through a slow October, November is starting out in a positive light, vis-a-vis business. I've had enough service calls during the first two weeks of the month to match the previous two month's revenue (that's not necessarily a major accomplishment, just a fact). I've also been approached to possibly provide a business service that might generate recurring revenue.

Speaking of recurring revenue, I've taken a couple of baby steps forward on one of my pet projects. Having acquired some much-needed research material through ebay, I'm making real progress towards bringing one of my other website ideas to fruition. It might take some time, but I'm hoping things will work out in the end.

On yet another front, I was cruising ebay a couple of weeks ago when I got the crazy idea to check out automobile GPS units. I happened across an auction with less than 1 minute left, and the current price was ridiculously low. I tried to snipe a bid, but by the time I had logged in and done everything necessary, the auction had ended. I was a bit annoyed (though I had no real reason to be), and started looking through some of the other GPS auctions, coming across one that had about 6 minutes remaining.

There was barely enough time to finish reading the product details and place a bid. I won that auction, and three days later took delivery of the GPS unit. It's been an absolutely wonderful toy, helping me navigate to a couple of service calls to obscure side streets that I would have otherwise had to print mapquest details for. I particularly enjoy watching it reroute itself when I purposely make an incorrect turn. With my wife planning to travel out of town this weekend, it will be a perfect navigation companion.

Well, that's about it. You're now up to date!

It's over

I guess I'm a bit disappointed there won't be any hoopla this weekend now that the Tigers have lost the World Series. But I'm also happy that television can get back to normal. The playoffs always last too long for my liking.

The one really bad thing for Fox TV is that the ratings for this series were miserable, and since it was a short series to boot, the network is going to lose a lot of money on this year's deal. Oh well...

Ouch!

Our neighbors in Detroit are stinging from the spanking handed to them in Game 1 of the World Series by upstart St. Louis. All those lovely pictures of the Detroit skyline that you may have seen on the broadcast were taken from across the river - right here in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Hopefully, some time during the series, the people at Fox might turn the cameras the other way and catch a glimpse of our side of the river. Fair is fair...

Baseball Fever

Just across the river, baseball fever is going strong in Detroit. Our cities hosted the Superbowl earlier this year, and now, it's time for a World Series. I'm glad Detroit won their game today, because if they had to play tomorrow, there would be three professional sports teams playing within a 1 mile radius, with the Tigers and Lions occupying adjacent stadiums, and the Red Wings playing at Joe Louis Arena, less than a mile away. Traffic won't be so bad now!

If the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Mets, the World Series will be a rematch of the 1968 Series. That year, Detroit came back from a 3-1 deficit to defeat the Cardinals. Baseball fever is growing.

Go get 'em, Tigers!

An unpopular opinion - on the record

I think the crash of Cory Lidle's plane into a New York building was a suicide. After a horrendous pitching performance in the deciding game of the Detroit / New York playoff series - a performance that allowed 3 runs to be scored by four consecutive hitters in the fifth inning, I think Cory was unable to handle the pressure of facing his teammates and management. Some witnesses to the crash indicated that the plane was acting erratically before the crash. My guess is that Cory was trying to crash the plane, while the instructor accompanying him on the flight was doing all he could to prevent the crash.

Maybe investigators will be able to shed some light on the root cause, but with such a small plane, I'm not sure there is the kind of tracking equipment that would allow such an analysis to be carried out. We'll just have to wait and see.

Who said cats don't like water

My sister sent me a link to this video, which should dispell any idea that cats don't like water.

Vrroooommm

I'm a Dodge Viper!

You're all about raw power. You're tough, you're loud, and you don't take crap from anyone. Leave finesse to the other cars, the ones eating your dust.

Take the Which Sports Car Are You? quiz.

Surprise!

Today is my wife's 50th birthday! So to surprise her, we celebrated two days ago. And when I say "we", I mean every relative and friend I could lay my hands on with the short notice required to maintain secrecy. There were twenty-one guests at the party even though invitations had only been issued a maximum of five days before the event. There was even one guest who received an invitation at 12:10PM (guests were to arrive by 12:15, with the party beginning at 12:30). That was because my wife generally spends time with this person on Saturday mornings, and I didn't want any possibility of a leak. When I explained why the invitation was issued so late, the guest acknowledged that the secret might have slipped out.

Anyway, I've included a couple of pictures from the event... one of my wife about 10 minutes after the surprise was sprung (note how she still hasn't recovered), and one picture showing the group of people who gathered to honour my wife on her special day.

Still not recovered from the shock	Both families (and friends) showed up for the occasion

Need feedback

I have just read that filelodge.com, the site I have been using to host some of the photos on this blog, has become a site that employs questionable tactics to get people to pay for previously-free file hosting.

In my post of August 13th, I have pictures of two houses. Can anyone who reads this blog please leave a comment as to whether you can see these houses directly on my page, or whether you are presented with an ad or link of some kind?

Thank you.


P.S. I have some pictures to post, once I locate a stable picture-hosting site.

Crocodile Hunter meets his match

While filming a special on dangerous underwater creatures, Steve Irwin, Crocodile Hunter, was fatally stung by a stingray.

Although I always thought he took far too many chances, his programs were always interesting. I'll miss him.

I wonder if they'll ever air the fatal episode. It would be a good reminder to people to respect the dangers of the deep.

Is that funny, or what!

I can think pretty quickly on my feet. Though no rapper, I can bust a rhyme on the fly as well as anyone I know (I don't know any professional rappers), and occasionally, I can come up with a completely original joke. Today was one of those occasions. The kids had come down for the holiday weekend and we all went out to lunch. On the menu was something called Fried Pickles, and my daughter ordered it. When the order arrived, the pickle slices resembled lightly breaded potato wedges. As I looked at them, I turned to my daughter and asked:

"Do you know what they call the breading that surrounds the pickle?"

She looked at me like I was nuts, and said she didn't.

With a smug smile, I replied: "Dill-dough"

Thank you... thank you very much!

Nothing happening

I've not been feeling too well lately. My sugar levels have not been too good and it's affecting me profoundly. I'm almost always sleepy, which makes it difficult to concentrate for any length of time on anything I'm trying to accomplish. Consequently, I haven't felt too much like posting to this blog. It may be a while until I do so again.

Mentos + Diet Coke = A blast!

I hadn't seen this before today. How about you?



P.S. Make sure your speakers are on to get the full effect of the accompanying soundtrack.

One degree of separation

A month ago, not many people I know had ever heard of a small town called Kipling, Saskatchewan. It became a recognized destination courtesy of the internet when a guy from Montreal ended up finishing his year-long quest to trade a red paperclip for a house. Now, less than a month later, Kipling has remarkably made it's name back into the headlines. Peter Whitmore, a convicted sex offender holding two young boys hostage, was tracked to a farmhouse near (you guessed it) Kipling, Saskatchewan.

Kyle MacDonald's House (photo by AP Photo / Brad Kearns)

Farm where Peter Whitmore hid with his two young hostages (Photo by CP / Troy Fleece)

Ain't it a small world!

I'm just fine ... thanks for asking

I've been away from my blogging for a while. It's not that I have nothing to say. Just the opposite, actually. I've been so busy, there's almost no time to stop for a breath.

I've spent most of my spare time for the past few years working on a "secret project". Very recently, I was able to overcome the last remaining technical roadblock which was stopping me from offering my product to the marketplace. Since then, I've been slowly unveiling it to a select group of friends and relatives. I don't really want the website associated with this blog, so I'm not assigning a link to the picture. Hope you understand.

Your assignment for today

I've got a few websites hosted through a particular free hosting service that, when they are accessible, is fantastic. Totally free, no limit on the number of domains that can be hosted, no banners, great tech support... what could be better. Unfortunately, either their servers are frequently down, or the backbone they're on is not very stable. It seems like load times for my pages is quite slow - and that's when I can reach them at all.

So, for the few people who read this blog on a regular basis (you know who you are), please use the comments to suggest a free hosting company. I don't need (but wouldn't say no to) CGI scripts, databases, etc. For that kind of service, I realize I'd have to pay something. But for HTML pages, images, etc., I think I need to find a more reliable host. There are lots of "free" hosting plans that require the display of a banner. That's not acceptable. I don't want to show any content that is not completely under my control.

Thanks for your suggestions.

Amazing progress

I've had the most productive 48 hours, vis-a-vis my baseball project than I've had in any other 2-day period in over four years. I don't know whether the online resources I've recently discovered were always there but lay undiscovered, or whether the baseball gods smiled down on me and provided me with the missing link I've been searching for. I've written a program that has been generating remarkably accurate game predictions more-or-less in real time for the past two baseball seasons, after having back-tested it on historical data from seasons 2000 through 2004. The only stumbling block that has kept me from trying to sell the predictions was a technical issue that just may be solved before the end of this month. I am so excited I can barely contain my enthusiasm. Check out the prior years' "paper betting" results here.

Dare to dream

There is no idea under the sun that is too stupid to be tried. A year ago tomorrow, a man in Montreal got the idea to trade a RED PAPERCLIP for something more valuable. His goal was modest - to keep trading up, until he finally got a house. Tomorrow, exactly one year after he started his quest, he gets his house. Here's his story.

Pirates!

Pirates of the Caribbean - Dead Man's Chest debuted this weekend, and we decided to see it on opening weekend. That's usually not a good idea - crowds being what they are - but we went to a matinee during the World Cup Soccer match. This city has a large population of French and Italian citizens, so I was betting that the theatres would be relatively empty. My gamble paid off, and we were able to get good seats for this movie.

I won't talk plot, as I have this thing about giving/receiving spoilers. I'll just say I enjoyed the movie, and look forward to the next installment.

On a loosely related note, it seems like a number of unscrupulous business owners have decided to keep the 1% GST rebate voted by the federal government. Some are blatantly saying they won't return it. Others are claiming that it reflects an increased price to cover increased costs!! Still others (usually restaurants) are simply adding this message to their receipts: "includes 1% mandatory gratuity". In the latter case, I pity the wait staff... since I have a policy of not adding a tip to any bill where I have been charged a mandatory minimum gratuity. I'm curious to know what other people think about this move by retailers. In fact, I'm so interested, I've registered a domain to collect opinions, create a blacklist of offending retailers across the country, and perhaps grant space for complying businesses to advertise their establishments. It's just parked at the moment, but be on the lookout for real content coming soon!

Not much going on

There isn't much going on these days. Not much positive anyway... Business growth has been extremely slow, despite ongoing marketing. Something needs to happen soon, because I'm starting to get a bit depressed.

Other than that, there's not much happening. Being very low on cash, there isn't much to do when I'm not working. And that's another cause for depression. I don't think it's reached the critical stage, but I'm keeping my eye on things.

How I spent Father's Day

It was a Sunday not much different than any other, except when I got home from morning prayers, my wife greeted me with Father's Day gifts and a card. The gifts were very appropriate, as they normally are, and the card was quite apropos. Afterward, she went to church, and when she got home, we enjoyed lunch together before heading out to a campers' trailer park to celebrate her father's birthday/Father's Day. Normally, I don't like being out in the woods with all the insects, but today, for some reason, the insects were less annoying, and I managed to enjoy the afternoon out by the lake.

While there, we met up with my wife's brother and sister-in-law. After leaving the campground together, we ate an enjoyable supper before going our separate ways. So now, it's early in the evening, and I get a chance to relax with no distractions.

I hope all you other fathers enjoyed your special day as well.

Unbelievable

Tonight, that give-away goal in overtime, allowing the Edmonton Oilers to score while shorthanded to avoid elimination is looming quite large. Let me begin by saying I am NOT a hockey fan. Except for the last 10 minutes of the aforementioned game, I have watched NONE of this year's playoff games.

I did watch the end of that last game, because it happens that Peter Karmanos, owner of the Carolina Hurricanes, also is the founder, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Compuware, a company I used to work for. Since I'll be visiting their head office next week, it seemed like it would be a good time to catch everyone in a great mood. Now, I'm not so sure what will happen if his team loses its third game in a row, and is robbed of the cup by the 8th seed in the playoffs. I imagine he will be quite inconsolable, and that several of his hockey management will suffer the same fate as those that disappoint him at Compuware.

I've got to hand it to the third-string goalie on Edmonton's team. After getting hacked apart in games 2 and 3, he has really settled down and is playing inspired hockey.

Living vicariously

I was there the day it all began...

The year was either 1977 or 1978, I can't remember for sure. I had recently been divorced, and was angry. Very angry. I figured the best thing I could do that was legal was to join the army and learn to kill people. To join the regular army would be foolish. I didn't want to die myself, I only wanted an outlet for my aggression. So, I decided to join the reserves. Living in Ottawa at the time, I had two choices: the army reserve or the navy reserve. I chose the army because I had discovered during my teen years at summer camp that I had a knack for shooting rifles accurately. I also didn't want to take the chance that I would become sea-sick on a ship somewhere in the ocean.

I found out very early in my training that the army is not a place for wusses. The guys who join these units are very gung-ho, and many come here as the first step in a planned military career progression. I was not cut of that cloth. Although I enjoyed marching, drilling, shooting, and learning all I could about the history of the forces and the tasks to be performed by members of the army, there was something I absolutely did NOT like doing - still don't like doing - and that is walking out front of a large group of people and taking command.

During the five years I served in the reserves as a junior officer, there was NOT ONE TIME when I led the parade procession. It was not by accident that I either scheduled other activities, or simply played hookie on the nights when I knew I would be called upon to lead the parade. Yes, I was embarassed. Yes, there were probably many soldiers who snickered behind my back for these antics, but I didn't care. I wasn't there to learn to lead an army. I was there to shoot stuff.

One day, a young (20 years old, I think) university student walked into the officer's mess and was introduced to us. He said his name was Andrew, and he quickly became the focus of the entire regiment. Andrew was a lad of many stories, all of them about the military. Within weeks of his arrival, we all knew that he was the son of a general, and whose father was also the son of a general. He told us that he would continue the family tradition and eventually become a general. Despite the gung-ho nature of his audience, there were probably less than a half-dozen people in the room who had aspirations to be fighting soldiers. We listened to his prediction with a large grain of salt.

During my tenure with the 30th Field Regiment of the Royal Canadian Artillery, I saw Andrew leapfrog me and several other more-dedicated officers in his ravenous quest for knowledge. Yet, he remained very personable - never making anyone feel like he had "climbed over" them. Rather, we watched him with the growing knowledge that this young man was destined for greatness.

Anyway, I left the reserves in 1981 and didn't really keep track of any of my ex-buddies until about six years ago. Using the power of the internet, I had decided to look up my old commanding officer. I actually managed to locate him (he was a government employee, but a civilian reserve officer - not regular forces) and we reminisced about old times. I then tried to recall as many names as I could and asked what had happened to them. When Andrew's name came up, I was told that he was a general in the Canadian Armed Forces.

A general at age 43? Could that be possible? I have continued to follow Andrew's career since then. In six short years, he has progressed from Brig-General to Maj-General and now to Lt-General (the equivalent to the American 3-star general). Typically in the Canadian Forces, you need a minimum of four years TIR (time in rank) to progress to the next step. And as you get to the top of the pyramid, your progression typically slows down, because there just aren't that many places ahead of you to grow into. In the years since I began following his career, Andrew has been the commanding officer of the Canadian Forces in Afghanistan (among other postings), second-in-command of all NATO forces, and has seen much combat. He also has progressed through the highest levels of military college strategy training - arguably attaining a level of military thinking that rivals the best of today's commanders anywhere in the world.

So we come to today's newspaper, featuring Lt-General Andrew Leslie taking over control as the leader of the entire Canadian Army. At age 49, he finds himself in the second-most-senior position in the armed forces. I imagine he has a counterpart on the naval side of the fence, but I can't imagine anyone with more experience, breeding, and enthusiasm. I don't know how old the picture is that accompanied the news piece, but it's hard to imagine him looking much older than 30-35 in that picture. If it is a more recent picture, then Andrew has aged quite well.

I'll continue to follow Andrew's career, and expect to see him as a full General in charge of the entire Canadian military when General Hillier (the current head honcho) is ready to retire.

1-5-7

This will probably be the last post about my grandson's funeral and followup events. At the funeral home, we left a guest book out for mourners to sign. I know for a fact that not everyone at the funeral home signed the book. But when all was said and done, there were 157 names in the book. That's at least 157 people who knew our families and thought well enough about us to attend and actually sign the book. We (i.e. my wife and I) have also received a great many cards from various individuals and families. I can only imagine that my daughter received at least as many herself. Thank you all for your expressions of support.

Also, through the generous donations of friends and family, I can report that my daughter was able to purchase a proper memorial stone for the grave site, and also received enough cash to enable the family to make their first-and-last rent payment to the landlord of the home they had hoped to move into. Come July, they will be out of the place that reminds them of their son, and will start fresh in their three-bedroom home, with a porch and backyard. I wish them well.

For anyone reading this blog who wishes to check the obituary and perhaps leave a message of condolence, please use this link.

Mixed bag

There are so few of us in the world, we barely rank a blip on census meters. Information on the internet suggests about 14.6 million total worldwide population, or less than 1/4 of 1 percent of the total world population. Only a small handful of countries in the world have Jewish populations that amount to more than 1% of the nation's total: Argentina, Canada, France, United States, and of course, Israel. I guess if the world was a school playground, we'd be the ones everyone picked on, because there just aren't very many of us to fight back.

While it is true that, as a people, we do our best to become educated and strive to attain the highest level of success possible within our capabilities, I don't see how that's different from the goals of any group of people. I know few people beyond certain religious orders that aspire to poverty. What few people know is that, as a group, a very large percentage of us still live below the poverty line in our respective countries. In Canada, for example, nearly 20% of Jews live below the poverty line.

With nearly everyone else in the world blaming us for everything that goes wrong, it's easy to form a persecution complex. So, I relish those times when people who have been particularly vocal about our destruction get their just desserts. Thursday, on the whole, was a good day. Both the U.S. and Israel bagged some really bad guys on the terrorist list; and that's a good thing. In Canada, on the other hand, a native-Canadian leader of the Assembly of First Nations tribe who had been convicted of spouting hatred against the Jewish people had his conviction overturned. Ahenakew will possibly face a new trial.

The Funeral and Beyond

We had the funeral today. Starting with a parents-only viewing before 11:00AM, it segued into the family viewing at 11:00AM, the public viewing at noon, the actual funeral service at 1:00PM and the funeral procession at 2:00PM. Interment followed at a local cemetery with a dedicated area for infants. Needless to say, the entire day was filled with emotion. The facial tissue boxes were emptying faster than a theatre where someone yells "FIRE!", and I saw the most grizzled of veterans bawling their eyes out. The death of a very young child will do that to you. My son-in-law delivered an inspired eulogy which made me very proud.

Following the funeral service, many of the people chose to continue to the cemetery; and of those, the majority came back to the church for a meet-and-greet. By the time all was completed, it was past 5:00PM. No one went home hungry and there were heartfelt displays of emotion and support from the most unlikely sources.

The hard part begins now... Trying to return to life as usual is not really an option. You can't unring the bell. But you can learn to cope, and that's what lies ahead for the young family. Grief counceling within the school system has already been arranged for the eldest daughter; and the younger daughter will learn more about her brother and his premature death as she gets older herself. Dad and mom will need to support one another, and perhaps seek professional support at some point. For the time being, however, they seem like they should make it.

My wife, too, has shown marked improvement over the past few days. Today, of course, was her day to grieve, but I can already sense that she's over the worst of the shock. She's already concentrating on ensuring that she focuses on the living, without dwelling too long on our grandson.

As for me, my task is much easier. Because of his youth and the limited contact I had with him, I never really got the opportunity to bond with my grandson to the same extent as my wife. His death saddened me. I cried very openly during the synagogue memorial service the day after his death. And I've sobbed a few times since, including during today's funeral. But I think I'm now over the worst of my loss, and will be strong for my wife, daughter, and son-in-law.

I'd like to publish a small headshot and memorial for my grandson on this blog, but I'll only do that with the permission of his parents. I have yet to ask for that permission.

An update

People can be so cruel. Despite being outgoing and previously respected, my step-daughter and son-in-law have had to endure accusatory glances from neighbors as police sealed off their apartment for the standard investigation that is done when a young one dies. It's been a depressing, horrifying, and degrading experience for everyone for the past couple of days. But now, the coroner has officially ruled the death as not being caused by any malicious activity. The funeral arrangements, which had been completed except for the availability of a body, can now proceed as planned. And the neighbours have again started coming forward with condolences and offers of financial assistance.

What a day

The forecast called for rain. The morning started out sunny and bright. As usual, I spent Saturday morning at my synagogue, with this particular weekend being the celebration of the end of the Jewish holiday of Shavuot (the holiday marking the day the Jewish nation received the 10 commandments on Mt. Sinai). As I mentioned previously, my birthday was May 31st, but by the Jewish calendar, I was born on the last day of Shavuot. Returning home from synagogue, I couldn't wait to remove my shaggy beard. Although I don't make a habit of shaving on a daily basis, I am not particularly fond of beards. The custom in my religion is to not shave or get your hair cut during the seven weeks between the Passover and Shavuot holidays. We had an appointment later in the afternoon to speak with someone about a rental property and figured the interview would go better if I looked presentable. So I didn't wait until sundown to cut off my unruly beard. It was only a few hours early - who would know!

As is our custom, my wife and I eat Saturday lunch at one of our favourite restaurants, and while we were there, the weather turned nasty. A torrential downpour began while we ate, but it slowed to a manageable shower by the time we were done eating. Stepping out of the restaurant, I glanced down to see a rain-soaked yarmelka. There aren't that many Jewish people in Windsor that go around with yarmelkas in their pockets, so I instinctively knew it had to be mine. A quick check of my pocket confirmed my suspicions. I picked it up and placed it in a blanket in the car. I've worn that yarmelka to prayers every day since the death of my father, and I wasn't ready to let it go. My plan was to dry it out at home and keep wearing it.

My step-daughter and her husband have been living in a small two-bedroom upper-duplex apartment for more than three years. Since they moved there, they added another beautiful baby to their growing family, and had been living in crowded conditions ever since. They've been trying to find a new place for over a year, but with the baby growing, their search took on new urgency. For the past couple of weeks my wife and I have been using the internet to search for possible properties (they wanted to find a house - not an apartment or duplex - with a fenced yard for the children). Miracle of miracles, we found an ad for a 3-bedroom home for rent that was big enough, clean enough, in a good neighborhood, close to schools, with a nice back yard, and within their price range. On Friday night, we contacted the owner of the property, and had agreed to meet her on Saturday afternoon with our daughter to look at the property.

There is an annual "Art in the Park" event in Windsor, and it was scheduled for Saturday afternoon. Because my step-daughter and her husband live near the art gallery, they have found from past experience that this is an ideal weekend to set up garage sales. The foot traffic of people looking for eclectic wares on their way to/from the gallery seems to work to their advantage. When my wife and I arrived at the house to pick up our daughter, we found them both out there with a number of their friends manning the sales table, huddled under tarps and umbrellas, enjoying the day.

As we drove off with our daughter, I asked whether she had authority and agreement from her husband to put down a deposit on the property should she find it to her liking. She indicated that she'd need to talk it over first, so I suggested it might be a better idea for both of them to see the property together. We doubled back to pick up her husband, and went off to view the prospective place.

To make a long story short, they both loved the place and put a deposit down on the spot. On the way back to their house, we were all so excited as we talked about what preparations would be necessary for the move, and how wonderful it would be to finally be in a home of their own.

When we got to their home, the sale was proceeding. The girls were playing on the porch and the babysitter reported that their youngest had remained asleep since being put down for the usual nap. My daughter went to the bedroom to wake her baby for his feeding only to find him face down in the crib.

Her baby had only learned within the past week how to roll over. And he chose that very unfortunate period to practice what he had recently learned. It cost him his life.

I can't describe the piercing scream I heard, even from the front yard, and the wailing that soon followed as daddy rushed up the stairs to find his only son unconsicious. The paramedics arrived in record time, but as I was to learn later, their frantic removal of the child with an IV, breathing mask, and blaring sirens was only an act for the benefit of the parents and the little ones. My step-daughter and son-in-law held out hope, because they felt their baby was still warm and could be saved. For anyone with medical training, it would have been obvious from the baby's colour that things were beyond miracle cures.

So here I sit, numb. No parent should witness the death of their own child, much less a grandchild. My wife asked me not to blog about this, so I didn't, yesterday. Today, I need to. It's my first point of release... the beginning of my grieving and healing process. Our kids are too grief-sticken to deal with the mundane details of funeral planning, so my wife and I are making arrangements. Overnight, our other children drove to town in the company of my step-daughter's "real" dad. We'll all be there to comfort her, but one wonders how you can really heal from such a wound.

As day turned into night, the rains came with a fury I haven't seen since ... the night my father died.

May they both rest in peace.

Birthday

It's my birthday. As a present, the province of Ontario has banned smoking in all public buildings, effective today. Yay!

What a delight!

My wife and I have just returned from a wonderful movie night with my sister. On tap tonight was a movie called Nanny McPhee. What a delight it was! Great company and great movie. Can't beat that!

Confirmed

OK. I have traced the source of the story to my satisfaction and I'm ready to weigh in with my opinion. It seems that Israel recently averted an assassination attempt against Palestinian Prime Minister Abbas which had been planned by rival governing group Hamas. This is significant on several levels. First, it shows that Israel is comfortable dealing with Abbas, as opposed to anyone who might be appointed by Hamas to replace him. I think that labeling Abbas as a moderate would be premature. However, he does seem to be a realist.

Israel is happy to have someone without the baggage of Arafat to be its adversary in the negotiation process. While Abbas must clearly represent the interests of the Palestinians, he does not represent the fanatic terrorist element that Arafat had represented for so many decades. With Olmert continuing the Israeli status quo of offering land-for-peace, all parties should recognize that this might be the best possibility for peace that the region has seen in years.

In my opinion, the political landscape has changed over the past 30 years. There was a time when neighboring Arab nations waged war (with actual armies) trying to destroy Israel. When Israel won those wars and increased its landmass, displacing the Arab population, it was considered the spoils of war. Israel regained access to Jerusalem after 2000 years of exile, and created a buffer zone between itself and its hostile neighbours. Fast forward a generation, and there are now a lot of bitter Arabs who have lived their entire lives in squalour and exile. And though I firmly believe it is mainly the fault of the Arab countries for not improving the lot of their displaced comrades after losing these wars of annihilation, it has been much easier and more convenient to blame it all on Israel so as to fuel the fires of hate and revenge.

The military situation has also changed over the past 30 years. Rather than use armies and limit hostilities to soldiers, the Arabs (and to a lesser extent radical Israelis) have resorted to terrorism to fight a war of attrition against civilians. Despite all this, Israel has taken the lead in unilaterally offering more and more concessions to the Palestinians in an effort to achieve a lasting peace. When Yasser Arafat was marginalized by his own party and pinned down in his own "headquarters" for three years, is there anyone who believes he could not have been easily "taken out" by the Israeli army? And is there anyone who believes for a second that, had the situation been reversed, the Arabs would have spared the life of a Jewish leader who was surrounded by such superior forces? The fact that Arafat was allowed to survive shows that Israel is not a country that is trying to exterminate its Arab enemies.

Time and again, Israel has bent over backward to prove their desire for peaceful co-existence. Yet, when they actually react militarily to acts of terrorism and try to use pinpoint strikes to take out major terrorist leadership targets, they are lambasted in the press if, God forbid, a few innocent bystanders are killed or injured. I wish it were possible for terrorist leaders to be killed without collateral damage. But when the terrorist leaders are so scared of being killed that they hide among civilian population in the (normally accurate) belief that they will be safer from attack, that is just too much.

So now we have Abbas being saved from assassination by the Israelis. With this latest gesture of diplomacy, Israel has signalled yet again that it is ready and willing to deal with any reasonable representative of the Palestinian people. Hopefully, Abbas will be able to convince his poliitical enemies in Hamas that the way of peace is the best means of survival and prosperity for the Palestinian people. If he only follows the examples set by Egypt and Jordan, two countries who have signed peace treaties with Israel and have seen immense improvement in their citizens' prosperity, perhaps I will be able to see peaceful co-existence in the Middle East during my lifetime.

Confessional

Bloggers forgive me, for I have sinned. It has been more than a week since my last post, and there hasn't been much to write about. Sure, there was the Mother's Day trip to Hamilton & Niagara Falls to visit the kids, and sure there were lots of embarrassing photos taken (none of which will appear here), but other than that, not much has been happening.

I read an unattributed news piece in a low-circulation newspaper. I'd like to comment on the story, but first, I'd like to verify the authenticity of the story. If I can do that, look forward to one of my few political posts.

Hope everyone had a good Mother's Day.

Doctors and Lawyers beware

In the old days, people needed to beware of car theft and car-jacking. Luckily, the most affluent among us could rely on hi-tech anti-theft systems to protect their prized automobiles. Not any more.

Pretty much operational

While I wait for the world to discover my work site, I have been spending some time on the design and coding of my synagogue's website. I've registered the domain and taken it upon myself to act as the webmaster for the site. There is a page or two that aren't quite the way I'd like to see them, but things are progressing.

I think the biggest challenge will be creating a proper set of style sheets so that the site can be enjoyed by people using screen resolutions lower than 1280x1024 - my preferred resolution. I've had people complain that there's far too much horizontal scrolling required to read the content. I feel like telling people to upgrade their resolution, but I realize that's not something I'm likely to ask, or that they would be likely to do.

Lobotomize me now

I fear I may commit murder. For a TV addict like me, this invention is nothing short of sacrilege. Only the loss of all emotional response would be able to stop me from doing my worst.

How confusing!

I've been sent an optical illusion by my sister. In the photo below, it is pretty clear who is angry and who is calm. So why isn't it so clear if you stand a few feet back from the screen? Who the hell knows!

Young hero

Robert's mother taught her five-year-old son how to dial 9-1-1. One day in February, the boy got the opportunity to put her lessons into practice during an emergency. Click here to find out how things turned out.

A+

It could refer to a Microsoft Certification, but in this context, it refers to the grade I was given for my first review period. I can now exhale.

The Reckoning

I've been told by everyone close to me that my new endeavours are progressing as well as can be expected for something new - and that, with a little more time and advertising, will blossom into a successful business. I don't doubt that either. After all, in this day and age, the need for experienced computer security professionals is a growing field.

Unfortunately, we're dealing with a government funded initiative here; and the fact of the matter is that the administrators of the program may or may not have the subjective power to extend my financial aid unless they are convinced that I am meeting my stated goals. It won't matter that these goals needed to be set before I received any instruction on how to plan and set realistic goals.

All this is ranting and speculation on my part. The actual review happens tomorrow, and I'm eager to plead my case. Whatever happens will happen. Whether the funding continues or not, I'm in this for the long haul. It would just be so much easier if I didn't have to scrounge for my next meal.

Sign language

Did you know I speak sign language? It's true! And here's the proof.

eBay update

I was on my computer to watch the end of the auction. Questions had been posed by people who had obviously not read the auction write-up, and had a negative ebay rating. And I was getting bids from people who had less than 3 rating points. As the auction grew near its close, I was afraid I'd be dealing with newbies who had no intention of consumating the deal. Then, with a couple of minutes to go, I received a slightly higher bid from someone with a credible rating. Even though I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw the bid, there was still time for this buyer to get sniped.

Fortunately for me, that didn't happen, and I was happy to see an experienced ebayer win the auction. However, my mood changed when I got the email from ebay informing me of the win, and realized that the winning bidder was NOT a local resident. My listing had made it clear that the TV had to be picked up in person. It turns out that the winning bidder, while living several hundred kilometres away, was raised here, and still has family in the city. They will be making a trip next week to pick up the set. In the meantime, full payment has already been received.

All's well that ends well.

TV or not TV

A bit more than a week ago, my wife and I visited Future Shop and looked at HDTV sets. We've been teasing ourselves for years, but always managed to resist the temptation. The closest we ever came to taking the plunge was a year ago, when we saw the new Samsung HDTV on the built-in pedestal, and were ready to take the plunge. The only factor holding me back at that time was the possibility of losing my job. That job loss actually happened, so we were glad we didn't buy the set.

Anyway, during the trip last week, we saw a gorgeous set, a floor model, and were offered a deal we just couldn't refuse. So we didn't ... refuse, I mean. The new set came home this past Tuesday, and by Saturday afternoon, the living room had been completely arranged to incorporate the new set.

The old set, meanwhile, had been placed on ebay on Tuesday, and yesterday, the auction ended. Now, we're just waiting for the successful bidder to respond to our emails / invoice. Once the old big-screen TV is cleared out of our kitchen (where else could we put it), all will be well with the universe.

Whew, sure glad we cleared that up!

Sometimes, luck is more important than skill. Last week, I read some news I wanted to blog about, but forgot. This morning, I remembered and decided to blog anyway. So excuse me if this sounds like the "laugh a week after the punchline".

The U.S. has been involved in several armed conflicts since the time of my birth, and one conflict (WW II) just prior to my birth. I believe that the U.S. and its allies came very close to losing WW II, and that it was only luck - a few missteps by the Axis forces, that swayed the results. That, and an intelligence coup that put the decoder for the Enigma machine into Allied hands.

The Enigma machine, a cypher generator built by the Nazis, was way ahead of its time. With it, secret military messages could pass over open channels without any possibility of them being broken by the enemy. The "base" codes for the machine were changed frequently, so even if you were told what a given message meant, that did not help you decode any other messages. In fact, there were three messages from 1942 known to exist, encoded with Enigma, that had NEVER been decoded.

Using the power of distributed computing - volunteers around the world that allowed the power of their personal computers to be harnessed to solve a single problem - one of those messages was finally decoded. At first, I thought sarcastically - gee, it only took 63 years to break the code - that's not very secure. Then I realized it only took a month to accomplish, once the decoding project started.

You need to understand just how difficult this problem actually was to solve. The enigma machine had a whole bunch of dials on it. Each dial had several positions. And the code generated by the enigma machine was different for every combination of those dials and switches. Any one of the switches could be on or off (that's two choices per switch). And the dials had so many combinations, that to express that number in English, it would be "10", followed by 145 zeros. So, to analyze all possible Enigma codes, you'd need to multiply "2 x 2 x 2 x 2 ...." over 100 billion billion billion billion billion billion billion billion billion billion billion billion billion billion billion billion times.

The Nazis thought that was an impossible task. Today's computers can do the job in under a month - which brings me to the point of all this preamble... today's encryption methods have been freely placed into the hands of the average citizen, and the average criminal. Today's encryption methods make the Nazi code seem like child's play. Messages encrypted with today's methods cannot be broken for a period of time that is longer than the length of time the universe has been in existence (if you happen to believe in the scientific explanations of the current age of the universe).

The intellectual dilemma I face is one of mathematics vs. morality. Should we stop innovation in the area of cryptography because it gives powers to criminals that - without an intelligence coup - renders law enforcement officials unable to cope with the technological problem; or should we view every innovation as a step in the right direction, and take the attitude that NO CODE is unbreakable, and perhaps 50 years from now, someone else will be writing about how it only took a month to decrypt "unbreakable" messages from the early 21st century.

OK, I've got to stop before I give myself a headache!

Cool gift!

My wife got me a couple of polo shirts for Valentine's Day. In the box, there was a mock-up of an embroidered "Safe & Secure Computing" phrase, done in a nice script. I finally took the shirts in to be embroidered, then decided I'd rather have my logo, instead of the script.

I got the shirts back on Tuesday. Here's a photo of the logo, as embroidered onto my white polo shirt. I also have a black shirt with the same logo (although the phone number on the black shirt is embroidered in white thread).

An update

February ended with a flurry of activity - a saving grace because the month in general was slow vis-a-vis service calls. I did have an opportunity to work on marketing material, which, if I may say, really rocks! I've produced a number of unique flyers - with a central theme but geared to specific audiences. And I've prepared artwork for insertion into a local magazine. I'm looking forward to the response from that ad, although it won't be appearing until the April issue. My luck that February-March was a double-month issue, and the insertion deadline had passed by the time I had even been prepared to think about placing an ad.

A fellow "classmate" of mine opened up a café in downtown Windsor. It's called the Pause Café. Last night, I was called there to remove a very serious set of viruses, spyware, and other weirdnesses from two computers. He was set to open his doors today, but needed the computers for bookkeeping and recipe management. I finished working on his computers around 10:30PM, but then decided to set up his brand new Business High-Speed DSL connection, and once that was done, I downloaded security patches for one of the computers. There were 57 patches, not including Windows XP SP2 (which was not yet on his computer). By the time the downloads and installations were complete, it was around 3:30AM.

Those last five hours were not part of my contract, and I didn't ask for payment. But today, I visited his restaurant, and was treated to a three course lunch that was to die for!!! I started out with a salad (cucumber, red onion, greens, and a secret dressing). It was delicious, and filling in its own right. The next course was a deep bowl of home made chicken soup. I've never had soup from a bowl this large... it was probably about a litre of soup. Stocked with vegetables, fresh pasta, and chicken so fresh, I think I saw some twitching in the bowl. It was accompanied by fresh-baked bread for dipping. Finally, I finished with the third course: a salmon-salad sandwich, made from baked salmon and other ingredients I can't recall, served on multi-grain bread. It was different from any salmon-salad sandwich I'd ever had before, but thoroughly delicious.

If anyone happens to be downtown during breakfast or lunch hour, don't forget to drop by. You'll love the food and the ambience. The address is:

Pause Café
74 Chatham West
(519) 255-7288

Happy anniversary

It's not quite the right day (February 26, 2002 is the exact date), but in case I forget, it has been four years since I started this blog.

As I read some of the older posts, I can see a transition in my life, my attitudes towards people and things, and my relationships with various people maturing. That's a good thing, since I was even more selfish and unreasonable then than I am now. But at least I'm working on it.

I wish the good days would come back to my memory as easily as the bad, but I guess that's the nature of things. The blog has witnessed the loss of two jobs, the birth of two grandchildren, the death of my father, and most recently, the launch of a new career. There's lots to read in those archives, and I'll have to take some time to go over them more carefully.

I had never kept a diary in my life before starting this blog, so it's kind of neat that I've kept it up for this long. There have been times when I've gone quite a while between posts, but there hasn't been a time when I seriously considered stopping. Well, that's enough tripping down memory lane. We now return you to the present.

Doh!

So, I ordered business cards back on February 3rd. The company told me the design and printing would take a week, and that would be followed by the United States Postal Service getting their mitts on it, with a promise to have it delivered within 42 BUSINESS DAYS. That's 8-1/2 WEEKS for shipping. I asked the printer what their actual experiences have been, and they were non-commital. That's fair, seeing as they're not the ones doing the shipping.

Anyway, the printing price was so awesomely low, I went for the deal. Sure enough, on February 10th, I received an email from the printers telling me that the cards had been printed and delivered to the USPS on February 9th. I began to wait. Meanwhile, I'm trying to promote my business, and with no business cards, it's really hard to meet people and make a good first impression. So last Friday, I decided to look locally for deals on temporary cards... just a low-volume run that would tide me over for the next 7+ weeks. I decided to take a "proof" picture that I had received from the original printer, and use that to create some cards locally. I had no idea how good this screen-captured image would be, but decided I simply couldn't wait.

Low volume business card printing (two sided, full colour) doesn't come cheap. It was going to cost me as much to print 100 cards locally, as it cost to print 1000 over the net. I placed the order, put down a 50% deposit, and took the plunge. On Monday, the local printer called to have me come in and look over the proof. IT WAS MAGNIFICENT! The colour flew off the page, and it was 100 times better than I expected it would be. I was told the cards would be ready Wednesday.

So, this morning at 10:30AM, the Canada Post truck pulls up, and I take delivery of my 1000 cards from the U.S. These cards look as good or BETTER than the proof I viewed yesterday. Right now, I just feel like Homer Simpson... with 1100 perfect business cards. Here, I've purposely corrupted the image and resaved at quite low resolution - but trust me, the real cards look great!

That's freaky!

I have lots of interests, all related to computers. For those who've been following along, I have been experimenting with a site dedicated to predicting the results of Major League Baseball games. In addition, I've had a fascination going back almost 25 years to create a unique matchmaking service. Being more a dreamer than a doer, most of my dreams/plans have gone unfulfilled. Lately, however, I've been more focused and am actually doing something about these things.

With respect to the matchmaking service, I've been scouring the internet for appropriate personality inventory systems - the idea being that certain personalities gel well with other personalities. When I find these kinds of sites, I generally take their test to see what my personality is like.

So today, I came across one and took the test. Here is an excerpt from the report - the VERY FIRST PARAGRAPH of the report (the emphasis is mine):

"The primary desire of the Protector Guardian is to be of service to others, but here “service” means not so much furnishing others with the necessities of life (the Provider’s concern), as guarding others against life’s pitfalls and perils, that is, seeing to their safety and security."

I kid you not! I guess my newest endeavour is well-conceived!

Colour me bashful!

My sister sent me a really cute video, which has been added to my Comic Relief section. I just think babies are adorable. Don't you?

(If you don't normally use your speakers, I'd advise turning them on for this clip).

Website update

It's getting bigger and bigger. Since my first site was posted, I've added a couple of tabs, and the information is now quite usable (I also have a PDF file with my "grand opening" promotion - though that's not what I called it). Now that I have flyers, and a copy of the artwork from my original online business card site (so I can print a temporary batch of cards while waiting for the real thing to be delivered), I might be able to get this puppy off the ground. Wish me luck!

Oh yeah, on a related note, you'll never guess what my sweetie did for Valentine's Day. She bought me (soon-to-be) monogrammed shirts with the business name stitched on! Wasn't that special?

One more day

That's all I've got left in my four-week long training course. I've learned a lot of useful stuff about starting and running my own business. And I've learned that despite all the training and positive reinforcement, I'm not alone in feeling like the first three months are going to be absolute hell. None of us know how closely we'll be expected to meet our initial revenue projections - projections made without a shred of knowledge as to how to set reasonable expectations. One thing is sure... regardless of whether I survive the three-month review, my commitment to this new path is absolute. I will continue down this path regardless of what anyone else says. Whether or not I can meet my three-month revenue projection, I have absolutely no doubt that LONG-TERM my business idea will be successful.

The website I've thrown together will improve with time, and grow in scope, but for now, here it is: Safe and Secure Computing

Superbowl XL and Sin City

It's surreal around here. We're located just across the river from Detroit, Michigan - home of Superbowl XL. My hometown of Windsor has always had a reputation as a "place to party". The Casino built in this city was the first in Ontario, and was probably the final straw that broke the camel's back when Detroit city council, after countless failed attempts to get public approval for casinos, realized they needed to build some to stop the flow of American gamblers to our fair Canadian city.

We have lots of licensed massage parlours, where, for a fee, you can basically get anything you want - completely legally, by the way, as long as you are properly registered and licensed by the city. And the strip clubs in this city rival anything you've ever seen in Las Vegas. Oh yeah, since Canada has excellent trade relations with Cuba, Windsor is also home to many cigar parlours - catering to the American crowd that crosses the one-mile-long bridge (or tunnel) that links our two countries.

Still, with all that Windsor has ALWAYS offered to our guests from America, the media somehow got locked into this "Sin City" moniker in relation to the Superbowl. Our reaction has probably been a bit mixed. While nobody wants their city to be referred to as "Sin City" (except maybe cities in Nevada), the tourism business in this town has gone absolutely bonkers these past few days. The local papers carry stories of the many rumours circulating about people such as Tom Cruise, Ben Affleck, and Jessica Alba - some or all of whom may be somewhere in our city.

Blue-collar town Detroit, meanwhile, seems to have aligned itself with like-minded Pittsburgh; with many on-air radio personalities openly supporting the Steelers. At least here in Windsor, our local papers are trying to provide equal and balanced coverage.

But back to the surreal atmosphere... each year for the July fireworks, we have several hundred thousand viewers camped out on both banks of the Detroit River to watch the show. A good portion of the crowd take their places on the Windsor side of the border, where the legal drinking age is lower, the Canadian dollar is (still) worth less than the American dollar, and there is virtually no crime. That crowd is gathered for only one day. The crowds around here lately have been building for the past week - to the point where the number of out-of-town license plates is rivaling the number of local plates.

I'll actually be a bit sad to see the city go back to its own, normal, obscurity after Sunday's game. Still, for those fleeting moments when some football viewers get to see Canada "up close", and seem so surprised when they find we talk the same language, dress like they do, and even have temperatures above the freezing point in the middle of winter, I get to smile a wide, proud smile in the knowledge that each one of us Windsorites did our part to welcome the world.

What a softie

OK, so I'm a softie. I don't have a feminine side, just a tender masculine side. So the video below really affected me.



What do you think?

Sick stuff

Not for the weak of heart... see what happens when a PETA member is duped into doing a work stint at a lab that does animal testing. It's sick stuff!

Corporate car

My new small business needs to be advertised. Ever since the smart car was released by Mercedes Benz, I've loved its geek chic look, and its undeniably low cost of ownership. So, I was very impressed when I saw this...




If I needed another reason to consider this as my next vehicle, that definitely was the deciding factor!

Week 2 finished - things heating up

The classes have been invaluable. Things I thought I had to do to be successful may not be needed. Simple things I hadn't considered might be critical. I've seen a lawyer, an accountant, a marketing guru, a business coach, and a graphic designer. All have lots of tips they're prepared to share - completely free of charge - because I'm part of this program. I can't imagine how much this could have helped me the first time I started a business... but that's ancient history.

I'm working on setting up my accounting system, creating ideas for marketing proposals, business card designs, web site text, and promoting strategic alliances as part of the preparation work for a concerted introductory campaign. I'm also trying to put together a press release that I'm hoping the local media will pick up on. I'll keep you all posted.

Week 1 completed - three more to go

I'm chomping at the bit. They're telling us not to print business cards yet, since we get free use of a professional graphic designer at the end of the second week of training. The question now seems to be "What do I give to my business contacts?".

I've had a modest number of service requests this week - all coming without the benefit of advertising. Some of my friends know that I'm now in business, and I've been getting gigs from that group. Thanks, guys!

Business training - day 1

I don't think I'll be doing a day-by-day breakdown of the training sessions. Just wanted to mention that today was day 1, and there are 18 days of training to go (we have the day off tomorrow). Only one day into the course, and there's already a world of useful information.

Employment update

Turns out that second interview didn't go well. I knew it had gone strangely, but I found out Monday that I hadn't gotten the job. In a way, that was a relief, because that last minute job potential had been distracting me from creating a business proposal to put before the Self-Employment Assistance program. The Canadian government provides the opportunity for unemployed people to seek self-employment, and the government is sometimes willing to extend unemployment benefits; providing you can put forth a business proposal that makes sense.

During the first week in January, I had attended a three-day course to learn how to prepare a business plan. Normally, when the government puts on this course, it runs from Monday through Wednesday, then you have an entire day to work on the plan before attending a question-period appointment. Because of the New Year falling on a weekend, the first Monday in January was a statutory holiday. The course was presented from Tuesday through Thursday, with no extra preparation day before the Friday question period. And it was during this period that I was also attending the job interview.

Anyway, I worked through the weekend on the proposal and presented it to my advisor on Tuesday. I was told that a decision would be made on Thursday, but was also informed that my conservative sales projections might work against me during the Thursday meeting.

About 1/2 hour ago, I got word that my proposal had been conditionally accepted. The program will monitor me closely to see whether I am achieving my revenue targets, and if not, they could still decide to withdraw their support after a three month trial period. But for the moment, the decision has been made to fund my efforts, and I'll be starting a four-week preparation seminar next Monday.

Here we go!

Second interview

I had a second interview yesterday. It was strange on so many levels, with very little, and very much being accomplished in a span of merely 10 minutes. I walked out not having a clue what was going to come of it all. Nevertheless, I do have other opportunities brewing, and I'll give that my full concentration for the moment.

It was bound to happen

The courts, in their "wisdom" have made it clear that marriage should not be restrictively defined as between a man and a woman. So, this really doesn't surprise me!