Brock Skywalker

Goodbye Sidetrack · 16 February 07

Word on the street is that the Sidetrack Cafe closed down yesterday. This time likely for good.

If you visit www.sidetrackcafe.com it is not entirely evident or obvious that they are closed, aside from the entire entertainment calendar having been wiped clean.

I have to admit to being more sentimentally sad about the old location closing down than I am at this incarnation going out of business (I had a serious soft spot for the old locale after going/playing there for 20-ish years) but it is still a drag. I am mostly concerned for all my friends who worked there. I know they will all land on their feat (they are all clever, able folks) but it is no fun looking for work – especially on such short notice.

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Citizen Eleanor · 7 February 07

Eleanor became a Canadian citizen yesterday morning (she’s Australian – that is why she says tomahto rather than tomato).

Roger & Carol (Ellie’s parents) and I were in attendance and I have to say it was quite a moving ceremony. Once all the waiting for everyone to have their paper work completed was over, the court clerk made some announcements and then the judge came in. I don’t remember her name but she herself is an immigrant from Lebanon so her own personal experience gave her the credence to make statements about Canada and being a citizen of Canada that I don’t think I would be able to make myself (3rd gen Cdn).

The actual oath the new citizens took was pretty run of the mill but the talk the judge gave was rather moving and the list of countries the day’s applicants all came from was a mile long and a little surprising. There was no one from the UK, New Zealand or the USA and Ellie was the only Australian. I don’t know why but I found that interesting.

Anyway, welcome to Canada Ellie… even if you have gone to School here since grade 4.

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To flush or not to flush · 4 February 07

On this most sacred of days, for those of you who follow American Football (or indeed use the toilet), I would like to direct your attention to an early post of mine from back in ’06 – The Halftime Flush

Flush wisely my friends, flush wisely.

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Students and artists despair · 22 January 07

The inventor of Ramen Noodles, Momofuku Ando, died last week in Japan at the age of 96.

According to his company’s website, Nissin Foods, Ando wanted to provide cheap food to the working class of post-war Japan, so created the noodles in 1958.

The preparation instructions were meant to be the selling point: “Remove the ramen from its package and place it in a bowl. Add boiling water, cover, and wait three minutes.”

The Nissin Foods website claims that that Japanese consumers eat roughly 45 portions of ramen, bags and cups combined, each year, while U.S. consumers are estimated to eat 9 portions of ramen each year. This number is an average influenced, no doubt, by the high number of students and artists everywhere who virtually live on teh stuff. It’s a meal for about 30 cents… that gives you more than a full day’s worth of sodium and as much fat as a Quarter Pounder with cheese. How can you beat that?

• Related post – Ichibad!

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Oh Zack... · 21 January 07

The Edmonton Oilers have returned forward Zack Stortini to the Hamilton Bulldogs.

Stortini made his NHL debut with the Oilers in Edmonton’s 4-0 loss versus Calgary in Edmonton last night. Stortini was scoreless (and –1) with 10 penalty minutes.

The 6’3”, 215-pound native of Elliot Lake, Ontario was 12th on the Bulldogs scoring list and led the AHL in penalty minutes at the time of his call up to the Oilers.

So why, I ask, did we call him up in the first place? Are we that desperate? I would like to think not.

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Staios sidelined · 19 January 07

The Oilers have placed defenceman Steve Staios on the Injured Reserve List and have called forward Zack Stortini from the Hamilton Bulldogs of the AHL.

Staios has been sidelined for the Oilers’ last four games (January 10th to 18th) with the flu and a knee strain.

This is not good in a season where most fans are pointing their finger at a lack of solid defence as the reason for a downward sliding conference ranking. Get well soon Stevie, we need you!

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iPhone in iCdn · 11 January 07

Being the total nerd that I am, I emailed Rogers Canada yesterday to find out when (if ever) the Apple iPhone would be released in Canada. This is the response I received:

In your recent email you have informed us that you would like to know when the Apple iPhone will be available on Rogers Wireless.

We appreciate your interest in Rogers. At Rogers Wireless we are committed to delivering the highest standards of service and innovation to our subscribers. We regret however, that we are unable at this time to forecast when the Apple iPhone may be available for purchase at www.rogers.com or from authorized Rogers Wireless dealers. We recommend visiting www.rogers.com on a regular basis to keep up-to-date on the latest products and services.

It is a sad email because they do not have a date but it is also a happy email because they acknowledge that the iPhone may be available for purchase sometime in the future. Sigh… and Hurrah!

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Percy Lebaron Spencer · 7 January 07

Shortly after the end of World War II, Percy Spencer, already known as an electronics genius and war hero, was touring the Raytheon Company where he stopped momentarily in front of a magnetron, (the power tube that drives a radar set). Feeling a strange sensation, Spencer noticed that the chocolate bar in his pocket had begun to melt.

Following this realization, Spencer (who obtained 120 patents in his lifetime) did what any good inventor would – he brought in some popcorn. Holding the bag of corn next to the magnetron, Spencer watched as the kernels exploded into puffy white morsels.

In October 1945 Raytheon filed a patent for Spencer’s microwave cooking process and in 1947, the company built the first microwave oven, the Radarange. It weighed a hefty 750 lbs and stood 5’ 6” tall.

Culinary experts quickly noticed the oven’s shortcomings – meat refused to brown and french fries turned white and limp. It took decades for the microwave oven to be refined to a point where it was useful to the average consumer. Today, Percy Spencer’s radar boxes melt chocolate and pop popcorn in millions of homes around the world… pass the pizza pops!

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Brussel Sprout Emergency · 4 January 07

How can I resist a story with the f-word in the title?

Brussels sprouts cause turtle fart alarm

A turtle given a Christmas treat of Brussels sprouts caused a Boxing Day emergency when it set off an alarm at a sea life centre – by passing wind.

Its bubbles in the water tank were sent up a tube to the surface, where they popped and splashed water on to a sensor. Marine biologist Sarah Leaney rushed to the 500,000 litre tank in Weymouth, Dorset, assuming it was overflowing.

‘Sprouts are a healthy Christmas treat for sea turtles,’ she said. ‘But they give similar side effects to those experienced by humans.’

If that doesn’t give you a little giggle this morning then… you are more mature than me.

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MySpace useful after all · 13 December 06

Subject: Running from the cops
Mood: Scared

Well, I’m at the library again, hope no one recognizes me… Wait! The cops! WHAT? How did they find me?

PHILADELPHIA – A man who escaped from a Georgia jail over the summer was captured thanks to the Internet and a public computer.

Darren Bates, 35, was arrested in Philadelphia after police learned that he regularly checked his Myspace account at a public library there, said Capt. Chris Spires of the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Department.

Spires said Bates was surprised when officers arrested him at Free Library of Philadelphia’s main branch Thursday morning. “It’s amazing to us the number of people, regardless of their status as far as being wanted, that do get on computers and do use their real names or use aliases that are well known, and they can be tracked that way,” Massee said.

He’s 35, on the run from the law, and spending his free time on MySpace? One would think after escaping from prison he would have tried to disappear… but why do that when you can read sixteen year old emo kids’ blogs? This guy deserves to be thrown back in jail, just on principle.

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