Thanksgiving day is done

I’ve been having a great couple of days off here. I’ve been tinkering around with my website. The Eskimos won Friday night in BC and the Oiler’s won their season opener last night. I get a kick how the hockey world outside of Edmonton and Northern Alberta hates the Oiler’s. The announcer at the conclusion of the game had said “They got a dirty win,” making some under the breath reference to tar sands oil. But if the reverse occurred for any other team, “A win is a win and they’ll take it.” I don’t know if that’s true or not, that’s just the impression I get.

Well it’s Thanksgiving day here in Canada. I’ve a lot to be thankful for. I live in the best place in Canada. I got a job and a beautiful wife and 4 cats. Sure I know we’re just getting by but we’re a lot better off then a lot of other people. And I’m thankful for that. People might hate Edmonton, but they sure love the jobs and the money it brings them.

Last night I took advantage of the new Download feature (well new to me) from YouTube. I must have downloaded a good 20-30 videos so far. I’m not done yet. Just because I’ve downloaded them doesn’t mean I wont go to YouTube. These are songs for on the go when I‘m away from YouTube.

Earlier I began looking at some vintage musical keyboards and even though playing the keyboard was in my consciousness as early as the early 1970’s if I took up playing say in 1974, while I had a lot of time on my hands as a young man in his early 20’s, I’d probably have some thing like a Yamaha YC-30 or even a YC-25D Combo organ. Those organs in 1974 would have cost around $4k. To rich for my blood back then or even today.

I’m slowly closing to the end of Book 1 in the Icewind Dale trilogy. It’s pretty good and has some engaging scenes. The world building is pretty good as well. R. A. Salvatore put a lot of work into what the preface says was his first novel.

Tomorrow is election day. Uggh. According to the news lat night we’re short of electoral officers. Apparently it pays anywhere from $1-$200/day and they provide free training, so I think I’m going to sign up for the civic one. We get the Civic election, provincial election, Federal election.

This week, it’s a chalk full week. Of course today its Thanksgiving, tomorrow is the election, Thursday is lodge night. Our next stat holiday is Remembrance Day and that falls on a Tuesday.

Anne made me a great dinner of baby back ribs, beans and a backed potato. For desert a nice piece of pumpkin pie. Man was that good. All while watching a pretty good show of Monday night Raw. Anyway that’s been my weekend. I would have liked to have gone out to Pure Speculation to say hello to Robert J Sawyer. He’s off to Calgary for their World Fantasy Convention October 30th I wouldn’t mind attending that one but Yeesh, I have trouble just making it to across the river.

Anyway Bloggers, that‘s all for now

e. Jim

I caught a bit

of the Coast show about Cern and the LHC, which will come online tomorrow. The guest a Doctor Warner L. Wagner was essentially negative towards the LHC project proposing to shut it down until we know its safe to use. I think the people at Cern have looked at all of the possibilities and ran all of the simulations towards a safe conclusion. I don’t think they are that irresponsible. We’ll know tomorrow though if they are wrong.

I passed out easily enough after the cbi thing and I got about 7.5 hours of sleep. I got up to fix a coffee and watch the markets. Some of us at work last night were talking about the big US Federal Govt. buy-out of “Fannie Mae” and “Freddie Mac.” (not their real names of course.) Fannie Mae was created in 1938 after the depression years and Freddie Mac in 1970, if memory serves. Now, I’m no expert in these kinds of things but basically Mae and Mac are institutions set up for banks that if anyone defaults on a mortgage loan the banks can turn that loan over and sell it to Mae or Mac. We don’t have that here in Canada. So recently Mac and Mae have fallen on hard times causing the US Federal Govt. to essentially take them over again. Of course I was watching the price of oil and it’s down to $104 and some change/barrel. Just like last year, it’ll bottom out to about $50 and climb back up.

I’m closing in on page 800/1008 of “Judas Unchained.” It’s a pretty good book for its size and has surprisingly very little padding. I’m looking forward to be reading some fantasy for a change. Not that I’m getting all SF out or anything but I began this book July 14th, almost 2 months and I‘m near the last 200 pages only now and I‘ve been reading it every day.

Well, it’s now official. Harper called for a National election this morning and we go to the polls October 14th. Uggh. Well, the Tuesday after holiday Monday, I’m going to go vote before I go into the job. Will I be at Xl or Pizza? I haven’t got a clue. Apparently from what one of the East Indian kids that have more or less befriended me that has Robs ear is saying that the afternoon shift wont be cut until mid October but nobody really knows. But another national election? Good Lord, I hope the Canadian people are not going to return us back to the days of Liberal boondoggle’s. Oh and here’s another good one. The Federal Green party leader is whining about being locked out of the national political debate, crying conspiracy. The reason why she’s been blocked is because she can’t speak French. The debate has to be in both official languages. Dion’s “command” of the English language wont win him any points for clarity either but at least he can speak the other official language.

Also, this earlier morning I was going over some piano theory. I’ve got some simple piano scale exercises I can learn. I already know the Major C scale but I now have the Minor C scale and how to do it in the reverse and also the Harmonic and Melodic Minor scales ascending and descending. And if that isn’t enough to work with I also have the F Major scale as well. I hope to tinker around with these over the next few days if Cern doesn’t blow us all to Kingdom come.

Anyway Bloggers, that‘s all for now

e. Jim