My mind is ramblin'

Craving

2009-11-08T03:06:12Z

I have a craving for honeycombs. I want to chew and chew until there is no more honey left and all I have is a giant wad of beeswax.

One of my profs was talking about the French Foreign Legion in class week. I looked up their website and wasted a good 1hr or so link-hopping. It looks like, to me, one of the few places in the western world where one can really disappear and start anew. It is mandatory to give them a fake name upon enlistement and to maintain that identity for at least a year. Within 3 years of service, if a soldier lasts that long, they are eligible for French Citizenship. If they are wounded in battle, they are eligible for French Citizenship. The typical contract is 5years, during which time they are the front-linesmen for the French armed forces abroad. All the essentials are paid for by the government with an additional 1000€ per month; at most they make 1400€ a year including their travel and living expenses.

I have a story about the foreign legion, not sure I've already written about it, but I will post what I remember when I'm not supposed to be preparing a presentation on Irony.

Router woes

2009-11-04T03:49:36Z

I tapped into the router tonight to see if maybe something had been modified. I've been getting iffy connections lately and it's when I do have full bars it's generally uber-slow. So in my perusing of complicated terminology and geeky jargon I found that one of the housemates set up a gaming console?? as the DMZ and another had 6 ports defined for portforwarding/downloads. Solution : change the password to something only I would know and make myself the only person able to portforward.

Now everyone is happy.

Movie synthesis

2009-11-03T22:57:09Z

Avatar = Soldier + FernGully

Thoughts?

Original work only please, movie theatre. I need something original.

Unions and lame.

2009-11-02T22:24:49Z

Last night at the CUPE union meeting, I sat around waiting to vote on whether or not to hold a vote to ratify the proposed McMaster agreement. There was a debate filled with circular _non-arguments and plaintive whining about the benefits they need. Without the flou flou of the bargaining team's rhetoric, the main concerns of the executive council are : smaller class sizes, more childcare coverage, more dental coverage, more work for laid-off TAs, RAs and PhD students who are "unable" to attain TA-ships, fair wages *cough*gettingpaid38$/h*cough* and lower tuition costs.

Marc Ouellette is on the exec, unbeknownst to me before last night. He had some well thought up answers/replies/retorts to some of the best questions, usually repetative and almost always being a downer to the institution that pays his living wage. He compared McMaster University to the Montsou company from Émile Zola's Germinal (1885), and used explicit language in comparing the two - albeit falsely/poorly?. To paraphrase (from memory) 'McMaster is a company town! You pay tuition to them, you buy your food and your books from them, some even pay their rent to them and you have to pay it because you can't afford to go anywhere else! They are taking your money and you are indebted to them! They don't respect you because you are a source of revenue and not people...' and so on.

Yeah there were a lot of cheers after that spraying of bullshit. University education is not coal mining! I may be paying a shit-ton of money to the school but it is my TA-ship that pays for it, and half-over - Which may or may not be right but I am not giving the money back now! mwuahaha.

Lastly, the union made a statement about the school treating us like dirt or something to that effect. A student went up to the mic and said "I don't feel like shit, in fact, I feel pretty good."

Lessons in Dundas

2009-10-25T21:08:22Z

Today went well, though I think we are going through the material rather slow. Playing the rhythms of the songs that were once intimidating is becoming progressively easier, I'm seeing patterns in all the tunes the more experienced players practice. To end on a low note, my teacher told me I was too old to be a real good jig, reel or hornpipe player. Hrmph.

Literature

2009-10-25T02:29:02Z

If literature has taught me anything it's that I should kill the lover of my love to make her instead love me. Literature, you have failed me.

Blegh day

2009-10-23T20:07:49Z

I administered a test today at 8,30 to my students. It was and is such a shitty day outside that I just went back to bed until about 3pm. I also have very little food in the fridge and I will not go grocery shopping in this weather... balls. Gym in a bit. And that's my weekend.

Monkeys

2009-10-22T00:32:08Z

Doctor said I have a swollen rotator cuff that needs physio to make sure I don't get frozen shoulder syndrome. Ok, sounds good. Should not have done the extra military presses but whatever. She also said it was good that I kept it moving, else I would have developped frozen shoulder syndrome. I attribute my avoiding of syndromes to my anti-syndrome syndrome and cheerios, they truly are medicinal!

I had a veggie burger from Sky Dragon today, it was OK. It lacked... juice? It was very dry and were it not for delicious mustard also bland. In it's defence it had some neato colours mixed into it and was, I presume, fried. RE: Sky Dragon - I run into the most interesting people there, many of them quick-wits; some others just stoned. But all in all I prefer it to the usual student hangouts in the West End. This does not mean I will forever abandon the West End (pub and area) but downtown may definitely be a new wandering area.

9 notes

2009-10-20T10:52:13Z

I wonder why one has ever tried to increase the repertoire of notes for the GHB. 9 notes isn't a heck of a lot... I don't know much about woodwinds, but maybe it is the continuous playing and open ended chanter that prevent it from having some means of extending the range. Other forms of pipes are able to play staccato because their chanters are keyed. If bagpipes were keyed, I wonder what they would sound like... fewer embellishments I imagine. Damn them, I will master you yet.

In afterthought, 9 notes is enough for the time being...

Spiraling.

2009-10-16T22:41:43Z

I spent two hours practicing chanter last night and am almost up to speed on my chanter for Run Run Away. It was good and calming, I may go back tonight... I remember my first pipe teacher telling me about the man on the last page of the beginner's book. Oh, he's been dead for a while, she said, too much of the lifestyle. Which lifestyle was that? The booze. Geeze, I hope I am not cursed to play and drink - cause that would be ~~great~~terrible? On a related note I may stop by the Phoenix tonight for a drink.

Essays/Projects : After a month of having a general idea of what I want to work on I have begun research. It has proven to be more difficult than anticipated, requiring me submit RACER forms. I dislike requesting forms from places far away because I am not nearby to pressure them or remind them that I need this material. Bugger. Damn Mills and not having current French material!

The pipes are in, being brought up tonight or tomorrow. I dislike school at the moment, I need a more structured itinerary or I feel as though my creativity will take the project 3 moons away and back again. If it were in the cards, I'd drop out and write a novel, then devote myself to music with a brief pause for teacher's college - if it is even what I want to do. Questions. Always end on one. Why are there so many questions?

HEATING!

2009-10-14T00:22:08Z

Someone set the temp to 90ºF

WHAT THE FUCK MY ROOM IS AN OVEN!

In other news: life is about taking chances. I took one today. One. I think the ~~world~~universe hates me already.

Heating.

2009-10-13T09:53:14Z

A candle is heating my room. Yes, the landlord has not turned on the heating yet. Yes, it is almost as cold in here as it is out there. Yes, I disabled my in-room smoke detector. Yes, I have entered a moustachio competition.
YES ALREADY!

but no, I have not sold any more posters.

Dueling banjos

2009-10-12T04:45:48Z

Guitar made itself into my hands this weekend for the first time in a while. I have decided to bring both guitar and mandolin to Hamilton whilst awaiting the completion of my pipes. I tried to snag my sister's violin because she isn't playing it at all but she wants to look at it. Don't ask me why... I've never seen her pick up the bow. As my friend Sarah has said "I will be life of the apartment" - which is ironic because I live in a funeral home.

I also believe that this week will be the week of passionate experiences - if all goes well. I hope to receive my first set of pipes before the end of the week. I hope to play them for at least an hour or until my lungs pop, I'll be sure to play in front of the hospital. There will also be scotch at some point, most likely during the writing of my presentation or alone in the dark enjoying the solitude. Though bourbon is quite tasty, I feel as though the occasion demands old world tradition.

In other news, I watched Screamers 2. I don't recommend it to anyone. Sure, it used decent animatronics and the underground bases were neat, however 1) the plot was paper thin, 2) the dialogue was shit, 3) the acting was terrible, 4) the gore was terrible/ poor CG, 5) the characters were as dumb as the whole movie, 6) we weren't presented with any new material that wasn't in the original Screamers movie from 1995 which is far superior to this modern sequel.

Back in Hamilton tomorrow. Time for a long walk, anyone?

L e Maître Cornélius

2009-10-08T16:42:21Z

For my seminar paper, the one where I was planning to compare Batman to Louis XI, I've decided to take it a new route. After speaking with the prof on the subject of presenting the material as a "Roman Policier" - the first of its kind, before Poe - I see that there is a lot more to be drawn out than just detective+crime=solve. I will keep the "Roman Policier" theme, as well as hopefully develop it's opposite, because in this short story the victim is simultaneously the criminal. There's also another angle, Louis XI's judicial system is corrupt, he sends people to die as criminals for crimes the owner committed against himself. Only when his daughter's lover begs him does he take personal interest in the crime itself and solves it. What can I take from this and tie into something contemporary I'm not sure at the moment. Possibly a corrupt system that presupposes too many all-truths? that becomes genuinely involved or concerned with solving the case when personal interests enter the equation?

I have to stop now, I am too hungry.

Seminar Excellence

2009-10-07T17:08:49Z

I will compare Louis xi to Batman for a seminar class... They are both wealthy, both have alter egos, both detectives, have ingenious yet practical inventions, have a dark secret, butler(s), and a nemesis who was once their friend.

Huzzah. Should I powerpoint this sucker or create a sort of case dossier for each of my classmates?

Posters again

2009-09-29T09:44:04Z

I am kicking it up a notch. Check out my home-made facebook clone vending site

DC++

2009-09-27T23:37:36Z

I NOW HAVE UNLIMITED ACCESS TO ALL RESIDENCE AND HAMILTON COMPUTER NETWORKS!

MOVIES ARE MIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNENENENENENENENENENENE!

Keynotes presentation

2009-09-25T16:21:27Z

Jian Gomeshi is going to be doing a presentation about careers within the governement next week at McMaster. Tickets are 12$... I like his show... but money... arghhhhh

Calembours

2009-09-25T02:07:18Z

Vous devez vous arranger entre vous même

to

Vous devez vous venger entre vous même

"Did the prof say venger? Man, I don't think I can handle this assignment..."

In other news, I've made my journal semi-public again. Some posts will be open for anyone to read, like this one. Others will be locked at my discretion.

New people? Enjoy.

Posters and bearcats

2009-09-22T10:47:08Z

Come on people, no takers?

I have sold two posters in a week. If I can't get a table during the poster sale or during some other campus event I swear I will march through campus with a little wooden box and a fucking huge ass hand bell and chime the shit out of every single one of you until I get some posters sold or until the police chase me off campus!

HEAR YE! HEAR YE! MOTHEREFFING POSTERS CHEAPER THAN THE UNION'S! STUDENT MADE! REAL PHOTOS!

*runs off campus at sound of rent-a-cop siren*

Posters!

2009-09-15T22:36:29Z

Posters are in and are up for sale!

I selected these nine and have 50 availible for each.

I will save some for you if you are travelling from a distance. If you'd like them mailed I'm sure we can work something out...

14$ for one or 20$ for two, 12x18 prints

I MIGHT have a booth or table on campus at some point. If I do I'll let you know...

liam.caldwell@gmail.com

something something action something go!

2008-05-14T16:58:52Z

For all of you Penny Arcade fans out there... they are coming out with some kind of mystery/fight/action/puzzle/shotting (set in the 1920's) game sometime in the not too distant future.

Change of theme

2007-11-16T20:18:05Z

I changed the layout for my LJ page... got tired of the FLCL
Can anyone suggest some different avatars? Something new, something old?

-Liam

spinolio @ 2007-11-15T13:01:00

2007-11-15T12:03:23Z

we had frost today. I think it is going to be a good winter here in the Lorraine.
They better hurry and put up my Canada Flag
Or I am building a snow fort right in front of the administration.

avoid the dog shit on the 17th century cobblestone roads

2007-10-17T20:11:56Z

I miss you

but

I will stay here for as long as I can

and

be upset at not being able to hang out

while

I enjoy France