16 posts tagged “black”
The first snowstorm has come and gone and La Cité is still standing in one piece. While it seems that my annual Holiday pilgrimage to Bytown has been put on hold in order to celebrate Christmas with the family. yay!
Seriously, as I'm taking a few days off after my post-Christmas work, I might head over there then but it's still Up In The Air (With George Clooney coming soon in theatres). But all shameless plugging aside, If you take out the avove-mentioned family duty, my calendar is wide-open, a blessing in disguise as it were.
The MtG Tarot Fates seems to share my cheery thoughts as I got PLUNGE INTO DARKNESS for today's draw. Well, a little too obvious, even for me.
Next, they'll buy a full-page ad in the BigMediaCo's newspaper to decry my current situation...
Caffeine tweaks in my bloodstream.
I don't know whether it's because all the daily trips between my home, Cloud City, and back to my home are taking their toll, or that my mind's made up about changing the focus for next year's story, but I feel more tired than usual.
And yet, I feel strangely at peace, as if I'm riding the eye of the storm
Working late at night has some perks, as I got to watch some of the last qualifiers for next year's World Cup. I have to admit I can't believe that France managed to squeeze in with "La Main de Dieu". I doubt les Bleus have ever gone into the tournament with less reason to, as they will in South Africa.
I was surprised to read (if I got that right) that the 2010 tournament will be the first one without a country making their debut. Notwhitstanding that, while I'll be cheering South Korea (as the odds of seeing Canada back are slim, to say the least),
I already have a list of dark horses, teams that have little chance of making it but which will draw my interest: Algeria, Honduras, New Zealand and North Korea. Actually, these 4 countries have been in the news so much lately, maybe my subconscious has a reason to pick these 4.
If today's MtG Tarot pick is any indication, GREED, might be the signs under which the World Cup will be under.
Of course, that would explain the reason why Ireland got such a raw deal...
Yet another case can be check on the Vancouver Olympics to-do list as the Olympic flame is beginning its journey from Greece to the Wet coast, crossing the country before returning back to the hosting city.
It will be kiond of special, as even though I missed on the chance to become a torch bearer (in hindsight, maybe it's better this way... Wouldn't want to be remembered as the guy who snuffed the flame, because he dropped it), a colleague of mine has been chosen for the task. It's too bad, I won't get the chance to cheer her on as she'll be doing this at about 60 Km from my home,but there's a GT in Long-eye in the evening so I'll be sure to drop by.
It feels weird that while Canada will be coming up with Olympic fever, I'll probably be cheering from the sunny beaches of Mexico as it falls smack dab into my usual window that I choos to leave. AHaven't gotten confirmation yet if I get the dates I've chosen but it shouldn't me much of a problem as I usually squeak by. I should get final word by Monday.
Very weird MtG dras as I got UNDERWORLD DREAMS for today's pick.
Then again, Halloween being next week it might be the Fates' macabre side that is seeping out.
Still I'll sleep with one eye open, just in case, Hades is coming for me...
Yesterday's funeral of the King of Pop only highlighted the global influence Michael Jackson had (as an artist,mind you!) Not whitstanding the frenzy that surronded the distribution of tickets to attend the ceremony at the Staples Center, it was somethng I read in the newspaper about Influence Communication's weekly rating of news stories' exposure that showed this story being the most talked about across the globe, with a few notable exceptions. Places like Russia, Iran, North Korea... and La Belle Province,
But don't think this state of affair is due to the fact that I live in a backward, totalitarian country like the others mentioned above (well, not only that *grin*). We had lots of things happening with regards to the Canadiens. After all, who is really surprised that we would talk about hockey in July?
The MtG Tator Fates seems to have also been affected by Michael Jackson's departure as my draw of the day is LOSE HOPE.
Feels strange to get such a message, but then again, such an event must have been felt across the Veil too
I'm back on track, I think...
After my first "regular" week at work, I think I got the hang of my new work RL avatar.
Contrary to Wally, I'm stuck to giving a 100% It could be overindulgence, but I have received nothing but compliments on the past week. Given that my workload is still relatively light, it was easy to concentrate on my job.
Funny, that I haven't done any change in my regimen. I guess those 15 minutes I'm not looking on the InterWeb during my workhours really were toxic for my career. LOL!
Seriously, the only changes I've made is being pro-active, with strings. I still look at projects coming up (even those not assigned to moi), but any shortcomings or problems I come across, I wait for the last possible moment to inform the PHBs. Something I would have probably done much faser in a previous life.
The funny thing is that, zeal's a great thing when used judiciously. I'm not doing anything wrong and I am actually HELPING my superiors by pointing out what's missing, albeit just a little too late. And every time, it happens (and it happens a lot!), I feel a little vindicated. Living well is good for a revenge, but I prefer picking at the scabs.
Hmm, scabs...
Irony is spreading to the MtG muses as I've drawn EVERLASTING TORMENT. Like, I said I prefer serving my revenge not with a broad stroke but with itsy-bitsy cuts.
It's not good for the soul, but I'm so used to bottling my emotions up that having an outlet helps.
I'm not bitter, well I am but not the worse for what happened to me, and still, I will enjoy schadenfreude when it comes, and it will come for they can't help tripping themselves.
Sometimes, it's good to be only a spectator's in one's life.
Arriving a bit later than usual yesterday (never mind the fact that it was still 45 minutes before I start), I came across a scene of pandemonium which reminded me of these Leslie Nielsen ads.
The morning's implementation has "not quite" gone as well as expected. That was probably why people were worried I hadn't got in earlier and actually felt "relieved" of my arrival (what a refreshing feeling).
Seeing all Hell breaking loose without having a iota of responsability in the manner was a novel experience, even the Illuminati would have been hard-pressed to find fault with my attitude.
Of course, this was only another proof of what I have been saying all along about letting clueless people run things and not expect Diet Coke-meets-Menthos result but still... Sheesh!
Then, there was this cryptic e-mail left by our boss alluding that she was leaving. This comes after a previous message which told us that she had refused to be transferred to another team, which made sense because this would have met that of the 3 testings teams, 2 would have gotten new bosses, which was 1 too many, IMHO. Finally, it was a bit of oddly-timed humour from her, not really what we needed when nerves are frailed...
My personal opinion to our glorious leader has kind of waned from the start, seeing that she's definitely more flash than substance. Of course, I was aware of the fact from the start, my gauging of the people is quite good, especially in work-related situations. Still, I'm getting a bit frustrated by her "Sorry-I-can't-do-anything-about-it-becuase-the-highers-ups-won't-let-me-but-I'm-pulling-for-you" attitude.
But I will have the last laugh, every time I will be in a logjam, any delay in my work due to outside sources, I will gladly leave an electornic trail straight to her doorstep, asking "What do you want me to do?" After all, I'm supposed to be a QA analyst, and not even that, cause they don't want to give us the title. Why should I involve myself in the decision process?
Speaking of dodgy corporate practices, my good friend (and EvilMediaCo agent provovacteur), The Raven has lent me the William Shatner's biography "Up Till Now", surely in an effort to make me miss work while reading in this engaging work.
Having only read "Star Trek Memories" back in the day, along with the George Takei's "To The Stars" along with a couple of Gene Roddenberry bios (Why, yes, I AM a literary bulimic, thank you for asking) and had been pleasantly surprised of the even-handedness of how he talked about his co-stars, altohugh it could be BS, for all we know.
Still, I think he has finally decided to "embraced" his larger than life character and while not becoming a caricature, he looks less thereatened of being known as a one-trick-poney.
My MtG draw of the day is LAST GASP, given what's going in the office, this might be a message that the Polynesian White Elephant project is FINALLY on its last legs. Guess, I should start bring Alsatian White to work, it goes well with enjoying all of what's going on here...
Finally a show where I don't have the spotlight...
Another week ends, one of which I managed to survive by the skin of my teeth.
Any crash that you walk away is a good landing, I guess. To think my next day off is one month from now.
At least the week was not a total loss, swinging by Crèmerie Meu-Meu, my favourite ice cream place in La Cité, I saw they had Hemp Ice Cream. HEMP!!! It's not so bad, but it would something I would enjoy during a meal and not as a treat...
And to close the week in a flourish, my MtG card of the day is WEAKNESS.
'Nuff said!
One fun fact that most mundane acquaintances of mine do not know is that I once took bartending when I was young (-er) and foolish (euh, -er). I had just turned 21 and was looking at the prospect of a summer filled with nothing to do, as the place where I used to work had closed down.
I was always fascinated by the "alchemy" behind cocktails. Don't where I got it from as my parents, while not teetotalers had simple tastes (amaretto or green crème de menthe were the furthest down the road they went). And while I didn't walk the glamour life of the bar scene, I always cherished these few weeks and I still keep the few recipe books I bought at the time.
All this to say that, I have offered my services from time to time to friends and family, just to keep my hand in. That's what I did tonight. It's not like I have a full bar set with me in a suitcase, so I usually get a feel of what they want to serve and equip accordingly.
The setting tonight was a martini party (more cosmo than the regular one). Knowing that my "employer" of the night had a thing for Curacao, I also brought some to make a Ink Martini. Unfortunately no photos of the drink, so, just your imagination (and this handy recipe) to picture a midnight blue drink that packs a punch while still having some sweetness to it...
INK MARTINI
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2 oz. Gin
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1/2 oz. Peach Schnapps
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1/2 oz. Blue Curacao
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2 oz. Cranberry-Raspberry juice
Put in a shaker with crushed ice, Shake and serve.
While I am a sucker for cosmos (especially the variations with lots of lime), this is a good drink too. But I don't see myself drinking more than a couple of them in one sitting as I feel there are very insidious in their effects.
Hmm a work-related MtG draw as I got BURIED ALIVE.
Thanks for the meo guys, it would have been better had I got this portent last week, before being coerced into working 55 hours.
...Unless it IS a portent for the coming week. Oh Bytown had never felt so inviting...
Yes, I am still up and about. The funny thing is that, even though I had decided to lay off the blogging for the past 2 weeks as I had planned being busy with work and my data gathering is taking me here, there, and everywhere, Outside events would have conspired to restrict my availability ranging from my laptop crashing on a almost daily basis (hopefully, by my birthday, I will have my grubby little paws on a new Kanye West model ie Bigger, Faster, Stronger). Even the access at work has been getting wonky. I think the impeding move prevents IT to do anything more that putting band-aids on the network for the time being.
Speaking of my data gathering, I have spread myself pretty thin in the past week taking stuff ranging from the Freeport d20 setting to watching cars pass by on nearby streets. Even swung back the new Laval Métro stations in case I would find some hidden gems but no avails.
Was particularly interested in the Freeport Companion, as it gave a lot of interesting option on how to portray the different core classes while retaining what made them so great.
Got a couple of shout-outs. First from Verdylak spending his "vacation" in Mountain View, CA. Lucky bastard, I bow to you. Second from a ex-classmate of mine who resides in China who told me that my blogs are blocked by the Great Firewall. Now, it's highly probable that it the whole of the Voxosphere that's verboten, but it strokes my ego to think that I could me considered public enemy by Beijing.
Today's MtG pick is CHAINS OF MEPHISTOPHELES.
Aside from the potential evil aspects of this draw, I guess it is a reminder that I still have a few more errands before I can think of taking a breather. Hopefully, being on the tailend of this crazy period, I guess I can weather the storm for a few more days at least.
Right? RIGHT?
AaaaaRGH!!!!
Here's hoping this works as web access has been kind of wonky at BigMediaCo these past few days.
I have to admit I was shocked when I opened my TV on CNN last night to hear about Heath Ledger's death,
Of course, with The Dark Knight coming out this summer, one has to wonder whether the toll of acting was too much. I remember reading somewhere on the web on why Christopher Nolan chose Ledger to play this role and he only said "Because he's fearless"
He burned bright as a star, with the white-hot intensity that he carried to his roles.
Less shocking but still disturbing was the news that Air pollution alone caused over 1500 deaths in La Cité in 2002 (the latest year from which info is available). Even yesterday, I was talikng with a guy from work, who usually has a good head but he pooh-poohs all the talk about global warming and pollution by saying, "It doesn't exist, how else can you explain we still have -20 (Celsius) weather here... "
And trying to talk about how the melting of icecaps has not neccesairly that effect on us where the melted ice is mixing up with the ocean, but you could see his eyes roll over. It's frustrating to see that people still consider this a fringe theory to be sharing shelf space with Bigfoot and Majestic-12. Sigh
Hmm, MtG-Tarot card of the day is OBLIVION CROWN, Can't help to think this is about work, if only because I haven't talked about it till now...
