57 posts tagged “cyber-noir”
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...
Second time in less than a week that I am sleeping through the alarm. Fortunately my internal body clock prevents myself from oversleeping more than 15 minutes (so far), but this is yet another sign that the long week-end cannot arrive soon enough, permitting that Cloud City duties do not eat up my time.
In other news, it seems that La Belle Province is using the same strategy than Bristish Columbia, Ontario, and New Brunswick into suing Big Tobacco for a tune of $30 billion dollars (almost a paltry sum to Ontario's $50 billion).
The only problem I have with this is the utter hypocrisy of our governments. Let's be honest if our elected officials has our best interests at heart. Instead of levying taxes on Junk Food and going after tobacco companies, they would act in such a way that these things that are harmful to us are phased out. But instead greed prevails and they act as this is a cash flow that they can tap without remorse.
Much like the tax hikes the provincial government wants to put across the board, without realizing that it is AGAIN the people who are taxed to the gills which will get the shaft, and by pure happenstance, the Corps can sleep well, knowing their status is protected and they don't have to worry in paying a dime.
No MtG Tarot, instead I pull ALGIZ. Algiz can be easily recognized as the antlers of the elk that it represents. The elk can represent victory, but is much more appropriately associated with the thrill of the hunt itself. This rune therefore can portend vigor and success in active endeavors. Also, this rune seems symbolic of a hand with outstretched fingers - a protective hand. This hand may suggest that you will be shielded from things negative - the problems still exist, you are spared the brunt of their force.
I have great fun with runes and their open-ended interpretrations. The thrill of the hunt? I do have my data gathering scheduled for this week-end, but it could be about so many things both in my Real Life or in my Augmented Reality that I'll keep my eyes and ears open...
With my plans for the week-end all Kia-ed Out, I'm looking once again to my graal-like attempt to go down to NYC. I'm looking at Thanksgiving (Canuckistanian) week-end, which would also provide me with an excuse to use the Big Apple as the setting for my next data gathering.
If Cloud City was 100% up and running, I would definitely be doing that instead, I'm just crossing my fingers.
In the mean time, I'll be cheering tommorow the Impact in their away game against the Charleston Battery. Barring a last-minute collapse, they should pass the first round, crossing swords with the league's regular season champions Portland Timbers.
GO IMPACT!!!
My MtG Tarot draw of the day is ARGOTHIAN WURM, which its mechanic permitting opponents to block its coming is oddly reminescent of my ordeals trying to go away, where everyone else seems hell-bent into providing opportunities to thwart me
This is one thing that scares me about getting old. Not my body breaking down, after it is all natural, but losing my memory is something I can't accept.
What knowledge one accumulates over the years amounts to what he is, that is probably why I pride myself on my intellect. Alzheimer's is a scary SOB. Mind breaking down like a Jenga tower.
Sometimes I hate my genes, not just because of whom provided them for me...
Today's MtG draw is CIVIC WAYFINDER, which I find the concept kind of funny, when you think about it.
As to its meaning, I don't quite know yet, but maybe it's a prelude that I may find a way out of this funk...
Sometimes, I feel I worry too much other times not enough, it's a rare time where equilibrum is achieved and I can feel at peace with myself. I like to think of myself as a good guy, in the moral sense of the term. Not the squeaky-clean, goody-two-shoes cliché but someone who deposits more than he withdraws from its karma.
But there are times where doubt creeps in, especially when my blind spots are concerned, be they family, work, or friends.
Hindsight brings me the picture of someone who has done terrible wrongs and who has not have to pay for its consequences (at least some of them) and it gnaws at me. If I say I'm sorry and not truly feel it would it not excacerbate the problem further?
There is a black pit of regret, something I think I did for the greater good but now I'm not sure. What if in my selfishness I brought more pain and cure? One thing's for sure, I need to get away from here, if only for a little while, I feel ghosts clinging at me and I don't have the comforts of home (mainly TV and the Net) to silence their wails.
In other news, it seems that La Cité wants to convert part of Mont Royal and open a third park over there, one of its interesting features would be to give access to a a grove of evergreens which are of a rare variety. I'm all for the opening of new green spaces a I feel we do not have enough as it is, but the problem is that, while te open this, the other parks on the mountain are threatened by the increasing encroaching brought by condos and the like. Is it worth the gain at the end?
I think my mindset has been brought to light by today's draw as I got Five of Swords (Defeat), when reversed: Refusing to achieve success through personal degradation. Friendship maintained through the abandonment of a dishonorable gain. Slander and infamy avoided.
It almost feels a sense of what constitutes ideal is shown here. It would easy to see this as an answer to dealings at BigMediaCo but recent down memory lane may have brought some new meaning to it all...
It's all over but the stamp from the league.
George Gillett has sold his part of the Montreal Canadiens to the group spearheaded by the Molson Family (along with EvilMediaCo, grrr), thus ending an association that brought the team on stronger grounds if not within a Cup's reach.
I remember way back in 2001 when he first made an offer, it brought fear that the team could Gasp! be moved to the US, like the Expos eventually were a couple of years later. Then again Hockey has always been popular in La Cité and not even the league could be short-sighted enough to take one of its Original Six and move to Oklahoma City, Seattle, Houston... or could they?
All the drama was for naught as we got an owner that, while enthusiastic for the team, the city, and the fans, was quite happy to leave the hockey decision to people in the know, all the while basking in the glow brought by the spotlight a position such as this brings in a place where hockey is a religion.
Had it not been to the recent economical downturn and the troubles at Liverpool FC, I'm pretty sure Gillett would have kept the team. It's sad to see what could probably have been the best owner a MTL franchise got (except maybe for the Expos with Bronfman) leave without at least hoisting the Stanley Cup.
Of course, the Molsons are nothing to sneeze at, as the Molson family always kept some part of the team when it sold the majority to Gillett and they're not hicks looking to loot the store and dismantle the team. I can only it means "Business as Usual" as far as hockey operations goes and hopefully they can build on the upwards arc of the previous years.
At least this is one change the team made this year that they didn't go towards the "Smaller" business model like the Summer's acquisitions (Gomez, Gionta, etc.).
GO!!! HABS!!! GO!!!
For today's MtG draw, I got ALABASTER POTION, which doesn't mean in the context of my post but is maybe a sign I'll get a respite in the next few days? Hopefully?
Having to leave a bit earlier than usual as I need to swing by Cloud City before work. It's a good thing I have a long week-end ahead (yay, Labour day!!!) as most of it will be filled putting the final touches on that project.
But there is one thing that has captivated my interest in the past few days and it is the rather strange circumstances under which a member of 2-drink-minimum crew (far from the worst fo the group) seems to have vanished from the company's payroll under a veil of secrecy.
It seems the fellow left, telling everryone that he was going on "vacation" last Friday. his voicemail tells indeed that tale. Except there was a rush order from Friday to close all his access at work, the kind of thing you expect when a speedy dismissal is involved. Add the fact that no offcial notice of his leaving the company has emerged and all "official" internal communication involving his departure (mainly to tell that person X will take over) put an unhealthy emphasis on his leaving on "good terms" and that it was his "personal decision"
That reminded of the kind of corp double talk I was suppose to use when I was "away" last winter. But the real answer is weirder still. Seems the guy picked to participate as a "surprise" contestant on whbat will constitute the Reality show flagship for BigMediaCo TV. That is why all his ties to BigMediaCo are seemingly severed (although, he seems to have been guaranteed his old job if he gets back, not surprising considering the potential good PR associated with such a move) and all the secrecy.
I'm a bit ambivalent for 2 reasons. While I was caught of surprise when this turned out to be the actual reason for this mystery, I had trouble to envision him playing the seducing Casanova, spicing the competition up a notch. His personality type just doesn't seem to be on that side of the cutthroat reality show persona. Personality-wise, I honestly thought he was better than this...
No the thing that kind of sticks in my craw is that these kind of shows have strict rules preventing people working in a company related to the one producing or hosting the show to participate, to prevent conflict-of-interest issues. The sneaky ways they are getting around this is something I would denounce if I were one of the other competitors who fell victim to such a trick,
Having said that, I'll just have to tune in to see just how low my soon to be ex former colleague can go...
On the data gathering front, I seem to be on a weird tangent where all the new sources I find turns out to be French translations of older RPGs.
This time around Midnight found its way to my grubby little paws. Having read about the background of this world. The bleak Evil has won hook is interesting while not pitting automatically players in apositive to reverse the trend but instead to stem the flow for a little while...
On the MtG Tarot side of things, I got STARLIT SANCTUM as today's draw. If you combine this with my recent data gathering, it seems that I am walkingin a world where the good guys are not necessarily ahead in the polls..
Something to ponder about as the first part of Cloud City comes into its own this week-end.
Have a nice Labour day week-end, everyone!
Weird story I came across yesterday.
"Suicidal planet"? Don't know if it's an actual astronomical term but ir feels world to imply that a planet is causing its own destruction.
Unless its own inhabitants were causing its demise...
What? Too soon...
I guess the rain falling is just Nature's way to alleviate the frustration of having to stay cooped up around home base. Cloud City is kind of hold for the moment, so basically I'll be catching up on stuff that's been piling up in the past few days... September is coming up faster than I thought, I guess being busy all the time leaves less time to ponder at a calendar.
Not that everything's gloom-and-doom, just yesterday as I was looking for a song that's been bugging my time for a couple of days. Couldn't remember the name of the song, the artist, or even the melody (see below). But as I was trying to jump start my synapses, came across a copy of Frente!'s 1994 CD "Marvin the Album". I jumped at the chance of getting this as I seem to have misplaced my cassette over the years. Nice to come across such a pleasant surprise, which is why I prefer shopping in brick stores instead of e-shopping.
My Rune of the day (sorry, MtG seems on the brink) is Ansuz is the spoken word of God. This rune is reversed, indicating that you are misunderstanding the divine voice or failing to hear it all. The word is always correct, so you must strive, whatever the difficulty, to hear correctly. Be wary of the advice you are given, for it may prove incorrect. Do not attribute infallibility to fallible sources...
Hmm, quite the paradox that I get this when I have all but shut myself from stuff. Then again, this could be related to my data gathering, with all the changes I've brought in the past few weeks.
Could Cloud City be the wrong the path?
I shoud accept (nay, embrace) the fact that I am a weirdness magnet, having strange and random events happening around me should be taken with a shrug... Still, they are days when I have some difficulty in accepting that simple fact.
Take work, for exemple. While, usually this time of year would be a non-stop succession of projects with our dilapitated resources, I am justa little more busy than usual. and the next few weeks don't sound as promising as everything is set after Polynesia's release, which is hardly a given, or so my numrous informants tell me...
Sometimes, I wonder whether this is all part of a diabolical plan to create an artificial shortage of work, therefore justifying the need to let the union employees. Of course, that doesn't stop them from hirng a bunch of contract employees which are doing right about the same job than us (with less skill and more problems than the road, but that doesn't seem to be a deterrent as of yet).
I am cautiously optimistic that such is not the case, which is rare given my cynical tendencies. Hope springs eternal I guess.
My plans for the week-end are in flux as of now, if the weather holds, I'll finally go out and ride my bike. Which reminds me, congrats to La Cité's Bixi program, which seems to have won the contracts to offer their public bike rental expertise to Boston and London, having come out this summer in Montreal and Ottawa.
I have yet used this system, although some colleagues at work did and they can't help but sing hosannahs for its convenience.
While not everythiong is rosy (regular bike users are loeft on the curb in regards to access, the cost is somewhat prohibitive, they tried and failed a stealth marketing campaign with PR people posing as biking enthusiasts were talking on blogs and social sites trying to raise awareness of the program, only to be found out), it's a nice step to help alleviate some of the traffic, especially downtown.
I seem to be in a tarot state of mind, or maybe Cloud City is affecting the draws, but I got REJUNEVATION today.
Atonement. Judgment. The need to repent and forgive. The moment to account for the manner in which we have used our opportunities. Rejuvenation. Rebirth. Improvement. Development. Promotion. Effort that ends in just reward. The desire for immortality. Legal judgment. One should carefully consider the effects of present actions on other persons.
It's not enough I worry about my, I was to worry about others!!! *groan* Alea jecta est!
(and not Summer's Gauntlet, which is an altogether different ordeal. Hang in there,S!)
Yesterday was the beginning of 3 weeks of an annual ordeal at BigMediaCo. With people taking their summer vacations, leaving just half the staff and the workload piling up for projects due for early September, which is one of the peaks for the industry, it is safe to say that idle time is over. This goes double for me, as I will be (due to a combination of personal choosing but mainly due to low seniority) the only one who will be throughout the whole mperiod, making me the prime candidate to act as liaison between my transiting colleagues.
I like the busy work. Focusing on something that most of the time I enjoy prevents me from dwelling on the unsavoury aspects of the cubicle life. Not that I don't enjoying the gossip, like how "Polynesia" gains another sign of becoming a "White Elephant" as it was confirmed that we would Not support it, as no ressources was assigned to the project from our end (even for next year!). While it was pretty much the case right now, some of the consultants were "loaned". What could constitute yet another case of our work being "outsourced" is more a case of being put into a back burner. Add to the fact that there are rumours of yet another shakedown of the corporate ladder coming soon, this will make an interesting fall (pun intended). Here's hoping of the leeches are shaken loose. LOL
Just because I am swamped for work and Project Cloud City doesn't stop me from enjoying myself, though. Went to the FrancoFolies (Best French-singing festival in La Cité) last night and relax listenning to the different outdoor shows.
Speaking of music, came across something rather neat on youtube this weekend. Brooklyn's The Honorary Title seems to be another of these bands standing on the cusp of being discovered (even though, they seem to have one of their songs playing in a "One Tree Hill" episode) and seem (according to Yahoo! Music) to have been a nominee for the Shortlist Prize, I must admit I had not heard anything about them until now. If the couple of vids on their YouTube channel is any indication, it might be an interesting buy...
The MtG Muses are sending help my way with FLICKERING WARD as my card of the day.
Because protection, even if temporary, is better than nothing!
