"the Cult of the Amateur": A Review



While going through the list of books recommended to me by Amazon, the above title for some reason, entered the list. As I read the publisher's review my interest was piqued. I looked over the page and noticed that through the wonderful Amazon Marketplace, the book could be picked up for a mere $5.00 plus shipping and handling. As I thought about it, I became very interested and so with a simple 'click' of the mouse, I ordered a copy through the Marketplace. Honestly, why wouldn't you do the same, that is order through the Marketplace rather then through the main bookselling page.

But I digress; the author, Andrew Keen, is an observer and commentator on technology and its affect upon our society and culture. He reveals in this book an undying hatred on all things Web 2.0. For him it is the opening of a Pandora's box of problems that will lead to the erosion of culture and learning. He fears, and this is quite obvious from his writings that Web 2.0 will bring about the end of Culture as we know it and replace it with something not as appealing. He mourns the potential loss of newspapers and magazines, not just because he likes holding and reading them, but what they represent, and that is, journalistic integrity. In the place of journalists are the bloggers who lack the ability, in his words, to write news or to even take the time to digest the news in order to develop a proper understanding of the news.

This is not to say Andrew Keen is some sort of luddite. He confesses in the first chapter as being part of the Web 1.0 bubble. He writes:

Back in the Nineties, I was a pioneer in the First Internet Goldrush. With a dream of making the world a more musical place, I founded Audiocafe.com, one of the earliest digital music sites.

He has also embraced much of Web 2.0, he blogs and can be followed on Twitter. It is on the latter you can learn he has an addiction to PG tea, drinking 25 cups a day, for example.

What is his concern? He comments on the saying of T.H. Huxley, that if you give a million monkeys, a million typewriters and infinite time, they would type all the works of William Shakespeare. To Keen, it has happened, for there are millions of people banging away on their keyboards, bringing their limited opinions to the world of literature, learning and news gathering.

To Keen, blogging might mean the end of journalism as we know it, and replace with a shallowness that defies definition. He states that people are blogging and giving their opinion on news without having the proper learning to understand what it takes to gather news.

The genesis of the book was from an article he wrote in the Weekly Standard entitled Web 2.0. He began the article with this observation:

THE ANCIENTS were good at resisting seduction. Odysseus fought the seductive song of the Sirens by having his men tie him to the mast of his ship as it sailed past the Siren's Isle. Socrates was so intent on protecting citizens from the seductive opinions of artists and writers, that he outlawed them from his imaginary republic.

We moderns are less nimble at resisting great seductions, particularly those utopian visions that promise grand political or cultural salvation. From the French and Russian revolutions to the counter-cultural upheavals of the '60s and the digital revolution of the '90s, we have been seduced, time after time and text after text, by the vision of a political or economic utopia.

Rather than Paris, Moscow, or Berkeley, the grand utopian movement of our contemporary age is headquartered in Silicon Valley, whose great seduction is actually a fusion of two historical movements: the counter-cultural utopianism of the '60s and the techno-economic utopianism of the '90s. Here in Silicon Valley, this seduction has announced itself to the world as the "Web 2.0" movement.

To him the seduction is the rise in both numbers and prestige of the glorified amateur, who has the wisdom and knowledge that can challenge that of an expert. With this as the basis, he is able to write about the dangers of Wikipedia, where amateur can opine about a wide gamut of subjects and even take on the workers of experts. He gave the example of Dr. William Connolley, a climate modeler from the British Antartic Survey. He found an error in the article on Global Warming. Unfortunately, he Point of View was different from one of the editors of Wikipedia and he was almost banned from the 'pedia. His crime, not following the prevalent 'political' point of view. So the amateur can bully the expert is what Andrew Keen laments.

His concern about Web 2.0 goes into other realms, such as the end of music, through piracy of music files, Internet porn and online gambling.

He offers a solution and most of it has to do through stronger laws and stronger enforcement.

Some of the high points, he calls Lawrence Lessig, an "intellectual property communist'. He also refers to Google as a parasite.

He brings up a number of very good points, in particular how in his view, the Internet of Web 2.0 is narcissistic and it is simply a matter of us reporting on ourselves, without the vantage of a third party giving us the proper view of ourselves. In this regard, his book is good to read to bring balance to the cheerleaders of Web 2.0. He does not that many of the most popular bloggers either contain links to mainstream media, or are hiring journalists as part of their staff to bring the proper level of professionalism to their blogs.

What he fears most, is a world without the New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.

There are some concerns with this book, one is his discounting of any and everything done by the amateur. It seems to him, culture is only the product of the professional and the rich. He almost ignores the fact that culture has, through most of human history, been grassroots. It is the people gathering around a fire, or enjoying time together, sharing a song or a story, that is the birth of culture and not something brought about through committee. He mourns the 'death' of music, when the question should be asked, why as the music industry not kept pace with technology, or used technology as a means of bringing its music to people.

Other concerns is the fact he tends to blame "Web 2.0" for things that happened prior to its coming, such as Internet Gambling. By doing this, he weakens his argument rather then strengthens it.

While newspapers and magazines are going through a hard time, it is for them to evolve and work with the technology rather then allow it to bury them. I truly hope there will be newspapers and I think as long as we need professional newsgatherers, and they will never be replaced by bloggers, news media will exist. Also he complains about the number of new blogs, but my question is how many blogs continue and thrive. A quick search of blogs will reveal many as only having a number of posting and then the author quits and moves on to something else.

He also complains over such thing as the rise of plagerism because of the 'copy and paste' culture. This is a good complaint and it is up to the schools and universities to enforce the rules of plagarism. It has always been there and it is only through vigilance can it be kept at bay. Plus the stress should be on independent thought and not simply reguritating facts.

I would suggest this book as a good read. It will help you understand what is happening in the Internet, but I suggest you read with a critical eye. He makes good points, but he must be kept honest and not simply complain about everything to do with 'web 2.0'

Classic Dr. Who!



I was reading a few messages from the Doctor Who Information Network message group:

While we was channel surfing tonight, we stumbled across Doctor Who on
BBC kids. They are current airing Tom Baker episode "Image of the
Fendahl".

I thought to myself "Self, this is interesting", and so I went to the BBCKids website and went to the channel schedule. I went through it and there it was: Doctor Who, Monday to Friday, from 10PM-11PM Eastern.

Wow.

Classic Dr. Who! With the Fourth Doctor.

As you may know, Tom Baker was the longest serving Doctor of all time, including the present. He was probably the most popular Doctor of them all. This is due, in some degree to the fact he was the first Doctor most of us in North America ever met.

Right now, its season 16 and it is one of the story arcs of Doctor Who. It is the Key to Time arc, in which the Doctor and his companion, a female Time Lord, Lady Romanadvoratrelundar, or Romana, or Fred, the latter given to her by the Doctor as a joke.

She was played by Mary Tamm.

It is great to see the Doctor in action again.

Android? Canada?

As I mentioned in a previous blog, I've been watching and listening to the live feed from the World Mobile Congress. Perhaps all this has got me thinking again about cellphones and their effect in Canada. I was curious about my cellphone company and so I wrote a letter asking about the type of network and whether or not they are planning to introduce any Android based cellphones. Android is the Linux or Open-Sourced based operating system for cellphones that is being championed by Google. One of the first phones was introduced by T-Mobile. The T-Mobile G1 uses the Android OS and it offers users a real keyboard and a totally new web experience. The idea behind this, and the new generation of smartphones is to make is bring the internet to the cellphone, and have it copy the computer experience. What all cellphone manufacturers and carriers understand is the cellphone is for more then simply making calls. It is for text messaging, listening to music, taking videos and photographs, surfing the web and sharing said photos and videos in sites such as Facebook, Brightkite and 12seconds.tv. Or to take photographs or videos and email them to family, friends, or the local news outlet. In other words the cellphone is a more then a phone.

So I was wrote the letter and got a reply:

uses the GSM Network. At this time there is no talk of bringing Android based cell phones

They aren't alone, an article in itworldcanada informed its readers that there are no plans to bring any Android based phones to Canada. In other words, Canada is going to be off the map as far as open source is concerned. Another blogger decided to consider the various carriers in Canada and opined whether any of them would carry an Android based cellphone. Basically he was waiting for the new carriers that are coming in 2010 as possible carriers.

Speaking of Android, there has been a few articles regarding how Android made no presence at the World Congress. It made some wonder what is going on with Android. There was the introduction of the HTC Magic, but not much else.

Then again, there was no introduction of the Microsoft Phone either. Although some have suggested that Microsoft may have killed Android with it's announced release of Windows Mobile 6.5.

Should there be a place for the Android in Canada? Why not, why should we be at the bottom end of cellphone technology. We seem to be a few years behind, after all, let's remember how many countries got the iPhone before we did.

DellPhone?

A little over a month ago some buzz made it onto the Internet regarding the possibility of Dell entering the smartphone market. It was reported in the Business Insider and the AppleInsider. The rumour is that Dell will announce said phone during the Mobile World Congress which started today in Barcalona.

When a person thinks Dell, one thinks "computers" and it's direct to consumer market. It has been rather innovative in this field, including the first, I believe, 'no shipping charges' for its products. It has also had some adventures into the consumer electronics market. It has its own line of printers and flat screen televisions. It has also had some success in the PDA market with the Dell Axim. As you know from reading previous blogs, I am a fan of the Dell Axim, I still own a X3i which I use for both work and home. I use it to quickly surf the web, read email, do spreadsheets for both work and home and take notes while in meetings. In fact it rarely leaves my side or my briefcase. I can't imagine a situation in which I would not bring my Axim, with the exception of the gym.

In fact when Dell was producing the Axim, it received a number of positive reviews; especially in the features it packed into the device for such a reasonable price. It was the first company to offer WI-FI on a PDA for under #300.00US, for example. While the x3 and x30 tended to look boxy, there was some aesthics with the later x50 and x51 models.

Of course detractors will opine about the not lamented jukebox, Dell's foray into personal music device. One person on the appleinsider forum posted this comment:

"This would be a break from the past when Dell's Axim was a line of Windows Mobile-powered Pocket PC personal data assistants, discontinued in April 2007.* Another Dell smaller form factor hardware device, the Dell DJ music player, was shelved in 2006."
With success like that why wouldn't you try the smart phone market?!?!

While being a smartmouth, the question is a good one, does Dell have the moxy and knowledge to enter an already crowded consumer market such as the cellphone market. What about its flops? I can't speak for the Jukebox since I never owned one, but I will speak for the Axim. It is a good product. Why Dell stopped production may have had to do with the convergence of the PDA with the cellphone ( Smartphone), and the belief people don't want to cart around three or four products at once.

Now in other news, Microsoft did announce its new Mobile OS, the Windows Mobile 6.5 at the Conference. Gizmodo seems to have liked it.

Already a number of phones have been launched featuring the new OS, phones such as LG's GM730 for example.

Will Dell go with Microsoft? or go with Google? That is the question, whatever way, it needs to move fast, while the market is growing, it is also becoming crowded. Should Dell use the name 'Axim' or choose something else. Perhaps the way to go would be to direct market it and give the purchaser the freedom to choose their own carriers. This would beat out the iPhone which has tended towards exclusive agreements, such as with ATT or Rogers here in Canada.

I shall be keeping an eye on this one.

Jackson's Point

I thought I'd share a few more photographs of Jackson's Point, so you can appreciate the winter scene:






Of course, not all things are outside:



A piece of information I was told:

John Wesley was not known for his personal hygiene. In fact he often went without bathing and changing his clothes. I did a search on this subject and have come up with nothing. Further digging makes me wonder the truth of this bit of history since many believe it was John Wesley that came up with the saying:

Cleanliness is indeed next to godliness.

So if you can come up with the definitive answer to that bit of Wesley trivia, let me know.

A week of Retreat

This past week Jo-Anne and I were away at Jackson's Point Conference Centre, it was the usual annual event for officers of the Ontario Great Lakes Division. To be honest and probably this is due to experience, Jackson's can be a bit boring, especially after places such as Harrison Hotsprings Resort or the Lamplighter Inn. It is a nice place, don't get me wrong, but it lacks some of the amenities, such as swimming pools, exercise rooms, or wireless internet. Apparently they lost their wifi because it was open and too many people had trojans on their computers and were unleashing all sorts of spam. At least that's what Rogers reported. But there are some ethernet access sites set up, so things aren't a total loss. I had thought of going to facebook and recording some videos, but there were problems with servers at the facebook end. That is a shame, because it could have been fun.

The guests for the week were the Territorial Leaders of Canada and Bermuda, Commissioners William and Marilyn Francis. They are a tremendously gifted couple and I think the Territory is being well served by their leadership. They both have different gift mix, which is why they work so well as a team. He's an excellent teacher and she's gifted musically. I know some people find her colourful and she is.

The overall theme was holiness and the sessions took the form of Bible Studies, consider the various scripture passages dealing with the subject. There was a discussion of different views on the subject but as a whole it was more dealing with scripture. There was one different session and that was the Thursday night. For that session, it was a study of the songs in the Songbook. It began with a study of the five songs that were written by William Booth. It sounds as if he wrote only five songs, unlike Charles Wesley, who managed to write some 5500+ hymns.

It began with a rousing rendition of O Boundless Salvation, all seven verses, with no break. It was one of the few times I was glad I didn't volunteer to be part of the band. That's a great song to play but you do need a break. He gave us the history of each song, the unique circumstances behind the composition and information about the composer. There was a good mix of Salvationist, Methodist and other denominations. I think everyone did enjoy themselves, there was a smile on everyone's face at the end of the 90 minutes.

I managed to take some photographs of the Commissioners in action:





Of course, there was a few others taking photographs:



Being February, it was cold:




As good as it was to be away, it's good to be home. The cats seem to appreciate us being back.

Email Warnings and a little Life Lesson


Recently Jo-Anne got an email about a missing 16 year old young man. Here is the sad story:

Amber Alert.

Staff Sergeant Rick Williams
Wichita Falls Police Dept.
1007 N. Elm St .
Wichita Falls , Texas 76310
(940) 696-3671
Fax (940) 691-6346

Please look at the picture, read what his mother says, then forward this message on.
My 15 year old boy, Evan Trembley, is missing.
He has been missing for now two weeks.

Maybe if everyone passes this on, someone will see this child.
That is how the girl from Stevens Point was found by circulation
of her picture on tv. The internet circulates even overseas,
South America , and Canada etc.
Please pass this to everyone in your address book.
With GOD on his side he will be found.

"I am asking you all, begging you to please
forward this email on to anyone and everyone
you know, PLEASE.

It is still not too late. Please help us. If anyone
knows anything, please contact me at:
HelpfindEvanTrembley@yahoocom
I am including a picture of him.

All prayers are appreciated! ! "

It only takes 2 seconds to forward this.

This is so sad, any one who is a parent can feel the pain the mom must be going through. The sad part of this story is, it's totally false. While there is a Evan Trembly, he is not missing, he is doing good, thank you very much. The whole thing is a hoax. You can read the story here. Now the story Jo-Anne received puts young Evan in the BC Interior, in fact this story went through official channels before it reached her. The locations have been changed and will be changed, but its the same thing, a total hoax.

If the Internet has done anything, besides Dragostea tin dei, its breath new life into urban legends. It is so prevalent that a number of sites have arisen just to give us information on urban legends. One of the best is snopes.com.

Now for the life lesson; if you receive an email about an Amber Alert, there will be a very good chance it is false. Police for some reason would rather inform the public of an Amber Alert through the news media rather then through email. I suppose it has to do with the fact that most local police departments do not have everyone's email. Sure CSIS probably does (Hi Andrew), but most police don't. In fact to give an example, did you notice very few emails were sent about Brandon Crisp. Almost none.

If you get any email that you are suspicious may be a hoax, simply do a google search, you suspicions may be validated when the first result has the word "hoax" some where in the title.

That's it for the life lesson. Now you'll have to excuse me, I've got to help this poor woman get 51 Million Dollars out of her country.

Just kidding.

Another Brilliant Decision

Over the last few weeks, the media has been reporting incidents of abuse for Canada's "Do Not Call" List. The Globe and Mail reports of Fraudester Abusing the list with impunity.

To bring everyone up to speed, the "Do Not Call" list came into being in the fall of 2008 and the purpose was to give the average person the right to live a life in peace and harmony without the annoying dinner time calls from telemarketers. All a person had to do was register their phone number and peace and quiet would be there's.

By the way, this being the CRTC there are exemptions. For example:

elemarketing calls made on behalf of certain organizations or made for certain purposes as listed below, are exempt from the National DNCL Rules:

* Canadian registered charities;
* political parties;
* nomination contestants, leadership contestants or candidates of a political party;
* general circulation newspapers calling for the purpose of selling a subscription;
* calls to a consumer who has an existing business relationship with the organization;
* calls to a consumer who has given express consent to be called; and
* calls to business consumers.

Otherwise peace was to come to your life. Of course the method of getting the list of telephone numbers that WEREN'T to be called was to be in the form of a list, which a telemarketing company could purchase, so as to update their databank of people they weren't to call. Apparently the list cost $50.00, so obviously the CRTC was to make a few dollars for their own operations.

With such an arrangement, most of us would figure the opportunity for abuse would be almost non-existent. Think again, all they provided for the telemarketers was a list of active and live telephone numbers. Why spend hours hunting down telephone books when all can be yours for a mere fifty dollars. Guess what, the nasty telemarketers who don't care a fig about rules bought up the list, and why not, here was a gold mine of phone numbers. It's kind of like spam email, you will often see a little notice that "If you don't want any further email, just click this link", do that and all you prove is that your email is live. Best way of dealing with spam, get a good spam filter.

So now, Canadians have the privilege through the workings of the CRTC of having even more telephone calls. Brilliant!

Of course, the CRTC doesn't stand for this sort of thing, in fact they have all sort of strong measures in place to deal with the n'er-do-wells. They will:

* If a violation has occurred, the CRTC will generally work directly with the telemarketer to facilitate corrective action on a voluntary basis.

* Options to encourage compliance include:

o A warning letter to the telemarketer identifying the violation and the specific corrective action to be taken; and

o A compliance meeting with the telemarketer, which may be held using teleconference or videoconference facilities, at which the CRTC would discuss the nature of the violation, the number and frequency of complaints, and the corrective action that the telemarketer must take.

* Warning letters and compliance meetings would involve informing the telemarketer that stricter measures will be considered if the corrective action is not taken and/or the violation is repeated, including:

o Imposing a monetary penalty, and

o Publishing the nature of the violation, the name of the telemarketer that committed the violation, and the amount of the penalty on the CRTC's website.

Wow, a sternly worded letter, I have to believe the telemarketers would be shaking in their boots to read that letter. As for the fines:

o the maximum penalty for a violation is $1,500 in the case of an individual and $15,000 in the case of a corporation.

o A violation that continues for more than one day constitutes a separate violation for each day during which it continues.

All this sounds good until you realize, most of the obnoxious telemarketers DON'T LIVE IN CANADA AND SO THESE RULES DON'T APPLY TO THEM.


If you want to know more of how the bad people are dealt with, click here. Got me shaking in my boots, just reading about it.

What can be done? Probably a few things,
1) change your telephone number and send the bill for changing to the CRTC
2) contact Consumer Association of Canada, if enough join and complain perhaps something will get done.
3) Write, phone, email your local MP and ask that the CRTC be dissolved; they have done nothing to protect the average Canadian, they are a worthless government body.

Remember, this is the same group that wanted to control the Internet a few years back.

Dude! I've got a Dell!

Yesterday I found a sticker on the front door from Purolator. The package I had been waited to arrive for the past few days had arrived. So with sticker with the notice in hand I went down to the local office and picked up this box:



I brought the box to the family room and began to unpack:



When everything was unpacked, I found my new laptop:



My new laptop and notice it is green in colour, is a Studio 17. It has a 17 inch screen, so it gives a lot of space for things such as videos and DVD's. I'm not going to go on and list all the features and specs, because you can read that for yourself.

What impressed me about the laptop, besides the larger screen was that it was on sale so the price was only a few dollars more then one of the Inspiron computers. So the wide glossy screen was a big point. What else got my attention was the extra memory and the fact it had Vista Home Premium. Now I should say it's only been two days but I'm not finding any of the great problems and complaints that greeted the release of Vista. Then again I'm using SP1 so I presume most of the bugs and issues have been solved. I'll keep you informed.

My old laptop simply stopped working, it was over four years old and I wanted to wait until the new year before purchasing a new one. I think I'll enjoy it and I plan to install iTunes for my iTouch and a few other programs.

So far so good

In Other News

I just finished watching Dr. Strangelove, still one of the best anti-war movies ever made. It certainly manages to reveal the madness of nuclear weapons and the Cold War. What followed it is some old Civil Defense video. Both were featured on Turner Classic Movies.

Got some responses to a few email, one is from Elizabeth May. I had complained to her about the rumour she was going to the Senate. She told me it was simply a media fabrication. Another came from CUPE. The letter contained a link to a letter from Paul Moist, the National President of CUPE. He wants all to know that it is not the policy of CUPE to have that demand, rather he wants both side to strive for peace.

iTunes and Canada



I've been a fan and owner of an Apple iPod since the iPod Mini, it was blue and came in a marvellous box. I had it until it a major flaw happened and it no longer worked. Fortunately I had extra warrenty and graduated to the iPod Nano (2nd Generation). Now I own an iPod Touch. It was a present from my folks (thanks Mom, thanks Dad). They got it for me when I was in the hospital.

It is the funnest ipod, as the advertisement asserts. With it, I have music, videos, TV programs, podcasts and apps. It is wonderful and a lot of fun. It's a great thing to have when working out at the fitness club.

Lately I was having problems downloading apps I wanted to buy, for a while I thought there was something wrong with the way I had the settings of theiTunes Music Store wrong. After all, I had problems at first, syncing the Touch with my computer. It's working very well, thank you so much. I decided to read the support to learn what I should do. The instructions listed didn't help, so I used the contact page and set off an email. I explained the problem. Actually I had two problems, that and the fact I accidently rubbed off a few numbers on an iTunes card. The latter was solved quickly by an email and I was able to put an extra $15.00 on my account, which I used to download Philip Glass' work Koyaanisqatsi: Life out of Balance. It's a delightful piece of work, by the way.

As for the former issue, this is the response I got:

I'm sorry, but you will not be able to purchase games or applications with store credit or an iTunes Gift Card in Canada. Customers residing in Canada may only purchase games and applications using a credit card.

My response to that was, 'say what?!?' What do they mean, I can't purchase apps with the itunes card? To me this is preposterous. After all, my local electronic store, gas station, convenience store, in fact any place that sells gift cards, sells the iTunes card. They are all over the place, in Canada. I don't understanf the logic behind such a policy. It can't be the case that there is a problem with the money, since Apple doesn't have a problem taking the money that goes on the card. It can't be an issue that this is Canada and there is some problem engendered by the Security and Prosperity of North America. I wish I could give an answer or even an opinion but it so strange and odd of Apple to have this policy. I plan to write back and ask for an explanation. The whole purpose of the itunes card is convenience and security, I'm not using my credit card, I'm using a purchased itunes card, which should be as good, since you got to put in the right number to use it.

Hopefully it's a policy they will change.

A Blog about Ketchup

A couple of months ago, I came across an interesting article on ketchup. As you can read at the top, the problem with ketchup is that it hasn't changed in over 100 years. In fact with the thought:

Mustard now comes in dozens of varieties. Why has ketchup stayed the same?

Some suggestion with the exception of the introduction of the squeeze bottle, ketchup is ketchup, so why is it still the same?

This is a good question, I don't know about the dozens but certainly mustard is no longer simply French's Mustard, the yellow condiment that went so well with hot dogs. I know of at least two other, only because I happen to use two of them regularly on my sandwiches One is honey mustard and the other is dijon mustard. Both add different flavours to the sandwiches and so they are good, and prove you can add something new to something familiar and have a winner.

The problem with ketchup is its sameness. There has been no real change since Department of Agrilculture ordered the removal of sodium benzoate. This was a preservative and many thought it wasn't the best thing to eat. By the way, if you read the article, one of the great improvements of ketchup was the addition of vinegar, which allowed for the use of riper tomatoes and therefore improved flavour and thickness of our favourite condiment.

I wonder though if the article is not fair, ketchup has experienced an evolution, its just not kept the same name. For example, there are all sorts of Hot Sauce, which while not having tomatoes, can be said to be part of the ketchup family. I say this because most hot sauces started as chili sauce, which was a tomato based product, which actually didn't have much of a kick to it. Then there is Cocktail Sauce, which goes so well with shrimp cocktail. It is ketchup with horseradish and tastes so good.

Then there is what I believe is now the most popular of all condiments, Salsa. Finally, a condiment that has the right combination of tomato and chili peppers, a delicious mix that if the chunky variety is fantastic. You can read about the history of salsa here.

But there is hope, for Howard Moskowitz decided to make a better ketchup. His brand is the "World's Greatest Ketchup". He is the man responsible for changing the world of spaghetti sauce.

However even he realizes one thing about ketchup:

I guess ketchup is ketchup.

Perhaps, as one person suggested to me, ketchup is such the perfect food, it can't change. Perhaps that ultimately true.

Or has the change led to other variations and types with the original being the keeper of the name.

I should say this blog was inspired after I made my sandwich for tomorrow's lunch; a ham and turkey sandwich with cheese and lettuce, and dijon mustard.

Who is Canada's Geekiest Politician?

Much is being made of President-Elect Barak Obama being a Geek. If you read the article and there are a score of them, he has all the signs. First of all, he read comic books, he flashed the Vulcan salute to Leonard Nimoy. He is quoted as saying:

I grew up on Star Trek. I believe in the final frontier.

He also made a "Star Trek" joke to his wife, and promptly laughed while she rolled her eyes. A typical response of a wife of a geek. As well, to say nothing of his Blackberry which seems never to leave his side.

If there is one flaw, as some would consider, it is that he uses a Zune rather then an iPod. Which some might consider a character flaw, while others might see as part of his true maverick nature. While the rest of the world chases after the iPod, Barak Obama follows the way of the Zune.

This led to me think, does Canada have a geek politician? I was thinking of using the title: "Yeah but does he know the Babylon 5 Mantra. I'll tell you what it is later: still who is Canada's Geekiest Politician?

I have to admit, I'm kind of drawing a blank on this one. If you go through the list of present and immediate past, it's kind of hard. None of the crop seem like they are geeks, or if they are, they hide it quite well. No doubt all of them have Blackberries, but is there the same attachment. Can we imagine Stephen Harper giving the Vulcan Salute to Leonard Nimoy. For some reason, not likely. I could be wrong, he was a political wonk growing up. And if this photograph is to be believed:



he may have been a geek. I could be wrong but I can't imagine Mr. Harper peppering any speeches with Star Trek or Star Wars references. I mean it would be cool if he did. I was going to make some reference to his speeches containing Klingon words and phrases, as some might suggest- the whole evil empire appearance he has- but even that would be great. After all, the Klingons are a people of honour. So if a critic was to make a Klingon reference to Mr. Harper, it would be more a demonstration of how little the critic knows about Klingons.

So consider now the recent past Liberal leader, Stéphane Dion. Okay, we have considered him long enough, the answer is, no. What about the new leader, Michael Ignatieff. Well, the photgraph reveals he doesn't dress very well, so that is a point in his favour. He does have a twitter account, although in two months, he has 17 updates. That may change now that he is leader of the Liberal Party. Still something about him strikes me that he would be far more comfortable with a quill pen then the modern technology. To his credit, he is an author, so he is creative but I wonder if he has done any mash-ups.

Then there is Jack Layton or as he mother calls him, John Gilbert Layton. Well, he does have a twitter account, which seems more used then Mr. Ignatieff. He is on Facebook. He does videos. He may be as close to as geek as we find but for some reason it's just not the same.

I got to think, none of our leaders would feel comfortable attending an MC Frontalot concert. I'm sorry, but I think our leaders lack a certain geekness.

Now as for the B5 Mantra, and if you are a geek, you know it, but just in case, it was first given by Susan Ivanova:

I'd like you to take the time to learn the Babylon 5 mantra.

Ivanova is always right.
I will listen to Ivanova.
I will not ignore Ivanova's recommendations.
Ivanova is god.
And, if this ever happens again, Ivanova will personally rip your lungs out!

In other news: the Saudi Tanker was freed. The pirates got their satchel of money and everybody went home happy. Well, I suppose the crew was not happy to spend an extre month and a half on board when they could have been home with family. But all of them are safe. All it cost was 3Million Dollars. When you think about it, had the Saudis or the tanker owners simply given the money, there would have been no delay. Got to hand it to the Somali pirates, they are honest businessmen.

As for MC Frontalot, I watched Nerdcore Rising, a great documentary that examines and records MC Frontalot's first cross country tour. Must have been great. If you are not familiar with the Front, you can listen to "Penny Arcade" here.

It's Friday night. Have a great one.

Peace.

C.U.P.E.=???

Recently, the head of the Ontario arm of the Canadian Union of Public Employees decided to open his mouth and make a policy statement. He decided that Ontario Universities should ban Israeli academics from coming onto the property, unless they denounce the recent invasion of the Gaza Strip, and probably Zionism as well. The last I have added. The news release can be read here.

Sid Ryan is angry that the Islamic University of Gaza was shelled. Apparently a group can shell Israel all they want and nary a peep comes out of the mouth of Sid Ryan, but don't Israel dare try to stem the shelling.

So Sid Ryan has decided to change the look of CUPE to something a little more appropriate, such as:





or this:





I do wonder what color of shirts members of CUPE will wear when they set up guard posts at the various Ontario Universities to ensure no "Israeli" academic sneaks onto the campus and attempts to pollute the pure Aryan minds of the students engaged in proper Anti-Zionist thoughts.

Although I do wonder why he stopped there, why not call for the expulsion of all possible "Israeli" students. Indeed let's rid our universities of the "Zionist" poison. I think members of CUPE should go through the libraries of all the University and gather all the books written by "Israeli" writers and burn them in a huge bonfire.





Of course the irony is Sid compared the bombing of the University to the Nazi burning of books. Which is very ironic, since he wants to engage is supression of academic freedoms. The National Post had a full article on the atrocity of Sid Ryan.

If you want to contact CUPE, here are some phone numbers:

Sid Ryan, President, CUPE Ontario, 416-209-0066
Pat Daley, CUPE Communications, 416-616-6142

Memo to Wired: Don't Even Think about it!

The editor of PC Magazine had an open letter in the January issue of the magazine. Lance Ulanoff wrote that after January, there would be no print copy of the magazine. He declared that

Starting in February 2009, PC Magazine will become a 100-percent digital publication. So, in addition to our popular network of Websites, which includes our centerpiece, PCMag.com, as well as ExtremeTech, blogs like Gearlog and AppScout, and audio and video content that includes PCMag Radio, Cranky Geeks and DL.TV, we'll offer PC Magazine Digital Edition to all of our print subscribers. The PC Magazine Digital Edition has actually been available since 2002. So for thousands of you, the benefits of this unique medium are already clear. And those benefits will continue to multiply in the coming months, as we work hard to enhance your digital experience.

Okay, so call me old skool, but I like magazines. I've subscribed to a number over the years and I still get a number each month or so in my mailbox. At present time I subscribe to: Wired, Broken Pencil, BriarPatch and Spacing. The latter is a fascinating magazine that studies the urban landscape and issues that face Canada's major cities.

What I enjoy about magazines is the fact that they are not news, they offer articles on timely issues that have been researched and present a point of view which I may not have thought of in the past. The writers consider issues and delve into them, having the time to ponder the full ramification of what they write. Certainly it could be said that not all magazines are like this, after all there is People Magazine, which does give me my pop culture fix. I don't subscribe or read it, except when Kimberly or Katrina are visiting; a few minutes with the latest I am up to date with what is happening. It's amazing how quickly a person can get out of step with celebrity culture, my gosh I didn't know she was pregnant, or he had broken up with her. But I digress, the point is, magazines are meant to be enjoyed, to be read and to be taken anywhere. That is the beauty, you can toss a magazine into a backpack or brief case and bring it along. It takes next to no space and its there waiting for you. It works as easily in the bed as it does in the chair. It just works. Not only that, but its portability means you can read an article one day and a week or so later, come back to read it again. Then again, if you save magazines, you can read an issue and read it again after a few years.

However, this is the year 2009 and things are now modern. The promise of the new digital edition of PC Magazine are:

# It arrives in your e-mail automatically. Just click the link to either download the latest edition, or to view it entirely online.

# It is portable. Once you've downloaded the issue (which takes a matter of seconds), just power up your PC and view it anywhere, on an airplane, in your hotel room, wherever.

# It looks like the PC Magazine you're familiar and comfortable with. I know why you've stuck with us all these years. You like the magazine and you enjoy the format. Our digital platform makes it possible to deliver that same magazine experience on your PC. So you can "turn" the pages and view our features and departments as you do now.

# It's lively and interactive. Our digital edition will eventually offer rich media options within a magazine format. So, for example, next to the product review you're reading in First Looks, you can easily view a slideshow of that product. Or while you're reading a Solutions article on Microsoft Outlook tips, our PC Labs experts can walk you through the steps of some of those tips in a video.

# Yes, you can print it. You can print as many pages of the magazine as you want.

# It's searchable. Here's something PC Magazine print cannot do. Enter a search term and PC Magazine Digital will fill all the related pages.

# A live TOC: The table of contents is not only a place to find out what's in this month's issue. You can use it to navigate directly to the stories you want to read.

# It's Green: You can actually feel good about the amount of paper, ink, and gas we'll all be saving by not producing and consuming a physical magazine.

Of course there has to be reference to it being 'green', although I wonder what sort of carbon footprint a magazine had, compared to something like a coal mine. The promise is, of course, interactivity, social networking to make it sound Web 2.0.

Of course to truly enjoy the experience, one has to download the Zinio Reader. Which is something I'm not enjoying. It is fast and prompt and in a few moments I will attempt to print an article. See, people like to read soemthing they can hold in their hands. I know with laptops one can experience the same portability, with the possible exception of the pool, bathtub or hottub. Water and electronics are still not a good mix and probably won't be for quite a few years.

I'll wait and see with this one. I've tried the program used and can't say I'm overly impressed. But one must keep an open mind. However, as I state in the title, Wired, don't even think about going digital only.

After Tennant...Who

Much is being made about the departure in 2010 of the 10th Doctor, David Tennant Certainly he is and will be considered one of the great doctors of all time. He took the role from the much appreciated Christopher Eccleston, who single-handedly brought back Dr. Who to the prominence it so rightly deserves.

David Tennant came on and continued the renaissance that is the new Doctor Who. He brought,as all the actors do, a unique style. He was part Elvis, the side-burns, part Ben Stein, the running shoes and suits, and a whole lot of style. He was smart, a bit arrogant at times, especially when he was right, vulnerable and caring.

One of the delightful cuts from Doctor Who came from the ``Children in Need`` special:



The interaction between the Two Doctors is very special, it is as if a fan is meeting his hero, and truly the line `you were my favourite doctor`is given with a great deal of sincerity. The exchange is not just starry eyed fan, there are a lot of great lines in a matter of a few minutes.

The question however is, who will be the next WhoÉ Even Russel Davis isn`t sure.

This being one of the premier television roles on British Television, there is no end to either the speculation or the suggestions. One person has suggested Stephen Fry. Another actor, Warrick Davis has expressed enthusiasm for the role and no doubt the list will grow and people will start campaigns for their favourite person to be the next Doctor Who.

Right now the odds on favourite, at least by the bookies is Paterson Joseph. As you can read, he has played a character during the first season, so it remains to be seen.

While a number have stressed the replacement actor will be British, a group representing female scientists have begun to lobby for a female Doctor Who. Of course the notion of a female Time Lord is not foreign to the Doctor Who world, all we have to do is remember Lady Romanadvoratrelundar, from the Tom Baker days.

Of course, my favourite candidate, who will sadly not be chosen is Liam Lynch. Since he is an American, that would almost negate the chance, since the BBC will not allow the jewel in its crown to become American. Still he would make a good Doctor since he is a fan as you can see by the video.

The speculation will be entertaining and one can only imagine, Russell Davis telephone will be ringing a lot with calls from all sorts of agents.

Can`t wait to hear who finally will be chosen.

So Let me Get this Right

Right now it appears the Harper government will lose the vote of confidence and he will have to pay a visit to the Governor General. At that moment he will advice the Governor General to dissolve Parliament and call for an election. Of course the Governor General has the right to call the leader of the second largest party and ask if he can form a new government. As you have read the Liberal, the NDP and the Bloc Quebecois have signed an accord.

The details of the deal are as follows:

# 4 members of cabinet and Dion as prime minister
# 18 Liberal cabinet ministers (including a yet-to-be-named Liberal finance minister)
# 6 NDP cabinet ministers
# 6 NDP parliamentary secretaries
# The 2 caucuses would sit side by side in the House of Commons
# The agreement between the NDP and Liberals would expire on June 30, 2011, unless renewed. The Bloc is only committed to 18 months.

Certainly it could be said coalition governments are not a new experience for most of the western world. Indeed, an examination of Western Europe reveals a number of coalition governments. They are rare in the experience of the Westminster system of Parliament. Historically speaking, Canada did experience a coalition government during the First World War. Sir Robert Borden established a Union Government which existed from 1917 to 1920.

Let's consider some issues, of course the members of the coalition have pointed out they 'represent' the majority of Canadians, since if one combines the Liberals 26% with the NDP's 18% means that a total of 44% of Canadians supported the two parties, include the BQ's 9.97% means over 50% voted for the 'coalition' partners. Of course if one considers that the two main partners were rejected by 74% of Canadians as it pertains to the Liberals and 82% rejected the NDP's.

Then there is the potential PM, Stephane Dion, just before the election 36% of Canadians thought he could be trusted to lead Canada throught the economic problems. So that means the new government may be lead by a person to whom Canadians have no support towards, good idea.

The partner that will make this all happen, the stick that stirs the drink if you wish, is the BQ. One wonders what sort of grocery list has been given to the Liberals for the support. Let's remind ourselves of one of the goals of the BQ- they want to separate from Canada. They believe Quebec is a nation.

Don Martin wrote an interesting comment on the 'three headed monster'.

It could be argued, and perhaps rightly, the present government has not taken the issues of the economic meltdown with the gravity deserved. They point to the Finance Ministers 'economic statement' as proof of their contention. It could also be argued that it was simply a statement and not a budget and the government is waiting for the new American government to decide what to do with the auto industry.

However, all this wasn't enough, so the coalition happened and now we face some 'interesting' times. Right now, the war is being fought in the House and now in cyberspace. For example, in Twitter there is LiberalHQ that will pump information to you with a Liberal slant. I'm sure there will be a special Conservative and NDP twitter soon enough.

Then there's this article, the Liberals are not united behind Dion with this coalition partnership. The contenders for the Liberal leadership are not pleased they've been kept out of the loop. Again, the Party does not support Dion. Read the article here.

Let's remember, this is a weak and divided party and they will give Canada the stablity it needs during this time of uncertainty. Plus, let's not forget this is a global problem and not limited to one country. So how much can be done?

Now as I studied all that has happened, I came across this article. It seems the leader of the Green Party, Elizabeth May has said she supports the coalition and has:

And Green Party Leader Elizabeth May is endorsing the proposed coalition government and says she has spoken with Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion about the possibility of her being appointed to the Senate.

You can read her blog on the issue. My problem is that it reeks of opportunism. Then again I suppose supporters of the potential Prime Minister expect a few perks to be sent their way. But, for a party that supports Proportional Representation wants to be a part of an unelection body, doesn't sit well with me. And to think, I got my membership card today.

So we wait to see what happens.

Why Harper may not mind losing the Vote of Confidence

The news is filled with articles of the upcoming or potential Vote of No Confidence. As this would be based upon the financial statement and the speech from the throne if the present government loses, the Prime Minister would either resign or call for a new election. If it is the former, the Governor General, her Execellency Michaëlle Jean could ask the Opposition if they are capable of forming a government, thus saving us from the potential of another General Election.

The Press is reporting of a deal between the Liberals and the NDP to form a coalition government. Jophn Ivison has this opinion on that happening.

So what would happen is that the Liberal-NDP coalition would form the government, with the two parties dividing up the cabinet seats in accordance to whatever deal has been made. This would mean the new Prime Minister would be Stéphane Maurice Dion. Now this is the man almost no Canadians had any confidence towards during the past election, in fact he didn't even have support of his own party, which is why he is either a interm leader or the guy who's there only because there is nobody else. So already you can see a few problems with this deal. I've also read that some have suggested the new PM would be Michael Ignatieff, which would impress his BFF Bob Rae, who also happens to be running for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada (Bloc Toronto). No doubt there would be some appeasement, such as a very nice cabinet post, but what if the post Rae wants is promised to the NDP.

As of right now, Prime Minister Harper has been able to delay the vote for a week, probably in hope of getting some deal with the Opposition.

What I'm thinking, perhaps in the back of his mind, he's mulling over whether or not he shouldn't let the vote happen. Let's say he loses, resigns and a coalition is formed and takes the government. The Prime Minister is now a man who was considered by the vast majority of Canadians as being unfit as a leader and one almost no one in the country trusted in the areas of finances. Second you have a coalition of parties that are not the same and don't share that many values. Can you imagine when the remaining Martinites hear that the NDP partners want to shoot the deficit up to the stratosphere through things all sort of spending? What if its Ignatieff as PM? do you think his opponents in the upcoming leadership conference will be happy? Of course everyone will put the needs of the country ahead of personal interests and ego. Indeed they would and when you believe that, I have this bridge in Brooklyn I'm interested in selling.

But why would Harper not be overly upset? Consider what I've written and add this, the worst time of a recession is at the beginning. That's when all the lay-offs take place and all the problems become visible. At that particular moment, if things work out, the Coalition is in power, taking it on the chin and the Conservatives are 'trying' to give advice. Plus at the worst, you will have the NDP with their philosophy clashing with the Liberals, it will be at best a shakey coalition that will also depend upon the Bloc. In other words you have a recipe for disaster, and the only party that stands the most to gain is the Conservatives.

When the Coalition collapses, some time in the spring there will be an election and if things work out, the Liberals will have even less support. The Conservatives will point out 'how bads things were' under the Liberal-NDP coalition and declare they had the plan to help Canada. By the spring, things might improve, but not soon enough to save the Liberals and at the end of the election, the Conservatives will form the majority government. The timing again will be perfect, this recession may be a short but nasty one and so the Coalition took the worst and when the Conservatives are sworn in as the government, things will begin to pick up.

Gwynne Dyer in Brantford

I saw a sign along Brant Street a week or so ago advertising the fact that Gwynne Dyer was speaking at W Ross MacDonald School, it was part of an annual lecture series in honour of W. Ross MacDonald. The topic was to be on "Climate Change" and was a lecture he was doing based upon his latest book; "Climate Wars".

I've been a fan of Mr. Dyer since I watched his series "War" which was a series he did for the CBC, BBC and PBS. It was a fascinating study of the history of war and its impact upon our society. I also try to read his column when it appears in the local paper.

He appeared dressed in his usual outfit of khaki, fatigues and a leather jacket.

He began by stating he had heard the Pentagon had began to study "Climate Change" and its' potential impact upon society and the US. He reminded us this started during the Bush Administration in which you simply did not mention "Climate Change". So this was an interesting act of either rebellion or it was something they suddenly became aware of possible ramification. Mr. Dyer also said the British, Russian and probably the Chinese military as well was studying this topic and developing strategy. The reason for the stategy was due the potential of global crisis, such as huge number of climate refugees, failed states and wars based upon resources such as food or water, ie climate wars.

After his information, he said his study and his information led him to four conclusions:


1) Climate Change is happening faster then the public is aware. This fact is frightening the scientific community. All their models are becoming correct and they are moving faster then they had assumed. It used to be thought that the Arctic would be ice free by the year 2040, however there are some who believe this will occur by the year 2013. The 4th Report from the Intergovernment Panel on Climate Change states:

Observed decreases in snow and ice extent are also consistent
with warming (Figure 1.1). Satellite data since 1978 show that annual
average Arctic sea ice extent has shrunk by 2.7 [2.1 to 3.3]%
per decade, with larger decreases in summer of 7.4 [5.0 to 9.8]%
per decade. Mountain glaciers and snow cover on average have
declined in both hemispheres. The maximum areal extent of seasonally
frozen ground has decreased by about 7% in the Northern
Hemisphere since 1900, with decreases in spring of up to 15%.
Temperatures at the top of the permafrost layer have generally increased
since the 1980s in the Arctic by up to 3°C. {WGI 3.2, 4.5, 4.6,
4.7, 4.8, 5.5, SPM}

By the way, with all this, Climate Change Deniers are now in full retreat.

2) The Generals are right. He stated that even a modest change will lead to unreast and wars. These wars will not be limited in the poor nations or the southern hemisphere, but will impact the North. The main problem is food. It seems we have reached the end of the a long period of food growth. In 1998, all that had been used to grow more food have been exhausted. The solutions simply are not working any more. There is now a grain storage reserve, worldwide of 45 days, this is down from 180 days. As the temperature increases, this will only get worse since a lot of grain is sensitive to extremes of temperature. Couple this with the fact that the desert areas of the world are expanding, a classic example right now is Australia which is in the middle of a seven year drought. In fact, many in Australia are now considering this to be the new normal. So Australia is being transformed from an exporter of grain to a nation that grows enough for its own population. With this happening the danger to the developed world is a influx of climate refugees, and not just in the US, but in Europe they are concerned.

Developed nations are beginning to suffer, in particular the US west of the Mississippi is in danger of drought and desertification.

3) We are going to break the limit we don't dare break. The limit is 2 degrees increase in temperature since 1990. Why 2 degrees? Above that amount things happen in the environment in which we cannot control. Right now we can still control climate change, we possess the technology to get us off the carbon diet right now, things such as renewable energy, nuclear energy and geothermal energy can wean us off carbon right now. It will be a bit more expensive. But if we don't, then we cross the line and that is when things become very nasty. One example is Permafrost. The permafrost of the world stores a great deal of CO2 and methane. Both are greenhouse gases and when this happens all bets are off.

What is needed is to understand the gravity of the situation. The West, which has been producing greenhouse gas since the Industrial Revolution must Gwynne stated must decide here and now to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 95% and help the developing world to impliment green technology. We must fight from cross the line.

4) There is some temporary solutions. They are referred to as geoengineering. These solutions seem part science-fiction, part scam, but they will buy us some time. These are not permanent, but temporary until we can impliment the changes that will bring our global temperature back to 1990 levels or cooler.

He spoke for over 90 minutes with notes. It was a fascinating lecture.

Additional Comments

I do want to thank everyone who came up to visit me, who sent me a card and the gifts I received. All those meant a lot to me over the past couple of weeks. If you didn't visit, the phone calls were also great.

Thanks so much.

So where have I been?

I figure I'd take some time to go over the last couple of weeks with everyone. After all I'm sure people were waiting for my take on the election and for me to crow about how accurate I was in calling a Harper victory, like no one saw that happening, or the fact I said there is now two regional parties in the House of Commons, the Bloc Quebecois and the Bloc Toronto. As for the latter, I promise you the Liberals could run the rat pictured in the front window of the Chinese Food Restaurant, and it would be the next MP of Trinity-Spadina. Well, actually it couldn't, that's Olivia Chow's Riding, and a very fine MP she is. I think you get the idea.

Okay, my adventure started on October 14th when I went to the Doctor, for a follow up appointment. While discussing the result of a physical I mentioned about this miserable cough that I had been experiencing off and on. He checked me over, listened to the lungs and suggested I get an X-Ray. As I hadn't had one in a while, I went down to the X-Ray department and waited. The X-ray tech took some photos and asked if the Doctor wanted to see them right away or what. I wasn't sure so she told me to have a seat and relax. I was still coughing and to be honest was having a little trouble catching my breath.

After a few minutes, my Doctor came to examine the x-rays, I sort of thought that was not a good sign. He looked it over, looked at me and suggested I follow him for a bit. He found a machine that would register Blood gases. He hooked me up and I think I was about 88. He then told me to meet him at the hospital emergency department at 5:30 because he was going to have me admitted. He said I had pneumonia and he wanted to get an understanding how far the condition was and it was therefore best to have me in the hospital so tests and treatment could be started. I drove home, threw some things into a gym bag and met Jo-Anne.

There was a few minutes wait and I was told his plan was to get me in the hospital for a CT Scan that would show everything. So I was admitted and given a room in the ER department. I was to spend the next couple of nights waiting for a bed to be open. This was not the best place to be, since the ER is a busy place. I did have a 'room', but it was right beside an examination room, so I got to hear everything at all hours of the time of day. Mind you it was interesting, one person came in after getting hit in the head with a baseball bat, some sort of disagreement. Oh by the way, a tetnus shot is good for ten years, and if you can't remember the last time, it doesn't matter.

By Thursday night I was moved to a zone and then to a room. The first question I asked when at the room had to do with a shower. There was a shower right across the hallway. I couldn't wait, since I was sitting in that room in ER without access to a shower. I was smelling like the Ventolin. So Friday, the next morning, I had a shower and it felt so good. Also they got me ready for the CT scan, which meant drinking two large glasses of apple juice and stuff. Then I waited. I was always scheduled for the scan, but kept getting bumped. The problem with hospitals is there are always emergencies. But they got me into a wheelchair and I was down there. I got an IV and then put on table. It was quite an experience, although what bothered me was when the message came "take a breath, hold it.......", which is quite a challenge with the whole pneumonia thing happening. But I managed and went back to the room and I was tired. I should say something about information; I know everyone was wondering and the reason we weren't giving any information was we simply didn't have any. While in ER, they were seeing to my immediate needs, such as the ventolin and keeping me on oxygen, but that was it.

The result of the CT scan was that I had pneumonia plus and the plus was a mystery. There was nodules and the various doctors were not sure what they were or how they got there. The next plan of action was for me to have a Bronchoscopy, which would involve looking into the lungs and taking a sample of whatever was down there. To do that, it was suggested I move into the Critical Care Unit, so the equipment would be ready and they could do the test on Monday, rather then wait for an opening in the day surgery department. Also I meant the Infection Control physician who also tried to figure out what I had. There was a lot of things I could have had, such as TB or other things, but I didn't have enough of other symptons.

My folks came up for a visit on the Saturday and even though I was quite tired that day I did appreciate it. After not sleeping for the past three nights or so, just having a bed was a great experience. The grapes and rice krispies squares were much appreciated.

Sunday came and after they put me on 100% oxygen, with masks and rubber hoses, I was moved up to the CCU. I was fussed after and made comfortable. I also think I had my best night sleep. I was hooked up to all the monitors so I had wires, hoses, oxygen, all over me. I did win one minor concession, they strung a long hose so I didn't have to use a commode. Hey, got to have my dignity where I can find it.

Monday came and I was prepped for the bronchoscopy. I was hooked up with IV, given a very nice sedative, morphine I think and then had my throat frozen, after having a respirator put on me. The procedure started and I was able to look at the screen and see something, the doctor later told Jo-Anne I was the first patient to look at the screen. They did whatever and I relaxed. At that point I put on my ipod and listened to music. By the way, morphine and ipod brings about some interesting multi-media effects, I was watching 'television' on the door to the bathroom, but for some reason the soundtrack did not make sense with what I was watching, go figure. I also thought there was other people in the room with me. It was also that day they started hitting me with the big guns, I was taking something for fungus, I was taking a large amount of antibiotics, all in the hope of treating whatever I had. Later that week, another doctor came by and informed me I was a 'medical mystery'. Then they added some steriods to the mix, intraveneously at first. As well, I was still on oxygen. I was also hearing from a lot of family and friends and they were telling me they were praying for me, which I so appreciated.

I should stop and tell about the care I receieved at Brant General Hospital. The care was fantastic. The nurses and staff were tremendous and did all they could to keep me comfortable. I especially enjoyed the warm sheets at night. I honestly can't say enough good for them. Even though they got busy, they always reminded me I was a patient to and I shouldn't hestitate to call them for anything. The food was good as well, I enjoyed the meals. Even though I thought the combination of peas with Mac and Cheese to be a bit odd, it was all good. The room also had a flat screen TV, so a lot of games were watched, plus the news.

I think when my folks came again on Tuesday I was getting better.

Things were improving, the next course of action was to do a 'CT guided lung biopsy'. So I went down there again, but there was less prep. The doctor who was going to do the biopsy had a talk and suggested that the treatment was working since the nodules were shrinking. He was not willing to try the biopsy because the risk of complications and since things were working he decided to let things continue.

This was good news and from then I was getting better, my oxygen started to be decreased over the next few days and I was encouraged to get up and walk. Which I slowly started to do. By Sunday I went off the oxygen and while I was still getting the blood gases monitored, I was finally holding about 90, in fact the average was about 94. The whole week I felt I was getting better.

I think for me the second Saturday was a day of being down, but that was because everyone was going to Kyle and Jennifer's wedding except me.

Monday came, I was on the oral steroids, I was taken off the antibiotic and told I was being discharged. That was wonderful news. I was going home after nearly two weeks. I got to admit I was excited. It was great to get back.

Before I left I was told to make an appointment to see the specialist and have an x-ray. Which I gladly did.

So now I'm home and its just a matter of getting stronger. I'm taking the Prednisone and feel I'm getting better.

I have got to conclude with appreciation for Jo-Anne. She went through a lot and she was always there. Even though she had to keep working at the Centre, her visits were always a good part of the day.

So, that's my experience.