Charles E. Frees-Melvin's WebHome

I have to be amazed at some of the spam bot comments made on this site. The following has posted to my NB Sports Site List:

“I was studying something else about this on another blog. Interesting. Your linear perspective on it is diametrically opposed to what I read to begin with. I am still reflecting over the various points of view, but I’m leaning heavily toward yours. And regardless, that’s what is so super about modernized democracy and the marketplace of thoughts online.”

It has nothing to do with the list of links but amazed me how they try to fool the system. Usually the bots just post 20-30 links with no posts, and are posted to parts of the site that are so obscure.

I started writing thing on December 29th but researching the links has taken some time, in fact much longer than I thought to find all the links. I have defiantly accomplished a lot this year, looking back this has been the best year in a while. Of the things that stand out as my holy crap moment of the year was standing at the window in the Vancouver airport with the setting sun breaking a bit through the clouds. That was the moment it rang true to me that mountains were more than just really big hills.

One of the biggest events that kicked off the year was the 2009 Atlantic Major Midget Regionals at the LBR. This one event not only was my first time writing for sports, I also learned what makes up a shot on goal in a hockey game was. In addition, actually pulling off the live feed was amazing. That and meeting Don Mabee for the first time.

The next moment of this year, happened when I attended to Faces of Fusion dinner in May. That is where I ran into Ian Finley from East Coast Connected. It was from that meeting that I ran into him again on my annual birthday trip to Toronto, that I learned about the monthly East Coast Army nights at Gracie’s.

During that trip I had the privilege of attending my very first WordCamp in Toronto. It was amazing to see all the interest of all the web community in a town so driven by media. It was there that I met some very interesting people who I hope to never forget such as Jeremy Clarke, Brendan Sera-Shriar, Accordion Guy, Alexa Clark, Erin Blaskie and George O’Neill. But even better from there it lead me on the path to attending WordCamp Montreal where it was there in that little town (humour people!) of Montreal. The place was amazing when during the very early dawn morning that I got to walk through the Montreal Jazz festival that made me realize I was so wrong about Montreal and its many misconceptions. Then meeting folks like Kim Valee, Matt Mullenweg, Jane Wells, Eva Blue and many others.

And then there was Victoria, where at WordCamp Victoria I ran into many more amazing people. I kind of really like BC, despite only seeing it for 2 days. Perhaps I can find a way to go back sometime this or next year.

Selling of electrical utilities is becoming of a common occurrence in the news this month. When the common opinion is to never sell anything one must take a look a the pros and cons of every situation. Like all situations it will prove to be devastating if careful consideration is not taken.

Part 1: NB Power to Hydro-Quebec

I really like this plan. Not only is it a short term win for New Brunswick it is good in the long term too. In the spirit of the 1920’s when NB Power was created to protect New Brunswick from the scheming of several private hydro utilities the were ripping off everybody in New Brunswick. It was to be decided then that a public utility was the way to go. Hydro-Quebec is such a utility that values affordability and the environment. This agreement to match the wholesale industrial rates is guaranteed to be a personal benefit since I live in Saint John and my power is provided by Saint John Energy a large local wholesale buyer.

Which brings us to…

Part 2: Mayor Ivan Court is trying to see if the city can sell-off Saint John Energy.

What a really terrible idea! Saint John Energy has always been there with its solid purpose of not making a profit and running a lean operation to benefit all (err.. most) Saint Johners. In fact Fredericton, Moncton or any other community should operate their own micro utility. Small Utilities are really good at being responsive to their customers, while generation and distribution is best left to the large utilities. It puts most the risk of people defaulting on payments to their communities and leave a steadier cash flow of the large companies. To end this post I would like to leave with a comparison of how residential rates break down for the three utilities.

Saint John Energy: 8.98 ¢/kWh

NB Power: 9.69 ¢/kWh

Hydro-Quebec: 5.45 – 7.46 ¢/kWh

Last weekend I received my LSAT score back and it was not what I had expected. It got me thinking about what I really like doing and to a greater extent what I want to do.

Lately I have been obsessed with words of the day on various online dictionaries and one of my favourites Wiktionary had the word “tranquil” on Saturday when I first opened by LSAT score e-mail. It became a matter if irony of that words full definition in relation to the experiences of the weekend.

Wiktionary defines it as “Free from emotional or mental disturbance.” which has firmly been at odds with my passions, in fact I have had to turn down many paths to make this transition fit. Paths that would have led more to the path that destiny seems to have written.
In the class Modern Europe History: Renaissance to the French Revolution one of the main figures in Protestant Reformation is John Calvin. John believes that our salvation or destiny is predetermined to the extent that our actions cannot make a difference and that we can cannot fight nature. Which is interesting with tranquil or brought further tranquility the calm inspired by nature, can further derive that by fighting nature will prove fatal.

It brings us all to finding a balance or equilibrium in our path. Economics also agrees greatly with this matter. When Dr. Young C. Jing started the first class of Intermediate Macroeconomics, it was an example of the Marginal Costs and benefits of going to School at a younger age, which is a surreal example if the way things are at with my life at this moment in time.

My New UNB ID Picture

As you can see CEFM.ca has a fresh clean new look. It is a metaphor for things happening in my life now.
I am preparing to the bitter sweet life of Academia. I am returning to UNBSJ in a little over a week only this time I have a plan. I am intending to complete my BA with an Economics Major and History minor.

I am also going to take a stab at the LSAT next month. I haven’t started studying yet for it. C’est la vie of the eternal procrastinator.

I am also happy announce that the goals I have set to lose weight are moving in the right direction. However I have not been able to get to the gym this week, my old back injury from High School just came back. However it did a big snap that really hurt Wednesday while running for the bus and is tender but it feels like it repositioned in the right way for the first time in a long time. I should be able to head back next week.

I’m considering moving my Gallery section to Gallery3 however it is not ready yet and there are no themes at the current moment that meet my PHP knowledge level to modify to the new WordPress theme that I am using now.

Once again it is summer. Last week something happened at work that got me remembering the amazing days of summers past spent at Camp Glenburn. Glenburn has to be one of the best places in New Brunswick to promote active living. It is on the south shore of the Bellisle Bay on a big hill that about every 2 hours you would go up and down. When you were up you were up, when you were down you were down and when you were only half way up…

I had spent 4 summers there, the first was the year before the boathouse, the second was the year they built the boathouse, and the third was the year after the boathouse was built, and the final was when I was 16 in 1998. One of my most favorite activities was canoeing, Especially when one year we went to the island in the bay east of the camp, and the other year when we went to a beach across the bay and to the west. And then there was the treks way up the hill to Mt. Baldy however it was in hindsight just a huge rockface and not really a mountain. continue reading…

Moosehead Launches Moosehead Light Lime

Posted using ShareThis

I just arrived at Wordcamp Toronto. So far the trip here to Toronto has been very eventful. Starting with Air Canada cancelling my flight from Saint John to Halifax and I will post more later.

Who is left to tell the tail abount the drop. This may be just a little drop of coffee on the table, but who will tell the world.

It was interesting to learn the only part of CBC during these layoffs are the CBC.ca department.

The web seems to now finally be changing the directon of media. The idea that you don’t need huge television systems, broadcast transmitters, and printing presses to the people. To those ends there is now not a need for the content to suffe either.

The question however is how will interactive benefit the telling of the news? Can the local not be lost to a global voice? Can the web emerge as a primary source for news rather than current methods as regurgitation of the news reported by old media sour we and techniques?

I’m going to start today’s post with the fact that I have joined a gym. My friend Andrea finally convinced me to join Nubody’s. I bought the membership on Thursday and finally went yesterday. Despite feeling a little sore and tired today, I actually feel better. Despite the fact that I have a lot of weight that I should lose, I am actually quite hesitant to set goals/benchmarks at this point. It has been since 2002 since I last regularly worked-out in a gym. The most exercise I have done recently is walking to work from missing the bus. Which according to Google Maps is 3.4 km which should take continue reading…

With all the comments I have been receiving lately about how bad my Oscar picks are I’m now going to post my Razzies picks.

Worst Movie

The Hottie and The Nottie
Regent Releasing/Purple Pictures

My fist choice was going to be The Happening but any Paris Hilton movie is guaranteed to be the Worst ever. And director that sees talent in Paris has no talent at making a movie, or is highly bribable..

Worst Actor

Mark Wahlberg
THE HAPPENING
and
MAX PAYNE

Worst Actress

Paris Hilton
THE HOTTIE AND THE NOTTIE

Worst Supporting Actor

Verne Troyer
THE LOVE GURU
and
Uwe Boll’s POSTAL

Worst Supporting Actress

Paris Hilton
REPO: THE GENETIC OPERA

Worst Screen Couple

Paris Hilton and either Christine Lakin or Joel David Moore
HOTTIE & THE NOTTIE

Worst Prequel, Remake, Rip-Off or Sequel

Speed Racer

Worst Director

Tom Putnam
THE HOTTIE AND THE NOTTIE

Worst Screenplay

The Happening
Written By M. Night Shyamalan

Worst Career Achievement

(Special Category!)

Uwe Boll
(Germany’s Answer to Ed Wood)

After being an early adopter of Facebook it is now time to move on. Within 14 days my account will be totally deleated forever. Just like the prior Social Netwoks I used to belong to Yahoo! 360, MySpace, MSN Spaces… The new terms of service that gives Facebook rights to all the content you link to is what I found objectionable.
Fear not if you are looking to follow me you can always view me here. Or follow @cefm on Twitter, flixster, last.fm. There is a list on the left of many options.