C F-M

General

PPP Water

25 February 2013

I went to a public town hall tonight that was very interesting. It very well compared the argument for not going down a public private partnership. Though it was very lacking in facts of how a 3P could be beneficial to the community to make an informed discussion.

My point of the argument is this. Why is Saint John water in the upper quartile range of Canadian Households. Added to the argument the property taxes are in the upper range as well though that can be explained in some fashion by the lower than average property values. The cost of water cannot.

Saint John needs solutions. To dismiss an idea without a solution is long past the point of helpful.

Here are some useful facts:
1. The pipes are too big and designed for the city Saint John hoped to be.
2. Our water quality though not terrible is not the standard it should be.
3. The city is stuck with agreements that do not really expire and are almost impossible to renegotiate.
4. Most of the expenditures of this city are fixed and beyond even councils control.

The only solution I have would be to have the province dissolve the 228 year old Corporation of the City of Saint John and nullify any contract and start over with a new municipality.
General

Academy Awards 2013 Predictions

24 February 2013

Here are my 2013 predictions. The pool I have this year gives 1 point for 2nd guess and 2 points for 1st guess. The person with the most points wins. These are not based on who i like best but who i think did the best job in the film they were nominated for.

BEST PICTURE
1. Lincoln
2. Les Misérables
Missed: Argo

Actor in a Leading Role
1. Denzel Washington – Flight
2. Hugh Jackman – Les Misérables
Missed: Daniel Day-Lewis – Lincoln

Actor in a Supporting Role
1. Christoph Waltz – Django Unchained
2. Tommy Lee Jones – Lincoln

Actress in a Leading Role
1. Jennifer Lawrence – Silver Linings Playbook
2. Emmanuelle Riva – Amour

Actress in a Supporting Role
1. Jacki Weaver – Silver Linings Playbook
2. Anne Hathaway – Les Misérables

Animated Feature Film
1. Brave
2. Wreck-It Ralph

CINEMATOGRAPHY
1. Life of Pi
2. Skyfall

COSTUME DESIGN
1. Snow White and the Huntsman
2. Mirror Mirror
Miss: Anna Karenina

DIRECTING
1. Silver Linings Playbook
2. Lincoln
Missed: Life of Pi

Documentary Feature
1. The Invisible War
2. 5 Broken Cameras
Missed: Searching for Sugar Man

Documentary Short Subject
1. Inocente
2. Mondays at Racine

Film Editing
1. Lincoln
2. Silver Linings Playbook
Missed: Argo

Foreign Language Film
1. Amour – Austria
2. A Royal Affair – Denmark

Makeup and Hairstyling
1. Hitchcock
2. Les Misérables

Music (Original Score)
1. Lincoln – John Williams
2. Life of Pi – Mychael Dansa

Music (Original Song)
1. Everybody Needs A Best Friend – Ted
2. Suddenly – Les Misérables
Missed: SkyFall – SkyFall

Production Design
1. Les Misérables
2. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Missed: Lincoln

Short Film (Animated)
1. Fresh Guacamole
2. Maggie Simpson in “The Longest Daycare”
Missed: Paperman

Short Film (Live Action)
1. Curfew
2. Death of a Shadow (Dood van een Schaduw)

Sound Editing
1. Argo
2. Life of Pi
Missed: Zero Dark Thirty and SkyFall

Sound Mixing
1. Les Misérables
2. Lincoln

VISUAL EFFECTS
1. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
2. Snow White and the Huntsman
Missed: Life of Pi

Adapted Screenplay
1. Beasts of the Southern Wild
2. Silver Linings Playbook
Missed: Argo

Original Screenplay
1. Moonrise Kingdom
2. Flight
Missed: Django Unchained

1st Pick Count: 8/24 – 2nd Pick Count: 3/24 – Miss Count: 13/24 – Points Count: 19/48
General

A Warm Fire

23 January 2013

A Piece of Firewood

The inspiration of this post comes from this block of wood. Since it is so cold outside today i decided to light my wood stove. However this block would not fit in the door. I tried to split it with an hatchet. No Luck. Then I tried with a bigger axe. No Luck. I spent about 20 minutes trying to chip a bit off so it would fit. Keep in mind this it maple which is really hard. In the end I gave up. Though I am going to say in this case I was not defeated, I just decided that this is just going to be a better bonfire piece of wood for summer. Marshmallows anyone?
General

Google Translate Songs

20 January 2013

I found this video on YouTube today it is a parody of “Call Me Maybe” with bad but not terrible lyrics. Then from there, I found a Fresh Prince version that went through all 64 Google Translate options, and back to English. I then thought about what would it look like if Farewell to Nova Scotia lyrics were translated to all 64 languages and this was the result.

Chorus:
Vita Nova Beach.
A bronze tart Residues.
Be careful, because the salt.
Or hate it?

evening prayer
Sufficient trees and birds.
but the
But I do not do it for more information.

Chorus

There is no need for me to go abroad.
This was intention to friend.
appropriate
Children / workout.

Chorus

Note that the drums.
Lord of the universe.
If Scotland can Hey, Michael.
to

Chorus

she
Interior dimensions.
However I know.
Black holes and valleys from other women.

Chorus x2

As you can see it is quite humorous. Now I can’t perform well enough to make my own video, but if someone does let me know and I’ll link to it.
Portfolio, SnapShots

Product Photography – Kiwanis TV Auction 2012

20 January 2013
Product placement photography from the 2012 Kiwanis TV Auction.
Travel

Ninety-Eight Days but I’m Not Counting

18 January 2013

It is really cold today. It has been less than a month now since I booked my next trip.

On my last trip my old reliable large suitcase met it’s last days from the cobble-stone sidewalks of Rome. That’s right I have to move on with life and break in a virgin suitcase on this trip.

My new suitcase is slightly larger and a harder case. I bought it at the Zellers liquidation sale. It’s biggest problem is there is only one outside pocket. I’m undecided still on whether or not to by a new dangly thing. My last one was given to me buy my old friend when I had forgotten my previous on prior to my first WordCamp trip.

On an interesting note to me anyways, I was cleaning off my dresser and under the pile of junk was my dangly thing. I tried guessing what was in it as it felt unusually bulky. I thought it might have been the baggage tag for my last Toronto trip. I was wrong. (Even though some people think I would never really say that.)

The tag in my dangly thing was the luggage tag from YSJ to FCO via YUL. (Saint John to Fiumicino (near Rome) via Montreal).

Personally I find Rome to be one of the worlds worst historic cities. From all the thieves to the difficult sidewalks to the crazy drivers to the very long lines almost every city in Europe is better than Rome. Though perhaps my views would be different if I ever found true love in Rome. We will have to see May 6-8th.
General

GlymmMan Box December 2012

26 December 2012

My December GlymmMan box arrived on Christmas Eve. There was not as much in it as there were in past months. There were 6 items, the 7th item was replaced with a $20 gift card. The missing item as Joico Ice Spike which I would probably not have used anyway.

Most of the items were from a brand êshave a 15g bottle of pre-shave oil, a 30g container of shaving cream, and a 30g container of after shave cream. Then from Lys Parisien Professionnel, there was a 60ml bottle of moisturizing shampoo and, balm (Argan Oil conditioner). Then there was 2 2ml O₂ Anti-ageing treatment.

In my last post on the issue, I had promised to give feedback on the items in the box. The Atelier Cologne was really good and I still have some left. The Vitamine & Sea Mineral Clay Mask smelled truly terrible I never finished that. The Bentaberry G-1 moisturizing Face cream made my skin feel much better. The Evolvh UltraShine Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner was some of the best I have ever used. The John Allan’s Slick Water made shaving better. The La Fresh Body Soother stung very badly when it got in my eyes in the rain. Finally the Vasanti BrightenUP! was good but was very rough and made my skin red.
General

Happy Holidays!

24 December 2012
General

The Books that Bite and Sting

15 December 2012

Franz Kafka said, “we ought to read only books that bite and sting us.” What’s the last thing you read that bit and stung you, and why?
Plinky Writing Prompt

Let’s Pretend this Never Happened

This is one thing that is difficult to come up with. Over the past 2 years, I have bought almost a dozen new books that I have not finished. I still have “1000 Years of Annoying the French” and my newest purchase “Let’s Pretend This Never Happened” by Jenny Lawson on the go. By on the go, I mean that they are in my room with bookmarks marking the page I am on. And by bookmark I mean the sales receipt it came with.

Although I did finish an e-book the bites. In more ways than one. It was “Dead Sexy Vampire Erotica” by Kim Corum. It is about a woman who is married to a vampire and she hates her life most of the time and can’t stand him or his friends except for the “Erotic” part that makes up for it. It is one of those things that is so bad you can’t stop reading. Much like Patricia Harkins-Bradley’s “The Diamond Club” except worse.
General

My First Glymm Man Box

24 September 2012

This month was my first Glymm Man box. It is an online subscription that for $25 they sent eight sample sizes of products quarterly. In this month’s box was Atelier Cologne, Vitamine & Sea Mineral Clay Mask, Bentaberry G-1 moisturizing Face cream, Evolvh UltraShine Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner, John Allan’s Slick Water, La Fresh Body Soother and Vasanti BrightenUP!. So far I have only used the Cologne and Slick Water and am quite pleased. I will write more about each as I use them.
General

Renée “Rena” Mary Belliveau 1927-2012

19 September 2012

The death of Renée “Rena” Belliveau of Saint John, NB, occurred on Wednesday, September 19, 2012, after a long and happy life. She was born in West Saint John on June 2, 1927 and was a daughter of the late Andrew and Olive (Babineau) Cormier.

Renée was employed at many jobs notably the DVA Hospital and Woolworth’s from which she retired.

Survived by her brothers, Arthur Cormier of West Saint John, and Ronald Cormier of Bowmanville, ON. Many nieces and nephews also survive Renée. Although Renée did not have any of her own children she helped her sister raise her niece Catherine Melvin (Morin) for many years whom remained close to Renée, and her children Charles Frees-Melvin and Rosa Frees-Melvin that assisted Renée right to the end.

Renée is predeceased by her husband and love of her life Charles Belliveau; brothers, Joseph, Frederick, Lawrence, and Ralph sisters; Freda Cormier, Bella Felder, Eva Cormier, and Maria Morin.

Resting at Fitzpatrick’s Funeral Home, 100 Waterloo Street, Saint John (634-1965) with visiting on Friday from 2-4 and 7-9 PM. Mass of Christian Burial will held on Saturday, September 22, 2012 from Our Lady of the Assumption Church at 10:00 AM. Interment to take place at Holy Cross Cemetery. For those who wish, remembrances may be made to a charity of the donor’s choice, would be appreciated.
General

Hands-on with Nokia’s PureView 808: “You shot that with a PHONE?!”

15 July 2012

I was reading this article about Nokia’s newest phone that has an amazing camera. Beyond that the thing that caught me first was that it was running Symbian OS. Despite being on an iOS device for the last 4 years I still love some of the intricacies of Symbian.

The only real problem I have is that there are too many megapixels for the opening of the camera. Let’s face it a photon of light is only so small, and the pixels are smaller than a photon. The second issue is the lack of optical zoom. If I am getting that much resolution I am going to want a zoom to replace my point and shoot camera.

Hands-on with Nokia’s PureView 808: “You shot that with a PHONE?!” | MobileSyrup.com.
General

Teddy my Ted

4 July 2012

This was my Teddy Bear from my childhood.

Yesterday evening I went to the theatre like I have almost every Tuesday night in forever. This week I when to see the movie “Ted”.

I absolutely loved the movie, it was literally non–stop laughs from beginning to end. It was also very funny all the jokes and pop–culture that I remembered back from the 80’s. With memory lane returning from the 80’s was my teddy bear. I called him “Teddy”. Teddy was always there for me, just like Ted was there for John in the movie. Only I was not too nice to Teddy.

Let’s just say that the head and most limbs have been pulled off several times and none of the stuffing remaining is original. I keep Teddy on the back of my couch but we basically split up around the time I went to school. I also had a huge (to me when I was 4) stuffed Strawberry Shortcake doll that my mother still jokes was my first girlfriend. 🙂 Though she did not survive as long as Teddy as the break-up was painful for her as I, as a kid ripped her to pieces.
General

Was it Real?

24 June 2012

If you eventually break up with someone, was it ever true love?

Keep in mind that as I write this I have never had a break-up. I think that there could have been true love for one of the parties and not the other.

I think there are situations where someone can truly be in love with someone and then the other leaves them heart-broken after a change in their own personal situation. There could be a situation to happen when you have to say to your true love that, I have to move one and it is in your best interest, and I think too much of you to carry an unhappy you around, go follow your own dreams.
General

That’s My Boy

17 June 2012

This weekend I went to see the new Adam Sandler movie, “That’s My Boy”. I really laughed in this one even though the theatre was empty on Saturday afternoon. This is the first Sandler movie in a while that actually has a great story as well as being funny. This is one of the must sees this Spring/Summer season.

On Tuesday I am going to go to see Rock of Ages.
General

A Difficult Goodbye

4 June 2012

Describe the last difficult “goodbye” you said.

My last difficult goodbye was in London last fall. It was so difficult when you are in such a close group of people on a bus tour, knowing that you will likely never see any of them again to say goodbye.

This one in particular was hard for the main reason I was extremely tired. That day we started the day with an early departure from Amsterdam to try to catch the 1PM ferry in Calais.

When I should have been getting some well needed rest after an incredibly active day of walking many kilometres rather that trying to translate Dutch to take the street cars, the worlds most annoying creation decided that it was time for no one to sleep at 3:30am. That annoying creation was a damned rooster. Although I could probably sleep over the sound of a rooster in this instance, it was several dozen of those buggers.
General

Most Expensive Purchase – My Rebel 2000 SLR

3 June 2012

Name the most expensive personal item you’ve ever purchased.

My Canon Rebel 2000 SLR

The most expensive personal item that I ever purchased was my Canon Rebel 2000. I would have to say that it was not really worth it. To date I might have used 7-8 rolls of film in it. I just took it off the shelf tonight and the battery was still showing that I have 24 images left on the 24 image roll of film. I’m pretty sure the roll of film is a Black and White as well. Or, really the fake version that ends up sepia. When I turned it on the batteries were dead. This is amazing since it took 2 “L” batteries and the batteries were new when I inserted this roll of film.

The main problem I had been that film is expensive to get developed. Most of the shots were too dark, too light, too narrow a depth of field, or some other issue of not getting to know the camera well. It was within a few months that I also bought my first digital camera after spilling shampoo in my point and shoot film camera.

I have since bought 6 digital cameras bough have yet to replace this SLR.
General

It is June 1st

1 June 2012

Well hello to all my readers, including a certain someone who thinks/insists that I keep writing more.

For this June I am going to shock everyone and have a new post for every day of the month. June is also anti-procrastination month so I will also not be waiting and posting the remaining 29 posts on the 30th. Though that does not stop you from waiting until then to read them. I am also attempting to complete a Photo-a-day challenge. If you follow me on twitter and Instagram (cefm) then you will get to see them all. In the interest of my blog readers, I will post them all here in a gallery on the 30th.
SnapShots

The Royal Visit

22 May 2012
Travel

Last Live Performance

17 May 2012

What was the last live performance you saw?

London Streetscape

The last live performance I saw was Legally Blonde: The Musical at the Savoy in London. This was the first time I went to a show in London. I bought my tickets at a little kiosk on Charing Cross Rd.. It was a nice sunny afternoon, I was going to see an afternoon movie but for some reason I decided not to. I think the main reason was I has so much left to see in London and I seen a sign that morning for the Transport for London (TFL) museum and since I love subways I decided that was too important to miss.

I was so thrilled with my purchase and they even gave me a map of where to find the theatre. So after a quick-lunch and email check at the Burger King, I was off to find this museum from memory and some moderately accurate street directions. When I then saw something “shiny” (metaphorically). It was a little stair well to a Ray-Ban designer shop. I when in and tried on every pair. Things appear more magical when travelling.

Then I found the museum and it was 100x better that I imagined the museum to be. It was a second london gem that interested me by surprise like the H.M.S. Belfast that prior to the day before I had not known existed.

After I when back to the hotel to drop off my new souvenirs and to dress more formal for the theatre. When I got off the tube at Charring Cross I seen the map at the station to get general bar rings as it was about a 5 minute walk. I kept walking and started to question if I had gone too far then I saw the bright pink glow around the bend from the large sign.

I quickly get in created and find my perfect centre seat about 8 rows from the stage about 20 minutes before showtime. After 5 minutes an usher comes and explains that the Ticket seller double sold the same seats and that in typical London hospitality I was given a new seat one row back. Then the show started and was such an amazing musical in such a fashion that held it’s own only differing slightly from the movie storyline and incredibly well acted. It was also really pink.

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