I’ll let the comic speak for itself. If you’re even vaguely familiar with the X-Men, I’m sure you’ll find this funny. And if this comic is any indication, I bet Poppycock Theatre will make it on my must read list.

The strip can be found here.

I am awesome. I just wanted to put it out there. I think the world needs to know.

I am awesome because today I spent 2 hours and resurrected what I had previously thought to be a heaping pile of technological junk.

It’s kinda funny because I had given up on trying to fix my camera and was looking around online for a new camera. I loved this camera – a Canon IXY Digital 400, which is a Japanese version of a Canon Digital Elph 400 – so I figured I’d just get another Canon Elph series camera when I came across some consumer reviews talking about an infamous E18 error which is what my camera was giving me. Basically the compartment that opens and closes the lens by extending it out and retracting it back in was jammed and so the camera wouldn’t turn on. In my case the lens was sticking out just a little. After reading sites online that talked about people taking the camera apart and fixing it gave me new hope in trying to bring it back to life.

And so I did.

A surgeon needs tools. Here are the tools I used:

1. A mini-screwdriver for the tiny screws.
2. A white sheet of paper.
3. A mechanical pencil.
4. A roll of clear, double-sided tape.
5. A video camera.

The first one is obvious. The next 3 were to draw out a diagram of where all the screws belonged and to stick the screws to the diagram. The video camera was to film myself take it apart because I’m a geek. Well kinda but more so that I could go back in time to watch myself take it apart so I’d know how to put it back together in case I forgot. Turns out I remembered everything so I didn’t need the video for that reason but now it’ll be cool to watch it anyway.

I basically just took out every screw I could find and kept dismantling it more and more not exactly quite sure how I was going to fix it. After taking apart over 30 screws, half a dozen cables and some wires later, there was 1 screw remaining that held together half the body of the camera along with the lens compartment – the broken piece – and I couldn’t get it out. I ended up totally stripping the head and so it was a lost cause. I was hoping to totally disassemble the lens compartment but now that wasn’t really an option.

I took off any screw that I could see that were part of the lens compartment and kinda loosened some of it. Didn’t quite open up completely but with a little bit of luck and a lot of brute force I somehow managed to snap the lens casing back into place and I presume the gears inside kinda just went back into their proper spots.

Being eager to get it over with I reassembled the whole camera again and tested it out…and it worked!

So today I just saved myself a good 400-500 bucks by not having to buy a new camera and accessories.

Not quite sure how much longer this thing will last but for now it will keep collecting memories one picture at a time.

To answer your question Liam: I am crazy.

NOW, I’m going to type in a fragmented style because that’s how I feel: fragmented! I have two ideas for the rest of this week. All semi-major to major decisions about my life will be decided by people other than myself. The way this will work is that I’ll ask someone who I believe to be close enough to “know” me what I should do in a situation. I will determine if they arrived at their conclusion logically, and take their course of action… even if it doesn’t mesh with what I would do normally (to a point! I wasn’t raised in a barn or some other place with no morals!) It should be an interesting week!

The second is that I will wear an outfit with a tie every day of the week. Not so interesting.

How will this craziness pan out? Stay tuned, true believers!

All good things must come to an end.

Such is the case with my beloved digital camera.

2 1/2 years, 5000 pictures, 3 continents, and countless unforgettable memories later, I must say goodbye.

It all ended last Friday night when I was at a party and it was dropped. The conclusion that I have come to is that nobody is as skilled with the art of drunken picture taking as I am. Not even close.

This thing has literally seen me through my university years ever since I got it as a Christmas present from my aunt in 2003. Earlier today I performed invasive surgery and alas I was not skilled enough to fix the camera. In fact I don’t think even the most skilled camera surgeon could fix it. Something deep inside is broken. The heart lay still inside.

goodbye.

Yeah, so I preformed my civic duty as a Canadian citizen and voted today. Let me tell you it wasn’t the easiest decision to make, even though some of you may have already decided who to vote for, I was undecided right till I marked the X for the candidate, It was terrible.
So I was stressing out over who to vote for, for quite some time, so when I voted it was a moment of great relief, and pride.

So yeah, If you voted..Awesome, be proud, cause there are people all over the world that will never be able to vote freely, so enjoy it while you can. Before the shit hits!

So I was at the mall today, just wandering around, cause I had nothing better to do, when I saw what looked to be a man walking in high heeled boots. Considering that I never pay attention to anyone around me when I am walking, this caught me off guard, and I thought I was just seeing things…I wasn’t. He (or she), had womans clothes on, jewelery, a purse, you know the stuff that many woman have when they are out and about, but the person had very manly features, and it was quite shocking. It took me a few seconds to process the information, because I just didn’t know what to think.
Not that I’m prejudiced against those who walk around in womans clothes, (he could have been a she), but its not everyday that you see cross-dressers walking around.

Why do I always see the crazy stuff?

Wednesdays are the money day for me. I love Wednesdays. “Is he crazy?” you are asking yourself, as you toil through your middle-of-the-week-hump-day-all-cranky-as-if-it-was-a-Monday.
I’m sure that question was rhetorical, as we all know the answer.

Anyway, Wednesdays are a good day for me because I don’t have any classes. I use this day to dream, eat, and read things that have nothing to do with school.

As such, I’ve taken to reading my webcomic favourites again. I encourage all 4.25 of you out there to read Scary Go Round, if you are not already. Here is a link to Scary Go Round.

I wish it were possible.

Anyways, so the elections are coming up, and Canada once again decides on who will lead our country. For me, I have no clue on who to vote for, but I am making that decision on election day.
I find it ridiculous that some people are voting Conservative to punish the “corrupt” Liberals, or to vote Liberals just to keep the “Hidden Agenda” Conservatives out of power. Why don’t people just vote for what the parties have to offer, I know its very difficult for many to really trust what the politicians are saying, cause in the end, any political party that has a majority governemnt can do whatever the hell they want to for the next several years. Some people are so stuck down in allegiances, and preconcieved beliefs of the parties that they are unwilling to really sum up all the parties and make a decision based on what is best for themselves, and what could be best for other Canadians.
Sometimes people vote out of spite because of what the political parites have done.
Many fear more under the table dealings with the Liberals, but many also fear the Conservatives tax-cuts which would lead to a major decline in social spending, with the NDP, they could raise taxes substantially, which could cripple the economy, and for the Bloc, well they are only there for one thing, that is separation for those who are out of the loop. Every party has a good and a bad, but just because you are going to vote else where to punish a party, or to keep a party out of power means that you aren’t really taking into consideration what these parties have to offer us, and once all the celebrations are over, and everything goes back to normal, the people will realize the repercussions of their hasty actions in supporting a party whom they know nothing about.
So the message is really take a good look at the party which you are supporting, and don’t vote just because you want to teach the Liberals a lesson, or keep the hidden agenda Conservatives out of power.
Because your actions could affect the lives of Canadians all across the country, and if things go bad, then don’t blame others, blame yourself.
*BTW I am not pointing at all Canadians, some people are just voting the way they are because their values match up with certain parties. I’m pointing at those who have just hastily made their voting decision.

Other Things…

The day there was no friction…

No, friction isn’t gone, but almost, like the one episode of the Magic School Bus where they went to the baseball field in the book where there was no friction. Yeah today was kinda like that. All I saw from morn to eve were people slipping and sliding, and falling on the ground, it was great fun to get around.

and as I passed him, an old homeless man began to hit on me. I pretended not to hear of course (made easier by the fact that I was listening to music). So this is what it feels like to be objectified! It is not as flattering as I had hoped.

Am I looking womanly today or something?

Even though we’re only 2 weeks into the year, and even though the song was released almost a year ago, nothing can stop the fact that “Hey There Delilah” by the Plain White T’s is and will remain the best song of 2006.

Here is my anecdotal evidence to support my case:

1. It has by far one of the catchiest choruses ever.
2. During CUTC over the last 3 days Strickland, RCW and I listened to it over 100 times. We listened to it when we woke up. We listened to it when we went to sleep. We listenend to it when we entered the room. We listened to it when we left the room. We sang it when we were outside of our room. We listened to it a minimum of twice in a row.
3. Last night while I was drinking in my room with 15 other people I played it over and over and over and nobody complained. By the 3rd time the whole room was singing along with the chorus.
4. My roommate Dave ranked it 5/5 stars in his iTunes. Just last week he claimed that no song would ever get 5/5 stars in his iTunes (all his favourite songs are ranked 4/5 stars) because no song is perfect. Apparently he was mistaken.

It’s official, “Hey There Delilah” is the best song of the year.