Proofreading is not rocket science

Dear corporations and head offices:

Proofread your websites.

Seriously.


No, SERIOUSLY.

Fare thee well, iMac

A couple of weeks ago, I bid a fond farewell to an old friend of almost ten years:


This is my first computer, specifically, my first computer that wasn't also a family computer. It is a first generation blueberry iMac that I bought on sale in December 1999 when the second generation iMacs came on the market. With its help, I finished my BA, started and completed my MA (including a thesis!) and completed four out of six grad courses in my PhD.

I stopped using the iMac four years ago when I replaced it after getting frustrated with how slow it was. It just couldn't handle the speed of cable internet, and I had neglected to keep up with software updates, leading to a firmware issue that prevented me from upgrading to OS 9.2. Oh, and to be clear, when I bought the computer, it ran OS 8.6. 8.6!!

And speaking of electronic relics, note the little AOL Instant Messenger icon in the top right-hand corner:



And look at the generous amount of memory that it came with:


Six GB!!! This was clearly in the era pre-iTunes and pre-downloading. Current iPods come with more memory.

But even when I stopped using the actual computer, I continued to use the box in an unorthodox way:


As an impromptu bed-side table, as evidenced in the blurry video screen capture above (it's what the lamp is placed on). I started doing that in my rented basement suite in Hamilton, which was fully furnished except for a night stand, and continued to do so here because I just never got around to buying a bed-side table. I believe I might have used the box as a night-stand for more years than I actually used the computer itself.

But a few months ago I finally bought a proper night-stand, and thus the iMac and its box become 100% obselete. So when I received an e-mail about the university's annual Earth Day electronics recycling drop-off, I knew it was time to say goodbye for good.

But not, however, before turning it on one more time to wipe the hard drive. It started like a dream, fan humming and all. Say what you will about Macs and their higher cost—they are well made machines and I had no trouble restoring the original OS, once I figured out what I was supposed to do.

So after three degrees (two partial), three cities, numerous late nights writing numerous essays and term papers, one BA Honours thesis, and one MA thesis...


Good bye, sweet iMac, and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.

PPZ used

I want to buy a used copy of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Here's why.

I've been thinking about the book that many are calling a "literary mash-up" and why it makes me angry. I didn't like how my anger suggested that I was a defensive Austen purist (whatever that might mean), since I believe that good scholars should be open-minded and curious.

This evening I figured out what was actually bothering me about the phenomenon:

The new author is making 100% of the money off a work where he contributes 10% of the text.

Fuck that.

Considering how much trouble Austen had finding a publisher (an early version of Pride and Prejudice was rejected; she had to buy back her manuscript of Northanger Abbey for £10 when the publisher who had bought the rights decided not to publish it), it kind of sucks to see someone else capitalizing (in both senses of the word) on her popularity. I think that it does take skill to mash two or more things together in an interesting way (see: The Grey Album; Girl Talk), but in the examples I list, there is much more manipulation, reworking, and fragmentation. Perhaps I am adhering to a stricter definition of the mash-up than most, but I can't help feel that PPZ's experiments in mixing multiple forms is as exploitative as it is creative.

But if I buy my copy used, then my money does not go to the publisher or the author at all, but the bookstore. And if I buy it at a used book store in town (i.e., not online), then at least I would be supporting a local business.

And if anyone out there wants to sell me their used copy, let me know.

white people food

It's my mother's birthday this weekend and my sister and I have decided to take her out for dinner (and dad, too). We wanted it to be for something that she wouldn't cook at home and that I can't make, and we thought that roast beef would be a good option. My parents like roast beef; it's not too "foreign" for them. So I spent a good part of last night reading the menus of nice restaurants in town (thank god for PDFs) and getting frustrated. There was a lot of steak but no roast beef to be had.

Discouraged, I posted a query on Chowhound asking for recommendations for roast beef dinner places. I was surprised to see responses today that referenced "prime rib" and then began an MSN conversation with a friend with the words, "I need some info about white people food."

So it turns out that prime rib = roast beef. Who knew? I was confused by a menu that offer prime rib in 8 oz., 10 oz., and 12 oz. servings, thinking that that meant it was steak (a really good cut of steak, obviously).

So yeah, all the confusion that people exhibit over "ethnic" food from foreign countries? I feel that about Canadian/American cuisine.

No, no I do not.

Put away that Facetwiberrier, Mr. MLA

Yet another way that provincial MLAs are no different than university undergrads: they are compelled to text/Facebook/Twitter all time, in this case, during Question Period. And dammit, the Speaker of the House is not going to take it any longer! He's publically chastised members for being on their PDAs during QP.

What kills me about this story are the people speaking against this policy on the record, complaining that the government needs to be in contact with citizens to be effective. But—and this is very important—the ban applies to Question Period only, when MLAs should ostensibly be paying attention. One could argue that Question Period is a waste of time anyway and people might as well be catching up on tweets, but the Speaker can't subscribe to that point of view and must discipline the MLAs. After all, if even the Speaker can't take Question Period seriously, then who can? And really, the constant Twitbookexting is not the actual problem. Instead, it is a sign of how little respect is accorded to Question Period in the first place. So the problem isn't really the technology—it's the fact that no one respects Question Period enough to put the damn phone away.

Oh, yeah, and if this government really wanted to be in touch with Albertans, it wouldn't have kept quiet about environmental charges faced by Suncor regarding dumping sewage in the Athabasca River or passed Bill 18, which will creates strict new regulations about who can see and rent movies, banning unrated movies from video stores, meaning that a lot of foreign film and documentaries won't be legally available for rent. (You know you rents these movies? Me. And I am definitely not under 18.)

This province. GAH.

How to live graduate studently

Or, how living frugally is the new living like a grad student, but less depressing

Giving up cable
Frugal living: saves money, download anyway (or watch content online)
Grad student living: saves money, increases criminal activity (watching restricted online content using workaround, downloading)

Go grocery shopping with a list
Frugal living: reduces impulse buys, helps meal planning
Grad student living: impulse buy consists of $2 bottle of Vitamin water, what meal planning?, list heavy on pasta, frozen food, and reduced-price meat that will be divided and frozen once home

Cut back on eating out
Frugal living: saves money
Grad student living: but not on drinking, right?

Clip coupons
Frugal living: stretches dollar
Grad student living: stretches dollar, exacerbates hoarding mentality, increases preparations for coming apocalypse/unemployment in the real world

Cutting down on driving
Frugal living: saves gas money and insurance costs, saves the environment
Grad student living: saves gas money and insurance costs, saves the environment, walking to and from grocery store a form of exercise, time spent waiting for bus would have been spent surfing internet anyways, time spent waiting for bus optimistically considered time for reading articles/books, riding public transit doubles as research for novel about quirky, depressing urban life, get to use U-pass that you pay for anyway*

* not applicable to all post-secondary institutions