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I really, really, really hope that Obama can win this.
And that he survives long enough to make a difference.

In slightly less important news: eating left-over thai in bed is amaaaaazing.

Too quiet. I've looked up the date to see if it's a Canadian holiday I don't know about, I've listened really hard at my door, I've even looked out the window to scan the streets for signs of the coming apocalypse. Only moving cars assure me that anyone is still alive at all.

I'm not sure, but I think almost everyone is on holiday.

According to the great Wiki in the sky:

"In England and Wales 390,127 people (0.7 percent) stated their religion as Jedi on their 2001 Census forms, surpassing Sikhism, Judaism, and Buddhism, and making it the fourth largest reported religion in the country."

Unfortunately, all religions occasionally suffer internal tension. I can only pray that the church recovers peaceably from this affront, and does not pursue a path to anger, hatred, and suffering.

Also, that Welsh Judges keep up their apparently high level of punnage. Thanks go to the Rocket News Network for pointing this one out.

I demand timely,
Haiku concerning a duck,
you have just one day.

Write me a haiku
about ducks, fast as you can,
here is one for you:*

"Cast red tinged feathers
A flightless dance upon wind
ducks fall from heaven."

no, you're not allowed
to use the ones you may have,
that is just cheating.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Example haiku provided by previous winner of glorious Duiku Speed Challenge!

To cheer up your monday morning (or afternoon if you're reading from the uk), here's a beautiful little movie made from time-lapse photography.

ross:ching » Blog Archive » Eclectic 2.0

I went to the Montreal Planetarium last night, and although I'm nursing a bit of a cold from exposure to too many undergrads on saturday, that experience, and this video together are making my Monday much less awful than it might otherwise be.

If you ever find yourself looking out from a 7th story window, with a sky full of big fat snowflakes drifting past, hope that you have the instrumental arrangement of Rob Dougan's Furious Angels to hand.

The combined effect is just magical .

Which is how most of February has been. For the larger part of the month I've been chewing my fingernails about my immigration status, and whether or not I'll be allowed to stay in Canoobia. As it turns out, things are all good. Or at least, I'm told things are all good. I have yet to receive documentation that assures me that this is the case. For those of you thinking about immigrating anywhere- always ensure that your papers are in with plenty of time to spare! There's the vague possibility that I've had a week or two of illegal immigrant status which I'm sure will be marvellously entertaining if I -don't- get deported.

Due to this slight worry I've been confined to the country for the last two months, as there's been the vague possibility that once out, I won't be able to get back in as a working resident. This is a shoddy development anyway as it distinctly limits my wanderlust, but it also means no snowboarding, as the club has been going to Vermont a lot lately. Unfortunate as I've managed to get my downhill time from 45 minutes to 7, although only on one side of the board. I'm looking forward to trying the same thing on both sides as an ambi-turner while not scraping my face across 875m of mountain when they eventually return to the Laurentians or my passport is bang up to date. My first full mountain experience was certainly interesting. An unsuspecting gentleman hauled me up to the top where I promptly freaked out for five minutes (turns out I -am- still slightly scared of heights), before realising that there was no way down except strapped to a plank. Once I got down though I wasn't to be stopped. Mostly because I couldn't figure out the learner's slope ski-lift and had no choice but to go back to the top!

*happy visa dance*


*HAPPY VISA DANCE!!!!*

Over about the last week or so (which is, I think, where we're up to)...

- Saying goodbye to Alix for just over a week. Spending most of the next day in a bit of a weird headspace.
+ Taking about 2 hours with a really nice guy at Empire (snowboards, not records) to find the perfect snowboard boots at heavy discount and some neat gloves too.
+ Then meeting a bunch of Michel's studio mates who are all pretty awesome, it would seem.
- Not really wanting to drink due to previous blinding snow/hangover experiences.
+ Not embarassing myself (I think) too much by speaking broken French.
- Waking up at 5.50am to get the bus to Owl's head.
+ Walking through Montreal as the sun comes up.
- Being too excited on the bus to keep sleeping.
+ Beautiful, beautiful scenery
- Mountains that just keep on getting bigger (and thus more terrifying) the further out from MTL you go.
+ Instantly meeting an awesome bunch of people to spend the day with, including someone else who's just starting out.
- Finding my left toe strap snapped before I even step on my (rented) board.
+ Finding out that toe straps really aren't all that important anyway.
- Realising that having a 5' long board strapped to your feet is actually pretty damned awkward.
+ Having a magical set of circumstances lead to pretty much the best first lesson I could have hoped for.
- Not being able to turn left.
+ Jenny realising that part of this problem is that not only is the snowboard partially busted, but also set up in switch. And then fixing it, half way up a mountain.
- Essentially- I've been shafted from the get go.
+ But screw it, because while we're chatting I have one of the best views I've ever seen.
- Continuing to fall over more often that I can get up, and getting frustrated with the slow progress of left.

Although I have plenty to write about, currently what has me astounded is this:
Richard Madeley has his own blog!
I advise that you read, at least, the entry that details Stephen Fry shaving our protagonist's hair to the skin, drunk, whilst watching Taxi Driver.

And now I must finally fall asleep, far too late to consider snowboarding tomorrow, even if my alarm is still set to go off in a little over 4 hours.