A little Christmas humor courtesy of Scott.
Category: Grab Bag
Stuff about stuff
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TSO Sound & Light Show
Last night we were at the Alerus Center in Fargo for the Trans Siberian Orchestra concert. What an incredible show, and of course the pictures just can’t do it justice. The lights, lasers, fireworks, flames and kicking sound system were incredible.
We misses a bit of the start because we cut the time too close in getting over to the Alerus. We were only 3.5km away at 7:30 and at 8pm, when the show was starting, we were within sight of the doors but stuck behind hundreds of other cars in a major traffic jam. Our estimate was that it could take an hour at the rate cars were moveing. The center was charging for parking and that slowed cars entering down to a snails pace. After a couple of phone calls to check things out, Shirley and I let the kids drive the van in and we hiked back up the road and cut across a snow filled ditch. We found out later that they stopped collecting the parking fee and the traffic moved much more quickly and the kids were only a few minutes behind us getting into our seats.
Wow, what a show! The sound was intense and so was the lighting. Each bass note resonated in your chest. The immense and movable lighting system was an entertainment piece in it’s own right as lighting frames moved up and down and angled throughout the performance creating some very unique effects. I was cautioned by site staff not to take any pictures after I had a few, but manages to sneak another couple closer to the end of the show, but it was impossible to frame up a good shot while shooting from the hip and keeping the camera under your coat.
After almost a solid 2 hour performance, it was all over and the roadies were quickly breaking down the set and loading the multiple semi-trailers to head off to Minneapolis to get set up for a 3pm show the next afternoon. We heard there were 75 on the crew that move the huge amount of gear from site to site.
We left for Winnipeg after the show and got back home at about 2am. What a great trip. A fun birthday with the family and a great show to top off the day.
I think birthday road trips could become a tradition!
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New Camera
Oooooh, I’ve got a new camera and it can do a lot of tricks.
I’ll post some more pictures on Flickr later in the day, especially some of the illicit Trans Siberian Orchestras photos. The concert last night really ROCKED!
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Birthday
Today is my Birthday and I’m very grateful to be celebrating it with my family and friends. It’s early in the day and I’m taking the day off from work and enjoying each moment. I’ve received thoughtful cards, and a phone call from good friends, and in this wired world I’ve received and e-card as well with a very thoughtful and touching note.
The main part of the day will be spent traveling to the Alerus Center to see the TSO. Shirley, Eric & Dez and Scott will be with us. Unfortunately, Mandi is out of town on business and we’ll miss her today. I’m looking forward to the time together and our conversations in the car on the drive there and back. We’ve heard that the TSO will be awesome and that will be great as well.
We were our with friends last night and part of the discussion was around the importance of relationships and how much of life is wrapped up in those relationships. In fact, relationships are what life is all about.
Enjoy each relationship in your life, and make it the best it can be. I know I’m going to try.
I hope you have a great day celebrating the life and times of Garry Stewart. He is a pretty cool dude and I’m lucky to know the guy. Wishing you many more birthdays and a life that is full – filled with all abundance.
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The Story of Stuff
Hsve a look at this presentation. Quite well done, funny & scary all at the same time.
The Story of Stuff with Annie Leonard
From its extraction through sale, use and disposal, all the stuff in our lives affects communities at home and abroad, yet most of this is hidden from view. The Story of Stuff is a 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns. The Story of Stuff exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues, and calls us together to create a more sustainable and just world. It’ll teach you something, it’ll make you laugh, and it just may change the way you look at all the stuff in your life forever.
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On the Road – Day 4
I’m glad to be heading home, its been a good week and very worthwhile but home is best.
I’m looking forward to home cooking even if its my own. Resteraunts and caffeterias are OK once in a while but not for long. Shirley’s cooking is the best!
I did an eBoarding pass with Westjet for the frist time. You check in online as normal but instead of printing a boarding pass you send an email to your mobile device. Even at the gate and security you just show them the message, no paper is ever printed! Its a little slower at the checkin as they type your locator number instead of scaning but so far so good.
I hear there is lots of snow and its cold in Winnipeg which will be a shock. Toronto is still snowless and mild. I’ll take snow and cold any day. Regards, Garry -
NAU and the Amero – something you don’t hear much about
The euro followed the same blueprint of stealth and surprise. It was already issued as replacement currency before the masses could coalesce to fight it.
Goodbye loonie, hello ‘amero?’
A common North American currency would bring about lower long-term
interest rates, greater price stability and improved trade, says a new
report from the Fraser Institute.The study calls for a North American Monetary Union that includes Canada, the United States, and Mexico.
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GTD and Inbox Zero
I’ve been working at getting my “stuff” under control and as part of that I’ve read GTD and am working at getting is implemented and established as a habit in my life. So far, it’s going fairly well, but time will tell. Hey Google, runs GTD courses for it’s employees!
An empty email in-box seems like a nirvana goal, and it has some appeal to me. My work email has over 200 things in the in-box that may have been read, but not processes. I’m reading the series in 43 Folders and just watched the video. It’s good stuff.
43 Folders Series: Inbox Zero | 43 Folders
New: Merlin’s Inbox Zero Presentation
Merlin does a live presentation on Inbox Zero from time to time. The latest version of the presentation was delivered on July 23, 2007 at a Google Tech Talk in Mountain View, CA. You can download a PDF of the slides for the presentation and can watch the 58-minute video of the talk and Q&A right here:
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At the Lake
I thought I’d post this picture just to show that I’m actually using the camera. Just as I was arriving at the lake last night, Eric called by cell to ask if I had the camera. Then this morning Scott calls the cottage to ask if I have the camera. Both guys had some plans for using the camera this weekend. Normally, it just sits around the house, but this weekend it was a high demand item, perhaps we need a booking system.
As you can see, it’s a little windy, so I don’t think I’ll do any kayaking this morning. I slept in a bit because it was a little cloudy, cool and windy and then it was a little surfing and some reading on GTD. I think I’ll get the book and give it a try.
So, here it is almost noon and I’m cooking breakfast. Afterwards I think I’ll do some clean-up work around the cottage and then do some geocaching later this afternoon. For sure I’ll take some more pictures.
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waitless
I’ve only watched a couple of these but they are amazing, especially the one on peeling an egg.
Update: It gets better.
