It's almost 1 am. Here, at work, I sit waiting for the printer to complete its printout of a 3600 page report. Have you ever printed 3600 pages before? Even on this very expensive and quick-like-a-bunny printer of mine it has been going for over an hour and a half. Actually, I shouldn't call it my - or our - printer, you see, today is (was) changeover day. Ed has now sold the Mavis and Dundas Canadian Tire store and the 3600 page report is the inventory discrepancy that must be checked tomorrow.
In short, what that means is that our computer logs on-hand quantities for every one of the 48000 products that we carry. Today Western Inventory Service came in and counted all of the products in the store and the report lists the products that have a disagreement between what the computer thought we should have and what Western found.
3600 pages. I'm looking at the first 2300 of it now and it's well over a foot tall. :(
Oh well, I'm not one of the people that has to spend the next several days running around the store re-checking the majority of those discrepancies. You would have trouble paying me enough to do it -- it's the scut-work of inventory auditing.
Tomorrow, I'm splitting my day between Mississauga and Stoney Creek. Sometime on Friday or Saturday I will be back in Quebec.
Thursday, July 21, 2005
Thursday, July 14, 2005
You Can't Brush What's Not There.
Back when I was in high school I began to lose my hair - no obvious (none of my relatives has a history of early hair loss) reason for it. Nick, my barber, told me one day that if I cut it really short, like under an inch, it would appear as if I had more total hair on my head. This revelation, as most optical illusions do, had some merit. Let me tell you a little bit more about Nick. He was this 50 year old Italian import with greasy hair and weighed-down with an abundance of gold jewellery, and short - 5'2" would have been a dream for him. He owned this little barber shop/hair styling place in a crappy mall and drove a corvette which he exchanged every two years for a new one.
Coincident with the short, greasy, Italian-guy stereotype, he always had a lot of women around -- seemed to be dating a new one every week. He only allowed women to work for him and think most of them were, ahem, 'professionals' before they were hair stylists. If Nick wasn't getting hummers in the backroom on a daily basis then I'm shocked. All that said, Nick was a great guy, he had great insight into the human condition and I learned a lot about people from him. Come to think of it, one of my sisters worked for Nick for a while. She got fired - perhaps she wasn't providing the requisite employer benefit...
Actually, I got fired from a job in that mall too. I used to work at the shoe repair shop for a guy name Dan. It was one of the best jobs I ever had because job satisfaction was easily obtained. Each day had it's own reward -- plus, you got to work with lots of really strong glue...for hours on end. I went home happy every day. Why did I get terminated? I had this tendency to stay out really late with friends and then, umm, forget to wake up in the morning to open the store. On day I woke up an hour after I was supposed to have opened the store, flew (FLEW) through my house and down to the mall only to discover that the shoe store across the aisle from us had called Dan and he was already in and working. He was mad, so mad I thought for sure he was going to hit me, and he was a really bit guy. Did I mention that shoe repair gives you gargantuan upper-body strength? No, well it does, and he'd been doing it for 30 years. The actual termination was somewhat anticlimactic based on that original fear.
Three months later I started with Canadian Tire, as a cashier, as the only male cashier my store employed (and, come to think of it, I have never seen or hired a male cashier in any of my 4 stores since). It occurred to me last week that I have been with Canadian Tire for 14 years now. 14 years.
I still stop in to see Dan at the shoe repair shop everytime I'm in Whitby. You see, I'm quite thankful to him for firing me. If he hadn't I may never have made a connection with Canadian Tire. I make no bones about the fact that he terminated me illegally - at least by Ontario's standards. I was too young at the time to really know otherwise, but he didn't have grounds. I have however, over the years, make sure he knows all of the successes that I've had with Canadian Tire over the years. You know, managing large 20 million dollar stores and such. There's a certain satisfaction in that.
Anyway, 15 years ago Nick told me that if I cut my hair to shorter than an inch all around, I wouldn't look as if I'd lost so much. I don't actually know about the truth of that, but I'll tell you, it leads to 'maintenance free hair'. Yesterday it all got lopped off. You can't brush what's not there!
Coincident with the short, greasy, Italian-guy stereotype, he always had a lot of women around -- seemed to be dating a new one every week. He only allowed women to work for him and think most of them were, ahem, 'professionals' before they were hair stylists. If Nick wasn't getting hummers in the backroom on a daily basis then I'm shocked. All that said, Nick was a great guy, he had great insight into the human condition and I learned a lot about people from him. Come to think of it, one of my sisters worked for Nick for a while. She got fired - perhaps she wasn't providing the requisite employer benefit...
Actually, I got fired from a job in that mall too. I used to work at the shoe repair shop for a guy name Dan. It was one of the best jobs I ever had because job satisfaction was easily obtained. Each day had it's own reward -- plus, you got to work with lots of really strong glue...for hours on end. I went home happy every day. Why did I get terminated? I had this tendency to stay out really late with friends and then, umm, forget to wake up in the morning to open the store. On day I woke up an hour after I was supposed to have opened the store, flew (FLEW) through my house and down to the mall only to discover that the shoe store across the aisle from us had called Dan and he was already in and working. He was mad, so mad I thought for sure he was going to hit me, and he was a really bit guy. Did I mention that shoe repair gives you gargantuan upper-body strength? No, well it does, and he'd been doing it for 30 years. The actual termination was somewhat anticlimactic based on that original fear.
Three months later I started with Canadian Tire, as a cashier, as the only male cashier my store employed (and, come to think of it, I have never seen or hired a male cashier in any of my 4 stores since). It occurred to me last week that I have been with Canadian Tire for 14 years now. 14 years.
I still stop in to see Dan at the shoe repair shop everytime I'm in Whitby. You see, I'm quite thankful to him for firing me. If he hadn't I may never have made a connection with Canadian Tire. I make no bones about the fact that he terminated me illegally - at least by Ontario's standards. I was too young at the time to really know otherwise, but he didn't have grounds. I have however, over the years, make sure he knows all of the successes that I've had with Canadian Tire over the years. You know, managing large 20 million dollar stores and such. There's a certain satisfaction in that.
Anyway, 15 years ago Nick told me that if I cut my hair to shorter than an inch all around, I wouldn't look as if I'd lost so much. I don't actually know about the truth of that, but I'll tell you, it leads to 'maintenance free hair'. Yesterday it all got lopped off. You can't brush what's not there!
Monday, July 11, 2005
Racoon Update
Up until last Monday I've had just two regular racoons that visit my house almost nightly. The first one I call Stumpy because he's, well, stumpy. He has almost no tail. The other one I simply call Mother for reasons which should be obvious.
Last Monday was the first day that she decided to bring her babies (all 4 of them) to the house with her. Before she had her babies she was very comfortable with me, she would take food from my hand with no problem -- after having them, she would come close but would never actually take from my hand, that is, until Sunday night. I think that was a comfort point she needed to reach in order to bring the babies with her the next night. (See a picture of one of the babies in my Flickr stream.)
She's an odd one really, I'm almost positive that she has had a lot of interaction with a dog. If not, I can't explain her behaviour at all. You see, when she's waiting for me to get her something, she lays down on the deck (which racoons do not normally do to begin with) and pants. Yes, pants. Just like a dog.
Just another strange animal spending time at my house.
Last Monday was the first day that she decided to bring her babies (all 4 of them) to the house with her. Before she had her babies she was very comfortable with me, she would take food from my hand with no problem -- after having them, she would come close but would never actually take from my hand, that is, until Sunday night. I think that was a comfort point she needed to reach in order to bring the babies with her the next night. (See a picture of one of the babies in my Flickr stream.)
She's an odd one really, I'm almost positive that she has had a lot of interaction with a dog. If not, I can't explain her behaviour at all. You see, when she's waiting for me to get her something, she lays down on the deck (which racoons do not normally do to begin with) and pants. Yes, pants. Just like a dog.
Just another strange animal spending time at my house.
Friday, July 08, 2005
Good Movie.
I watch Hotel Rwanda yesterday, in part because my aunt recommended it, then Oprah recommended it, but mostly because I was planning on renting it anyway.
It's worth seeing. Really.
In 1994 (the time during which the events in the movie were unfolding) I was 20 years old - yet somehow I have no memory of hearing about the killing.
I can honestly say that I've never been so moved to try to do something to assist the people of the countries that are still involved in this genocidal state. But what can we, here, do? I refuse to provide money to organizations that purport to help in the afflicted areas, my reasons being two-fold. First, I don't really have money to spare at this point, and second, I have very little faith that the majority of the donated monies actually makes it to the people who need it.
In the last few years, 4 million people have been killed in the Congo and Sudan as a result of the same genocide that killed the one million Rwandans in 1994. Why haven't I heard about it? Why aren't there daily news stories? Why doesn't the UN go in and stop it?
Better than that (and right up my alley in the vein of "U.S. -- World Police") why don't the Americans send a fighting force in there to stop it? Oh, wait, because the Congo doesn't export any oil. That's really sad.
It's worth seeing. Really.
In 1994 (the time during which the events in the movie were unfolding) I was 20 years old - yet somehow I have no memory of hearing about the killing.
I can honestly say that I've never been so moved to try to do something to assist the people of the countries that are still involved in this genocidal state. But what can we, here, do? I refuse to provide money to organizations that purport to help in the afflicted areas, my reasons being two-fold. First, I don't really have money to spare at this point, and second, I have very little faith that the majority of the donated monies actually makes it to the people who need it.
In the last few years, 4 million people have been killed in the Congo and Sudan as a result of the same genocide that killed the one million Rwandans in 1994. Why haven't I heard about it? Why aren't there daily news stories? Why doesn't the UN go in and stop it?
Better than that (and right up my alley in the vein of "U.S. -- World Police") why don't the Americans send a fighting force in there to stop it? Oh, wait, because the Congo doesn't export any oil. That's really sad.
Thursday, July 07, 2005
Did You Ever Wonder?
Back when I was in high school (eek, some 15 years ago - this may have happened earlier as well, but I certainly have killed too many brain cells to remember) I remember looking around at 'the group' and wondering which of us would become a public face. I mean, I went to a large high school (almost 3000 students) so odds were that someone would end up doing something in which people would recognize them.
Also, when I was in grade 7, I made a video with a group of students for a school project. I remember it because I remember all of my videos - having a father who worked in post production meant that when we wanted to do a video in school we got it professionally edited on the same equipment that was editing some of the top television shows and movies of the time. Anyway, the video we did was a newscast about our school. It was anchored by a friend of mine named Nelly Gonzalez.
So I was watching TV the other night - a Winnipeg Global station - and who should come on? None other than Nelly doing a news update. It turns out that she is the nighttime anchor. It's nice to see the progress that people from my graduating class have made.
Also, when I was in grade 7, I made a video with a group of students for a school project. I remember it because I remember all of my videos - having a father who worked in post production meant that when we wanted to do a video in school we got it professionally edited on the same equipment that was editing some of the top television shows and movies of the time. Anyway, the video we did was a newscast about our school. It was anchored by a friend of mine named Nelly Gonzalez.
So I was watching TV the other night - a Winnipeg Global station - and who should come on? None other than Nelly doing a news update. It turns out that she is the nighttime anchor. It's nice to see the progress that people from my graduating class have made.
Wednesday, July 06, 2005
Other Bishops (CSC) News.
(Informing my far off brethren of the state of our school!)
Dimitri has moved offices! I must say, I find more than a little satisfaction that he has now occupied Kent Maharaj's old office. There is talk that Nelly will also move, to Sandra's old office, just across the hall. In that case, the plan would be that the southern wing of 1st floor Johnson would become the computer science wing and attempts would be made to hold most of our classes there and to move the linux lab to that side of the building.
(In Bishops IT related news) Rumour mill has it that not one of the people working in ITS (not one!) has a valid certification in anything. Doesn't that sound like a wonderful plan to set up an IT department? Very little official training and no official qualifications. It's not that I blame the staff here, most of them seem quite nice, rather I blame the former management and a university administration that would set it up this way.
Oh well, I hear that the new manager (who is only an interim appointment currently) is planning on making changes -- I'm at least slightly optimistic.
Dimitri has moved offices! I must say, I find more than a little satisfaction that he has now occupied Kent Maharaj's old office. There is talk that Nelly will also move, to Sandra's old office, just across the hall. In that case, the plan would be that the southern wing of 1st floor Johnson would become the computer science wing and attempts would be made to hold most of our classes there and to move the linux lab to that side of the building.
(In Bishops IT related news) Rumour mill has it that not one of the people working in ITS (not one!) has a valid certification in anything. Doesn't that sound like a wonderful plan to set up an IT department? Very little official training and no official qualifications. It's not that I blame the staff here, most of them seem quite nice, rather I blame the former management and a university administration that would set it up this way.
Oh well, I hear that the new manager (who is only an interim appointment currently) is planning on making changes -- I'm at least slightly optimistic.
All Linux Users...
Everyone has to try this. No, really, I mean right now. Within an hour I was able to get a working luminocity window that would (stably!) run most apps, taking full advantage of my Radeon's rendering performance.
Go here to try it out for yourself.
Go here to try it out for yourself.
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
Notes...A Little Catch-up
Okay, so it has been way too long since my last post. I want to return to a more predictable, er, regular blogging pattern, but my last blog software was just pissing me off too much -- too many spam comments to deal with (almost 50 a day), can't seem to set it the way I want it (without coding it myself). Blogspot is just easier to deal with.
A few updates about my life from the last month:
I went to see Cirque du Soleil's performance of Corteo in Old Montreal a few weeks ago -- it was my first time to see one of their performances, and it was terrific. I highly recommend it for a good afternoon/evening out if it happens to come to your town.
When we last left the story of J9, it was a little bit up in the air as to whether we were going to have access to that lab by the beginning of the next school year. It turns out we will. There is currently no risk we will lose that lab during the next school year.
Bishops Computer Science is confirmed to be offering a grad program to offer Master's degrees in both image processing/computer graphics and theory of computation. My research this summer and my involvement with the image processing lab during the final year of my B.Sc. next year will both begin to count towards a Masters degree.
More later... (not in a month!)
A few updates about my life from the last month:
I went to see Cirque du Soleil's performance of Corteo in Old Montreal a few weeks ago -- it was my first time to see one of their performances, and it was terrific. I highly recommend it for a good afternoon/evening out if it happens to come to your town.
When we last left the story of J9, it was a little bit up in the air as to whether we were going to have access to that lab by the beginning of the next school year. It turns out we will. There is currently no risk we will lose that lab during the next school year.
Bishops Computer Science is confirmed to be offering a grad program to offer Master's degrees in both image processing/computer graphics and theory of computation. My research this summer and my involvement with the image processing lab during the final year of my B.Sc. next year will both begin to count towards a Masters degree.
More later... (not in a month!)
New. Blog. - First. Post.
This is a test of the emergency blogging system. Had this been a real blog emergency your screen would immediately have been filled with mostly naked animals acting out the entire story of 1984 by George Orwell. When played backwards and upside-down, these animals would remind you mostly of mormons reading the bible while wearing latex fetish wear.
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