臺灣之子 - Son of Taiwan

To the true 臺灣之子 (Son of Taiwan),



Rest in peace my friend. You will be sorely missed. We will meet again in God's glory. For now, take care.....
阿挺 & Betty

Hardworking taxpayer money at work for you!

This comic strip is hilarious, and also contains many truths!

Mmmm, Double Down goodness

Mmmmm, mmmm, good.....look at this new sandwich that KFC is now selling.....



Now that's what I call a sandwich!

Washrooms in Europe

Why is it that restaurant owners in Europe are so stingy when it comes to things like their washrooms? Many put someone there who is "cleaning" the washroom, but really doesn't do anything but sit there, expecting 50 cents for washroom use. Some restaurants put a code lock on their washroom for keeping the public out....only paying customers have the right to use their facilities.....

That's one thing that's annoying about Europe - come on, just loosen up and be generous with your facilities!

So many truths on so many levels....

I think PhD students or people who have gone through the PhD process will attest to the truths of this brilliant comic strip....

This non-Taiwanese person speaks awesome Taiwanese!

I think those Taiwanese that can't speak Taiwanese should be ashamed of themselves after watching this:



Bravo, white guy! Bravo!

Ugh....new parents

I'm at the age where many of my friends the same age are now parents. Sometimes they are insufferable. The whole world revolves around their stupid kids. All they want to talk about are their stupid kids. They have no life for themselves left. They have no personality left. All there is left over, is their kids.

Some people say that you never know the meaning of sacrifice and selflessness until you have kids. This may indeed be true. I can believe that when you become a parent, and hold a child that is totally vulnerable and dependent, that you finally realize what sacrifice and selflessness is.

But I will also say that parents are among the most selfish people in the world. They are selfless to their kids, but they are also the most selfish for their kids. Their whole mentality shifts to getting what they feel is necessary for their kids, no matter what the cost. And damned be you, if you get in the way of their ambitions for their own kids.

New parents - they can be really annoying sometimes.....

Freiburg and Geneva

I think it's definitely confirmed that Freiburg is infinitely a better city than Geneva.....

Toronto remembers the victims of the February 28, 1947 Massacre

Good job Mom......I hope that we will never forget the bloodshed and sacrifice of Taiwanese to bring about a democratic and free Taiwan. I hope that future generations never take for granted the freedom that they enjoy....

Gilmour - classic goal in 2OT

What a goal! Gilmour in 2OT, Game 1, Norris Divison Final 1993.

The Island Nation

The island nation lies silent, quietly it mourns,
Formosans with bowed heads, and hearts that are torn,
They weep for the memory of those that fell,
And for those who witnessed that dreadful hell.

Though many years past, the hurt does not fade,
The bloodshed and sufferings cannot be unmade.
So many killed, so many families destroyed,
The cries of the victims, they could not avoid
The death that came to them and their friends,
From a stubborn regime that just wouldn't bend.

From the streets of Taipei, to the farms in Chia-Yi,
The gunshots rang steadily, as loud as can be.
The slaughter continued on its merciless path,
Murdering political dissidents with its angry wrath.

The death of so many will not be in vain.
Neither will be their families' anguish and pain,
We remember these victims with saddened sorrow,
But we still retain hope for a better tomorrow.

For freedom has its price, it does not come cheap,
The victims have sacrificed, they have earned their keep,
But we must go on, our mission is not done,
Until the fight for freedom has truly been won.
We will not let them down, the ghosts of the past,
Their cause of yesteryear is our greatest task,
We strive for the freedom of Formosans today,
To our compatriots, have faith, rest in peace you may.

In memory of the victims of the February 28 1947 Massacre

阿挺

Lunar New Year - the Year of the Tiger

Happy Lunar New Year - it's the year of the Tiger this year.....

In Taiwan this is usually celebrated with Hot Pot, and the giving of Red Envelopes to family members. It's the biggest holiday in Tawian......

So to my fellow Taiwanese: 臺灣新年恭喜! 向望今年逐家健康!

Schwäbische Fleischküchle

Without an oven, some dishes are hard to make, but one thing I've been successful at making are Swabian Meatballs (Schwäbische Fleischküchle)....delicious! They are tender and juicy, and make a great meal....

You need ground beef, an egg, a soaked bread roll, a touch of parsley, finely chopped onions, a pinch of salt and pepper to make them....



Enjoy with some potatoes and red wine!

Canadian Pancakes

Mmm, what's better in the morning than some good ol' Canadian pancakes with Canadian Maple Syrup? Yummy, yummy!



And they're easy to make!

190 g of flour
10 g of baking powder
A teaspoon of salt
A tablespoon of sugar
300 mL of milk
1 egg
3 tablespoons of butter

The ingredients can be mixed smoothly together in a bowl to make the pancake mix. Then pour the mix about 250 mL at a time into an oiled pan at medium high heat. Fry until both sides are slightly browned.

Serve hot and make sure to add Maple Syrup!

Superbowl Pick

So it's gonna come down to the Colts and Saints in Superbowl XLIV....

and my official prediction is:
Saints 38, Colts 28

Why? No reason, everything on paper points to the Colts winning, but something about my gut seems to think that the Saints will pull this one off....of course, my gut has been wrong before!

Who dat?!?!?! Who dat gonna beat the Saints?!?!?!


(well, maybe the Colts, but I think Brees & Co. will come out on top)

Overtime beats Shootouts Anyday...

NHL Playoff Overtimes are the most exciting parts of sports - any sport!

Don't listen to those Shootout advocates - that's not real hockey. For proof of great overtimes, who can forget the 1993 Norris Division Semi-Final Game 7 between the Leafs and Wings? Nicolai Borschevsky from Bob Rouse and Doug Gilmour in OT!

A Perfect Score!

So last December, I wrote a German Proficiency Test, called the Zertifikat Deutsch. It's not particularly hard, in fact I should have written it a long time ago...I have, after all, been here over three years already!

The Zertifikat Deutsch corresponds to the B1 Level in the European Framework for Languages, so it's not really difficult, but the minimum necessary for possible future immigration to Germany.

I got the results today, and because it wasn't difficult at all, I was expecting to do well, but in the end, I got a perfect score!
I wasn't expecting to do that well!


Here's my certificate:


and here's the evaluation report showing that I got 300 points out of 300!

Phaneuf a Leaf!

Wow....Dion Phaneuf a Leaf. The trade yesterday sent Phaneuf together with Fredrik Sjostrom and Keith Aulie from the Calgary Flames to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Leafs give up meanwhile, Matt Stajan, Niklas Hagman, Jamal Mayers and Ian White. It's hard to tell (as the trade only happened yesterday) who will end up getting the upper hand in the deal - but I'm betting on the Leafs being very satisfied with this.....who knows, maybe it's the Doug Gilmour trade redux!

Here's to Phaneuf, and lot's of success in a Leafs uniform!

German Proficiency Exams

So, if you want to attest that you can speak German at a certain level, you would just take a proficiency exam at the appropriate level, and be done with it, right?

No, of course not! This is Germany, and they wouldn't make things that simple, would they?
Take a look at the different German Proficiency Exams that exist, and you will see that things are not so simple...

Which one to choose between the following?
BULATS
DSH
Großes Deutsches Sprachdiplom
Kleines Deutsches Sprachdiplom
Prüfung Wirtschaftsdeutsch International
TestDaF
Zentrale Mittelstufenprüfung
Zentrale Oberstufenprüfung
Zertifikat Deutsch
Zertifikat Deutsch für den Beruf
Einbürgerungstest
Goethe-Zertifikat B2
Goethe-Zertifikat C1
blah blah blah....

Why don't they just simply things? Oh, wait, I forgot, this is Germany - where simplicity is frowned upon....

Cold Weather

今仔日天氣冷吱吱
拄著一个人愛歕雞胿
講伊偌會放大屁
放屁聲真正足媠

Poem by 21st century poet 阿挺

Jogging Pants Friday

You know how there are casual Fridays, where people dressed in normally in suits come dressed in business casual - and people normally dressed in business casual can come dressed in jeans and a polo shirt?

Well I think it's not casual enough. I think Fridays should be Jogging Pants Fridays...

Jogging pants are so comfortable - and think how much better productivity would increase because employees are comfortable!

Another playoff classic....

How about this triple overtime goal by Gary Roberts against the Senators in 2002....



What a playoff year that was for #7!

Land of the Seven Moles

Oaxaca (however you pronounce it) is known as the Land of the Seven Moles.

There's a place called Juquilita Restaurante Oaxaqueno in south San Jose to which JoJo, Pat, Yen, Fran, Betty and I went. They serve Oaxacan food...mmm mmm good!

The sauce (Mole) is supposed to be very well known, and here are some pictures of the deliciousness:







What I recommend is the cheese Empanada with Mole Amarillo - unfortunately, we didn't snap a picture, but this Empanada is definitely good stuff!

The Sampler

If you're ever in Sonoma valley, you should try out the Russian River Brewing Company Pub. You can get a Sampler - that's 14 different Beers with two ounces each to try - for only 50 cents per two ounces....you can't beat a deal like that!

The best six minutes anyone's ever played...

Doug Gilmour of the Toronto Maple Leafs played the best six minutes of hockey ever against the LA Kings during Game 1 of the Campbell Conference Finals.

Take a look!

Tides of Life Ocean View Home in Aptos - Zelda Sims

Perhaps you're considering traveling to the Santa Cruz area, and you are going with a bunch of people. Maybe you're looking for a cozy ocean view home to stay at while you're there.

Perhaps you've come across an add for the Tides of Life Ocean View Home owned by Zelda Sims, and are thinking of renting it as a vacation home for some time....

Well, think again!

This is a terrible choice! Zelda Sims is one of the most petty, unorganized, unfriendly people you'll ever meet. The views are overrated, and coordinating with Zelda to get enough towels, toiletries, etc. in the house is a big pain in the ass.

In fact, Zelda Sims herself is a pain in the ass....

So don't rent this house! It would be a big mistake....BOYCOTT!!!

Good ol' Burgers

Sometimes a good ol' fashioned American-style burger is just what the Doctor ordered....

Here's a picture of a delicious double double In N' Out burger, prepared animal style.


We were fortunate to try some In n' Out Burgers (twice) during our California trip....which is where most of the In N' Out stores are based. Mmm, burgers....very good.....very tasty....

Dad's words of wisdom

When I was in Philadelphia in 2008, I met up with my sister, my mom, and my dad. My dad, of course, wise as he is, takes many opportunities to impart immortal words to his kids....words of wisdom that we should take seriously, to ensure that we live our lives to our full potential.

During our trip to Philly 2008, the wise words of advice were: Go Pee.

Over the Christmas/New Year's of 2009/2010, I met up with my sister and my parents again, this time in California. Hoping to gain from that fountain of precious knowledge that my dad possesses, we asked him again for more words of advice...

This time they were: Don't be stupid

Important words to live by!

Peruvian Goodies

On January 2, we were in San Francisco with Betty, Mom, and Dad, and we went to meet Helen and her husband Ronald (and her son as well).

Ronald is Peruvian, and along with Helen, they took us out to a Peruvian restaurant called Fresca.

Here is a picture of the Lomo Saltado

consisting of wok fried tenderloin steak strips, onion, tomato, cilantro, soy, french fries, and steamed rice.

Another great dish is the Pollo a la Brasa

that is, peruvian style rotisserie chicken, french fries, green salad, creamy cilantro dressing

...mmm mmm good....

Weird Street Names....

What a weird street name! This sign can be found driving on US Interstate 15 between Las Vegas and Barstow....

Train Pushers - the evidence of Japanese weirdness!

Only in Japan, do we find such weird things occurring.....



Yup, Japanese train pushers! Employees of the rail company!

What a weird country.....

The Dynasty Falls to a Wildrose?

Big news reported in the National Post today. It may be the end of a dynasty in Alberta.

Alberta has been a province that likes to keep parties long in power, but sweep them away to oblivion once every generation or so. The Liberal party ruled from 1905-1921, followed by the United Farmers of Alberta from 1921-1935. They were swept away by Social Credit from 1935-1971. The current dynasty is the Progressive Conservative Dynasty since 1971.

But opinion polls show that the Wildrose Alliance is in first place with 39% of voter intention if an election was held today. PC support has collapsed to 25%. Moreover, the Wildrose Alliance is ahead in every part of the province. In the cities, the Tories are in 3rd place, even behind the Grits, and in rural Alberta the Alliance enjoys up to 44% support.

Ladies and gentlemen, this may be the end of the Tories in Alberta. Interesting times, considering that these events are once per generation, it seems....

The Unfortunate Capitalistization of Christmas

One of the things that I really find amazing is the corporate brainwashing of North American society with regards to Christmas. I have never seen a society so obsessed with a holiday before. And their obsession has nothing to do with the meaning of Christmas, which is a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.

Rather, North American society has taken upon itself to obsess about buying presents for everyone you know. Department stores put up Christmas decorations at the end of October so that these decorations are there 2 months of every year....that's 1/6 of the year that there are these stupid decorations. Lights, and trees, and stockings, and mistletoe - everything that has nothing remotely to do with the birth of Jesus is used to celebrate Christmas.

North Americans obsess about sending out Christmas letters and cards to all the people they know. They have to buy presents, etc, put up their own Christmas lights, trees, decorations around their house. And of course, they have to obsess about buying a proper turkey for their Christmas meal.

The excesses of capitalism are most evident at Christmas time. And it's an even bigger shame that no one cares about the child born in a manger that told us to be happy with the things God has provided us with, rather than turn into greedy, capitalist, narcissistic people, who know nothing about Christ, but seem to believe that they know everything about Christmas.

Christmas caroling...

Going Christmas caroling? Try this classic!

Funny college football play!

Man, I haven't visited this blog in a long long time. Good thing my bro updates it pretty regularly!

Here's a pretty funny football play from the Florida vs FSU game this year...

Celebrities in Tana

So in August, I was in Madagascar - it was a great trip! It's a beautiful country with very nice people.
Another nice surprise is that the food was excellent there! Great authentic French cuisine that costs 5-10 times less what one would have to pay in France.

Because I was attending a conference, I stayed 8 nights at the Hotel Sakamanga in Antananarivo. The restaurant at this hotel was quite good - in fact here's a picture of myself with others dining at this restaurant.



Even Dustin Hoffman enjoyed Madagascar!

Juno Beach

Here are some photos of Juno Beach. This is where Canadian soldiers stormed in on June 6, 1944 (D-Day) to regain a foothold on France and liberate it from occupying Nazi forces. Many sacrificed their lives as they came under enemy fire from well fortified German positions. But Canadian bravery and determination allowed them to overcome.

We owe our Canadians soldiers a huge debt for their sacrifice and suffering as they fought for freedom and liberty. A salute to Canadian heroes and their defence of freedom - may we never forget their sacrifice.

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918)

Get rid of the penny

There are some advocates for the $5 coin in Canada. They say that coins are much more durable and cheaper in the long run than bills, which deteriorate quickly, and are counterfeited often.

I think such advocates have a point. However, a $5 coin will really make Canadian pockets heavy - 1 cent, 5 cent, 10 cent, 25 cent, loonie, toonie, and $5 coin pieces.....it's just too many coins!

So I think that this $5 is not a bad idea, but before it comes into being we need to abolish the penny!

What a useless coin it is, this penny of ours! Just get rid of it!
If we could live with the penny as the lowest denomination 40 years ago, surely we can live with the nickel as the lowest denomination now, since a nickel now is worth less than a penny was 40 years ago!

Banks would still be required to calculate interest to the penny, and a penny that is produced by the Royal Canadian Mint costs much more than 1 cent!

So I haven't yet heard a good argument for keeping the penny...

The Republic of Canada

In this nice opinion article by the Globe and Mail's Jeffrey Simpson, he argues that when Queen Elizabeth departs -long may she reign! - that we should look into making Canada a republic.

I fully agree. Especially I don't want to see Prince Charles ugly face on Canadian currency!

Costume Ideas

I'm not a Hallowe'en fan at all...now that I'm in Europe, I don't have to put up with that sort of nonsense.

For those that are into it, and are looking for costume ideas, this is a good one:

Spiffy hockey jerseys

Have you ever seen hockey jerseys like this?



Apparently they were worn by the Kingston Frontenacs for Don Cherry Military Night, with the jerseys being auctionned off for Soldier On - an organization that helps injured Canadian soldiers.

Academic Principles

I think everyone who has a PhD, is doing a PhD, or has attempted to get a PhD knows about the truth of this academic principle:

C.T. and S.T. - more German silliness

In Germany, sometimes the time that an event starts is given with a C.T. or S.T. postfix after the time. This especially occurs often at universities and academic institutions.

What they mean can be found on this link.

Basically 14:00 st means 14:00 while 14:00 ct means 14:15 where ct means "cum tempore" and st means "sine tempore".

I have no idea why Germans insist on this, especially since the terms are Latin, not German. Wouldn't it just be easier for everyone to write 14:00 for 14:00, and 14:15 for 14:15? Or does that make too much sense?

Finally a Taiwanese dictionary

Taiwanese is a great language - unfortunately, it was oppressed by the KMT dictatorship, and is only in the last 10-20 years being respected again. The problem is that the Taiwanese themselves don't treasure their own culture, and less and less Taiwanese can speak the language.

In fact, a Canadian-born person like me (2nd generation Taiwanese) can speak better Taiwanese than the majority of people my age who live in Taiwan.....that's really sad.

Finally the government of Taiwan has come up with an official Taiwanese to Chinese dictionary. About time - this should have been done 10 years ago!

Hopefully this tool can make written Taiwanese more frequent, and more accessible!
But the Taiwanese themselves need to show more willpower to learn and use Taiwanese!

Link to Dictionary webpage

Hopefully there will also be an English-Taiwanese dictionary available soon!

NCAA Stupidity with Excessive Celebration Penalties

An otherwise good game last Saturday between No. 4 LSU and No. 18 Georgia was totally spoiled by the NCAA's stupid obsessiveness with excessive celebration.

Georgia took the lead on A.J. Green's catch with only 1:09 remaining, and the officials called an excessive celebration penalty on Green during perfectly sane celebrations with his teammates on a great TD catch in the dying minutes of the game. As a consequence, the Bulldogs had to kickoff from their 15 yardline, instead of the 30 yardline - giving LSU much more of a chance to comeback.

Sure enough, Charles Scott's run with 46 seconds left put LSU up for good. But of course, NCAA officials had to ruin another great play with another excessive celebration penalty.

There's not taunting from these college kids, just celebrating some great plays - let the players be players, and don't affect the destiny of the game with these pointless penalty calls!

Midautumn Festival

Last Saturday, it was the Midautumn Festival in Taiwan.

To celebrate, here is a new poem, written by a 21st century poet named 阿挺

八月十五食月餅
恁來切阮來請
食到逐家腹肚疼
佇便所聽落屎聲

Harper with a little help from his friends

Who knew? Apparently Stevie Harper can play the piano and sing! And not bad for an amateur player! Here he is with Yo Yo Ma and Herringbone (a three-man band) performing "With a Little Help From My Friends".

I think the audience was really surprised!

French is not useless after all....

Well, I guess my French knowledge is not useless after all....

Is it because I am Canadian, and with French, I can communicate better with my fellow countrymen in Quebec? No - French Canadians can speak English, and you can survive with English quite well in Quebec.

Is it because I live 30 km from France, and I can communicate better with the French? No - French people can speak English, no matter how hard they try to pretend that they don't.

Rather, my French knowledge is going to come in handy in Madagascar - where the local people there hardly speak any English - rather they speak Malagasy and French. (I guess French colonialism, though regrettable, does make this country much more accessible to people like me)

I used to think that French was really uncool - but I guess it does have its uses!

German City Designs

Ok, so I've been picking a bit on Germany, but they have some pretty nice ideas, (if they decide to avoid complicating them too much).

There's a district of Freiburg called Vauban - that's pretty much car-free. Its sort of a "green-experiment" where many homes are powered by solar energy, cars are only allowed through the main thoroughfare, and parking must be at the outskirts of Vauban.

This new way of life, has even been noticed by the NY Times!
Read the article!

It just goes to show that things like US urban sprawl is avoidable, and an environmentally, and lifestyle favourable alternative is possible!

French words polluting the German language

I really am annoyed with the amounts of French words that occupy everyday German vocabulary. I'm not really sure why Germans tolerate them, since they have their own words for them, but for some reason, want to use French words in their speaking.

I think it spoils the beauty and unity of the German language - but what can you do?

Here a list that I came up with (I think most Germans are oblivious to their usage of French):

Restaurant (just say Gaststätte)
Saison (just say Jahreszeit)
Serviette (just say Handtuch)
Vision (just say Traumbild)
Niveau (just say Stufe)
Étage (just say Stock)
Cousin (just say Vetter)
Recherche (just say Forschung)
Chance (just say Gelegenheit)
Revanche (just say Rache)
Version (just say Ausgabe)
Detail (just say Einzelheit)
Orange (just say Apfelsine)
Balance (just say Gleichgewicht)
Portemonnaie (just say Geldbeutel)

Omas Küche

Sometime in January, we went to a nice restaurant in Freiburg called "Omas Küche", which means "Granny's Kitchen". In Taiwanese, that's: 阿媽的灶腳.

It's a pretty casual place with a relatively young crowd (most customers are 25-45 or so), and pretty reasonable prices. I definitely recommend it!

Here's a picture of: Onkel Alfreds Lieblings Buletten (Uncle Alf's favourite meatballs)

Really tasty meatballs with mustard, glazed carrottes and fried potatoes...mmmm, good!

Here's a nice picture of another dish: pork chops with special sauce.....


Good stuff!

Switzerland and the European Union

Switzerland is blessed with some beautiful scenery - great mountain scenery in the Alps, some beautiful lakes, and quaint little towns. It really is a country that is situated smack dab in the middle of Europe.

But something about its people - what's their problem?
What gives them such aversion to the European Union?

Sure, Switzerland has this tradition of "independence" and "non-alignment". But come on! It needs to face reality! Surrounded by EU countries everywhere....Germany to the north, France to the west, Italy to the south, and Austria to the east.....

How much trade does Switzerland do with the EU? How often must its citizens change currency every time they go outside Switzerland (which is not very big). Because the Swiss are outside the EU, but still want to partake in the benefits - so they have so many diplomats in Brussels trying to ink agreeements that aren't EU agreements (as Switzerland is not in the EU), but have basically the same effect.

Well - just join the bloody EU! And adopt the Euro for heavens' sake! Do you think its pleasurable to have to change currency constantly? Losing 2%-5% of every transaction to the greedy banks?

STOOOOPID!!!!

Movies in Germany

Something I don't understand about Germans....why do they insist on dubbing every single movie over in German? It's really a shame - one cannot hear the original soundtrack.

And anyway, the average English level ability in Germany is quite good (although not as good as Scandinavia), and so they should be able to handle it if the original language is in English (and put subtitles for those who cannot understand).

But no, this is Germany, and if they dubbed it before, then they will ALWAYS dub it....

Rather unfortunate....

Halftime shows

You know how there are music performances during the halftime of football games? Like the Superbowl?

I think during concerts and things like that, there should be a "football show" during intermissions of concerts and operas.

What a GOOD IDEA!!!!

American Airlines also uses dishonest advertising

Guess who joined the "Air Canada dishonest advertising" fan club?

Why it's American Airlines, also advertising non-reality fares:
"Fares shown are each way, based on round-trip purchase. Taxes, fees and conditions apply." (found on their website)

So their advertisement of Dallas-Acapulco round trip goes from
$134 USD on their advertising page, to $368 USD total....
DISHONEST!


Sounds like another BOYCOTT!!!
Such dishonesty in the airline industry!

Winter in Ontario

It's cold out, there's snow everywhere, what are you supposed to do?

GO HIKING!!! Here are pictures of Mom and Dad in Uxbridge, hiking the Oak Ridges Morraine Trail.

Political Correctness Stupidity

A New Brunswick Elementary school called Belleisle Elementary has stopped the practice of singing "O Canada" every morning.

Why? Because apparently: " the school's principal, said parents complained that their children shouldn't have to take part." Ah, what crap....

What if I was a parent, and said my kid shouldn't take part in French class. Would they cancel French class?
What if I said my kid didn't want to take part in being in class on time. Would they give him/her a free pass on attending class?

This is the STUPIDITY of political correctness.

If the kids are going to a Canadian school, then they should sing the Canadian National Anthem. Why is this moronic principal bowing to irrational demands?

For that matter, immigrants to Canada, they choose to come to Canada. That means accepting Canadian customs, influences, and traditions into their lives. No one forced them to come to Canada - so if you choose Canada as your new home, then be proud of its traditions and sing proudly its National Anthem.

Air Canada - Dishonest Advertising

Air Canada is one of the worst airline companies at misleading customers about its prices. If it were a European company, it would never be allowed to get away with how it advertises its fares.

First of all, for international destinations, it advertises one-way fares.....but:
"Sample fares shown are each-way based on a round-trip purchase."

Huh? If you have to buy round-trip, like Air Canada is telling people that these fares are ONLY valid for round-trip purchase, then ADVERTISE THE ROUND TRIP FARE! Don't try and get away with the one-way fare listing, when purchasing one-way is not allowed at this price range....

I then did a random search for flights from Toronto (YYZ) to Frankfurt (FRA).
I found YYZ->FRA for $276 and FRA->YYZ for $236.
Altogether: $512 - that's not bad at all, right?

WRONG!!!

After you pick your flight, you are saddled with (in CAD):
$224 Fuel Surcharge
$20 Canada Airport Improvement Fee
$10.50 German Airport Security Levy
$17 Canada Air Travellers Security Charge
$1 GST
$38.78 German International Passengers Levy

for a grand total of: $823.28 for the entire ticket.

European advertising rules would ensure that the customer knew that the ticket was from the outset, going to cost $823.28, and not allow Air Canada to show $276 and $236 each-way base fares.

Don't get duped by Air Canada advertising....it's a FRAUD!
BOYCOTT Air Canada!!

High Tech Idiots

Sadly, this strip contains a few ounces of truth....

One for the other hand

Okay, with Big Ben playing well with key 3rd down conversions, Hines Ward looking like he will play (and perhaps the best clutch receiver in the league) and Troy Polamalu being just all over the field, the prediction for Superbowl XLIII is:

Steelers 20 - Cardinals 13




GO STEELERS!

白人牙膏 - more crazy Taiwanese brand names

So we've heard already about 黑人牙膏, the "black man toothpaste", but in direct competition is now:


白人牙膏 - white man toothpaste.....



Why are Taiwanese people so weird?

Conference Championship Game - Picks

Ok, I'm going on the record with some picks before two big-time games today.

Big 12 Championship Game Pick:
Oklahoma Sooners 48 - Missouri Tigers 27

SEC Championship Game Pick:
Alabama Crimson Tide 27 - Florida Gators 24

European Stupidity

Europeans are REALLY stupid sometimes....for example, European electricity is provided at 220 V and 50 Hz.

See this map to see which countries use 220 V and which use 120 V/60Hz:


So since Europe is all the same AC Voltage and Frequency, you would think that you could stick German appliance plugs into Swiss wall sockets, right?

NOOOOO......they have to make the shapes of the sockets/plugs different, so they're not compatible.
Talk about STUPID!!!!! This is really, really STUPID!!!!!!!



Why do they want to make things difficult for people? Such morons, sometimes....

Carleton Stupidity

Here is an article on the stupidity of Carleton University's student association boycotting a fundraising event for Cystic Fibrosis.....

Globe and Mail article

The reason?  Cystic Fibrosis isn't an "inclusive" disease.....

Those Carleton University Student Association members are big, huge MORONS......

The Big 12

So.....BCS chaos reigns in the Big 12 - especially if all three leaders, Texas Longhorns, Oklahoma Sooners, and Texas Tech Red Raiders all win out.....who of these should go to the Big-12 Championship game?  (Decided by the BCS standings)

The Longhorns beat the Sooners 45-35, who in turn walloped the Red Raiders 62-21, and the Raiders in turn won 39-33 against the Longhorns.

It seems that the Sooners had the most impressive victory of these three games.

Plus, their loss to the Longhorns included some questionable pass interference calls...

Out of conference games - the Sooners have beaten: Cincinnati and TCU, while the Longhorns and Red Raiders haven't beaten anyone impressive out-of-conference.

And the controversial "who's playing best lately" nod also goes to the Sooners...

And even though I don't have an AP vote, I figured I'd give my two cents, anyway....(assuming all three teams win next week)

The Sooners deserve to go to the Big-12 Championship.

(and Sam Bradford for the Heisman!)

Stanford Idiots and "The Play"

Those Stanford people think they're so smart.....

Well, I don't know if that's true....at least they look really dumb on "the Play" - coming on the field before the game is over....

Watch here!

Stupid Stanford.....

Tip Inflation

About 20 years ago, tipping in North America was 10% of the pre-tax bill, and then sometime around 15 years ago or so, this became 15%. Now in the last 5 years or so, I have heard some people say 20% is a fair tip share.

RIP OFF!!!!

This North American obsession about tipping, tipping for everything, tipping for the hotel housekeeper, tipping for taxis, tipping for the doorman, tipping the guy who carries luggage, tipping the airport shuttle driver, tipping, tipping, tipping.....

I refuse to adhere to Tip Inflation.....BOYCOTT TIP INFLATION!!!!!

Lint....

You know when you wash a pair of jeans, and you look in the pocket and there is a ball of stuff.....lint, I guess.....

Where does the lint come from anyway?

Prediction: Navy Midshipmen to win 2nd in a row

The Navy Midshipmen vs Notre Dame Fighting Irish rivalry is one of the most sacred rivalries in NCAA Football. Too bad this great game will be overlooked by many fans, as neither team is ranked in the Top 25.

Of course Navy had lost 43 straight games until last year, when the Midshipmen squeaked out a win in 3OT against Notre Dame.......

Here's my prediction for Saturday: Navy will make it two games in a row.....Go Navy!

Duzen and Siezen

Well, living in Germany is sure an experience, but there's one thing as a native English speaker that I've never gotten used to: duzen and siezen.....

What do these mean?
Well, duzen means to use "du" to say you (in German), which one typically says to friends, colleagues, kids, dogs, buddies, classmates, basically anything in a social setting.
And siezen means to use "Sie" to say you (in German of course), which one typically says to clientele, service personnel, adult strangers, elders, etc. Basically much more polite, something one would use in a formal or official setting.

The problem is that there are many cases where the line is very fine between "du" and "Sie". In my group we all "duzen" each other - which is good, because it removes the awkwardness and distance that "siezening" someone creates. Except for my boss and the secretary. And also an older professor who "siezens" everyone else.....but that's really strange, especially when everyone's saying the familiar "du" until speaking to this older professor (or my boss and his secretary speak with each other).

Another weird scenario was when we visited some friends, and the mother-in-law of the guy is around 70-80 years old. Her son-in-law told us to just use "du", but when we did so, she "siezened" us back....what should we do? If we continue with "du", we are being impolite, but if we use "Sie" there's an awkward distance created, and as well, its kinda strange to take back "du" and then continue with "Sie".

Textbooks tell us to use "Sie" when in doubt...but using "Sie" when you should use "du" presents a very awkward formal situation that's also weird......maybe I'm too North American, but I really prefer the "du", and perhaps start with "duzen" a bit too quickly.......

But I also think that some Germans need to be a little less uptight about this thing, and just relax and go "duzen" someone! I would say that Germany is the most strict at the "duzen" and "siezen" separation for a European country.

Thank God I don't live in Japan! (How many people would I offend a day?)

Compiling

Man does programming suck!! Who in their right minds likes it? Hours programming, and then stuck with bugs and segmentation faults......booooooo! Programming SUCKS!!!! BOOOOOOOOOOO!

Luckily, there is one advantage when it comes to programming......compiling! When your program is compiling, it gives you an excuse to:
a) surf the web
b) skype your friends
c) eat a snack
d) watch some youtube
e) catch some zzz's

Quantum Humour

I like this comic alot......I think however, you need some Quantum Mechanics background to understand it....



Suffice it to say, after I read the last pane, the function collapsed to the funny eigenstate...

66-3

Here we go again....Cal beats Washington St. by a score of 66-3.

Offensive brilliance early in the season and lots of promise from Tailback Jahvid Best. Let's see if the defence is able to hold up over the season....Cal, unranked at the beginning has now snuck back into the Top 25.

Circle Nov. 8 on your calendars, hopefully they can knock off the Trojans!

I love Sourdough!

Yes!!! This is definitely good news!

Sourdough healthier than whole wheat!

Best brand names

What is the best brand name in the world?

I think that 黑人牙膏 is near the top, if not the #1 brand name I've ever heard!



黑人牙膏 kicks ass!

So true!

Scooped!

Looks like we'll still be able to hear our favourite song!

Story here

NOOOOOOOO!

How can it be Hockey Night in Canada without the famous theme song?

Toronto Star Article

You're telling me that CBC cannot shell out $500 per broadcast to play this song?
They make so much off the TV advertising that $500 is chump change!

What? Is that a Budweiser I see?

What!? Is that Mom drinking ... a BEER!?

Dad. So silly!

Look what Dad did today!

Mom and Dad. So silly!

Mom and Dad arrived in California last night.

Dad came into my room, surfed the internet (stocks), read a few reference papers on my  research topic and went to bed ~ 11pm.

Mom came into my room, made Dad eat healthy food, unpacked, almost fellasleep in my bed, gave me money to give to Hsiao-Ah-Yi and Stephanie, put food in the fridge and freezer, talked, showered and finally went to bed ~ 1am.

It's as if I never left Toronto.

And then Dad came into my room at 7am to surf the internet again. Sigh.

Graduation

Since someone is going through a graduation ceremony this weekend, this cartoon seems quite appropriate...

Post-Duck

Still think you wanna be a post-duck?

Stranded in Suburbia

Here's a nice article in the NY Times by Paul Krugman.

US Urban sprawl really is stupid....

Elvis Rocks!

Elvis Stojko is the best figure skater EVER, and this just confirms it:

Athletes should think twice about heading to Beijing: Elvis Stojko

Flying Horror Stories

What's this about? They don't even give a seats to airline passengers now?

Article on CBC Website

Man, that is really messed up!

Olympic Logo

Here is how the olympic logo was developed for Peking 2008.....

Baseball 2008

Ok, the season's just started, so I'm going to pick the teams I'm cheering for this year. We'll see in October if any of them actually accomplished anything....

AL East: Toronto Blue Jays

AL Central: Cleveland Indians

AL West: Texas Rangers

NL East: NY Mets

NL Central: Chicago Cubs

NL West: San Diego Padres

Martin Luther and Wittenberg

So I went to the quiet little town of Wittenberg that wasn't so quiet around 500 years ago. Here's where the Protestant Reformation began! Martin Luther and his insights of "justification by faith" captivated Christians and changed the course of human history!

Here is the door of the Schlosskirche.  This was where Martin Luther hung his 95 theses for debate, challenging the efficacy of indulgences.  The original door burned down, and this rebuilt door inscribes his 95 theses in commemeration.

Here a statue of Martin Luther, in the Wittenberg town square.

This is the Marienkirche, where Martin Luther preached.  This is the pulpit (probably rebuilt though) where Martin Luther would have preached his Reformation message from!

"Faith is a living and unshakable confidence, a belief in the grace of God so assured that a man would die a thousand deaths for its sake." 

Olympic Torch and San Francisco

The Olympic torch is coming through San Francisco within the next few days. Protestors that are pro-Tibet have voiced their opinions, including one brave soul who climbed the Golden Gate Bridge:

(Picture from SF Chronicle, read the article here).

This week's protests on Tuesday and Wednesday should prove interesting... anyone who wants to join the protests can view these websites:

http://www.sfteamtibet.org/
http://www.sftorch2008.org/