2 February 2007, early morning
I’m almost done Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures by Vincent Lam. I’ve really liked it so far, and I can’t imagine ending up disappointed with it in the last 20 or so pages. While reading one of the short stories on the SARS outbreak, which I did during the bus ride home from work last night and the bus ride to work this morning, I felt my chest tense up like I was getting bronchitis. It is strange how your body reacts to things.
1 February 2007, late morning
You can use the sizeof operator in C and C++ to find out the size (in bytes) of a type. For example, if we have defined an array char array[10], then sizeof(array) will return the value 10. sizeof looks like a library function, but it isn’t one, it’s part of the definition of the language itself. The call sizeof array also returns 10. In most cases you can use or drop the parentheses around the operand for sizeof. The one exception to this occurs when trying to determine the size of a type. If a type name is to be the operand for sizeof it must be wrapped in parentheses; if you don’t do this, your program won’t compile. I usually drop the parentheses for calls to sizeof so I can tell at a glance if its operand is a type or a particular variable.
1 February 2007, early morning
Carvill and I went to Banu for a late dinner last night. The restaurant is run by two sisters: one has long hair and wears black boots, the other has short hair and doesn’t wear black boots. They both sit down next to you when they take your orders, which gives the place a very casual vibe. It is easily my favourite kebab place in the city.
One of the sisters stumbled on my post about my first trip there, and left a comment. I didn’t say anything about it because, frankly, I had no idea they would even know what I’m talking about. Also, even if they did, I imagine we’d have a short and boring conversation about it:
“Hey, I’m Ram. You left a comment on my website.”
“Yes I did.”
“Cool…”
“Yeah…”
It is always strange when the real world and this virtual one overlap. I was of the opinion random people who stumble on the site don’t match my face to this website. You can figure it out easily enough, but it’s not so straightforward. There aren’t that many photos of me here. The last one was from September. I mean, when the site was profiled on BlogTO the picture that went with it was of Mezan and Patrick.
Carvill and I finished dinner, paid, put on our coats, and started to make our way to the door. As we were leaving, the short haired sister said, “Thanks for coming Ram, have a good night.”
31 January 2007, mid-morning
Flickr is going to start making people log in with Yahoo IDs starting on March 15th. I have been doing so since I bought a flickr pro account, a little over a year ago. It seemed like as good a time as any to make the switch. People can get pretty passionate about stuff like this. It’s interesting to see the attachment people form for a login name and password. I imagine the fact they have to trade in their Flickr login for a Yahoo one doesn’t make the transition any better. A lot of people have issues with Yahoo. I would argue sentimentality is the only legitimate reason to hold a grudge here; since the Yahoo acquisition, the service at Flickr has only gotten better. You get more for your money now than you did before. And, as far as I can tell, the community around Flickr remains the same. You just need to make it past the initial hurdle of making a stupid Yahoo ID then its smooth sailing. I don’t think there will be any lasting backlash from this whole thing. People have known that they would need to switch to Yahoo logins for well over a year now. That won’t stop people from freaking out mind you.
Update: Anil Dash is OK with all these changes, and wonders why people are freaking out. (Maybe he browses a different Internet than I do.) Two Flickr competitors are out of the gates trying to steal users: The Dark Side of the Flickr Acquisition, Flickr News Today Sucks. I can’t imagine there are any users who are so distraught at having to get a Yahoo ID they’re going to leave Flickr behind. There is even a pretty crap MetaFilter thread on this non-event.
Comment [3] Technology
26 January 2007, early morning
I bought Shima the Little Mermaid for her birthday. Disney recently put it on DVD. We watched it on Monday, which was the day her birthday fell on. I haven’t seen the film in years. The plot is, as you probably know, about a mermaid who falls in love with a prince, much to her father’s chagrin. After all this time I think the film holds up quite well. It doesn’t feel dated. It’s a nice movie, from a period of time when Disney was churning out good cartoons. They had a pretty good streak going for a little while.
The official The Little Mermaid web site.
[Aside: My movie watching has slowed to a crawl. That sucks. There are so many films I want to see.]
25 January 2007, mid-morning
There is a monster in the Outlands called the Fel Reaver, which will kill your ass if you stand around to let it. My Warlock ran as fast as he could.
As it is quite cold outside, I continue to spend my time in doors playing World of Warcraft. I have been dividing my time between my new Blood Elf Paladin, and my good old Warlock. When I got home from work, I was about half way to level 60 — the level I’ve been trying to reach for months and months; last night my character finally reached this milestone. I suppose calling it a milestone makes it sound more important than it actually is, but really, I’ve been doing so little else with my time I’ll take a virtual achievement when I get it. For a long while I didn’t think I’d play enough to ever get to this point in the game. It took me 13 days played to get to this point, which I played over the course of 9 months. To put that in the context of other people that play, some fellow did the same thing I did in 3 days played, over the course of less than 10 days. Playing the last 2 levels in the Outlands probably sped the process up a fair bit; the quests and monsters give a fair amount more XP then the quests and monsters in Azeroth. Also, since I was playing with Gary, it was easy to complete a lot of quests quickly. It’s a bit anti-climatic at this point in time. I have the expansion, so this isn’t the last level a character can reach anymore. That said, I don’t know if reaching level 70 will feel the same.
23 January 2007, mid-afternoon
My dad mentioned over the weekend that Sri Lankan troops have taken the key town of Vaharai. This is a pretty big win for the Sri Lankan army. As I understand things, Vaharai links the North to the South, and was used as a supply route. The town was basically under LTTE control for quite some time. It sounds like the fight was messy to say the least. Reports indicate there is a serious refugee situation in the area. (People are being internally displaced due to the fighting.) Post 9/11, catching terrorists is more important than human rights or anything else — both within Sri Lanka and abroad. The war in Sri Lanka doesn’t look like it will end till the government has wrestled control of the East back from the LTTE. Then where will Sri Lanka be? Where will the Tamil’s of Sri Lanka be? After 30 years or so of fighting, pretty much nothing will have changed for the better.
Update: Another good article at the BBC on the conflict in Vaharai.
23 January 2007, early morning
Well, I don’t know what will happen now. We’ve got some difficult days ahead. But it really doesn’t matter with me now, because I’ve been to the mountaintop. And I don’t mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over. And I’ve seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land! And so I’m happy, tonight. I’m not worried about anything. I’m not fearing any man! Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord!
This was the last speech Martin Luther King, Jr, gave before he was assassinated. He was killed the very next day. It’s an excellent speech — like all his speeches — and well worth taking the time to read.
Keep asking me, no matter how long
On the war in Viet Nam, I sing this song
I ain’t got no quarrel with them Viet Cong.
— Muhammad Ali
19 January 2007, early morning
The Globe discusses America’s latest attempt to deal with the prisoners in Guantanamo:
The Pentagon has announced rules for the trials of alleged terrorist suspects held at Guantanamo Bay that allow hearsay evidence and testimony extracted through coercion, including torture, in cases that could result in the death penalty. — Green light for coerced testimony
I think at this point the US government should just march from cell to cell, shooting each prisoner in the head. That seems to be the direction they want to go in, so why they are dragging their feet on the matter I do not know. I wonder how the US populace would react to these sham trials? My guess would be with indifference.
As a general matter, hearsay shall be admitted on the same terms as any evidence.
Yeah. I was trying to think of something snarky to say to that, but i’m at a loss.
17 January 2007, evening time
Jack Baurer just stabbed himself so it would look like he was injured during an attack. He freaking stabbed himself in the stomach. I love 24.
Comment [5] Television
16 January 2007, the wee hours
I’m the first Blood Elf on Eitrigg — my new character is Satyavati. Me and Yemeria are the only two Blood Elves on Eitrigg so far. (It is a very trippy experience running around an empty starting area.) I’ve gotten tons of in game “whispers” asking me about what it’s like to be a Paladin and a Blood Elf. Having played for all of 15 minutes, I’m not sure I’m qualified to say. I suppose a Paladin feels like the exact opposite of a Warlock. I’m liking playing one so far, but I really haven’t done anything yet. Being the first Blood Elf Paladin isn’t much of an accomplishment. By tomorrow there are going to be hundreds and hundreds. This post exists to note that for a very brief moment in time, there was just one: me.
I sent my Warlock off into the Outlands. Lets just say it’s a bit mental on the other side of the Dark Portal. Infernals keep falling out of the sky. I’m now camped in Thrallmar, trying to decide if I should quest in the Outlands or not.
I’ll stop talking about WoW soon. I promise. You can see more screen shots from WoW over on my Flickr account.
13 January 2007, late afternoon
I picked up a copy of the first World of Warcraft expansion, the Burning Crusade, today at Wal-Mart. It was pretty pricey, at $55, but I thought it best to get it now before they all sell out. Buying an expansion for a video game isn’t exciting in and of itself, but today’s purchase is interesting because the game isn’t supposed to be out till January 16th. Maybe they aren’t strict about that? I’m guessing my Wal-Mart (at Dufferin Mall) got a bunch of copies early. I am going to try and install it now and see what happens. Lets see if I can make a Blood Elf Paladin. My Warlock is three levels away from 60 now, thanks to Gary’s help last night. I need to get to level 58 before I can cross the Dark Portal and enter the Outlands. It’s really not as nerdy as it sounds — well, no, it really is I suppose.
Update: The install went fine, and I just upgraded my account. However, I can’t make a Blood-Elf or Draenei. I guess I’ll have to wait till Tuesday.
Update: WoW Insider lament their inability to snag an early copy of the game. I think if you are looking to grab the expansion early, finding shops staffed by 40 years olds who have no interest in video games is key.
Update: I’m the first Blood Elf on Eitrigg.
12 January 2007, mid-morning
I recall wandering into the Western Plaguelands by accident when I was level 10 or so, and getting killed by a random spider there. (The Western & Eastern Plaguelands are where the game Warcraft III begin.) Now I regularly venture into the area in order to complete quests and kill monsters. I’ve been playing World of Warcraft for a long time now, and am finally close to reaching the maximum level of the game — sixty. (Of course, in a week the Warcraft expansion will be released and the level-cap will move to 70.) I can now travel to most areas in the game without dying outright — it usually takes a few moments for me to die. One area that I have finally been able to go to without dying really quick is the Blasted Lands, which is where the Dark Portal is located. The Dark Portal is pictured behind the login screen for World of Warcraft when you start the game up; it plays an important role in the previous Warcraft games. It’s funny how quiet the area was when I got there, as a week later it is now swarming with people trying to kill demons coming through the portal. So, half a year later, I’m still very much enjoying the World of Warcraft; I’m looking forward to the Burning Crusade expansion.
11 January 2007, mid-morning
Daredevil: Father marked Joe Quesada return to Daredevil. This was also the first time he wrote and illustrated any comic. It’s a good mini-series, which easily holds its own when compared to the recent (and excellent) Alex Maleev and Brian Michael Bendis run of the series. It takes place in the period of time after Daredevil has kicked Kingpin out of Hell’s Kitchen and declared himself the new Kingpin. At this point in time, Daredevil is a bit more of a jerk than he normally is. There is a serial killer on the lose, but Daredevil isn’t interested in catching the him so long has he stays out of Hell’s Kitchen. That’s the main plot, but much of the story is about people with father issues. It all makes for an interesting read. The art is really top-notch. I was very impressed with how much better Quesada has gotten since he first drew for the comic. It’s quite amazing really. I really enjoyed this comic. Daredevil is the only comic I follow now, and so far remains a consistently good series. I haven’t written about any of the trade paperbacks i’ve read here on this site, but I really can’t say enough good things about them.
9 January 2007, lunch time
In a few hours Apple will announce all sorts of crazy-shit at Macworld. There seems to be even more hype around this Macworld than any other I can recall. People are hoping for an iPhone (I don’t see it happening), a new Finder for OS X (this I do see happening), a crazy MacPro (also likely), and a host of other new gadgets from Apple. Apple usually doesn’t announce new iPods till later in the year, so I don’t expect to hear anything about video iPods today. As usual, I will probably post my thoughts on the expo later today.
Some Macworld links of note:
Update: Macworld is happening right now.
Update: Jobs puts to rest stories about iTunes sales slowing. Apple is now the 5th largest music reseller, beating out Amazon. Apple sells 5 million songs a day. (That sounds unbelievable.) As I have said before, buying DRM’d music for a buck sucks, but clearly most people don’t seem to care. Television and Movie sales are also doing well on iTunes.
Update: The Apple TV has been announced. This was the produce billed as the iTV earlier.
Update: Holy shit there is an Apple Phone! I want one so badly. You have no idea. Engadget has a preliminary page up with information on the phone.
Update: Apple has changed their name from Apple Computers, Inc, to simply Apple, Inc — I guess this is to indicate that they make more than personal computers now.
Update: Engadget’s coverage of the event is really good. Now that the expo is over, the page loads much faster.
Update: MetaFilter discusses the iPhone.
8 January 2007, late at night
My plan is to watch 6 episodes of 24 Season 4 everday from today to Thursday. I watched from 7:00 AM to 1:00 PM today. The show feels a bit repetitive. I’m not sure i’m buying everything they are doing so far as well. The evil muslim family? Come on. And the black chick is bitchy, cut-throat, and evil? They haven’t done that before. Still, I’m enjoying the show thus far. Jack Baurer is kicking ass, CTU is torturing innocent people, there are probably a couple of moles in the intelligence department, people are not following orders. It’s all in a days work. 24 is one of my favourite shows.
5 January 2007, mid-morning
I read Marjane Satrapi’s Sugar and Plums on the ride to and from work yesterday. Set in post-coup Iran, Satrapi tells the story of her great uncle Nassar Ali Khan’s last 8 days of life. He was apparently a well regarded tar player in Iran. The book has a very similar feel to her other comics. The art is simple looking, but manages to convey a lot of feeling and emotion. I like her style a lot; it looks like something you could draw yourself — I’ve tried with limited success. The storytelling is a bit more intricate this time around. There are lots of flashbacks, with sequences of panels alternating between the past and present in some of the more extreme cases. It’s not hard to follow whats going on mind you, as the art gives obvious clues as to when the event is taking place. It’s a very cool book.
4 January 2007, mid-morning
Mezan, Patrick and I watched Pan’s Labyrinth late last night at Varsity cinema. The movie is set in Franco’s Spain, shortly after the Spanish Civil War. A young girl and her pregnant mother are moving out to the country side to live in a rural military base. The girl’s new step-father, is the captain of the base, and is a real fascist jerk. The film was quite spooky, much like Guillermo del Toro’s other films I have seen. Guillermo del Toro is very creative and I think there are some very cool moments in the movie. The set design and character design are top notch for the more fantastic elements of the film. It is way more gory than I thought it would be, so if you are squirmish you may want to skip this one. Beyond that though, it’s a really good film. Pan’s Labyrinth is well worth watching.
On a somewhat related note, if you haven’t read For Whom the Bell Tolls you really should. It’s one of my favourite books, and takes place during the Spanish Civil War.
24 December 2006, evening time
Ahilan really wanted to go see the new Rocky film. The two of us, plus two of my cousins, sat in an almost empty AMC cinema on Christmas Eve watching it. It was a nice film: cheesy and formulaic at times, but all in all quite satisfying. I didn’t think the last fight sequence was as long or as ridiculous as fights from the previous films, but it was still cool to watch.
22 December 2006, late morning
Cheap Polish labour is pushing British workers out of the construction industry. I’m curious what the British workers bring to the table that the Polish ones don’t? If the answer is nothing, then I don’t see why they should expect to be payed 20% more just for being British.
These laborers, who must sell themselves piecemeal, are a commodity, like every other article of commerce, and are consequently exposed to all the vicissitudes of competition, to all the fluctuations of the market.
In a capitalist society, if you are a worker, you need to remain competitive. That’s cold, but it’s basically how the system works. It’s the big reason why big box stores like Walmart can move into a town and destroy all the mom and pop shops that used to operate there. It’s why companies choose to outsource to places like India rather than operate locally. It’s why capitalism will eat itself.
The lower strata of the middle class — the small tradespeople, shopkeepers, and retired tradesmen generally, the handicraftsmen and peasants — all these sink gradually into the proletariat, partly because their diminutive capital does not suffice for the scale on which Modern Industry is carried on, and is swamped in the competition with the large capitalists, partly because their specialized skill is rendered worthless by new methods of production. Thus, the proletariat is recruited from all classes of the population.
Actually, I lied, I don’t really think capitalism will eat itself anymore. Most governments put in place just enough socialist policy to keep the system working. Most developed countries have some form of unemployment insurance, health care, welfare, etc. Even if you are living in squalor, its hard to rage against the machine that is paying your way. So who do you get mad at? Who do you demonize? I think that answer should be clear.
(All quotes are from the Manifesto of the Communist Party by Karl Marx and Frederich Engels.)
Comment [5] Politics | Current Events
22 December 2006, mid-morning
Last night my friends and I made it out to Banu for some Persian food. The restaurant is situated in the not-so-newly gentrified Queen West strip. I have been trying to go for ages, and it seems every time I almost make it out for food there something comes up. Yesterday I finally got to try the place out.
Banu has a small selection of exotic vodkas you can try. I arrived first and ordered a Zubrowka Bison Grass vodka to drink while I waited. (It was recommended by the waiter, since I have no strong opinions on vodka.) It came with some sour cherry juice, which probably wasn’t as sour as Shima would have liked, but which tasted quite nice nevertheless. The vodka was quite good. I was reminded of my friend Martha as I sat sipping my vodka straight. Steph showed up next and ordered a WOKKA SAKi, which is a saki vodka blend. I took a sip, and would have to say it was quite good as well. My guess is that all the vodkas they’ve picked for their drink menu are tasty.
Everyone else slowly filtered in, and we decided we’d just split a whole bunch of kebabs: koobideh (ground beef), chenjeh (beef tenderloin), shish lik (lamb chop), joujeh (chicken wing), and murgh (chicken breast). We also ordered some kashk-e baadenjaan, which I feel obligated to buy anytime I go to a Persian restaurant. Everything was served at once. The kebabs were all served on a giant dish on top of some thin Persian bread, with tomatoes and mint leaves on the side. There was another plate with more bread, the kashk-e baadenjaan, and a few other Persian sides. This is the first place i’ve been to where kebabs aren’t served with rice. I started with the chicken breast kebab. It was so damn good. All the kebabs are quite good. It was an excellent meal.
Banu is hands down the best place I’ve been for Persian kebabs. I’d say Zaffron comes close, but I think they serve much better meat at Banu, and the chef there cooked them just right. Everything we had was really juicy and tasty. Banu only servers kebabs; you won’t be able to get any Persian stews here. The meal was about $42 dollars each when all was said and done. (We split 8 orders of kebabs and a starter between 6 people; 3 of us ordered hard drinks, the others soft drinks.) Compared to other places I’ve eaten at, this is a deal, but compared to other Persian places its a bit pricey. (Shima and I both ate at Darvish for less.) That said, Banu really is a superlative Persian restaurant; I think it’s worth splurging on. Banu a nice looking restaurant with great service and excellent food — what else do you really need?
20 December 2006, mid-afternoon
They’ve added more applications to the MacSanta sale, so you can get more stuff on the cheap. (20% off BBEdit! 20% of SubEthaEdit!) So what’s new? God if I know. Apparently you need to subscribe to their RSS feed to find out. MacSanta’s web site seems poorly thought out and rushed, especially when compared to MacHeist.
A country like Canada has a choice of policy to change its future course. It can adopt an isolationist position in order to safeguard its cultural and racial homogeneity, and it can reduce the admission of immigrants with the optimism that the country can continue to grow in an information age even without population growth. Alternatively, it can embrace the opportunity of becoming a truly multicultural and multiracial nation, and with its enriched cultural and economic endowment, can become actively engaged in a globalized world. The short-term cost of making a mistake is probably negligible, but in the long run, Canada may have to pay a heavy price for its lack of foresight in not being able to recognize how immigration can continue to contribute to the building of an economically and culturally diverse Canada that is adaptable to the twenty-first century and beyond.
— Peter Li in Destination Canada: Immigration Debates and Issues
19 December 2006, early morning
I went to Darvish with Shima last night. I’ve been looking for a good Persian place downtown for quite some time. Darvish is just North of College on Yonge, in the spot another restaurant called Tempus used to be. (The shop actually goes by both names: Darvish or Tempus.) It’s a moderately sized restaurant, long and rectangular, with an exposed brick wall to your right and mirrors and bench seating on your left. There is a fair amount of seating, so you could accommodate a fairly large group. Shima and I sat at a table for two near the back. We ordered kashk-e baadenjaan to start; it’s an eggplant dish I like a lot. I ordered a chicken and beef kebab plate as my main. I always get kebabs whenever I go to a Persian place. It’s how I rate them against one another. (I also just like kebabs a lot.) Shima ordered the ghormeh sabzi, which is a Persian stew. We both agreed the chicken kebabs and the kashk-e baadenjaan were excellent, that the beef kebabs were quite good, and that the ghormeh sabzi was a bit watery. I think overall Darvish is a nice place to eat — the fact the food is so cheap is a nice plus. Most of the mains were around the $12 mark, appetizers were under $7. Darvish is definitely worth checking out.
