I'm Dreaming Of A White Christmas
It SNOWED in Ottawa on time for once! It's funny how everyone drive real slow when there's only just an inch of snow on the ground, especially for buses. Got to class late even when taking the express bus. I think we really need a subway and not that poor excuse of a "slight rail" system introduced by OCCrapo. On a lighter note, the driver on the No. 4 looked like an old Spock from Star Trek except for the pointed ears! ^_^

well back to work!

Oh! another thing! For those of you from Toronto, doesn't this remind you of the time the Army was called in to shovel driveways and sidewalks..... and having to walk in that white stuff on the ground. heh heh
; )

Beware Of Leeches
Ever experienced having leeches around? No, I don't mean the slug type but rather the academic kind. Those totally unethical people who would join your project group to get a free ride b/c you would do most of the work? Or those who just leech off your homework or even tests and assignments? Yeah, don't blame ya if you don't particularly like them. I found a website that had a blurb about where academic leeches nest and thrive.

Academic Leech
Date: Mon, 13 Feb 1995 15:38:26 -0500
From: Nick Lawrence
Subject: Leeches Find Love
Sender: UB Poetics discussion group

Subject: Leeches find love in intimate poet reaches
Copyright: 1999 by The Anti-Hegemony Project
Date: 0 May 99 10:20:30 EST

NEW YORK (AHP) - Bio-linguists have found the secret trysting place for one species of academic leech and their discovery explains why it remained unrevealed for so long -- its home is inside a poet's rectum. The leech, Criticarius Theoretici, is closely associated with poets. The leech does not attach itself to any other animal and has the same texture as a poet's thick hide. ``New Scientist,'' in-house magazine for Lang-Po Labs, quoted the researchers -- James Sherry of Bowery College and Tom Mandel of Yorick University -- as saying they had found several leeches inside the rectums of recently killed and dissected poets. The leeches were swimming around freely, rather sucking blood, and had bulky sperm cases sticking out from their bodies, leading the bio-linguists to believe they were mating. Leeches are hermaphrodites, carrying both male and female sexual organs. ``There are obviously some very interesting adaptations,'' Sherry said. ``But to find out more it would be necessary to work with a live poet and that's a very dangerous creature.''

So there you have it, the love life of a social leech......
; P

later!

Presentations, Schmasentations
Presentations suck!!!!! Especially if it's on topics that you don't really like. Why can't it be on topics like "the properties of plasma states" or "the workings of a jet engine"? Oh wait! Because it has nothing to do with Information Systems.... ah well. Too much coffee, can't sleep. Working off some stress as well. heh heh.
oh well
lates

Ottawa orders jelly candy recall
And this isn't just any jelly either. Not Jell-O, but those small jelly cups with the fruit cube inside. Apparently parents of a 4 year old child gave that child one of those jelly cups to eat. As far as I can remember, my parents, relatives and friends of my parents or relatives have never given any child below the age of 6 a jelly cup to eat because of the sole reason that the child would simply swallow the jelly and choke on it. I mean it's sad that a child's life was lost and we should mourn the lost of such a young life. But should we blame a inanimate object to be the sole or main cause of that death? I think not! Blaming a jelly cup instead of taking responsibility for one's own action is rather disgusting and dispicable. I think parents should supervise what their children eat or put into their mouths. This is akin to the incidient at the Silvercity/ Colosseum in TO where after a WWF showcase, a pornographic movie was shown for a about 10 minutes because the WWF showcase was from a satellite feed and the projectionist couldn't shutoff the feed in time. Parents were complaining and whining about the showing of the movie (incidently they were in the cinema for that whole ten minutes, makes you wonder why they didn't leave that cinema section right away?). There were threats of lawsuits and parents said their kids were now scared for life for watching that movie. Come on! Bringing kids to watch WWF shows is just as bad. Allowing kids to watch unadulterated violence is as bad as that pornographic movie. I think as a society, we have erected too many moral dividers, allowing for "grey" areas instead of standing up for what is right and objecting to what is wrong. It's akin to having ifs, buts and maybes in moral rules.

oh well, welcome to Canada! Land of Ifs, Buts and Maybes.
Oh, btw, fyi, it seems someone likes to lurk in the shadows of cyberspace while perusing blogs. Anonymiser.com doesn't completely mask your tracks. Just to let whoever it is that lurking out there know. www.BigBrother.com is watching......
later!

Things You Notice On The OCCrapo

Finally, I see an extended bus for the 4 Ottawa-Rockcliffe route. I guess someone at OCTranspo got some sense knocked into them. This has always been the beef of students who have to take the 4. That route is always packed with students and only the short buses are used on that route.

Today, while on the 4 at the Heron stop, I swear it could have been in an immigration processing center. One after another, a large group of mainlanders got on the bus, consequently thereafter, the babbling of mandarin started and it soon drowned another conversation. I wonder if there is a hearing problem in China since all or most mainlanders seem to talk very loudly. Could start a hearing aid export business to China or set up a audiology clinic for checkups and surgery.

News Flash
Carleton is beginning to enter the 21st century after eons in the dark ages. Starting with the amalgamation of the registrial services, I guess a few of those incompetent deans and faculty advisors will be saying bye bye to their cushy jobs soon. Gone too are the days of internal power struggles since the amalgamation plan is going into effect. With the amalgamation, there will be a new system installed that will handle all student accounts and faculty, I think. The BANNER system is a pseudo-SAP ERP system to handle personnel accounts. Next term, students at Carleton will be able to register for their courses online. Geez, took them long enough to implement that. Most universities in North America have that function available to their students. Maybe Van Loon is finally feeling the flame that was lit under his butt a few years back and is willing to crack open Carleton's financial trasure chest. ; )

Another term is about to end soon, finals just around the corner......................
Back to work!

p.s. Are you for or against Homosexuality and Pre-marital Sex?
Discuss that amongst yourselves...........

Riot Duty - Class 101
Here is something for local North American law enforcement agencies can learn from their UK/ Europe counterparts (esp. UK)

Parameter outlining
While it's great to have a large parameter cordon (a rather silly self-comforting idea really), it requires alot of manpower and equipment to cover all possible points of entry into the parameter. Rather, keep the parameter cordon size as small as strategically possible (between 300 - 700 meters). If the idea is to keep long range projectiles out of range, you'd need a very big parameter area.

Essential Equipment
Forget about mace or pepper spray. This requires close range work, which can become dangerous if the law enforcement officers are not specially trained for riot duty. Instead, utilize fire engines with high pressure pumps or riot vehicles with high pressure water cannons. The pressure from those cannons are strong enough to push a large crowd away without hurting or killing anyone. Also, this is very effective on cold days as it would literally freeze rioters/ protesters. Truncheons and rattan/ plexiglass full-length riot shields are essential for riot duty. Always have gas masks and grenade launchers available as well. There's nothing like CS/ tear gas to scatter an angry mob, but remember not to use the water cannons in the same area as where the tear gas grenades are deployed. Riot horses are great for crowd control as well, it is the intimidation factor that causes most people to move away from those big horses. APCs are much more effective and harder to flip over than patrol cars.

What To Do?
Concrete walls are far more effective than metal fence/gates, and they are heavier to move or push down. They also provide cover for police officers against projectiles thrown by the mob. Never use patrol cars as barricades. They are easy to flip over and it is hard to redeploy cars than are used for barricade duty since they park so close to one another. Instead of having a single long line, deploy the Box maneuver. This maneuver is much sturdier than a single line since there is no back up should one or two officers fall. The Box has at least 5 ranks and if an officer should fall, he/ she is easily recovered and replace by another officer. The shields also protect them and grenades are launched from the inside of the Box. Riot horses are used to herd and corral protesters/ rioters to a containment area. As well, have sniper teams on surrounding rooftops to deal with any potentially armed protesters. FAST (Fast Action Strategic and Tactical) teams are deployed to deal with any possible terrorist threats. Once again deployed on rooftops, on the ground and in helicopters.

While I'm all for a peaceful protest, hooligans and any protest that get out of hand must be dealt with swiftly and efficiently to minimize collateral damage to nearby properties. But by no means does this mean using lethal force, unless it deals with terrorists.

well, enough of digress from work
back to work I go!
*sigh*

The Love of Kids
On Thursday, while on the express bus to school, I saw a little boy trying so desperately to catch his terrier puppy. As the dog was close to the road, the little boy would yell "Nooo..." to the bus driver whenever the puppy ran clost to the bus. Thankfully, the bus driver was nice enough to slowly inch the bus past the little boy and his dog. This little incident brought much amusement to the pessengers on a much dreary day. Kids do show alot of love to people, amimals and things that they are fond of or attached to.

On another note, I saw Monsters Inc. last night with Em. It was very much worth the effort to get up and endure the cold to get to the cinema. The movie was hilariously funny all throughout and the opening introduction clip was very funny indeed. It was meant for the birds. The Star Wars episode II ad was confusing and would be even more so for those who don't follow the story timeline. Mighty Mohammaud! Monsters Inc. is one movie that I wouldn't mind constant laughter from the audience because it so hilariously funny!

The next federal election, could everyone please vote either Conservative or Alliance. Just about had it with those Liberals and their stupid policies and hare-brained ideas and behaviour. Plus we also need a PM from english speaking Canada, so that he/ she wouldn't be blackmailed with the possible loss of his/ her constituency should Quebec separate. I'm a little ticked off with the Liberals' decision to have the G20 summit in Ottawa as I'm sure with anyone who has to commute through downtown. Having such a large cordon area and encouraging those protest hooligans to converge in the downtown area, thus further delaying bus schedules. Why couldn't the government have held the summit at Banff or maybe Baffin Island? Or maybe CFB Alert in the NWT.... anyways, back to work.

Letting Go, Drift And Wonder...........
Psalm 59:12 Psalm 59 Psalm 59:11-13
"For the sins of their mouths, for the words of their lips, let them be caught in their pride. For the curses and lies they utter,"

Psalm 31:18 Psalm 31 Psalm 31:17-19
"Let their lying lips be silenced, for with pride and contempt they speak arrogantly against the righteous."

Psalm 10:4 Psalm 10 Psalm 10:3-5
"In his pride the wicked does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God."

Psalm 73:6 Psalm 73 Psalm 73:5-7
"Therefore pride is their necklace; they clothe themselves with violence."

Proverbs 8:13 Proverbs 8 Proverbs 8:12-14
"To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech."

Proverbs 11:2 Proverbs 11 Proverbs 11:1-3
"When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom."

Proverbs 21:24 Proverbs 21 Proverbs 21:23-25
"The proud and arrogant man--"Mocker" is his name; he behaves with overweening pride."

Proverbs 29:23 Proverbs 29 Proverbs 29:22-24
"A man's pride brings him low, but a man of lowly spirit gains honor."

Galatians 6:4 Galatians 6 Galatians 6:3-5
"Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else,"

After paintball this summer, I have this craving to go again. Maybe next spring/ summer. Anything short of using live ammunition, the thrill and exhilaration of paintball rounds whizzing by your head and the surge of adrenaline, nothing quite like it. Maybe I'll invest in my own marker. It sure beats using stock markers from the paintball places. Sheree's piece was sweet and accurate with its 14 inch barrel. Having a sidearm is useful as well, great for sneaking up on people without having a hopper full of rounds announcing your every movement.
[more to come]

Maybe This Explains Why God Should Be Back Into General Society
Billy Graham's daughter was being interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her "How could God let something like this happen?" And Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said "I believe that God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the Gentleman that He is, I believe that He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand that He leave us alone?" I know there's been a lot of emails going around in regards to 9/11/01, but this really makes you think. If you don't have time, at least skim through it, but the bottom line is something to think about .... In light of recent events ... terrorists attack, school shootings, etc.

Let's see, I think it started when Madeline Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body was found recently) complained she didn't want any prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then, someone said you better not read the Bible in school ... the Bible that says thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said, OK.Then, Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide). And we said, an expert should know what he's talking about so we said OK. Then, someone said teachers and principals better not discipline our children when they misbehave. And the school administrators said no faculty member in this school better touch a student when they misbehave because we don't want any bad publicity, and we surely don't want to be sued (There's a big difference between disciplining and touching, beating, smacking, humiliating, kicking, etc). And we said, OK. Then someone said, let's let our daughters have abortions if they want, and they won't even have to tell their parents. And we said, OK. Then some wise school board member said, since boys will be boys and they're going to do it anyway, let's give our sons all the condoms they want, so they can have all the fun they desire, and we won't have to tell their parents they got them at school. And we said, OK. Then some of our top elected officials said it doesn't matter what we do in private as long as we do our jobs. And agreeing with them, we said it doesn't matter to me what anyone, including the President, does in private as long as I have a job and the economy is good. And then someone said let's print magazines with pictures of nude women and call it wholesome, down-to-earth appreciation for the beauty of the female body. And we said, OK. And then someone else took that appreciation a step further and published pictures of nude children and then stepped further still by making them available on the internet. And we said OK, they're entitled to their free speech. And then the entertainment industry said, let's make TV shows and movies that promote profanity, violence, and illicit sex. And let's record music that encourages rape, drugs, murder, suicide, and satanic themes. And we said it's just entertainment, it has no adverse effect, and nobody takes it seriously anyway, so go right ahead. Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves. Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with "WE REAP WHAT WE SOW."

"Dear God, Why didn't you save the little girl killed in her classroom?"
Sincerely, Concerned Student...

AND THE REPLY
"Dear Concerned Student, I am not allowed in schools". Sincerely, God.

Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how everyone wants to go to heaven provided they do not have to believe, think, say, or do anything the Bible says.
Funny how someone can say "I believe in God" but still follow Satan who, by the way, also "believes" in God. Funny how we are quick to judge but not to be judged. Funny how you can send a thousand 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how the lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but the public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace. Funny how someone can be so fired up for Christ on Sunday, but be an invisible Christian the rest of the week. Are you laughing? Funny how when you go to forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it to them.

Funny how I can be more worried about what other people think of me than what God thinks of me.

Are you thinking?

Is It Written In Stone?
Got into a discussion a while back with some of my friends from school about dating "rules" and etiquettes. One of the topics that came up was about how long someone should wait before asking another out, who had just ended a previous relationship. Different time spans were thrown on to the discussion circle (hmm, maybe this is what the greek philosophers did when they were bored...). The time spans ranged from anytime, 3 months, 6 months to a year and more. Those who had suggested definite time spans tried to defend their positions with minute technicalities such as "it would look bad to others that they strated going out so soon, like someone cheated or something.....", "there should be a time gap before seeing others, out of respect.....", "it's just wrong....", "it's the unwritten rule.....". Those who said that there isn't a fixed time defended by "it's purely a matter of the heart, where there can't be a definite fixed time...", "unless one party was engaged or something then it is alright to go out with another regardless when/ what the time span..., it's wrong anyways to intertere with someone who's already engaged.....". And this went on back and forth for a while (the things that people talk about whilst studying for finals) without any real settlement on any resolve.

Maybe this was a coincidence, but I also noticed that the "time span" group had either experienced short turbulent relationships or have not dated before. While the "anytime" group had experienced or are in longterm, meaningful relationships. But anyways, I digress. However, if you were to look at this issue through biblical glasses, you would find that there has never been any mention or allusions or illiterations to having a time factor applied to the commence of a man-woman relationship. So for those out there who have a "golden rule" or something that seems to be written in "stone", please don't paint others in your views since it is not biblically wrong not to have a time frame attached to starting relationships. It is wrong however to disrupt a relationship. If it happened on its own then fine. So for my avid readers out there in cyberland, what are your views on this. There is no right or wrong side to the issue but just don't subject others to your views, especially if they don't subscribe to it. It's a free world, free choice(except for abortion). This kinda sound like a fourth year or grad course, "there's not right or wrong answer here".

On a different note, to those car ethusiasts. Which would be faster? A car with a 1.8/ 2.2 L engine or a 2.4/ 2.5 L engine? Discounting engine mods or enhancements. It seems that owners of cars with smaller engine capacity seems to think that their cars magically become supercars when they have GT or Zxx affixed to their cars. Especially if the aforementioned engines are all in the four cylinder engine class. Larger cylinder capacity = higher compression ratio = higher power band range. Ah well, I guess some people just want to continue living in their little fantasy world. Ce la vie!

Hasta Luego muchachos
Me outta here!

Launching Probe
Something has been crossing through my mind from time to time. Ever wonder why sometimes when perople needs or wants to know things about someone, they just can't seem to be able to ask directly and find out. Instead they will try to probe and worm the answers out of their intended targets. While I know this may not bug some people, I am adamant and totally perplexed about being questioned in that fashion. I mean if that are so damn curious about certain things then come out directly and ask. This is even more apparent for guys, it's so pathetic to see guys to that; probing and worming answers out of others. Be a MAN! for crying out loud and ask forthrightly. You aren't a spy in Her Majesty's Service so stop worrying about having your cover blown! Be a man and just ask directly! Subversiveness has always been my biggest pet peeve and people who live beneath layers and layers of "cover". Something about that way of thinking I just don't trust.

Oh and for those who have wondered about my nickname, it's not becuase I'm the "Iceman". No, it's not because I'm unemotional or cold, although at one point in my high school life, my anger was just that, ice cold. But I digress. The reason I have that as my nickname is that's how I am when I am sparring. This is advantageous when your opponent doesn't have much to read off of you, therefore your opponent can't anticipate your movements. Hope this clarifys some misconceptions about my nickname.

anyways......
I'm gonna make like tree and leave!
; )
later.

Stress, Stress and More Stress
Wow!, Finally got my Systems Analysis and Design assignment done. Data Flow Diagrams seem confusing when you're trying to finish a diagram schematic for a dateline. Most of my assignments are over with a bit left for the long stretch with final presentations and finals to go. Can't wait for next term, at least I'm taking courses that I like better and none of that psych. or theoretical mumbo-jumbo BS courses. Or dumb profs who don't know how to plan for their courses or which direction they want their course to go.

Here's a side note. Ever wonder why some people would ring the bell on the bus when it is the VERY last stop on that route? I've always wondered about that and what goes on in the minds of those individuals. I mean, it's the very last stop, of course the bus is going to stop there, where else is the bus going to go. I remember once on the 95 heading to Orleans, someone rang the bell when the bus was pulling into the Place Orleans station. I guess the bus driver was not having a good day and he just yelled at whoever ranged the bell. He said something about that person must be trying to insult him by ringing the bell since he assumed that the driver didn't know where is the last stop. Looking back, it was rather amusing. Especially watching the person, who rang the bell, bolt off the bus from the rear exit.

Weekend down in Waterloo was good eventhough there wasn't anything much to do, especially when you don't have a car. Em showed me around campus and the nearby surroundings. We went for dinner at a chinese fast food place (owned by the parents of two of her SS kids), food was good (MSG though) but we both agreed that MK was better. After that we headed to CCF. Now contrary to popular beliefs, CCFers aren't evil or bad people. There were alot of nice and friendly people there who greeted me (sorta like Elijah only with more people). I saw some familiar faces there, such as Jason Wong and Tim Chin. Even the praise team was kinda like Elijah (rather last minute in planning : ). On saturday, we waited the whole day for Ben Cheung to return from TO. He was too tired to go for bubbletea when he got back so we decided to go for lunch on sunday after church (so nice to be able to go for lunch with friends after church once in awhile instead of bolting to school for group meetings). Thanks Ben for taking us to lunch. KWCAC is a nice church but small. Pastor Tim seemed very nice, especially during his sunday school class. He makes alot of jokes and keeps the class lively. They have a shuttle bus that looks like a "prison bus" with it's dark blue color. All in all a good trip but t'was a short weekend.

Well........back to the grind!
*groan*

Longing Of The Heart
Sometimes when there are certain feelings involving matters of the heart, it is better to bring it on to the surface rather than have those feelings bottled up inside. Perhaps this would let others around you know how or what is affecting you and may be able to help in your difficulty. This allows for better communication and perhaps facilitate healing if there is the need for it.