The abuse of language continues...

This was on the Weather Network's website:

Poll? Vote? Where the hell did the people who wrote this go to school?!

Poll: "a sampling or collection of opinions on a subject, taken from either a selected or a random group of persons, as for the purpose of analysis."

Vote: "express one's preference for a candidate or for a measure or resolution"

If anything, this is a quiz, and one could submit an answer or a guess, but not a vote. Opinion or preference has no value in this case. No amount of voting can affect the answer, as the answer is a fact. Hence there can be no opinion about its validity. The imprecision with which language is used never ceases to amaze and annoy me. No, wait... amaze isn't the correct word...

Maybe the Weather Network boffins aren't used to absolutes. "50% chance of Scorpius this month... with a possibility of Orion blowing in from the northeast."

*The correct answer (not opinion) is Orion.

Irony, ca. 1963

Dropbox just got better! (How is that possible?)

Dropbox is just plain awesome. Now it's a bigger size of awesome, even if you have the free account: an extra gig of storage space for 15 minutes of your time (more if you want to give your brain a workout; I'll cop to using this answer key). Either way, a huge thanks to the developers at Dropbox. When I've got more work coming in, I'll upgrade to a paid membership, I promise!

When is an Alien not an Alien?

Now, apparently.

Alien prequel now called Prometheus and will be an unrelated story.

This sounds like a good idea to me. The Alien films really had no "continuity," it was more that they had the common elements Ripley, the Alien and its variants, and an evil corporation looking to harness the Alien as a weapon. There is no real Alien "universe", given that decades elapse between the films. Notice that I'm not counting the Alien vs. Predators films. I'm barely counting Alien: Resurrection, which which was a terrible film, chock-a-block with dodgy effects, cardboard characters, and an incredibly unengaging story.

So Ridley and gang get to make something new. Huzzah!

What's in YOUR WinAmp?

Listening to: The Books. Sublime.

Simpsons porn? Really?

If this definition of pornography is true: "...the portrayal of explicit sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual excitement and erotic satisfaction", then this, The Simpsons XXX Parody, fails on both counts.

I can maybe-sort-of understand spoofing popular sitcoms and superheroes in porn parodies (I do not doubt for one second that, for some, superhero iconography inspires lust, or that some people might pay money to see two women who vaguely resemble Phoebe and Rachel making out) but real people made up like yellow cartoon characters getting it on?!

What now? Are people watching porn for a laugh these days, instead of to get off? That's just (more) sad.

Around the City in 24 Cups, #4

My coffee passport adventures continue...

#9
I Deal Coffe
162 Ossington Ave
January 9, 3:30 p.m.
Atmosphere/Décor: Mix and match. Very bright and airy and inviting.
Seating: Seats 20, maybe?
Wi-fi: Unsure.
AC Outlets: Didn't check.
Traffic: Not busy.
Staff: Very friendly. The young man making the coffee obviously took pride in his work, and it showed.
Drink of choice: Misto. A superior cup!
Would I return? Absolutely, if I am in the neighbourhood.
Overall rating: 5/5.

#10
Crafted by Te Aro
135 Ossington Avenue
January 9, 4:00 p.m.
Atmosphere/Décor: Some interesting coffee-themed artwork, but the overall feel of the place is cramped. The serving area is very narrow. Note the to bald dude who decided he had to march the length of the store, including squishing by people being served three times in the 10 minutes I was there: Hey, Buddy! Decide what you're after, and stop acting like you're the one who is being inconvenienced by the people waiting to be served.
Seating: 20 seats, maybe? But due to poor bar configuration it feels very claustrophobic.
Wi-fi: Yes, didn't try it, password protected.
AC Outlets: Didn't check.
Traffic: Busy! If you like and/or are in the hipster crowd you will love this place. If not, pleased to meet you.
Staff: Friendly.
Drink of choice: large brewed coffee. The worst cup of coffee I've had in years. No flavour, no aroma. Tossed it on a snowbank 10 steps out of the shop (just the coffee, the cup I recycled). My friends who ordered lattes both said the same thing: "Flavourless." If I had actually paid for this (I know, I know, technically I did) I would have asked for a refund.
Would I return? No, never. This cafe gets my first zero rating
Overall rating: 0/5.

Standard Alien Invasion Story, take 768.

I'm not one to prejudge based on trailers, press releases, internet leaks, etc. but, man oh man, Falling Skies sure looks derivative, doesn't it? If it isn't, the producers sure missed a huge chance to show viewers how this is different from V, War of the Worlds, Skyline, and all the other films and TV shows it sure looks derivative of.

One more radio comedy series...

One only has to listen to Cabin Pressure, written by John Finnemore and starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Roger Allam, Stephanie Cole, and John himself, to realize what a perfect medium radio is for a sitcom.

Cabin Pressure is the story of small, struggling airline, MJN Air, and their small staff's struggles to stay out of bankruptcy and just get along. It's keenly-observed human behavior, with well-defined characters and jokes that flow naturally from the characters. The four main performances are uniformly excellent. Let's hope Benedict's TV role as Sherlock allows him time to record another series.

Available as a set of Audible downloads, and a must-hear for anyone who like well-written sitcoms.

And so ends series seven of Peep Show

Damn, another season of Peep Show done.

There were lots of laughs this year, and the Christmas episode wherein Mark's family visits, is one of the best episodes of the season, but it ended on a bittersweet note, with the boys about to part ways, Super Hans admitting he's addicted to crack, Mark realizing his son will probably grow up "thinking Jeff is his father", and Alan Johnson acting like a complete asshole and throwing years of sobriety out the window.

It sure felt like they've laid groundwork for an eighth series. I hope so. Peep Show is one of the best comedies ever made, up there with The Office (UK version, of course), Fawlty Towers, and Steptoe and Son.

If you haven't seen Peep Show, early seasons are out on DVD, and readily available in video rental shops if you don't want to buy.