Since launching the Unknown Studio last June with Scott, we’ve both variously been trying to find ways to promote the show. Some of that has meant appearing on other podcasts… Or, one other podcast, anyhow. Our third episode featured a good friend, Ramin Ostad, and on that episode we discussed storytelling using video games as a medium. Since that episode, I’ve been trying to sync my schedule with Ramin’s, who also co-host a show called UserCreatedContent, a great little podcast dedicated to all things video-gaming in Edmonton. I finally had occasion to sit down with Ram and the rest of the UCC guys last weekend, and we had some great conversations! I enjoy the segmented format of their show, and although the recording clocks in at two hours, these guys are passionate about video games and the industry in general, and have a lot to say on the topic.

At the time, I hadn’t played Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, which was discussed in the final segment of the show. This is a game where all of the UCC guys agreed: the story line is incredibly engaging, and the whole thing basically plays like a movie. This was a major topic of discussion, as most of us agreed that one of the most revolutionary leaps forward in gaming recently is a very deliberate attention to detail on storyline.

If you’re into games, I highly recommend you subscribe to UserCreatedContent — Edmonton’s only video game podcast… And not just because I’m on it either. These guys are the future of citizen-video-game journalism and a great addition to the Edmonton Podcasting Scape.

It’s pretty easy to tell when my work colleagues miss me. I was out with the flu (or something) last week, and I was sent a few telling images that both professed my colleagues’ love for me, and their dismay at my absence from work. To wit:

This was, of course, followed up with a very clear message: I am nothing more than swine.

I love the people I work with!

All my vague memories of staying home sick as a child involve watching the Price Is Right, being waited on hand and foot, and generally having a very good time of it. Now that I’m an adult, being home sick absolutely blows.

I started to feel under the weather on Tuesday evening. By Wednesday afternoon, I was canceling my evening’s plans. On Thursday morning I called in sick and hadn’t left the house until Saturday. And being home alone all day with an aloof cat, a raging headache and no energy to do anything is a far cry from the delights of sick days when I was a kid.

I haven’t been hit that hard by an illness for about 5 years. I don’t get sick very easily. And while I didn’t think I had H1N1 — because I didn’t have a fever — I think I had nearly every symptom.

Calling in sick… seems like something both the federal and provincial governments have basically done. That, at least, would provide some context for the utter mismanagement of the H1N1 vaccination debacle, particularly in Alberta. More articulate men than I have provided far more lucid comments than I could on the matter. Such as Chris LaBossiere, who wrote two excellent posts on the matter over the last few days:

“But there are two segments of the population I think need to take more accountability in managing the hype and panic spreading across our region. Government and Healthcare leadership and those of use who are not considered a great risk for contacting and being harmed by the virus. The concept of free access to healthcare does not equal the public’s feeling of entitlement to its unmanaged distribution. We must consider that like all complex issues, there needs to be a complex management of said issue.” — From “Time for H1N1 Leadership. A shared responsibility.”

Chris followed this post up with a far more urgent one — one that calls on the leadership in this province to get their shit together:

“The distribution of the H1N1 vaccine should not have been so difficult. All along, Dr. Gerry Predy and the government have had a strategy on dealing with pandemics. I heard him speak over 4 years ago to the Edmonton South Rotary Club about what he called then, a certainty. He said that a flu pandemic was not a matter of if it might happen, as much as when it will happen. Minister Liepert is now coming across like a cat chasing a ball of yarn. He has lost control of the messaging in this situation and the Premier seems happy to watch from the sidelines, delegating the entire situation to his Minister and senior bureaucrats. This is NOT leadership.” — From “So far so… what? Where are you Ed?“

I may have felt like utter piss this past week… and this sick feeling is only compounded by the negligent leadership demonstrated in the handling of the H1N1 vaccination debacle. I fail to understand how a government so explicit in its messaging of the importance of being vaccinated could be so unprepared when citizens actually heed their word. Now, they’re scrambling and implementing restrictions on vaccination delivery that, frankly, should have been in place from the beginning.

Bunch of Eddie-come-latelies, this provincial government. Thank the gods we have guys like LaBossiere upset enough to speak out about it!

I’m a slave to my gadgets. I’m the kind of person who always wants to have the newest, coolest tech. So it’s kind of weird that I only just now got an iPhone 3GS. Such are the perils of being a slave to the Big 3 Telcos in Canada. But I digress.

As a result of my recent acquisition of a new mobile, I have not one but TWO blackberries for sale. And though I’m quite rough with my devices, these two phones still work great. Check the descriptions and asking prices below…

Blackberry Pearl

I got the Pearl, my first foray into the world of smartphones, two years ago after I lost my Moto KRZR. I fell instantly in love with the compact design and the pearl (scroll ball) interface. This mobile was passed on to my roommate, who works construction. He recently got a Curve so returned the Pearl to me. The phone’s somewhat beat up (the back panel of the case is scratched, and some of the paint on the top of the phone has rubbed off). But it still works great (sometimes the scroll ball glitches, but that’s common with BBs).

Comes with:

• Desktop cradle charger
• One battery
• Wall charger (not pictured)
• Handfree (not pictured)
• Works on Rogers — phone is not unlocked

Asking price: $75 CAD OBO. Email me if you’re interested.

Blackberry Curve 8320

After I grew somewhat tired of the smaller keyboard on the Pearl (I was doing a lot of emailing), I decided to upgrade to a Blackberry Curve with Wi-Fi. This phone is fully unlocked and will work on any GSM network (in Canada, that’s Rogers and Fido right now). The phone is in good shape, save for a scratch on the screen (noticeable, but doesn’t mess up the display) and some worn out paint on the back case.

Comes with:

• Wall charger
• One battery
• Leather belt clip
• Handsfree
• Original box
• Works on Rogers, Fido or any GSM network.

Asking price: $150 OBO. Email me if you’re interested.

Please note, for both of the above, I will also ship to anywhere in Canada for a $10 flat rate (insured Xpresspost).

I’m not a huge believer in ghosts. I definitely fascinated by the possibility of their existence, and I love hearing people’s ghost stories — particularly when they’re first-hand — but I’m one of those people who has to see it to believe it. I lack faith, even in Class V Free Roaming Vapors. I’m like the crotchety, nay-saying geezer who scoff and waves dismissively at such nonsense.

Regardless, Scott and I had Marliss Weber on the Halloween episode of the Unknown Studio. Marliss is an editor at See Magazine, and she has a keen interest in stories of hauntings and ghostly encounters, particularly as they take place here in Edmonton. Marliss has gone on a few ghost hunts in the city, even, using such scientific tools as digital voice recorders (DVRs) which have the uncanny ability of picking up ghostly sounds inaudible to humans. If you download the latest ep of our show, some of her tales will no doubt give you chills.

With so much anecdotal evidence and eyewitness accounts of these hauntings, why is it so hard for me to believe in the existence of this ethereal plane? I think it’s because often the mind sees what it wants to see. In spite of the often, incorrectly touted notion that we only use 10 per cent of our brains at a given time, the human mind is a powerful device. And though a science like psychology is still in its infancy (at least in relation to other more traditional sciences), it helps to explain a lot about why we see what we see.

Add the power of the brain to external forces, such as magnetic fields, and you get apparitions people swear are real. I dug up this old article to illustrate the point:

“Individuals prone to paranormal experiences are sensitive to weak electromagnetic fields and to man-made electrical fields, which are becoming more prominent in the communication age,” explains Persinger, who has studied the link between magnetic fields and paranormal experience for 15 years. [...] In our increasingly electronically charged world, it would seem that midnight apparitions are really just clock radios rather than ghosts.

So should we dismiss the notion of ghosts entirely? I don’t think so. I don’t think there’s enough evidence to say decisively one way or another whether ghosts exist or not — though admittedly I’ve done very little research on the subject. And to my knowledge there are only three scientists who were studying paranormal phenomenon anywhere in North America…

But Drs. Venkman, Stantz and Spengler lost their research grant, all because of a crotchety old dean.

You know when people say things like, “It’s been one of those days,” and all you can think is that they’re being really vague and you wish they’d use more precise language, and oh my gods!, they’re wearing the exact same scarf as you, how dare they… but you still get it somehow?

Well.

It’s been one of those months.

October arrived with the ferocity of a rabid, nearly-extinct Tasmanian Devil, and it appears poised to hand the keys over the November with the vigor of an over-coked Bohemian reading beat poetry at one of those hipster coffee houses. Put another way, it’s been an exhausting month. Consequently: not as much writing as I’d hoped.

That doesn’t mean I, and others like me, haven’t been up to all kinds of stuff. They have been. Hence, somewhat, this list:

• Last week, Mack Male launched his much-anticipated ShareEdmonton online calendar, a hyper-local event aggregator that promises to become a central repository of all things #yeg. Check it out, play around with it, and send Mack bugs and feedback.
• Mack and fabulous Calgarian DJ Kelly came up with a very interesting idea: pay everyday Albertans to go on sabbatical — so they can improve the province for everyone. Read about it here and here.
• The Edmonton Oilers have started out the hockey season with some fantastic success. Can it last? Also, note that their record is tied with that of the Calgary Flames.
• My cousin’s restaurant, the Manor Bistro, soft-launched its new visual identity this month. You can check it here. They’ll be launching new menus in November as well!
• The ICE Conference takes place at the beginning of November, and I’ll be demoing one of dub5’s products — a scheduler we developed for the SHINE Clinic.
• Rachel and I carved pumpkins last weekend with her roommate (and roommate’s boyfriend). You can see pics here (Mine’s the normal Halloween-style one).
• Scott and I are recording the Halloween episode of the Unknown Studio this evening, with guest Marliss Weber. Should be a creepy one! Look for the episode to come out on Monday, Oct 26.
• On that note, for all things Halloween, particularly in Edmonton, point your browsers to dEdmonton!
• This very interesting article on Search Engine Optimization has been the centre of some controversy. It’s definitely worth reading if you’re into that sort of thing.
• At some point very soon, I need to see these movies: Where The Wild Things Are, Zombieland, Paranormal Activity, Astro Boy, Cirque du Freak, and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (I love Terry Gilliam), among others.
• Finally, I’ll be a guest on the next episode of Edmonton’s only video-game podcast, User Created Content. I’ll let you know when it’s posted so you can give it a listen.

Last week, we had a few really wonderful evenings (and mornings!) of dense ice fog down in the river valley. At no time was this more apparent than on Tuesday night, when my roommates and I waded through the mist with two idiot dogs.

I snapped this pic in our back alley, and wanted to share it with you:

You would be surprised how many of our clients ask to have music with auto-play inserted into their websites. I always discourage this line of thinking, but it always seems to come up. So I put this question out to people on my Twitter feed: “Need some input: music on websites — added value or UX disruption?” I received quite a few responses, all on the same wavelength.

Here’s what my tweeps had to say about it:

The thing to note here isn’t just that people find it irritating; it’s that they absolutely HATE it. And I agree with people. It’s intrusive and disruptive.

I’m going to use this info the next time a client says they want their website to have music. Thanks for your input, everyone!

I’ve had politics on the brain lately, as we released episode 9 of the Unknown Studio this long weekend. On this episode, we discussed the state of politics, citizen engagement and the party system in Alberta and Canada with guests Dave Cournoyer and Duncan Wojtaszek (you can download the episode here or subscribe via iTunes).

Part of our discussion turned to stateman (-woman/person) politicians, and how they don’t really exist anymore. I think most people know what I’m talking about when I statesman — I’m talking about the Trudeaus, the JFKs, hell even the Sir Winston Churchills of the political world. And while I think most people get it, I also think I could have done a better job, at least in the episode, of articulating exactly what I meant by stateman.

To me, a statesman politician is someone who gets themselves elected and takes their job seriously. They have a vision for improving their country and of improving the lives of their citizens in measurable, practical and smart ways. They also have a strategy of how to implement their vision. They’ll do these things at the risk of their popularity or re-election chances (although I would argue that if you’re being a proper statesman, you should have improved chances for re-election over those other politicos by virtue of your statesman-ness). They’ll do it because it’s right.

Then I remembered one of my favourite movies ever. It’s a movie that’s totally off the wall, but definitely a reflection of how I wish things worked. It’s a movie called Dave, starring Kevin Kline, Sigourney Weaver, Frank Langella and Ving Rhames. It’s actually the movie from which I ganked the titled of this post.

Dave sees Kevin Kline’s character “Dave,” a sometimes-impersonator of the sitting US president (“Bill Mitchell”) and head of a temp employment agency, thrust into the most powerful chair on the planet when the president has a heart attack. The geniuses in the Whitehouse decide to hire Kovic to impersonate Mitchell so they can continue with their nefarious scandals and such. Until Dave wises up to what’s happening and decides to take a stand… FOR AMERICA.

If it sounds campy and over-the-top, that’s because it is. But regardless of camp, it stills serves as a soothing balm when juxtaposed against the dead-eyed cynical heaps of flesh we [generally] call politicians these days.

Dave Kovic believed in the statesman president. When he was suddenly asked to assume the president’s role, he realized just how corrupt everything was. And he decided to go for broke and do something about it.

No one in the Canadian political system wants to go for broke. No one wants to take a tremendous risk (or, hell, several small ones) to improve the state of the nation. Should we expect them to? Yes, we should. We give these people the keys to the nation and they repay us with ad scandals, double-talk and outright dishonesty.

It’s little wonder no one in their right mind wants the hassle of running for public office. The mess that needs cleaning up seems insurmountable. If you want to be inspired by politics, your best bet these days is to rent a fictional movie from 1993 called Dave. You won’t regret it. Here’s one of the best scenes from the film:

There’s no question that spoiled suburban-raised brats like myself take everything for granted. I don’t mean to. It’s a rare thing to take a step back and really look at your life and be thankful for the things you’ve been given. Thanksgiving used to mean just food. When my parents were satisfied that I could drink without being entirely reckless, Thanksgiving’s meaning morphed to include drinking as well as eating.

At some point, however, I came to realize the importance of being grateful for things/people/events large and small alike. And while I have more than my fair share of narcissistic moments, I also know when to not be such a self-involved cock-bag. This is one such moment. Below the photo [of my father molesting a Thanksgiving Turkey] is a very brief list of some of the things I’m very thankful for.

Dad un-stuffs a turkey

Thanks for…

• My job: I’m lucky to have one. And I’m one of the lucky few who has one who actually enjoys it.
• My co-workers: awesome, creative and hilarious people, all of them.
• My wonderful girlfriend: without whom I would be a much fatter mess than I currently am.
• My amazing friends: without whom I would be a much fatter mess than I currently am.
• My parents and brothers: partly responsible for my upbringing, but without whom I would be a much fatter mess than I currently am.
• My cat: the constant source of amusement, bemusement, and detached but unconditional love.
• The amazing people I’ve met: there are so many folks I’ve met this year because of my [now over] one year using Twitter. I’m so fortunate to know you all, and to get to share and interact with you daily.
• My health: in spite of my allusion to fatness and messiness, I’m a healthy adult male with few — if any — complaints.
• My roommates: oh sure, I want to strangle them 49% of the time. But that 51%? Sweet, sweet friendship.
• Opportunities: some I’ve experienced, and some are coming over the horizon. I’m grateful for all of them.

What are you thankful for at this particular moment?