Because I can never find them when I need them, here — badly scanned for the Whole Internet — are the NordicWare Microwave Rice Cooker instructions [PDF].
For me, brown basmati needs nearer 30 minutes than 20, but your l/100 km may vary.
Canadian Wheat Board #1
Canadian Wheat Board #2
— Organic Canadian wheat on red cedar, beeswax encaustic; 72 × 182 mm.
In the Synthetic History of Canada, there was no symbol more evocative of hearth and home than the wheat board. Reconstructed here by the artist in the traditional materials of cedar [strength], wheat [abundance] and beeswax [cohesion], the wheat board is a forgotten part of Canadian lore. Its rediscovery as a domestic art form brings new hope of a progressive national identity.
Pretty much since the new year, I let me hair just go. This was mostly because I’d lost the coordinates for Arthur, the Scottish barber who first dealt with my hair in 2006, and I’d been following him from location to location. I have weird hair, and Arthur knew just what to do to make it behave.
A couple of weeks back, I was wandering idly along the Danforth, and after looking into a barber’s window, cursed the fact that I’d lost touch with Arthur. I walked a little further and — as if by magic — met Arthur. It seems he’s moved to the neighbourhood, so now we’re back in touch. The haircut I got on the weekend is awesome.
Arthur now does house calls (preferably near TTC stops), and is looking for some new clients. He’s been doing this for longer than you’ve (likely) been alive. I hesitate to post his phone number, so please contact me and I’ll pass on the details.
Human error may have led to outbreak | Special reports | Guardian Unlimited
Government officials believe human error at the private pharmaceutical firm Merial Animal Health is the most likely source for the return of foot and mouth disease, it emerged last night.
I scored a brand new, complete and unused Kelly Kettle for $4 from the Salvation Army today.
Kelly Kettles are a marvel of thermodynamics. Instead of lighting a fire under them, you light the fire inside the double-walled boiler. The tapered walls make the fire draw something fierce, and you get boiling water in a very few minutes. I kippered myself a bit making the morning coffee, but it was worth the effort.
I’m selling my Garmin Geko 201 GPS plus extras on eBay (item 320106781450). I’ve been very happy with it, and the only reason I’m selling it is because I just upgraded to a GPSMap 60CSx. Dave has a similar unit, and I was very impressed with the way it handled routing when we drove around Vancouver.
Most of the reviews of the unit seem to be pretty on the mark: accurate location, quick acquisition, and an ability to find a signal with little or no skyview. While the 60CSx does appear to work indoors, it suffers from weird track jitter.
For the last week or so, I’ve been playing eBay Chicken. I have to say, I’m pretty good at it.
The trick is to bid as high as possible on an item that you might want, but not high enough so you might actually get it. So far, I have bid on about 7 items, and quite failed to get any of them. I’m pleased to say that on a couple of them I was the second-highest bidder.
In a small way, I’m doing my part for the world gross domestic product. And doesn’t that feel good?
Update: The above is all well and good unless you happen to be in a just woken up and befuddled state, and realise that the auction you just bid on was in GBP, not CAD, and thus you’re just about to pay twice as much for something …
The GTA Bloggers will be meeting tonight on the second floor of Paupers Pub on Bloor, just east of Bathurst at 6:30 pm. Be there, or not.
For Groundhog Day, here’s my gallery of Groundhogs. It’s a shame that Gallery 2 mangled the thumbnails, oh well.
Leo Marks, on hearing of an old couple who died within days of one another, and were buried together:
It will feel strange
Not to nudge you
Or to talk to you
Or keep you warm
When you’re lying there
Only a few feet away
Or perhaps even less
But we shall get used to it in time
Of which we’ll have plentyWe always treasured silences
In which we said everything
We shall continue to treasure them
And to say everything
Throughout the longest silence of all.
— from Between Silk and Cyanide: A Codemaker’s Story 1941-1945.
Fink has ‘em …
The 4000km holiday roadtrip is over. We’re back home now. It was good to be away, but it’s also good to be back.
Work has just moved to a sweet suite on the 13th floor of 200 University Avenue. I have a lake view from my office window!
Uhoh, there’s a huge Canada Computers opening just up the road; next to this sign, in fact. I’m glad I no longer commute past it; the temptation would be too strong.
It’s moving day. We’re moving the office from North York to downtown. Very downtown, in fact; 200 University, almost my old Oanda stamping ground.
In celebration of leaving Vic Park & Sheppard, I guess I really must have one last burger from Johnny’s…
This year, unlike 2004, I’ll have White Poppies for sale at Toronto Quaker Meeting.
Strange mini-sunflowers are growing up the stem of the half-dead plants.
