iMatt :: The Blog of Matt Clare

As most people know, I sleep like a freight train: Hard to get going but just as hard to stop.

I few of you may also know that I’ve been supporting a class in our eClassroom that starts at 8:00 on Monday – which means I’ve been leaving my house at 7:00/7:15 every Monday since September. I did get the time back on Friday afternoons, but I’d still prefer the sleep. Perhaps the biggest hardship is that the Student’s Union coffee shop doesn’t open until 8:30 and I don’t have the time to line up at Tim Horton’s: I go caffeine free until 10:30AM!!!

No more! I’m sitting in the eClassroom watching the Education Pre-Service students do their presentations then they’re off to placements (or something) and after that another class. A full month earlier than the reset of the University’s schedule. At the moment there’s some talk that they may be back in the eClassroom, but they won’t be in here at 8:00.

Friday: Rich Couto came to Brock for a job interview (here’s hoping, but don’t settle for less $$$) and Jen Allen was down from Toronto. Herman and Janice made a party of five and we all went out to Frescos for dinner. After a brief stop at my place to make plans, we went bowling (and drinking) at JJ Caps on Ontario. Barb from ITS also joined us.

I’m not much of a bowler, but I tied Jen for the first came and came in third to Herman on he second. Bowling is actually a lot of fun, no wonder Fred and Barny and the rest of the Waterbuffalos bowled so much. I’m no Twinkle-Toes-Flinstone…. yet.

We finished off the night at Bean Tree ‘downtown’. I had the China Black Rose Tee, good dark and bitter taste. Janice and I watch the last 1/4 of the Raptors/Sonics game – it was point for point. Raptors gave it up in the last few seconds, after vince miss-handled a plan and then missed a shot. I miss hockey 🙁

Anyway, It was good to see everyone again, and I hope to see Rich & Jen again soon. For the sake of getting it in writing, I’ll be in Guelph this Friday night (the 19th?) and back in Toronto the weekend following.

Saturday —–

Today I got a hair cut, which should make those of you worried about the sloppy hair on the back of my neck happy. The hairdresser at THE Barber Shop said that the hair on the back of my neck was quite messed up, but she was very happy with her rescue work.

Now I’m at home finally watching the first Harry Potter movie. Did I mention I miss hockey?????

Sunday —-
Working bugs outa’ wordpress. Anyone got insight on the blog-by-mail option? It’s helf timzone problems and half a problem with catagories.

The pundits are saying that now that the 1994 co-winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, Yasser Arafat, is dead the peace process can start up again.

Yitzhack Rabin , former Prime Minister of Israel and one of the 1994 co-winners was shot by one of his own people at a peace rally. Now if someone would kill-off Yasser’s last living co-winner, Shimon Peres, former Foreign Minister of Israel, we could finally get some peace over there.

I went to Brock’s Remembrance Day ceremony today. It was a powerful tribute.

Last post was played, there where readings from the Bible and the Koran. ‘Our Vet’ for the ceremonies made the observation that it’s getting harder to find a vet from WWII: ‘There’s not many of us left, so you get to people like me who cleaned boiler rooms, and swabbed the deck’. The yearly fair on 11/11 11:00.

The decision was made to move the ceremonies in doors because of the wind, which made the culmination of the event so much the better. Brock’s native drumming circle preformed a song about remembering war. It was amazing! Their chanting, the boom of that huge drum, both echoing and reverberating throughout the hallways of the campus. It was captivating and a fitting tribute to those who fought for our freedom. To use the jingoism of the moment, let freedom ring.

We all know my feelings about the current war, but what simpler definition of a hero is there than someone willing to die for their nation? Today I thought a lot about my Grand Dad, I thought about everyone my age during WWII, but also thought about Fallujah and people there willing to give their lives on behalf of others. Ultimatly, will what they where asked to die for have a greater value then their young lives?

I’m sure you all know about Firefox, the web browser that puts all others to shame. It’s now at 1.0 and ready to go.

More cool stuff, the new start page is a Google co-branded page (Hitn’ IE where it hurts – the MSNopoly start page). Plus no pop-ups, more security, etc….. BUT, Have you followed the link (in the top right) to get a version of Firefox compiled to take advantage of the portable Macs? Have you installed the Google Preview extension, the Bug Me Not, or the bookmark syncing (from machine to machine) extensions??

I’m sure you know all about that, but have you seen this: Saw it here first http://piercedotzler.com/mozilla/hubble-fox.jpg