Count onward list, for someday I will be next.

Eons ago, a group of enlightened men sat together to fathom the unfathomable, to discover the undiscoverable, and to list the unlistable. These men hold within them a gnostic knowledge of the ordinal nature of love, death, progeny, and the killing of zombies. They sequestered themselves away for what seemed an eternity, returning only when the sacred lists were complete. Few of the uninitiated have ever heard the wisdom of the lists, fewer still have actually laid eyes on the remarkable foolscap, but all recognize the power held within them. Some say the lists are prophetic. Others say that they are causal. But in the end, all agree on the simple fact that they are right.

< I intended to do more with that but I'm tired and really lost my train of thought. Simply know that lists from highschool have now correctly predicted the first two engagements from our group of friends and seem poised to fairly accurately predict the order of the next few. I do actually hope for some inaccuracy though as I am otherwise doomed to be the last fellow married. >


So it is with great joy that I heard of the latest couple, engaged as prognosticated. Trevor and Melissa, two most excellent friends, engaged last week through an appropriately comedic yet ultimately romantic plan put in motion by the ever-creative Trevor.

I figured I would share my favourite photo of them, sitting in what also happens to be one of my favourite places (the Vermillion lakes @ Banff)

Touch

I get excited about some rather nerdy things, most of which have very little relevance to daily life.

This is not one of those things! I beg you watch this movie and then to take 30 seconds and simply think of the possibilities that this technology allows for. I cannot be alone in my appreciation of this.

Multi-Touch Demonstration by Jeff Han

I remember when my friend, Victor, excitedly told me about this technology. I passed it off as a gimmick, not really seeing what he saw. Victor describes himself as a "blue sky thinker" and I discounted his excitement as simply futuristic dreaming. After almost four months of lunch-hour conversations, I am proud to say that my stance has changed. His appreciation of this new technology, driven by his ability to truly imagine its use in the not-so-distant future, is absolutely infectious. We spend our lunch-hours in lively conversation, talking about Jeff Hans (the creator of the technology in the video) and other inventors in a manner reminiscent of the school-yard discussions about Batman/Superman/Spiderman. How cool (and useful) would it be to have their powers? Though Hans and his peers may not be jumping between buildings or flying around the world, I love that I can look at their achievements and ideas and know that I am not simply dealing with fiction anymore! This is a reality which is only a few years away from being perfectly accessible to us. And we can only begin to imagine how any of these new technologies will change our daily lives.

I need a recipe

To anyone with any knowledge of the kitchen: I need your help!

Spaghetti al Limone (ie. Lemon Spaghetti)
I first saw the recipe on David Rocco's "Dolce Vita" and, immediately, my interest was piqued. When I got around to checking the Food Network's website, the recipe was nowhere to be found.

If any of you, or any of your cookbooks, have a recipe for this, I would love to hear from you.

Many thanks.

A gentleman...

Here at the close of Christmas day, I am sated. It was enjoyable and I am most thankful for the time I was able to spend with my family. The gifts were nice as well, though I'd like to think that I've grown less materialistic as I've aged.

The highlight of my day was receiving four books from the "Gentlemanners" series. As authors, John Bridges and Bryan Curtis succeed in presenting etiquette in a clear, succinct, and memorable manner. The four books cover: table manners, entertaining/hospitality, the writing of toasts and correspondence, and everyday behaviour. I was introduced to the series through my friend Trevor. A few of us friends were sitting in his basement and he decided (the causal circumstances are long forgotten) to mockingly orate an excerpt from "As A Gentleman Would Say." I was won over and have, from that point on, desired to add that book (and its companion volumes) to my library. Though some of the ideas could be considered culturally irrelevant or "over the top," most of the books contain very valuable advice which I intend to learn and enact throughout my life. I've always wanted to be a gentleman, known for the feelings of respect and honor that people feel they receive from me. Plus, its always handy to know weird things like how to cut in during a waltz and what to say to a lady whose evening dress looks like maternity clothing.

With that said, I figured I'd share the opening section of "A Gentleman At The Table." Since much of our time together is spent around a table, I couldn't think of a more suitable excerpt to share.


32 things every gentleman should know before he comes to the table.

1. A gentleman does not "grade" the table manners of his fellow diners.
2. A gentleman does not assume that his fellow diners are "grading" his own behaviour.
3. A gentleman does not talk with his mouth full.
4. A gentleman does not chew with his mouth open, nor does he smack his lips, no matter how delicious the food may be.
5. A gentleman makes as little noise as possible while eating.
6. A gentleman does not chomp on ice.
7. A gentleman does not pick his teeth at the table.
8. A gentleman keeps his napkin in his lap while he is eating. He does not tuck it into his shirtfront.
9. A gentleman sits up straight, especially at the table.
10. A gentleman keeps his elbows off the table when a meal is under way.
11. If a gentleman finds that he has breadcrumbs on his shirtfront, he brushes them off.
12. A gentleman finds no need to apologize for bread crumbs.
13. A gentleman does not play with his food, knead his bread with his fingers, or stir the last uneaten morsels of his dinner about on the plate.
14. A gentleman does not wear his ball cap or any other headgear at the table.
15. If a gentleman is asked to pass the salt or pepper, he passes them both.
16. A gentleman does not leave the table without asking to be excused.
17. When a gentleman leaves the table, he not need explain his reason for asking to be excused.
18. A gentleman does not lean back in his chair.
19. A gentleman tries his best not to belch or burp at the table.
20. A gentleman knows that belches, burps, and coughs can occur at any time. He keeps his napkin ready to muffle unfortunate sounds.
21. A gentleman need not use his pock-handkerchief to stifle a slight sneeze, cough, or burp at the table. Instead, he uses his napkin.
22. If a gentleman finds himself in a situation, such as a fit of sneezing that necessitates the use of his pocket-handkerchief, he leaves the table.
23. A gentleman never blows his nose at the table.
24. A gentleman says please and thank you, especially to servers, in a restaurant or in a private home.
25. A gentleman does not wolf down his food.
26. A gentleman does not slurp his soup.
27. A gentleman does not attempt to cool his food by blowing on it. If he fears singeing his taste buds, he lets his food gradually and undisturbed in its own bowl or on its own plate.
28. A gentleman never argues with a server, at a restaurant, or at a private party.
29. Whether he is an invited guest or the host of a restaurant party, a gentleman shows up on time.
30. A gentleman does not overstay his welcome. However, he may linger at the table after dinner along with the other guests and his host or hostess, knowing that such moments are often most pleasing and satisfying of the evening.
31. A gentleman does not loosen his belt, no matter how discreetly, even after an extravagantly large meal.
32. In any aspect of his life, but especially at the dinner table, a gentleman does not bite off more than he can chew.

Christmas Party Proof

The day after the annual Harris Family Christmas party. I enjoyed myself, I hope everyone else did. It was definitely a bit more subdued with our loudest and most energetic friends either crippled or out of town.

Some choice photos from the evening:


I had to work for this shot. Melanie spent all evening blocking various people's attempts to photograph her. It remains my goal to become skilled enough at photography to make people like Melanie and Amy comfortable in front of my camera.



Dan and Holly. It was nice to finally meet Holly; We had heard about her for well over a year but had never actually met her. She's a very nice young lady. She and Dan make a cute couple.



Trevor and his creepy cardboard girlfriend.



Here we see Nolan, making a move on Trevor's creepy cardboard girlfriend.



The ever lovely Amy. RJ took this shot and clearly has some kind of amazing talent. Amy screams and cowers when I try to take her photo.



Suited Trevor and the cripples (RJ and Nolan). RJ has a nice line of staples in his arm from a recent fracture; Nolan has a small bandage on his knee, the size of which really contradicts the gruesomeness of the nail-gun wound beneath it.