Good idea!
I always feel badly treated in rent-a-wreck offices. They act as if I am going to ruin their precious vehicle.
Category: product endorsements
blog search – Sphere.com
Do you hate blogs?
I was initially very sceptical. The layout of many is not particularly appealing.
Millions of crappy MySpace pages? What use is that?
The real brilliance of blogging is aggregating quality content. A few blogs do have unique and original personal content. If you could only find it.
The best of field so far is Technorati. Very good, I think.
But a lot of smart folks are betting on the latest blog search engine: high-quality, relevant, and timely blog posts. Check it out at Sphere.com
The coolest feature in Sphere is a simple tool called Sphere It! Bookmarklet — If you are interested in anything you are looking at on the internet, you click ONCE to be brought to a list of relevant blog posts. Wow!
calendar of nude musicians?
Some people will do anything to get their music known!
Barely Seen Butt Often Heard is the name of the calendar, featuring local Calgary artists. I met Restless Lester (clothed at the time) when they played at Rockin’ Ronnie’s barbecue event. (click on the video below to see the band)
The calendar is a fund-raiser for the Calgary Dream Centre. A good cause.
The 18-month calendar is available around Calgary for $22, or you could have it mailed to your door by emailing organizer Renay Eng-Fisher at barelyseen@telus.net
When Renay and I proposed a “Barbecue Babes and Bubbas” nude calendar, we were disabused.
Hey, the video also includes some snippets of Rockin’ Ronnie evangelizing from the Good Book at his recent Barbecue Academy.
software I can’t live without
I am a horribul speller. Gladly, Spell Catcher checks my spelling, regardless of what software I am using. Relentlessly.
I no longer use the built-in dictionaries in other software.
SpellCatcher checks spelling in 13 different languages and provide thesaurus look ups in 10 different languages.
Why isn’t this built-in to the operating system?
Cobb portable grill and barbecue
I finally got to see the amazing Cobb portable BBQ in action. It can roast, bake, smoke and fry. Highest quality materials, the class of it’s field, I highly recommend it.
500F — yet cool enough to pick up and carry across the room.
It’s time for me to upgrade from my older model.
dance – Compagnie Marie Chouinard
Katrina’s niece was dancing in Calgary.
She’s joined the Compagnie Marie Chouinard dance troupe.
The provocative show is titled bODY_rEMIX/gOLDBERG_vARIATIONS.
… erotics of disability: gorgeous dancers, prosthetics and crutches at hand, twisting tortuously into orthopedic poses of pleasure and pain.
The other day Tiger Wood got blasted for saying his play was spastic. He (and I) learned that word is offensive in 2006. The lexicon of political correctness is ever shifting.
The show is based on the Goldberg Variations as interpreted by Glenn Gould. I liked the electronically distorted sampling of a radio interview with Gould.
Modern dance is my favourite style. Thumbs up from this talent scout!
Review from the North American Premiere in Oregon.
TV – Globe Trekker, Pilot Guides
Globe Trekker (also called Pilot Guides outside the United States and originally broadcast as Lonely Planet) is adventure tourism TV. This British series was inspired by Australian Lonely Planet travelbooks and has been in production for over 10-years. It is broadcast in over 40 countries across 6 continents.
Commercial TV generally depresses me. If I had a gun I’d shoot the TV, or myself.
A great exception to the rule is this program which I love. A huge success, it is phenomenally accurate at showing what it is like to travel the backpacker circuit. No need to go yourself, actually.
Now when will we have decent hiking and gymnastics television?
TV – Ian Wright
Ian Wright is the face of backpacker travel. As the first and best of the Globe Trekker (also called Pilot Guides) travellers, he has already won three U.S. TV Cable Ace Awards.
None of the other travel hosts come close. Ian is the best.
I hope he stays on for a second decade with the show and visits another 50 countries.
And I forgive him that dreadful spin-off project, Ian Wright Live.
CASIO Databank – my watch
300-page databank (phone numbers, lock combinations, passwords), calculator, 24 time zones, 1/100 sec stopwatch, split time, countdown alarm, alarm clock, more.
How long have I been wearing a CASIO?
A dealer told me the company does not push this excellent product because they believe people prefer their data on a mobile phone.
I like the watch.
My only complaint is poor battery life.
barbecue cookbook – Planking Secrets
Rockin’ Ronnie Shewchuk’s second cookbook is available from Amazon.com and will hit Canadian bookshops soon.
Amazon – Planking Secrets: How to Grill With Wooden Planks for Unbeatable Barbecue Flavor
Everything you could possibly want to know about the art of grilling on a plank.
The self-proclaimed BBQ evangelist just launched his 10th year as a grilling and barbecue instructor. His competition barbecue team had their best finish ever at the Jack Daniels World Championships in October.
Details on his books, newsletter, podcasts and upcoming events are on Rockin’s Barbecue Secrets blog.
Rick McCharles 