Playing with Graphics

I love my digital camera. It's very compact & lightweight and I can (and do) take it everywhere. But any serious digital camera owner should also get some good photo editing software. Many people use Adobe Photoshop but I like Paintshop Pro. Besides the basic cropping, light adjustment, and red-eye removal, one can go further and add some subtle or even wacky effects to any photo. Shown here is the original photo, followed by two others that were derived from the first. The only limitation is one's imagination. And speaking from the perspective of someone who has very little overt artistic talent, these graphics software packages are a true gift from heaven! Before editing any of your own photos be sure to make copies first!

If I Were An American Voter, What Would I Do?

After reading Mark Steyn's recent article, I'd probably not vote. Like him, I believe in smaller government, self responsibility, and accountability from everyone, be they in the private or public sector. Maybe one day Americans will get sick of both major parties and instead vote for someone else, like the Libertarians. I know, I know, I'm dreaming.

Is 10% of the Population Gay?

This is a commonly held belief amongst many. So is the belief that if the world were reduced [metaphorically] to 100 people, only 6 of those people would control 60% of the world's wealth and that all six of those people would live in the United States.

All of the above are completely false and a perfect example of how statistics can be manipulated to suit a person's pre-disposed belief and possible political agenda.

This article is well worth reading.

Interesting Article About Google's Inner Workings

I just read this article about Google. It focuses on 30-year old senior executive, Marissa Meyer, who essentially bridges the gap between the technical geeks and the MBAs. A good read about a very important company!

Weekend Visit to Toronto

This past weekend I attended a big get together in Toronto. It was a function put on by some members of a travel organization I belong to. People flew in from all over the world. We ate & drank & socialized and toured around the city. While there I couldn't find any free Internet access and I refuse to pay a hotel for it. It's a principle thing. So I wasn't able to provide the constant updates like I had hoped to do. Lots of things happened but I have soooooooo much to catch up on that I just can't update much here. But here's a brief overview of the event.
On my flight home I read an hilarious article by Christie Blatchford about how Torontonians have gained a reputation for being so incredibly full of themselves and considering their city the center of the Canadian universe. This afternoon I wrote the following letter to her:

Dear Ms. Blatchford,

I read your hilarious article while flying back home to Vancouver from Toronto on Monday. I must confess that I am historically the West Coast Poster Boy for disliking The Big Smoke. I've visited it many times in the past and rarely had a positive experience. On one business trip I actually asked a fellow in a downtown elevator whether there was a law that forced everyone to be cold & unfriendly after living there for more than 2 weeks.

But this weekend changed all that. I attended this event and had an absolutely wonderful time. I discovered, to great astonishment, that there are some Torontonians with personalities warmer than an icicle!

The only thing that has left me suspicious is that during the parting discussions one of the hosts said, "Robert, can you please tell us what time your plane is departing. We need to know when we can send home the legion of actors from Buffalo." I don't know if she was joking.

Not too far from my home is a lawn bowling club. Along one edge is a long row of small trees that provide some privacy from the passsing traffic. I had never noticed before but there are also some absolutely lovely dahlias that are now in full bloom. Pictured here was my favourite of the bunch.

Is Canada Headed Down The Same Path As Germany?

I found this article by Mark Steyn most fascinating. The whole time I was reading it I couldn't stop from drawing strong parallels with my province and country. It sickens me how so many are stuck in this give me - give me - give me mindset. The debt loads of the country and all the provinces of Canada except Alberta are sky high. Yet whenever it's suggested that we pay down the debt so that we can lessen the interest payments and remove the burden for future generations, the answer from most Canadians is always a resounding NO. God help us!

Google WiFi - A Disruptive Technology on the Horizon?

The recent purchase of free VoIP long distance provider Skype by eBay has been big news of late. In fact, the latest Economist Magazine made it the cover story last week. And rightfully so, because this almost certainly spells the end of age-old telephone companies - at least in their present form - in probably just the next 5 years.

Now here's an interesting story about Google's rumoured free WiFi (wireless Internet) service. Might this be just the first spark in what is surely to be another disruptive technology "fire" in the future?! For once there's free wide-spread wireless Internet access and free telephone service then the mobile telephone companies will also be headed to bankruptcy.

Already today I'm using Pocket Skype with my wireless Dell Axim Pocket PC. In order to make a long distance call I need to have a strong, steady WiFi signal but more & more are popping up all the time, especially in the larger cities. The quality still isn't great but with some minor tweaking of the hardware that could be quickly improved.

What's most fascinating of all to me is how such highly capitalistic companies like Google are moving the telephone industry into a highly socialist one!

Special Day - Part 2

My mom took me out for dinner at a restaurant she won a dinner for two at. The Indigo Bistro is located on the ground floor of the luxurious Sheraton Wall Centre Hotel. Looking inside, one might get the sense that they've entered a laid back, funky diner. But much like the famous Delano Hotel in Miami Beach, the Indigo is a prime example of simplistic elegance, especially suited for the nouveau riche and the film industry crowd that, I get the sense, frequents this place.
The service was impeccable and the food was pretty good. Though at $30+ per entree, I thought the prices were a bit steep. But they probably do a pretty good business with the folks who stay at the hotel. And for my mom & I, it was indeed a really nice evening.

This last photo is an interesting one of the lower section of the Wall Centre Tower. At 150m it's currently the tallest building in Vancouver. I love the way the other buildings reflect off its windows.

A Nice Day of Reflection

There are two days of the year I especially take the time to reflect on life: Past, current, and future. This is one of them. And what a great day it was! I actually woke up a little late because I was working well past midnight, trying to solve a tricky bug in the software I'm building. Around 1:30am I finally solved it! I was all mentally wound up so I watched the rest of Kingdom of Heaven.
I did some more work in the morning and then went out for lunch with my Dad. His back was bothering him so we didn't go very far, but did make it to a nearby "White Spot" restaurant. I then walked his little dog Heidi. After that I finally used a gift certificate my mom had given me a while back because she got sick of seeing me always soaked whenever it rained.. I bought my first Gore-Tex jacket, a nice light-blue one. Then I went for a stroll along the south shore of False Creek, where I was able to take all the photos you see here. It's no longer oppressively hot in Vancouver but the sun was shining brilliantly, which made it just a tremdous day to be alive. This evening I'm going out for dinner with my mom and then stopping over to visit my friends, D&R. I wish every day was this pleasant!

And Then There's The Canadian Version, Tim Hortons

And in contrast, here's what Ron James had to say about Tim Hortons [paraphrasing]:

I always love go into Timmy's for a coffee on my long haul journeys. You're greeted by the devilish charms of that Tim Hortons maven behind the counter, Bovine Betty, with her unpretentious country-wide ass. Sporting that sexy hair net, I'm always tempted to say, "Betty, you never fail to get me warm & fuzzy in my secret spot."

The Real Meaning of Starbucks?

I just heard a great line from Newfoundland comedian, Ron James: "I only go to Starbucks to see what the world would be like if Hitler had won the war!"

I find this extremely hilarious on so many levels!

Chinese President Hu Jintao Visits Vancouver

This week we were visited by China's president, Hu Jintao. He had meetings with the premier of the province, Gordon Campbell, and our prime minister, Paul Martin. I can't say that I'm a big fan of the leaders of any dictatorships but it was interesting to see the motorcade, complete with police motorcycles everywhere. I always like seeing those motorcycles! :-)
There were some protesters but they were few & far between. What's ironic is that if this had been president George Bush, from our neighbour and friend, the democratic United States, there would have been 10 to 100 times the number of protesters. That irony is so thick and an appalling indictment of the current mentality of many Canadians IMHO.

Indoor Volleyball

After playing beach volleyball all summer, I got back into indoor this evening. It was really weird at first. Yes, technically it's pretty much the same game but in practice it's a whole lot different! My group eventually moved to a 6-2 'system', which involves a lot more thought and a lot more running. All fun, but I am sooooooooooo sore right now!

Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da - An Ode to the BCTF

This morning I listened to the many discussions about the BCTF's latest fight with the BC provincial government. If you're not familiar with story, here's some background. Even though I'm not a parent, I'm fed up with how this all powerful union is deliberately going out of its way to aggravate countless parents and children. They've also betrayed the professional nature of their members.

For reasons I can't explain, the old Beatles song, "Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da", came into mind ... and wouldn't leave. So I put 2+2 together, and with apologies to the Beatles, here's an alternate version:


Jinny is on the old warpath once again
Sticking it to everyone around.
She says it’s all to help our children
But most would prefer if she didn’t make a sound.

Obladi oblada life goes on yeah
La la la la life goes on
Obladi oblada life goes on yeah
La la la la life goes on

Gordon’s trying to stay far removed from all this
As premiers have historically done.
But Jinny wants to turn this into a big event
To prepare herself for a political run.

Obladi oblada life goes on yeah
La la la la life goes on
Obladi oblada life goes on yeah
La la la la life goes on

Though all knew exactly where this was heading
Everyone continues to play the charade.
Parents are left doing most of the sweating
While kids are hoping for a few days of fun.

Obladi oblada life goes on yeah
La la la la life goes on
Obladi oblada life goes on yeah
La la la la life goes on

Oh Dear Jinny why don’t you realize
That no one respects you much at all.
If school kids could raise enough funds
Could they get you to leave this fall?

As in permanently.

Mashing the Web

Some clever software programmers are combining data from multiple sites and presenting it in one single interface.

Here are some examples:
http://www.housingmaps.com
http://www.chicagocrime.org
http://traffic.poly9.com

I think an evolution is going on!

Cool Dictionary

Take a look at this. Looks like an ordinary online dictionary, right? Except that as you type it immediately displays the possible words based on the letters you've already typed. The fact that an online site is able to do this so proficiently is quite amazing. I like it!

Searching for Like-Minded Bloggers?

Google has just released a search engine specifically for searching keywords only on blogs. You can find it here. I think this has some interesting possibilities for social networking.

Before & After Marriage

Before Marriage


After Marriage

Interesting Word of the Day

Portmanteau

Superb, Practical Advice for Anyone in the Software Biz

A techie friend of mine, knowing some of the dilemmas I'm currently going through with the development of my software product, directed me to this podcast. It was absolutely excellent! The speaker, Jason Fried, runs a Chicago-based software company called 37 signals. He provided a list of best practices that often flew in the face of conventional thought and common practice. But I must say that I agree with his views on almost every front. For in years past my own company tried to do things the traditional right way, but what we ended up building was a ridiculous bureaucracy (of less than 10 people) that just became meeting after meeting after meeting, with so little productive work getting done. Even the smallest changes seemed to take 3 or 4 people to handle.

If you're at all involved in a software company - in any department - then I'd highly recommend you listen to this for it is sure to give you food for thought. Fried speaks the truth of what is, staying clear of the rhetorical (and useless) what should be.

"The Rules" - From A Male Perspective

I received this from a friend and thought it quite humourous.

At last a guy has taken the time to write this all down. Finally, the guys' side of the story. We always hear "the rules" from the female side. Now here are the rules from the male side. Please note... they are all numbered "1" ON PURPOSE!

1. Learn to work the toilet seat. You're a big girl. If it's up, put it down. We need it up, you need it down. You don't hear us complaining about you leaving it down.

1. Sunday sports. It's like the full moon or the changing of the tides. Let it be.

1. Shopping is NOT a sport. And no, we are never going to think of it that way.

1. Crying is blackmail.

1. Men can't stand "Hint Queens". Ask for what you want. Let us be clear on this one: Subtle hints do not work! Strong hints do not work! Obvious hints do not work! Just say it!

1. Yes and No are perfectly acceptable answers to almost every question.

1. Come to us with a problem only if you want help solving it. That's what we do. Sympathy is what your girlfriends are for.

1. A headache that lasts for 17 months is a problem. See a doctor.

1. Anything we said 6 months ago is inadmissible in an argument. In fact, all comments become null and void after 7 days.

1. If you won't dress like the Victoria's Secret girls, don't expect us to act like soap opera guys.

1. If you think you're fat, you probably are. Don't ask us.

1. If something we said can be interpreted two ways and one of the ways makes you sad or angry, we meant the other one.

1. You can either ask us to do something or tell us how you want it done. Not both. If you already know best how to do it, just do it yourself.

1. Whenever possible, please say whatever you have to say during commercials.

1. Christopher Columbus did not need directions and neither do we.

1. ALL men see in only 16 colours, like the old Windows default settings. Peach, for example, is a fruit, not a colour. Pumpkin is also a fruit. No straight man has any idead what mauve is.

1. If it itches, it will be scratched. We are practical creatures.

1. If we ask what is wrong and you say "Nothing", we will act like nothing's wrong. We know you are lying, but it is just not worth the hassle.

1. If you ask a question you don't want an answer to, expect an answer you don't want to hear.

1. When we have to go somewhere, absolutely anything you wear is fine...Really.

1. Don't ask us what we're thinking about unless you are prepared to discuss such topics as baseball, the shotgun formation, or monster trucks.

1. You have enough clothes.

1. You have too many shoes.

1. I am in shape. Round is a shape.

1. Thank you for reading this. Yes, I know, I have to sleep on the couch tonight; but did you know men really don't mind that? It's like camping.

Red Crescent of Disgrace

I thought that Canada had a monopoly on being apologists to the world. Step on a Canadian's foot and he'll say, "Sorry". Steal a Canadian's car and she'll try to find you [government funded] counselling for your "affliction". Torture and kill a Canadian citizen in a Muslim dictatorship and the Canadian government will do ... ummm, nothing. Well, maybe they'll send a nasty note, but there'll be an apology to the torturers in there too.

Now I see that our American neighbours are infringing on this "we're guilty, everyone else is a victim" mentality of ours. Rather than build a fitting and honourable memorial to the brave Americans who prevented Flight 93 from being used as a 4th weapon on September 11th, instead an architect has designed and some committee has approved a loving memorial to the hijackers themselves. Lovely.

This has got to be the most outrageous thing I've seen in many years. Though I'm now wondering what might be next? A huge mosque on the World Trade Centre site?

The Canadian Cultural Divide

This afternoon, on my favourite talk radio show, the host, David Berner, had an excellent discussion about multiculturalism in Canada.

My feelings about multi-culturalism are EXACTLY the same as his. Like him, I am a white male. He's Jewish and from Winnipeg. I'm a [recovering] Catholic from Vancouver. What we share is an English-Canadian heritage and what I can loosely call "Canadian Values". I think we're both pretty much colour-blind, religious-blind, and sexuality preference-blind. For both of us know that none of these things matter. What does matter is how a person acts and how they treat others.

Unfortunately multiculturalism tends to attract two extreme groups that hijack this issue:

• Narrow minded racists who dislike people who don't look and talk like them. Unfortunately too many of this ilk have associated themselves with the Conservative Party of Canada.
  
• Clever political operatives who consistently and subtlely want to draw distinctions between different ethnic groups and actively encourage so-called minorities to scream "racism" and "human rights violation" whenever they don't get their way. Many of these operatives work for the Liberal Party of Canada.

So what ends up happening is that the political operatives encourage multiculturalism to excess because they know that it will rile up the racists enough to get them to speak up and scare people into voting for a particular party. Guess which one? It's also so simple, yet exceedingly complex. If we could get past this, Canada would be a much greater country for it.

A Blog Entry About Blogs

I just heard a very interesting radio interview by Peter Warren with famous Canadian blogger, Kate McMillan. Like my mom, she's from small town Saskatchewan. Her site, Small Dead Animals, has just hit the 1 Million hits mark.

She touched upon many of the reasons that motivate me to blog. I laughed out loud (LOL) when she said, "I've always been a news & political junkie and frequently find myself yelling at the radio when I hear something outrageous." My god, I thought *I* was the only one who did this!!! It's comforting to hear that there are other thinking people out there who are also disgusted by the lack of fairness and objectivity amongst so many in the mainstream media (MSM). This is especially true of Canada's pathetic CBC that, just like in any 3rd world dictatorship, is simply the mouthpiece for the ruling cabal.

One caller to Warren's show commented on the Globe & Mail's columnist, Jane Taber. I fully agree with his assertion that Ms. Taber is openly vying for a senatorial appointment. Her weekly discussion with CKNW morning show host, Bill Good, is almost always a devout love-in with the federal Liberals. If in the next 20 years, neither of these "journalists" become a senator then I will be absolutely shocked!

I don't know about you, but I'm ecstatic with the emergence of blogs over the past few years. Though no blogger can be "held to account" for his/her comments (ie. are they facts or opinions?) their presence has clearly revealed that the long held adage that MSM reporting was unbiased and purely factual was a pile of horse manure! While the low barrier to entry makes it easy for any tin-foil nutcase to start spouting their opinions, I'm convinced that more credible bloggers are an effective force to keep the MSM in check. And nobody can argue that that is a good thing!

Stanley Theatre Open House

The Stanley Theatre is one of Vancouver's most historic. Opened in the 1930's as a movie theatre, it was closed down several decades ago and almost demolished. But thankfully more illuminated folks decided to restore it to its original grandeur. And it now serves as a venue for live theatre.

Today they had an open house, which revealed to the public all the behind-the-scenes secrets. Here's a collection of photos I took during the tour.

The Hatred For Bush Hasn't Subsided

This afternoon, on a popular local radio station here in Vancouver, there was a discussion about whether the response to help the people on the Gulf Coast was slower than expected because they were poor and black. Without fail, many Canadian sheep called in to espouse their usual rhetoric. Their messages are always the same:

• Every problem in the world is George Bush's fault.
  
• There were no problems before George Bush was elected.

Such nonsense gets tiring to hear, though I'm beginning to believe that a large number of people actually believe it to be true.

I wrote the station and my e-mail was read on-air as the "parting shot" at the conclusion of the show:

Listening to your callers, it's clear that the hatred for Bush north of the 49th Parallel still hasn't subsided. The comments of your callers are most specious. Bush, in fact, was not the one who shot down the reinforcement of the levees. This was the U.S. Congress. To then make the leap of logic that they did so because they didn't care about the repercussions to the poor people is just ridiculous.

When, not if, but when the Big One hits Vancouver, I imagine these same people will be blaming our federal government for not caring enough about us "poor British Columbians".

For those whose brains aren't clogged with hatred for Bush, it's quickly becoming clear that the REAL problem in New Orleans was:
#1 - The mayor of the city
#2 - The governor of Louisiana

But they're Democrats, one is black and one is a woman, so we can't pick on them, can we?!

A Little Excitement In My Neighbourhood

For the past few nights there have been a cadre of 2 or 3 teenagers going through my back alley. Other than being louder than was appreciated, they seemed harmless. But this evening, around 11pm they started firing off firecrackers and then fireworks. But the little jerks shot off the latter into some nearby trees. And in no time at all these trees burst into flame. The arsonists, accidental or not, took off of course, but my neighbour and I are now on the lookout for them, as are the police.

Canadians Helping Out in New Orleans

At a time in my nation's history when I've had very little to be proud of, this wonderful thing has happened in New Orleans. Kudos, congratulations, and a big thank you to the search & rescue members from my own city of Vancouver!

Inspirational Words

I mentioned to several people that this past weekend's wedding has restored my faith in relationships, destiny, and true love.

One friend in Montreal, Yolande, sent me back these eloquent words that I like very much:

Be joyful and continue to share with others the wonderful moments you treasure.

NerdTV

For techies like me, this is nirvana: NerdTV I hope it's a huge success for Robert Cringely, who has admirably documented the evolution of the hi-tech industry for many years.

I Love Dell

When it comes to notebook computers, I've always purchased from Dell. In the beginning I didn't know anything about the different manufacturers, but my staff found out that Dell offers the best warranty packages. Their onsite service has proved its worth in gold.

I was having some power problems with my machine. So I called them up and within 5 minutes the Dell representative had made arrangements to send a technician to my home office within the next 2 days. That's pretty phenomenal service!

Bubble Maker!

Right after I got back from the [fabulous] wedding on Vancouver Island I walked down to Granville Island to stock up my fridge with fresh fruits and vegetables. As I strolled past the Kids Market I discovered this automated bubble maker. I immediately wondered if I could catch the bubble making process with my digital camera. Shown here are two of the results.
Ummmm, is it just me or does this bubble look like something quite different?! Yikes! :-)

Vancouver Island Wedding - Part 4

I had not gotten back to my hotel room until well after midnight. I thought I was exhausted but I guess I was still energized because I just couldn't fall asleep. So I turned on CNN and watched a recap of the Katrina disaster. Eventually by around 3am I nodded off. By 8:30am I was awake, got changed and was soon on the road. I stopped at the same Tim Horton's as yesterday for a much needed coffee.I arrived at the ferry terminal in Nanaimo around 9:30am and got right on to the next sailing at 10:40am. This was a relief because I feared I might have to wait for awhile. This ferry was part of the older fleet and not typically the type one sails upon when going between Vancouver and Victoria. For the first part of the journey I planted myself right out on one of the front decks. With the sun shining brilliantly, the wind blowing on my face, and beautiful scenery all around, it was an absolutely splendid conclusion to what had been a perfect weekend.
The ferry arrived a little after noon into Horseshoe Bay, about 10km northwest of downtown Vancouver. I hadn't taken this route for decades so now with my digital camera, I was busily snapping away the million dollar views! Rather than taking the main highway home I instead turned off at Exit 0 and took the old Lower Levels route through West Vancouver. Though quite windy in places, it's much more fun and scenic to drive along.

Yasmin & Mike & Cinder & Aya, thank you for an incredible weekend!

Vancouver Island Wedding - Part 3

Sometimes I [jokingly] complain about how difficult it is to be a male in today's society. Today was NOT one of those days! There were so many beautiful women all around, including my friend, the bride. And "Dressed to the Nines" they all were, making it, as David Letterman likes to say, very easy on the eyes!
I departed Victoria around 10:30am and got up to Ladysmith just after noon. I immediately went over to the bride's parents home to see how the preparations were coming along. Then I continued on to Transfer Beach to do the same. It had been raining off & on, though just lightly for 30 minutes or so at a time. With nothing more to do but wait, I went to my hotel room, changed, and then drove back to the house to get my boutonniere attached to my lapel. I returned to the wedding area in plenty of time. People trickled in eventually and all were assembled by 3pm. It was raining a little by this time but everyone had umbrellas. I was given a towel to dry off the chairs before people sat down.

The ceremony itself was absolutely wonderful! It was very different from any I had seen before. The magic and love in the air was clearly palpable. Right after the ceremony the sun came out from behind the clouds, just in time for the photos. I helped get the chairs back to the local Recreation centre where we had borrowed them from. My stomach informed me how famished I was, so I stopped by a Tim Horton's for a sandwich and a coffee. This gave me time to download the day's photos and prepare them for a slideshow I'd present later.
The reception was held in the Rotary Hall, near the downtown area of Ladysmith. It was so beautifully decorated, with burgundy red, white, and gold the prominent colours. The western-style dinner was supplemented by a special lamb curry provided by the bride's mom and her aunts. Everything was incredibly delicious! I think the entertainment highlight of the evening was the multimedia presentation given by the bride's two sisters. They should take their "personality plus comedy act" to Las Vegas!!

This is a weekend I will fondly remember for a long time!

Vancouver Island Wedding - Part 2

The rest of my journey to Victoria was uneventful. I drove straight to Oak Bay, a neighbouring municipality, where I was going to be staying at a friend's. After checking in with her and dropping off my bags, I got in contact with one of the bride's friends, who I was to be driving to the big event. I picked her up, got a snack for the road and then we were on our way! On a sunny day, Hwy 1 north from Victoria is a glorious ride, with some stunning views on the right side of the road. Though when the weather is miserable it can be downright scary. Thankfully we were blessed with the former. The drive took about an hour and a half and we headed directly to the home of the bride's parents. I received a quick run down on my forthcoming ushering duties. I then took off to nearby "Transfer Beach", where the actual wedding was to take the following day. After taking a few photos I saw a vehicle pull-up and the driver let a beautiful German Shepherd out of the back. I asked if he was the groom. Though a little surprised, he answered in the affirmative and we got our first chance to chat. An interesting coincidence! I had been very skeptical of my friend's decision to get engaged to this fellow after knowing him for just a few months. But after talking with him I quickly understood why she adored him so. I then drove back to Victoria.
I ran a few errands and took a few photos on what was a glorious autumn day. I then went back to Oak Bay and had dinner with my friend, her son, and his beautiful new bride, a woman from Cuba. Because she spoke no English, all of us tried to say most everything in Spanish. The food was delicious, as was the conversation. And in a few short hours I learned a whole lot about the other side of Cuba, the one tourists rarely get to see.

Vancouver Island Wedding - Part 1

I woke up this morning at 6am, a little stunned but no worse for wear. Meant to depart by 7am but got away at 7:22. Traffic was light and so I made it out the Tsawwassen ferry terminal in no time. As I approached the last few kilometres the number of cars grew. It was obvious that other people had the same idea to get an early start on the long weekend. I paid for my ticket around 7:50am. My car turned out to be the first one in my line (of about 100 vehicles) but there were many more lines ahead of me. So making the 9 o'clock ferry, like I had hoped, was possible but unlikely.

Cars started boarding around 8:30. Many cars went past before even the line beside mine started moving. To my great surprise, the boarding fellow waved me on. I looked in my rearview mirror but no cars were following me. I yelled out to his associate, "You just made my weekend. Thank you!" I pulled up the steep ramp and was carefully guided into a tight space equidistant behind two cars, one from Arizona and one from B.C. I was elated! Two more cars were eventually let on behind me. So though I lost my "Supreme Winner" gold medal status, it was still a nice omen.

I'm typing this on the ferry, just midway through the trip. The ferry is obviously packed but I was able to find a computer desk. There is no wireless connection here so it'll get posted the next time I can check my e-mail.

Live Coverage from Mobile, Alabama

I just discovered that this TV station, WKRG, is offering live feed. This is a CBS affiliate and includes everything including commercials.

I don't know about you, but I'm still overwhelmed by what has happened on the Gulf Coast.