Personal Weblog - Viewing Archives: November 2002

Sheppard Subway

Well, today I took the kids out. I decided to go on the Sheppard subway line. This is a new addition to Toronto's underground transit. It opened up about a week ago and I wanted to see for myself where all of our tax dollars went...

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Posted by Michael Aivaliotis at 08:43 PM | Comments (2)

Started taking pictures

Well, today I started taking pictures for my Holiday Film Exchange. The hardest part was deciding on a theme, well I think I found a good one but I'm not going to reveal it right now, It wouldn't be a surprise now would it?

Posted by Michael Aivaliotis at 01:34 AM | Comments (0)

Bush and Rice

Playwright Jim Sherman wrote this after Hu Jintao was named chief of the Communist Party in China.

HU'S ON FIRST

(We take you now to the Oval Office.)

George: Condi! Nice to see you. What's happening?
Condi:Sir, I have the report here about the new leader of China.
George: Great. Lay it on me.
Condi: Hu is the new leader of China.
George: That's what I want to know.
Condi: That's what I'm telling you.
George: That's what I'm asking you. Who is the new leader of China?
Condi: Yes.
George: I mean the fellow's name.
Condi: Hu.
George: The guy in China.
Condi: Hu.
George: The new leader of China.
Condi: Hu.
George: The Chinaman!
Condi: Hu is leading China.
George: Now whaddya' asking me for?
Condi: I'm telling you Hu is leading China.
George: Well, I'm asking you. Who is leading China?
Condi: That's the man's name.
George: That's who's name?
Condi: Yes.
George: Will you or will you not tell me the name of the new leader of China?
Condi: Yes, sir.
George: Yassir? Yassir Arafat is in China? I thought he was in the Middle East.
Condi: That's correct.
George: Then who is in China?
Condi: Yes, sir.
George: Yassir is in China?
Condi: No, sir.
George: Then who is?
Condi: Yes, sir.
George: Yassir?
Condi: No, sir.
George: Look, Condi. I need to know the name of the new leader of China. Get me the Secretary General of the U.N. on the phone.
Condi: Kofi?
George: No, thanks.
Condi: You want Kofi?
George: No.
Condi: You don't want Kofi.
George: No. But now that you mention it, I could use a glass of milk. And then get me the U.N.
Condi: Yes, sir.
George: Not Yassir! The guy at the U.N.
Condi: Kofi?
George: Milk! Will you please make the call?
Condi: And call who?
George: Who is the guy at the U.N?
Condi: Hu is the guy in China.
George: Will you stay out of China?!
Condi: Yes, sir.
George: And stay out of the Middle East! Just get me the guy at the U.N.
Condi: Kofi.
George: All right! With cream and two sugars. Now get on the phone.

(Condi picks up the phone.)

Condi: Rice, here.
George: Rice? Good idea. And a couple of egg rolls, too. Maybe we should send some to the guy in China. And the Middle East. Can you get Chinese food in the Middle East?

Posted by Michael Aivaliotis at 12:25 PM | Comments (0)

Converting to another blog system again...

I'm nuts. After I just recently finished upgrading my weblog from Blogger.com to-> Greymatter, I now have the urge to upgrade again. This time to Movable Type. Why you ask? Well, It has support for multiple blogs and also allows your templates to be linked to a file rather than enter via web interface. This is nice because it allows me to use Dreamweaver, which I like, to make and rearange my site. Then when I upload the files to my site all I have to do is click "rebuild" in Movable Text.

Posted by Michael Aivaliotis at 04:30 PM | Comments (0)

Film exchange partner

Well, I received note of my Holiday film exchange partner - michelle . I found my camera which had a roll of unfinished film in it. I debated wether to rewind the film and put in a fresh roll or just snap the remaining. I decided to snap the remaining frames of my son, Alexander, being silly. I'll add those to the thousands of other pics of my kids that are added weekly into a box under my desk. We, as parents want to be better than our parents at capturing "memories". We insist on filming and taping every tiny detail of our kids lives... Whether this is good or bad will be revealed 20 years from now when my daughter comes up to me and asks: "dad, why are my nude baby pictures on the internet?". Well honey, I thought it was cute at the time.

Posted by Michael Aivaliotis at 12:44 AM | Comments (0)

Rememberance Day.

This is to all the war veterans living and the brave soldiers who died for us on the battlefield... Thank You.


Today is Rememberence Day.

Posted by Michael Aivaliotis at 11:11 PM | Comments (0)

My First Comment!

Well, I recieved my first comment on my site to one of my weblog entries. It was rannie who was happy to see one of his buttons and a link featured prominantly on my main navbar. Maybe I should chrge him for it. Nah, just kidding. I'll just put a PayPal link with the "please donate" button. It seems that everyone is putting one of these buttons on their site these days. Does anyone actually give away money like this? If it works I'll put a button on my site too... I promise you money will go to a good cause. No , really!

Posted by Michael Aivaliotis at 11:07 PM | Comments (0)

My Name Day

Well, It's my name day today. For the majority of people out there who have no idea what I'm talking about... It all started at the beginning of Christianity when martyrs died believing in the teachings of Jesus. One of those martyrs was a person named Michael - Archangel Michael - to be exact. So, the name Michael is celabrated in the Greek Orthodox faith. Normally what happens is everyone comes over to your house and you have a big party in your honour. However this is rare outside Greece and only reserved for respected elders. In Greece however there's always a party.

Posted by Michael Aivaliotis at 09:57 PM | Comments (0)

Holiday Photo Exchange

Well, I'm trying to be part of the web community in Toronto so here goes... I am part of the GTABloggers, and will participate this year in a Holiday Film Exchange. This forces you to partner with someone you don't know and exchange an undeveloped role of film. You have to publish the others photos on your web site. Interesting concept. I just hope I don't end up with some nude photos or something. I also added a link to the GTABloggers and the exchange to my main navigation bar. OH my god! my first buttons! Am I allowed to have graphics on my site? Hmm I don't know about this.

Posted by Michael Aivaliotis at 02:37 AM | Comments (2)

Bookcrossing

Well, something unexpected happened to me today.


I was grocery shopping at a local supermarket and was exiting the store. My eye cought a book standing on end on top of a vending machine. You know the kind, you put 25 cents in them and gumballs drop out. I love them because I can get a quick half hour of silence from my kids with just two quarters. Anyway, I digress, the hard-cover book had a post-it note on it that read: I'm free, take me. So I did...


I didn't know what to expect. At first I thought someone was playing a practical joke but then my mind clicked to a story on the radio about the concept of leaving books lying around for people to find. Well, I guess it was fate. I was a little excited about it, however when I started to read the book flap I soon realized that it wasn't a book that I would be interested in. The book is called CALICO PALACE by Gwen Bristow. A story about some women in California during the gold rush. Well, I went to amazon.com and checked out the reviews (all by women). All the reviews had 5 stars. I guess it's a good book.


Well, i'm very busy lately so I might just pass it off to my wife to read, she's the reader in this house, or


maybe someone else. In any case I have to add a journal entry at bookcrossing.com telling averyone about where this book is at and what i'm doing with it...

Posted by Michael Aivaliotis at 10:46 PM | Comments (0)

First Snowfall

Well, we just got our first snowfall here. Most of you south of the border will be wondering puzzled. First snowfall? I thought you guys had snow 365 days a year.

Posted by Michael Aivaliotis at 04:00 PM | Comments (0)