23 December 2008

nickelback

if you love nickelback, or hate them. or even if youve only heard of them...go read
THIS article from calgarys "ffwd" newspaper.
its hilarious.
also...
go check out kris's blog. he wrote something for the first time in 2 years.
not bad. but its a decent read.

03 December 2008

and because of my previous post

check out THISlink and sign your name.

actually?

did you see Stephen harpers speech today?
If you didn't google it or something. It must be on there somewhere.
I haven't seen anything so artificial in my life.
Seriously it was brutal.

24 November 2008

Massey & The Fergusons



for any of you who are interested in some country tunes that ive been playing out here in saskatoon with some buddies... go check out THIS link for music and some pictures. and tell your friends.

12 November 2008

leave it to tsn to ruin a good thing...

so yeah. TSN ruined it. They ruined the hockey night theme song. They overplayed it. And it's not even 20 games into the season.
Once a week was perfect. Every commercial break is too much.
Way to go boys.
You are brutal

15 October 2008

the morning after

yep. the morning after the big election.
we ended up with exactly what we had before...so basically the last 6 weeks plus, have been nothing but a huge waste of money.
good call stephen.
and it appears 37% of the 50% of eligible voters that actually showed up
voted for the conservatives. lame, i know.

and due to a brutal electoral system, we end up with similar results
to our neighbours in the south.
less than 19% of canadians actually voted for your mr. harper.
how can you say that "they have done so with confidence" ?
if i scored 19% on an exam, i likely would not use confidence in the same sentence when discussing my results.
so now we wait and watch.
hopefully we dont follow a certain other country to the brink of a recession.
hopefully we dont send more soldiers to fight meaningless wars.
hopefully we dont scrap social programs so we can give tax breaks to big business.
deficit here we come?

09 October 2008

update

yes. its been a while.
no i dont have a good excuse.
time is quickly running out on my attempt to put life on hold by being a grad student. its been a good 21 months. great even.
so why dont i stick around and make it a few more years of delaying real life?
now that is a good question.
one ive wrestled with, changed my mind on and second guessed an infinite amount of times.
especially with the task of writing a thesis approaching more rapidly by the minute, the easy thing to do would have been to transfer into the phd program and not have to worry about that for another 24 or 36 months. i think thats why im getting out now.
ive enjoyed the last few years, but im ready for a new challenge. something fresh and different. maybe a new city. and hopefully a job. something that will sort of change my views, give me a new perspective and open new doors.

21 September 2008

final game. yankee stadium

Go HERE for a brief story on the final game at yankee stadium which used a few of my pictures...

05 September 2008

the end of the war for oil?

I saw this guy speak in philadelphia. very good speaker and pretty interesting stuff.
its short, so check it out.

"

the champ


rocky balboa
Originally uploaded by .jerms.
yeah, ive been back for over a week already. but its been a busy week. if you didnt know, i spent a week in philadelphia for the american chemical society national meeting and then spent a week in nyc hanging out with my parents and watching the first 3 days of the US Open.
heading into finals weekend at the open there is a good set of mens semifinals on the go. i got 30$ riding on the fact that nadal is not going to win this tournament...

12 August 2008

Aug 12, 1994

do you know what happened on this date? no, it wasnt anything earth shattering, and although it had implications, they were not felt worldwide such as a tsunami, or earthquake or some crazy disease.
but that doesnt make me feel any better.
14 years ago today, the montreal expos were leading all of major league baseball with the best record. they were clearly going to win the world series and then it all ended in a strike. the players wanted more money. that was it. the year that could have kept an historical team in an historical city saw it move to washington a few years later. if you even care, you can go HERE to see a CBC story about it.

08 August 2008

on china, from australia

Kori Jones left a comment on the ten things the chinese government tried to change for the olympics. its just as good as the article on the cbc. and so good that i had to give it its own post... so read it below


**********************
This is hilarious.

Smelly cabbies. Give the guys a break they eat, sleep and other… in the car as the have to work insane hours to get by. Their fragrance is unique.
Your visit to China would not be complete with out some old lady hocking a lugey while elbowing you where the sun doesn’t shine to get in front of you at the metro ticket office. Good luck enforcing that no spitting, pushing and budging. It would feel weird if there were orderly lines every where.
Dog meat ban… an animal raised as stock to be eaten is just that, food. It is a weird texture but will probably be better than a Chinese version of beef stroganoff. I know we butchered there food over here. Us Westerners wear cat fur on a lot of the clothing.. what they don’t know won’t hurt them right. Meow or woof. A little terrier stir fry won’t hurt.
I am pretty sure we didn’t ban beef in Canada, for any international event, to keep the 1.3 billion strong Hindu nation at ease.
Cigarettes. The have pro smoking protests going on, where patrons will take over a newly stated no smoking restaurant and kick out all the employees and light up for the press. And there was definitely smoking allowed in the men’s room.

I think this it the best Olympics ever.

I see China as an old man trying to be cool with the grand kids who are coming from over seas for a long visit. He wants to lay down some rules, but keep it cool with the kids. Be the hip and happening crotchety old man. He has purchased an ipod which listens to the latest Mandarin pop top ten while wearing his locally made slippers and sitting under his large than life Mao poster. This old man is letting their parents know what is expected of the kids, and the parents in return letting him know about a few promises he made. All this has made him confused about what it means to clean up his act, to be responsible on his part…chemically changing the weather patterns and sweeping human right violations under the rug mat not be the best solution…
We all hope the visit goes well, as long as the old man doesn’t snap…
I better stop this is too much fun. China is awesome.
Sorry for hogging your comment space Jeremy.

Kori

24 July 2008

top ten

i found THIS short little picture article pretty interesting.
it talks about ten things that you wont be able to find in beijing during the olympics that start in a couple weeks.
i think its too bad that the government there is trying to westernize and "clean up" the city. it seems they are hiding some of the culture and the 'real life' china that you might experience if youve been there before the olympics and the culture that will likely return after all the visitors leave.
ive read reports about forcing cab drivers to learn english and british etiquette and even forcing them to brush their teeth after they eat garlic. what?

sure some of these things might be good things, if the people themselves were choosing to do them. anyway. pretty interesting. check it out

17 July 2008

jericho road

so steve earle came through town last night. this was one of my favorite songs he played (this video is not from last night). he had a little more hair and way more of a beard last night. super nice guy. some great stories. and his wife, alison moorer can sing. wow! definitely one of the cooler shows ive seen for a while.

08 July 2008

north sask river

one of the pictures i took last september long weekend on one of my camping trips was chosen to be the background for the website for the NSRBC (North Saskatchewan River Basin Council. go check it out by clicking the link or going to www.nsrbc.ca. They have some interesting ideas and goals so check those out too if you have the time.

23 June 2008

tim & melissa


tim & melissa
Originally uploaded by .jerms.
my sister got married this weekend. it was a good time except it was hot as stink (see picture below). she looked amazing. cody peterson let me take some pictures with him, so that was fun too. check out his website/blog at www.petersonpd.com.
and for a few more of my pictures check out my flickr.

this was from before the wedding even started

14 June 2008

pink camera cowboy


pink camera cowboy
Originally uploaded by .jerms.
you dont see this everday, so i snapped a quick picture. a few girls from the youth group i have been helping out with invited me and two of the other leaders to their grad. so we went. this guy was taking pictures with a cute little hot pink camera.

09 June 2008

like a swift kick to the groin

for the latest kick in the nuts to canadian hockey, go read NICs blog

04 June 2008

supper

Hi Mom, can we have this for supper next time i come home?

GRILLED TUSCAN-STYLE RABBIT WITH OLIVE, THYME AND TOMATO

What you need

For the brine:

1 cup water
1 cup white wine
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar
Some grated lemon rind
2 sprigs of thyme
2 cloves of garlic

For the rabbit:
1 rabbit, 3 to 4 pounds
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 bunch of thyme
1 cup of Gaeta olives, pitted
1 red heirloom tomato, no seeds and finely chopped
1 lemon, grated rind and juice
extra-virgin olive oil
salt
pepper
1 pinch of parsley, whole leaves

What you do

The night before: Make the brine by boiling water and white wine with salt and sugar, then adding one tablespoon of white-wine vinegar, some grated lemon rind, two sprigs of thyme and two garlic cloves. Let it cool before using.

Flatten the rabbit by cutting the rib bones from the inside and pressing lightly. Place rabbit in a plastic food-storage bag and add the brine; seal the bag and place in the refrigerator to rest overnight.

On the day: Prepare your fire - gas or charcoal, it's up to you. The better flavour is on wood coal, the convenience is on gas.

Remove the rabbit from the bag and dry lightly. Place it on the grill bone-side down, first trying to position it in the middle surrounded by slow-burning heat. Do not scorch.

Cook for 20 to 30 minutes, then turn it on the other side and cook for a further 20 minutes. Remove the rabbit from the grill, wrap it quickly in foil and set aside in a warm spot.

To prepare the dressing, chop the tomato and put in a bowl, add lemon rind and juice, thyme leaves, Gaeta olives, parsley leaves.

Break the rabbit into small pieces and toss them in the salsa; serve at once drizzled with olive oil.

Serves 4

20 May 2008

another good read

so i realize im probably a long ways behind the rest of you in reading good books. but thats what happens when you are in grad school. fortunately, i found some time to read a couple good ones lately.
first of all 'you cannot be serious' John McEnroe's autobiography is sweet. humorous and interesting. not to mention a good look into what the top tennis players in the world deal with.
but more recently i just finished reading 'the kite runner'. it is probably one of the best written books i have ever read. i havent had this much trouble putting down a book since i read some of dan brown's a few years ago. so if you havent read this one, or ruined it by seeing the movie, track it down and read it...

07 May 2008

NIC, dont read this.

the end of an era. my face hasnt seen the light of day since 2007. so it was anxious moments as i dug the razor out of hibernation. one piece at a time...


02 May 2008

only in india

when i was in india in 2002, i often found myself shaking my head, chuckling, and saying 'only in india'... check this out.

27 April 2008

carnegie hall

one of my photos got chosen to be included in this 'East Coast guide. so go to

THIS link and look under the new york section and track down carnegie hall and scroll through the pictures. mine is in there somewhere....

let me know if it works...

21 April 2008

its rally time



game 7 goes tonite. the old beard hasnt worked all that well the last two games, so its time to go into rally-beard mode.
this is it...

16 April 2008

tuesday debut


so its true, for those of you that havent heard, i am playing in a country band.
we are playing a show this tuesday at lydias for their open stage thing. come check it out.
it has nothing to do with billy ray cyrus other than the fact that he has written a few sweet lyrics.
so find your boots and stetson and we will see you tuesday night.

10 April 2008

april 10


1 down. 15 to go.



p.s. happy birthday to my sister today. i forget how old she turns, but its not that old. 20 or something? she rules. so if you see her in the next day or two, give her a birthday hug for me.

01 April 2008

its that time of year again


what can i say. its playoff beard time.
i started mine a little early this year and it has helped the canadiens make a push for the top spot in the east.
so its gonna stick around till june when they win the cup.
time to put away the razors and start looking sweet. anyone else have playoff beard? lets see it.

01 March 2008

video follow up

check out thisVIDEO. it is about 8 minutes long, but its interesting. it goes along with my post a few weeks ago about the Rwanda story. check it out. its worth a watch.

27 February 2008

farewell white city

my parents are packing up and getting ready to move from white city into regina. i suppose i shouldnt be surprised as i was sick of driving into the city even once a day when i still lived out there, but it will still be sad to see the house and yard go. it was a pretty fun place to grow up. i also started a sticker collection that i was very proud of that mom said had to go before they put the house up for sale. a collection like that could only have increased the value of the house, i say. at least she took a few commemorative pictures for me...



(they are apple stickers if you cant tell)

22 February 2008

nice move stephen

so its been a while and all that stuff that everyone seems to write at the beginning of all their blogs these days.
anyway, i was reading in the globe and mail, and then in one of the worlds most prominent science journals 'Nature' about how mr. harper has decided to cut the position of national science advisor. apparently science and research is not important in canada.
as well, stephen, along with all his cabinet ministers somehow missed the ceremony for the Canadian scientists that recieved a share in the Nobel Prize for their work on carbon dioxide capture.
winning the nobel prize is no small feat, and for these canadians to win it in the area that has become one of the largest environmental concerns in our time, is outstanding. however mr. harper, being bent on using as many fossil fuels and generating as much CO2 as possible thought best not to attend. he was probably out flying in his private jet
check out the links if you are interested here is the
Globe and Mail Article and the Nature Journal Editorial

05 February 2008

1994

i remember hearing very little about what took place in 1994 in Rwanda. back then i would have been 13 years old and probably could have cared less anyway. last year, i worked with a lady for a short time in yellowknife that was from there and heard a few stories of her time as she lived there during the terrible things that happened in 94. now, i just finished reading a book about it that gives quite an insight into what went on.
Paul Rusesabagina tells his story of what he saw and how he saved some lives. here is a quick paragraph from the book that i found pretty insane. to put it in a bit of context, he is talking about how the UN, US, Canada and other countries were useless in helping avoid, or stop the massacre.

       "Even a proposal to jam the frequencies of RTLM {the rebel radio station} was rejected, on  the grounds that the Army National Guard airplane required for the overflights cost  eighty- five hundred dollars an hour to fly. If that plane had been kept aloft for every second of the genocide it would have worked out to about twenty-four dollars for each life taken that might otherwise have been saved"
if you are looking for something to read...this one is well written and extremely eye-opening.

25 January 2008

the hottest final ever

so saturday in australia is bringing possibly the hottest final of all time. seriously...
sharapova vs. ivanovic. watch it.




and yes i was disappointed that djokovic took federer out of the tournament, but at least roger lost to the 2nd best player in the world and not some guy no one has heard of.

24 January 2008

are you serious?

as much as i was hoping for this to happen, i never thought it would. nadal lost to unseeded tsonga last nite in australia. in straight sets! i havent got to see this kid play, but after this run in this tournament, im gonna be keeping an eye on him anyway. sounds like he plays some pretty inspired tennis. and anyone that knocks out 'rafa' is already in my goodbooks. for all you nadal lovers, youll just have to wait for the clay court season for this one dimensional athlete to have a chance...

21 January 2008

the final 8

for those of you who dont know, the Australian Open is happening in melbourne as we speak. the first week is over and the last 8 players on the mens and womens draws are set. there has been some brilliant tennis and some surprising upsets so far, and one almost monumental loss by federer in the third round. but he hung on and pulled it out in the 5th set. in the womens draw sharapova is playing henin in the quarterfinals, which is crazy and should be a good one.
djokovic is going to be tough to beat. federers quarter is way harder than nadals, but we will see what happens. any predictions?
p.s. on an unrelated note, i cannot stand the patriots.

18 January 2008

top 10 of '07

 ten of my favorites from 2007...














16 January 2008

kenya

last year at christmas, my parents gave me a gift certificate for KIVA.ORG so i could lend it to some businesses in developing countries. one of the ladies i lent some of my money too is from Kenya and i just received an email from one of the directors of the organization from Kenya. We dont hear much about this on our news over here, and who knows if what we do hear is accurate. anyway, here is a glimpse, first hand into what some of the people are experiencing...


*********************************************************************************************************
Dear Kiva Lenders,

I wish to thank you for your continued concern and support during this
very difficult moment in Kenya’s history. We have been a peaceful
Country in a generally troubled region and people sort of took the
peace for granted.


The country is now battered almost to a pulp and blood spilt with
vengeance, senseless killings and wanton destruction. Markets, food
stores and shops have been looted. Hospitals are dysfunctional and
health centers incapacitated by riots and barricades. The violence,
death and destruction witnessed in the Country for the last couple
weeks has jolted the Nation into conscience and every body is now
craving normalcy.


While peace is slowly returning to all affected parts of the Country,
the impact of the riots has been devastating. Hundreds of people have
been killed turning thousands of innocent children into helpless
orphans and over one million people have been displaced, becoming
internal refugees over night.

The impact of the riots is most felt in the micro and small business
sector. Over 1 million small businesses were looted and or burnt down
destroying the only source of income to millions of Kenyans. Most of
the fighting and destruction occurred in slum areas in Nairobi,
Mombasa, Nakuru and Kericho in Rift Valley. These regions are home to
over 70% of Ebony Foundation’s clients and as you can imagine almost
all of our clients in these regions have been affected by the riots.
Only one region- (Mount Kenya) which is home to about 20% of EbF’s
clients was spared the violence. The economy in this safe region is now
getting stretched as the residents have to now house the displaced
population.

11 January 2008

06 January 2008

no one likes cauliflower, so whats the point?

a few weeks ago i was put on vegetable cutting duty at a friends place to help her get ready for having some people over. i have been thinking about this ever since...
why bother with cauliflower? i never liked it before i had to cut it, but after cutting it, i like it even less. its taste-less, not attractive to look at and makes a big mess when you try to cut it.
seriously. why do people eat that stuff? if they tell you they like it, they are lying.

01 January 2008

first time for everything...


oh canada
Originally uploaded by xjermsx
our holiday is coming to a close. we get on the plane tomorrow and should be back in saskatoon sometime wednesday nite. then back to the real world. back to work and back to the cold. it will be good to be home.
sunday nite was one of the funnest nites ive had in a long time. we headed down to the "most famous arena in the world" to watch an orginal six match up. i would have been stoked to watch any teams play in MSG, but to see the Canadiens take on the Rangers was awesome. i felt six years old again. the game went into overtime and shanahan got in alone and sniped one top shelf. so the outcome wasnt what i was hoping for, but not a bad show for my first NHL game...