Category: Uncategorized

There’s a new Star Wars movie coming out on Friday and if you care about spoilers and can’t see it right away, you best stay off the Internet until you do. While I believe the quality of the last two movies is far belong the original trilogy and even the prequels, I plan on seeing this new one, just to finish off the whole thing. Even though my expectations are rock bottom, I still don’t want to be spoiled by anything, so I am staying away from most of the Internet until Monday, when I have my tickets for a showing.

I never tire of seeing these with Amy Poehler.

This is the last real week of work before the holidays and I am eager to have some time off. I know I was just on vacation recently, but after joining a new team, there’s bit a lot of adjusting, reading, and getting up to speed that I’ve done in the last two weeks. There’s still lots to learn and I’m far from feeling comfortable right now, so the holiday break will help give me a bit of a breather to relax and rest up.

I hope this week isn’t too jam packed with stuff to do.

Microsoft announced today that the new Xbox console will be named “Xbox Series X”. To be released in the holiday season of 2020, the new console was revealed to be in a new and interesting shape, a monolith of sorts. It can be positioned vertically or horizontally, as stated by Microsoft.

I’m not entirely sold on the naming convention though. They went from Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and now Xbox Series X. The fact that they called it a “series” might reinforce the rumour that the next Xbox console will actually be several new models, not just one as has been the case in previous launches. So, it’s possible that instead of waiting a few years to launch a console refresh, as with the Xbox One X (these names, seriously), the new models will be available immediately.

One could argue that it’s a lot more simpler to just go the PlayStation route and have their next console named the PlayStation 5. You just add another number and there you go. Interesting times ahead for the gaming world.

Jimmy Kimmel loves pranks and while some of them are just ok, this one is pretty funny.

Despite my very real fears that there would be no SkyTrain service today, a deal was brokered this morning at 5am. I woke up and heard the faint sounds of a train in the distance. That was my first indication that the trains would be running. Because the deal was reached in the eleventh hour, service was actually delayed from it’s normal start up time. By my calculations, service started at least an hour later than usual. It’s quite possible for some people that rely on the first set of trains in the morning, they were late for wherever they needed to be. Of course, by the time I left for work, it was business as usual.

I wonder how many years there will be labour peace for the last two unions before this stuff rears its head again?

It’s well after midnight now and labour talks between the SkyTrain union and Translink are continuing but no deal has been reached. Seeing as how the strike will start at 5am, there is little time left for a resolution. A lot of people are going to have a terrible day tomorrow.

Less than two weeks after a bus strike was narrowly avoided, the union representing SkyTrain workers has issued a strike notice. Unless labour talks change this, trains will not run on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. While my commute entails using the train and the bus, I would argue not having the trains running is worse than if the buses weren’t running.

The capacity of the train system far exceeds the bus network. Those who usually take the train will now look for bus routes to get them where they need to be. Even with increased service, the buses can’t make up for extra demand. In some cases, bus routes were eliminated once the SkyTrain was built, since the trains were faster and were more frequent. So for some people, a bus route won’t even be there for them.

From a personal standpoint, I can take a bus that will get me pretty much to work, with a 15 minute walk the rest of the way. I can wait for another bus which will made that walk just a quick 5 minute ride. All told, a bus only commute will add about 20 minutes to my normal train and bus commute. That’s actually not bad considering they are people whose commutes could double or triple or not even be possible with just buses.

I am hoping that a last minute agreement will be reached on Monday because it will be chaos on the bus system otherwise.

It was the Motive Vancouver holiday party this evening. There were was food, fun, drinks, raffle prizes (which I did not win), and general merriment. While I had a great time downtown, I still have to go into work tomorrow. Since I’m on FIFA now, it was just a regular evening for my new co-workers, so I gotta drag my ass into work tomorrow. It doesn’t help that nearly all of them are early riser keeners who get to work at 9am or before.

I need to get to bed.

On the first day of the “25 Days of Conan Classic”, Conan is back in the simpler days of the year 2000 (the year 2000!) and visits a neighbourhood of Christmas lights.