Consolation Champs» Uncategorized

Lesser of Two Weasels

James McNally — Fri, 20 Dec 2002 07:55:52 +0000

I’m not sure if anyone else watches Survivor anymore, but tonight’s finale was really disappointing. Brian was a manipulative paranoid greasy used car salesman, and Clay was an abrasive layabout. Why on earth anyone else didn’t see the two of them plotting and break them up is beyond me.

Update: I just found out that Brian Heidik is actually a sometime softcore porn actor and that his wife was arrested recently for assaulting him and that he’s filing for divorce. I wonder if the money will make any difference at all in his life.

The next Survivor, airing in February, is set in the Amazon rain forest and promises a twist. My guess? All sixteen survivors will be women (get it? Amazons!). Mark my words.

from Consolation Champs

Lesser of Two Weasels

First Snowfall

James McNally — Fri, 01 Nov 2002 19:13:23 +0000

Right now in Toronto, it’s snowing heavily. I just wanted to document the first snow of the season… from Consolation ChampsFirst Snowfall

from Consolation Champs

First Snowfall

Patience, Grasshoppers

James McNally — Sat, 24 Aug 2002 17:07:13 +0000

I’m still wading through around 300 haiku along with the rest of my crazy busy life, so I apologize that I haven’t already awarded the prize. I know at least one of you is calling me an asshat right now. Obviously, that person cannot win now

from Consolation Champs

Patience, Grasshoppers

The Continental Club

James McNally — Tue, 28 May 2002 03:14:31 +0000

march 2002 : austin : the continental club

My favourite photo of 174 taken at SxSW 2002. If you’ve been wondering where the rest are, I’m having mixed feelings about doing a wrapup for this year. First, it’s a ton of work, and I’m really busy. Second, I’m not sure I won’t exceed my transfer limits, since people will probably check out last year’s section at the same time. I’m toying with putting it up and taking down last year for a while, or just posting a few pics. But mostly, I’m just lazy.

from Consolation Champs

The Continental Club

Google Champ!

James McNally — Fri, 10 May 2002 21:31:47 +0000

Wow. I just looked and I’m the number 1 and 2 results for my name in Google. Just mere months ago, I trailed the multi-instrumentalist from Afro-Celt Sound System badly. Now I’m top dog!!

from Consolation Champs

Google Champ!

Spamming Back

James McNally — Fri, 03 May 2002 21:48:14 +0000

Ever been spammed from Africa? Savannah decided to write back. (via boingboing)

from Consolation Champs

Spamming Back

Freaky Weather

James McNally — Tue, 23 Apr 2002 01:53:13 +0000

I know weather is a boring topic. But freaky weather is slightly less boring. And we’ve been having some lately here in Toronto. Last week, we had temperatures in the 80s and lots of sun. Today, it’s snowing and the temperature is 34 degrees. As my friendly neighbour said in the elevator just a few minutes ago, “This weather is bullshit.”

from Consolation Champs

Freaky Weather

Bill Gates April Fooled

James McNally — Fri, 05 Apr 2002 01:19:31 +0000

Bill Gates fooled by Quebec DJs

I hope this surfaces somewhere as an MP3 file soon! (Update: I found an MP3! It’s not as funny as I’d hoped, but if you’d like a copy, email me. I’ll probably post it to Filepile later as well. Oh, and CNN has moved the page and I can’t find it, so the link has been removed. Ah, it wasn’t that funny anyway…)

from Consolation Champs

Bill Gates April Fooled

Snow In April

James McNally — Tue, 02 Apr 2002 20:32:59 +0000

In another April Fool’s joke, it is now snowing heavily in Toronto. I remember complaining a few weeks ago that it was snowing in March. What’s next? Snow in May? from Consolation ChampsSnow In April

from Consolation Champs

Snow In April

Surrealist Humour

James McNally — Tue, 02 Apr 2002 06:33:23 +0000

Today I was taking the subway and at the main Yonge-Bloor station, I saw a blind man carrying a saw. Yes, a blind man, with a white cane in one hand, and a saw in the other. I can’t figure out if it was some elaborate April Fool’s joke or a piece of Surrealist performance art. And I’ve been trying to tease out the joke from that whole situation all day. Hit “Comment” and give me your one-liners.

from Consolation Champs

Surrealist Humour

Lacklustre Panels at SxSW

James McNally — Wed, 20 Mar 2002 22:37:21 +0000

Meg makes some good points about the lacklustre panels at this year’s SxSW. It’s still a must-attend event, but I would like to see it fine-tuned a bit. Shorter panels, different viewpoints, and a lunch break would be my suggestions. (via Wes)

from Consolation Champs

Lacklustre Panels at SxSW

Time Capsule

James McNally — Tue, 19 Mar 2002 05:14:34 +0000

I’m sorry I haven’t updated. Since getting back from Austin, I’ve been snowed under with work, mostly of the unpaid kind. I spent yesterday afternoon moving an old filing cabinet I’ve been storing at a friend’s parents’ place for the past ten years. It was like opening a time capsule. Some of the stuff I found inside:

Bad poetry I wrote, circa 1983 (sorry, no examples!).
Several issues of Atari ST User, a British computer magazine for my computer of choice in the late 1980s. These are from 1988!
Several “important” documents, including my high school diploma and my Certificate of Canadian Citizenship.
“Compact Disc Yearbook 1989,” a magazine that actually rated CD releases as they came out.
Newspaper clippings of things I was concerned about. Example: articles about the possibility of nuclear war from 1983. Sample headlines: “No plans to evacuate Metro in nuclear war: Alarm may not even be sounded” and “Half of Canadians would die in nuclear attack, MD says.” It’s hard for younger people to imagine that we grew up thinking that the Russians might bomb us into oblivion.
A book of poetry and short stories I wrote in 1989 while travelling alone in Europe.

More “treasures” as they are unearthed…

from Consolation Champs

Time Capsule

Bruce Sterling/Cory Doctorow SxSW Discussion

James McNally — Fri, 15 Mar 2002 00:42:56 +0000

Not-to-be-missed Slashdot thread on the keynote conversation between Bruce Sterling and Cory Doctorow. This was one of the more enjoyable events I attended, but I need the audio posted: I couldn’t take notes fast enough! (via Brent)

from Consolation Champs

Bruce Sterling/Cory Doctorow SxSW Discussion

Home From Austin

James McNally — Thu, 14 Mar 2002 09:26:29 +0000

I’m home from Austin, safe and sound. More to come as soon as I can process it all. Thanks to everyone I met, I had an amazing time! from Consolation ChampsHome From Austin

from Consolation Champs

Home From Austin

Wardriving And Netstumbling

James McNally — Wed, 06 Mar 2002 22:50:00 +0000

From my readings about Wi-Fi, I’ve discovered the pastime called wardriving or netstumbling, which involves driving around with a wireless-equipped laptop looking for unsecured access points. These are being compiled into a database so that users can access unused bandwidth. A related project involves various attempts to set up these free networks voluntarily, offering, as John Markoff says in his article, “the promise of a vastly more powerful collaboration driven by the same forces that originally built the Internet.”

from Consolation Champs

Wardriving And Netstumbling

Another Wi-Fi Article

James McNally — Wed, 06 Mar 2002 00:14:17 +0000

And here’s another Wi-Fi article. Boy, it seems like this topic is very, uh, topical right now…

from Consolation Champs

Another Wi-Fi Article

WiFi

James McNally — Tue, 05 Mar 2002 18:14:53 +0000

I’ve been reading a bit about wireless networks lately, in preparation for bringing my Airport-equipped iBook to SXSW. Here are three current articles about the informal networks that are springing up to share access.

from Consolation Champs

WiFi

Thank You Kristin!

James McNally — Mon, 04 Mar 2002 20:52:32 +0000

Wow. And thank you, Kristin. That Amazon sure isn’t speedy, but the surprise is wonderful. I definitely owe some people at SxSW. Line up for your Shiner and Coffee Crisp!

from Consolation Champs

Thank You Kristin!

Thank you Jish!

James McNally — Sat, 02 Mar 2002 02:15:21 +0000

Thank you Jish!!! I received the movie Rude Boy today from my Amazon wishlist. The shipping was probably as expensive as the gift itself. I’m gobsmacked sometimes by the generosity of my friends.

from Consolation Champs

Thank you Jish!

Candyman

James McNally — Thu, 28 Feb 2002 18:03:02 +0000

I was just looking over my blog entries from this time last year, and I realized I haven’t yet offered to bring Canadian treats to my American cousins. Let me know if you’re craving a Kit Kat, Coffee Crisp, Aero, Smarties, or Vachon cakes, and I’ll try to set you up. They don’t call me the Candyman for nothing…

from Consolation Champs

Candyman

Google Spoofing For A Good Cause

James McNally — Fri, 22 Feb 2002 20:19:24 +0000

GOOGLE SPOOFING FOR A GOOD CAUSE DEPT.:
David Gallagher David Gallagher David Gallagher David Gallagher David Gallagher David Gallagher David Gallagher David Gallagher

There, now I almost feel less dirty about the whole Britney Spears Naked thing…

from Consolation Champs

Google Spoofing For A Good Cause

Drink And Sing

James McNally — Thu, 14 Feb 2002 03:45:06 +0000

Off tonight to drink and sing with the GTABloggers!

from Consolation Champs

Drink And Sing

The Sad Truth About Google Spoofing™

James McNally — Mon, 11 Feb 2002 05:14:21 +0000

The sad truth is that my Google Spoofing™ is already working. My Sunday traffic has doubled. Now, if only I can turn those “Naked Britney Spears” seekers into cultured, intelligent readers of Consolation Champs, I will have improved both their lives and mine! from Consolation ChampsThe Sad Truth About Google Spoofing™

from Consolation Champs

The Sad Truth About Google Spoofing™

Google Spoofing™

James McNally — Sat, 09 Feb 2002 08:07:37 +0000

GOOGLE SPOOFING™ DEPT.: Enron scandal Enron scandal Enron scandal Enron scandal Enron scandal Britney Spears naked Britney Spears naked Britney Spears naked Britney Spears naked Britney Spears naked Salt Lake City Olympics Salt Lake City Olympics Salt Lake City Olympics Salt Lake City Olympics Salt Lake City Olympics Osama Bin Laden Osama Bin Laden Osama Bin Laden Osama Bin Laden Osama Bin Laden.

Ok, what the heck am I doing? Well, I’ve noticed that probably half of my daily visitors arrive here from the wonderful tool which is Google. And I’ve realized that weblogs like mine are crawled regularly for updated content. I get hits from Google sometimes within a few days of posting on a topic. So, my (sad) theory is that by posting popular search topics at regular intervals, I can drive my traffic up to, say, Davezilla levels.

from Consolation Champs

Google Spoofing™

Big TV

James McNally — Sun, 27 Jan 2002 01:12:33 +0000

Yesterday afternoon, my Dad finally received the 34″ HDTV he ordered before Christmas. We’re going over for dinner tomorrow to help him set it up. He’s as excited as a little girl on her birthday. One of the benefits of helping is that he’s giving us his puny 27″ set. Not that we watch much TV, but hey, the DVDs will look bigger…

from Consolation Champs

Big TV

Sorry, Buffalo

James McNally — Sat, 29 Dec 2001 18:36:54 +0000

Sympathy to our neighbours in Buffalo, who have been buried under more than six feet of snow which has fallen since Christmas Eve. The weird thing is that we have none. The so-called “lake-effect” snow has so far stayed south of Lake Ontario. Let’s hope it respects the border.

And, oh yeah, the Raptors beat the Lakers in L.A., again…

from Consolation Champs

Sorry, Buffalo

Usenet Archive

James McNally — Fri, 14 Dec 2001 00:47:12 +0000

Usenet Archive posted by Google: The link is to a page with some interesting historical threads from twenty years of Usenet. Especially interesting is that “First mention of Mac OS X” is considered an important historical moment.

from Consolation Champs

Usenet Archive

Job Survival

James McNally — Thu, 29 Nov 2001 18:17:57 +0000

At the best of times, my current job could be described as a “survival” job. This week, however, has felt far from the best of times. It could just be a seasonal mood, but lately, my job has seemed even more demeaning and stressful than ever, and customers have been verging on the sub-human. Send me some positive energy, please!

from Consolation Champs

Job Survival

Tootie!

James McNally — Fri, 05 Oct 2001 21:01:03 +0000

Alright! First celebrity sighting since I’ve been back. Kim Fields (“Tootie” from Facts of Life) is in my store as we speak. Apparently she’s filming a movie here in Toronto. Woo!

from Consolation Champs

Tootie!

My New Old Job

James McNally — Thu, 27 Sep 2001 05:45:01 +0000

I’ve just realized that it had been a week since I blogged anything. A week! Really, I can explain. I’m three weeks into my new job. It’s actually a job that I held before my last job, and so I’m not that happy to be back. I sell computers in a retail store. Mind you, it’s the oldest computer store in the country, and I’ve sold to several celebrities, including Kate Jackson (ex-Charlie’s Angels). Plus I pretty much get to specialize in Apple stuff, which is fine with me. But I’m still itching to get back to a job in new media. I’ve reestablished some contacts in that industry through my job selling to new media companies, but they still might just see me as a “shop clerk.” I’ve purposely only scheduled myself to work four days a week, so that I don’t feel trapped, but I’m being pressured to move into corporate sales, where I’d be really trapped. I guess I’d rather be on my feet 9 or 10 hours a day(!) So, if I don’t have particularly witty and interesting things to say all the time, I hope you’ll understand…

from Consolation Champs

My New Old Job

More Crazy GPS-Toting Fun

James McNally — Thu, 23 Aug 2001 05:28:57 +0000

Here’s more crazy GPS-toting fun: the Confluence Project, wherein you can try to visit each of the integer (ie. whole number) intersections of latitude and longitude in the world (ie. exactly 49 degrees N, 74 degrees W). There are about 11,500 to be found, not counting those in the water or near the poles. Get going!

from Consolation Champs

More Crazy GPS-Toting Fun

Offline Pursuits

James McNally — Thu, 09 Aug 2001 20:08:12 +0000

I’ve been reading a lot and getting excited lately about several “offline” extensions of online communities.

Nervous Industries is a community site for facilitating real-life exchanges of art objects and other creative expressions. I’ve always loved “snail” mail and mail art and this site makes it possible to find interesting people all over the world with whom to connect. A great use of the web.
Geocaching is almost like a sportier version of a giant worldwide scavenger hunt. People hide “caches” (boxes of trinkets, postcards, stamps, etc.) and then give GPS coordinates on the Geocaching site directing people to their hidden treasure. Another great way to connect people and send us away from our screens for a while.

Reading about geocaching has me obsessed with getting a handheld GPS unit now. I’m travelling to a strange and large city this weekend and have never had a great sense of direction anyway, so I’d love to play with one of these gadgets. I’m especially enamoured of the Garmin eTrex units. Does anyone have any experience with these? Or better yet, does anyone know where I could borrow or rent one of these in San Francisco?

from Consolation Champs

Offline Pursuits

Youthful Savants

James McNally — Fri, 20 Jul 2001 19:13:14 +0000

And now I’ve just read this post from Tim. Am I going to be a shining example of the “youthful savant”? Not bloody likely…

from Consolation Champs

Youthful Savants

James Gets Paid

James McNally — Fri, 20 Jul 2001 19:05:23 +0000

It’s a slight little thing, but here is my first piece of paid journalism. They sort of screwed up the layout, so you need to go to the main page for now to actually read the first paragraph (the “lead-in”).

from Consolation Champs

James Gets Paid

Gems from the Diaries

James McNally — Tue, 10 Jul 2001 02:35:32 +0000

Gems from the Diaries, Part 1: July 9, 1986: “Played golf Saturday, and was atrocious. Got 74! On a 9-hole course! At one point, I threw all my clubs out of the bag.” You know something? I don’t think I’ve played golf since then. from Consolation ChampsGems from the Diaries

from Consolation Champs

Gems from the Diaries

My God, It’s Full of Words…

James McNally — Fri, 06 Jul 2001 04:24:17 +0000

I added a few older pieces to my “content” section, including some ten year old writing on Thomas Mann and Franz Kafka. By that, I mean they’re pieces I wrote ten years ago, not that I’ve hired a brilliant ten year old to write about these authors. Although that would have made you look, for sure.

from Consolation Champs

My God, It’s Full of Words…

Literary Aspirations

James McNally — Sun, 01 Jul 2001 19:39:27 +0000

Literary Aspirations, Confession of

Another gem unearthed at Paul Ford’s place.

from Consolation Champs

Literary Aspirations

Sensitive Masculinity

James McNally — Thu, 28 Jun 2001 23:21:12 +0000

“There’s something so wounding about growing up a boy, especially a broken-hearted sensitive boy stuck in a tough-guy demographic with no fine words for his finer feelings.”

Caterina, eloquent as ever, explores sensitive masculinity. How did I make it through adolescence and young manhood with my sensitivity intact? I wrote lots of poetry, most bad, some good. I saw a lot of serious films and read a lot of serious books, and talked seriously with my closest friends about them. I made a lot of girl friends (usually with the objective of removing that space between the words) who were able to help me hone my listening skills. And I kept a journal. Essential survival tactics. One has to train oneself to articulate feelings or else those feelings stop coming.

from Consolation Champs

Sensitive Masculinity

The Dope Smoker

James McNally — Tue, 19 Jun 2001 17:37:11 +0000

I wrote a story for Fray Day Toronto. I wanted to have something to read, so please make sure to check out “The Dope Smoker” in the shiny new Table of Content section. Is it funny enough? And yes, it’s all true…While you’re there, check out all the other scribbling I’ve been doing of late. My Zeldman book review will be published online this week. I’ll link to it when it’s posted.

from Consolation Champs

The Dope Smoker

Beach Bum

James McNally — Thu, 03 May 2001 01:27:59 +0000

It was 26°C today, so I did what any other unemployed guy would do. I went to the beach. Getting that first really good sunburn of the season is really important to me. from Consolation ChampsBeach Bum

from Consolation Champs

Beach Bum

Force Feedings, Part 1

James McNally — Mon, 30 Apr 2001 23:10:49 +0000

FORCE FEEDINGS FROM THE POETRY ARCHIVES, PART 1:

the cruellest month

the august trees were already
leaving by september
when I autumned into love with you.

I pictured you in green
slipping through the forest
hiding among the oaks
like a frightened deer
or escaping into the woods
with your secrets
climbing into the longrooted branches.

wintering in this cold country

I picked icicles like fruit
looking for a sign of you.
when spring came, my icicles

turned and ran

through my fingers
and my torn hands healed.

the forest in green
ran me through, living
while my small love died.

(1993)

from Consolation Champs

Force Feedings, Part 1

Real Writing

James McNally — Mon, 30 Apr 2001 08:00:08 +0000

Just as I was reading this post over at Michael’s site, I was reminded of what I was doing last night. John Franklin was one of my most beloved teachers when I attended a small Bible college in the mid-1980s. He taught philosophy and has always one of the most well-read men I’ve known. He’s also a huge supporter of the arts. Recently, we’ve been talking about some web design work I might be able to do for the non-profit arts group he now heads up. So, he invited Brooke and I to he and his wife’s home on Saturday. They were hosting a monthly meeting of a group for Christian artists as well as inviting some other people to hear a storytelling group. This group, the Great Wooden Trio, are actually four guys, three of whom play songs and one who tells stories. They sort of play off each other and it made for a very entertaining evening. We even found some time to discuss what it is about storytelling that makes it so universal. Along with Michael’s entry, it got me thinking about writing again. Not the blog blather of the past few months, but real writing, the sort I haven’t done for far too long. I’m ashamed. And I’m hoping to change that. I love the immediacy of posting with Blogger, but I also want to craft something once in a while. Credit the Eric Gill biography, too, I suppose. I just want to make something that isn’t completely disposable. So bear with me, if I get all ponderous occasionally. It looks like Michael is going through this as well. Maybe you’ll find something good in the midst of the rubble. Something that will connect to your own story. And that would make me happy.

from Consolation Champs

Real Writing

The Smiths

James McNally — Tue, 10 Apr 2001 01:39:11 +0000

This weekend Brooke and I were in Collingwood, Ontario to visit Brooke’s parents and to see a variety show they direct every year. A word about my future in-laws: Jim and Phyllis Smith came to Canada from Scotland more than 40 years ago, and have been involved in community theatre for approaching 50 years. It never ceases to delight me to hear Jim’s rich voice (this year he performed “Old Man River” from Showboat) or watch Phyllis tap dance. He’s 67 years of age, survivor of both a heart attack and cancer; she’s 66. If I’m half as talented and exuberant and just plain alive at their age, I’ll be a happy man.

Jim is going to wear a kilt to our wedding. I told him that as long as he doesn’t come out with his face painted blue, I’m ok with it. …(Braveheart reference)… Here they are, then, my second family, the Smiths:

from Consolation Champs

The Smiths

Awake at 7:00 am

James McNally — Tue, 03 Apr 2001 03:11:35 +0000

Fairly productive day. Applied for some jobs online, got lots of work done on the SxSW section (almost there!!). This is what happens when you’re awake at 7:00 am. Later, I even rented The Great Escape DVD but fell asleep after about 40 minutes. This is what happens when you’re awake at 7:00 am. Hope you caught my April Fool’s page. I’m too lazy to archive it, though. It was something about monkeys.

from Consolation Champs

Awake at 7:00 am

Busy

James McNally — Fri, 30 Mar 2001 19:43:04 +0000

I’m sorry I haven’t been updating. Busy with so many things. Applying for unemployment benefits, preparing resumes, emailing old contacts. I’m also working (still!) on my SxSW recollections. Please be patient. I’ll try to have something more interesting here tonight. from Consolation ChampsBusy

from Consolation Champs

Busy

Good site explaining the

James McNally — Tue, 27 Mar 2001 07:23:52 +0000

Good site explaining the Myers-Briggs Type Inventory (MBTI). I’ve officially tested as an ENFP, but the E/I was really close. I expect my introversion and extraversion will be fighting each other to the death. (via Tim)

I also wholeheartedly agree with what Tim said about Steven Soderbergh’s Oscar acceptance speech. Hear hear!

from Consolation Champs

Good site explaining the

The Role of Flow

James McNally — Wed, 28 Feb 2001 23:55:20 +0000

The Role of Flow in Web Design
Note to self: read this and see how it relates to your ambition of becoming a “flow manager.” (via eatonweb)

from Consolation Champs

The Role of Flow

Is it just me?

James McNally — Wed, 28 Feb 2001 18:23:08 +0000

Is it just me or does the blogging community seem preternaturally quiet these days? Several of my faves haven’t updated for 3 or 4 days, and everyone just seems sort of sluggish in general. Is it the February blahs or the excitement of SXSW coming up (for those of us who are lucky enough to be going)? Or something darker?

from Consolation Champs

Is it just me?

Rebecca Blood talks about

James McNally — Mon, 26 Feb 2001 19:05:36 +0000

Rebecca Blood talks about Truth and Harm. I’m reminded of two biblical concepts, which she almost directly quotes: telling the truth in love, and the truth shall make you free. Good stuff…

from Consolation Champs

Rebecca Blood talks about

Tanya Corrin’s take on

James McNally — Mon, 26 Feb 2001 18:49:31 +0000

Tanya Corrin’s take on her experiment with Josh Harris at weliveinpublic.com. Boy, that sure didn’t turn out the way they expected. Maybe a little privacy really is a good thing…

from Consolation Champs

Tanya Corrin’s take on

Devoured a lot of

James McNally — Mon, 26 Feb 2001 17:01:05 +0000

Devoured a lot of media this weekend:

watched Thelonious Monk: Straight No Chaser on DVD
saw Brooke’s cousin’s band Tabarruk (they’re nominated for a Juno award — the Canadian version of the Grammies)
saw the play Stones in His Pockets, the last performance before it heads for Broadway
watched Stand By Me on DVD

Not much else to say. All of it was good.

from Consolation Champs

Devoured a lot of

Are standards-compliant websites better?

James McNally — Fri, 23 Feb 2001 20:12:28 +0000

Are standards-compliant websites better? (theory, February 19, 2001)

This article is from merges.net, an internet design and usability consultancy run by a high school student here in Ontario. Thanks to Anil for the heads up on this. The article is thoughtful, but comes out against the recent Browser Upgrade Initiative, which I support. My main point of contention is the assertion that the majority of web users are not using standards compliant browsers. According to my own anecdotal evidence, close to 90% of users are already running standards-compliant browsers. And of the remaining 10%, most would have no barriers to upgrading.

Smart kid, though. I’d get my boss to hire him, but he already makes $75/hr for his work.

from Consolation Champs

Are standards-compliant websites better?

From evhead:Looks like there

James McNally — Thu, 22 Feb 2001 00:09:28 +0000

From evhead:

Looks like there are still jobs to be had in the Internet content industry: According to this Reuters report, NakedNews.com is auditioning for new, “nudecasters” this week. “Male and female applicants should be fit, attractive, articulate and ready to live in Toronto.”

News to all: We’re all fit, attractive, and articulate in Toronto, plus we like nudity!

from Consolation Champs

From evhead:Looks like there

Hmmm….is Atomz’ new service,

James McNally — Wed, 21 Feb 2001 19:19:37 +0000

Hmmm….is Atomz‘ new service, Atomz Publish, a type of Blogger clone?

from Consolation Champs

Hmmm….is Atomz’ new service,

“Sorry, Mr. Sackett, I

James McNally — Tue, 20 Feb 2001 18:06:01 +0000

“Sorry, Mr. Sackett, I am for real, never meant to make your browser cry, I apologize a trillion times…”

from Consolation Champs

“Sorry, Mr. Sackett, I

Brooke and I held

James McNally — Mon, 19 Feb 2001 20:37:02 +0000

Brooke and I held a birthday bash on Saturday night, since her birthday was yesterday, and mine was last Thursday. About 15 of our friends turned up, and it was a blast. Here are some photos (I’m the guy in the blue shirt in just one photo). You’ll need to see what I look like slightly inebriated so you’ll recognize me at SXSW…

from Consolation Champs

Brooke and I held

Home from work, sick.

James McNally — Mon, 19 Feb 2001 20:32:53 +0000

Home from work, sick. I think I’ll spend some time today looking for good project management resources on the web. Anyone have any ideas for me? Hit comment below, please! from Consolation ChampsHome from work, sick.

from Consolation Champs

Home from work, sick.

My friend Brent and

James McNally — Sat, 17 Feb 2001 18:45:29 +0000

My friend Brent and I went to see the Rheostatics last night at the Horseshoe Tavern. I’ve seen them about 10 times over the past 6 or 7 years, and they’ve never disappointed. They’re an amazing band in general (and criminally underappreciated) but live, they’re just genius. For the Horseshoe’s 53rd anniversary, they’re playing 4 nights in a row, so they played a lot of stuff I hadn’t heard in a while, since they don’t want to repeat the same set every night. Two and a half hours, and they’ll probably play all new songs tonight. They are, without a doubt, my favourite Canadian band.

from Consolation Champs

My friend Brent and

Some fanciful Japanese designs

James McNally — Wed, 31 Jan 2001 00:36:37 +0000

Some fanciful Japanese designs for Apple.

from Consolation Champs

Some fanciful Japanese designs

Anil ponders what I’ve

James McNally — Mon, 29 Jan 2001 20:14:08 +0000

Anil ponders what I’ve been pondering. How does an English major who loves the web find satisfying work? I’m an ok web developer. There are many many people more talented. But I think I can do more. I can manage people. I can keep abreast of currents and trends. I love talking strategy and “big picture.” I love writing and editing. How can I do all of these things? Because what I’m doing right now is just a small subset of my talents and not even the strongest of those. As the web matures, people like us will be valuable. Right now, though, we’re still in the specialist phase. Pretty soon we’ll need to get all these specialists talking to each other. I’ll be here.

from Consolation Champs

Anil ponders what I’ve

SXSW Registration Update: After

James McNally — Sat, 27 Jan 2001 00:00:40 +0000

SXSW Registration Update: After removing duplicate records:

US: 303 (191 from Texas)
Canada: 6
France: 1
Australia: 1

Those sexy UK bloggers just aren’t coming, I guess…

from Consolation Champs

SXSW Registration Update: After

The new tagline at

James McNally — Fri, 26 Jan 2001 01:33:29 +0000

The new tagline at the top of the page is from Cake’s song “The Distance.” I think it sums up perfectly the spirit of “Consolation Champs.” Enjoy! from Consolation ChampsThe new tagline at

from Consolation Champs

The new tagline at

Oh boy! Now there

James McNally — Thu, 25 Jan 2001 18:40:04 +0000

Oh boy! Now there are Anti-Bloggie Awards™. If I win both a Bloggie™ and an Anti-Bloggie™, there could be a momentous rupture in the space-time continuum and we could lose the entire warp core (at least that’s what the Trekkies say, anyway). So get on over there and vote for me there, too. All publicity is good, no? Personally, I’m rooting for a nomination in “Most Banal Content Blog”! And don’t get all worked up, Dave and Leia are just having a bit o’ fun. If they’re not careful, I might just nominate them in the “Cutest Blogger Couple” category!

from Consolation Champs

Oh boy! Now there

Sad to hear that

James McNally — Tue, 23 Jan 2001 18:45:10 +0000

Sad to hear that BlogVoices is shutting down. Chris did a lot of good work. Bring on Blogger Pro, and fast!

from Consolation Champs

Sad to hear that

I’m tremendously honoured (note

James McNally — Tue, 23 Jan 2001 17:37:33 +0000

I’m tremendously honoured (note spelling!) to be a nominee for “Best Kept Secret” weblog in the Bloggies™. I was, however, horrified to note that Nikolai’s screenshot shows that my colours (again, note spelling, and marvel that Jish is nominated for Best Canadian weblog and doesn’t even live here anymore and I’m not!) don’t match. I guess I need to do a little tweaking. Anyhow, thanks for visiting if you’re here because of the awards thingie. And congratulations to all the nominees. Is this starting to sound like a Golden Globes speech yet?!

from Consolation Champs

I’m tremendously honoured (note

SXSW registrations up to

James McNally — Mon, 22 Jan 2001 20:07:35 +0000

SXSW registrations up to 298 from the US (190 from Texas). All other countries unchanged. I promise not to get (too) obsessive…

from Consolation Champs

SXSW registrations up to

I’ve been trying to

James McNally — Mon, 22 Jan 2001 19:10:07 +0000

I’ve been trying to get out of the habit of using this space to just tell you about the products I’ve bought. That’s pretty mindless. But I can’t help telling everyone that on Saturday I finally got a DVD player. I didn’t buy a Sony Playstation 2 (although I could have) simply because I still haven’t finished many of my original Playstation games, and besides, I wanted a full featured DVD player with a proper remote and support for my (still hypothetical) home theatre system. If you didn’t already know, I’ve been stockpiling DVDs since the summer, so I don’t have to buy any discs. I watched “Toy Story 2″ with the commentary on yesterday, and I rented “Three Kings” (which I never saw in the theatre due to a George Clooney allergy, now successfully treated by “The Perfect Storm” and “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”) which Brooke and I will watch tonight. Still haven’t been to a movie in the theatre for almost a month. “Traffic” and “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” (and to a lesser extent “State and Main”) are films I want to see as soon as possible. The DVD player I bought, by the way, is the Sony DVP-S360, which I’d recommend highly. A few bucks more than a Toshiba or Pioneer, but well worth it.

from Consolation Champs

I’ve been trying to

After hearing about it

James McNally — Fri, 19 Jan 2001 07:33:21 +0000

After hearing about it from several people, I finally tried Bejeweled tonight. Did pretty well, I thought. Scored 1,540 on my first try. Then Brooke sat down and about 40 minutes later, walked away with the score reading 10,235. It must be the Tetris syndrome again. Women are just better at this sort of colour/shape matching thing. Either that, or Brooke’s recent experience with precious gems is paying off.

from Consolation Champs

After hearing about it

Following up on my

James McNally — Thu, 18 Jan 2001 20:57:24 +0000

Following up on my disturbing discovery yesterday, here are the latest SXSW registration numbers:

US: 209 (132 from Texas)
Canada: 6
France: 2
Australia: 1

It appears to be shaping up to be a cosy affair. I’m going to try to track this a bit, but as far as I know, in past years, attendance was in the 2,000-3,000 range. Hard to believe people are passing up the early registration discounts. We’ll see…

from Consolation Champs

Following up on my

Caterina remembers her first

James McNally — Thu, 18 Jan 2001 17:36:10 +0000

Caterina remembers her first existential experience. Go and read this now. I’ll wait…………..see? Caterina is a very fine writer.

from Consolation Champs

Caterina remembers her first

Since I’m registered for

James McNally — Wed, 17 Jan 2001 21:38:20 +0000

Since I’m registered for SXSW, I got an email giving me access to the online registrant directory. Does anyone else think it’s strange that there only seem to be about 200 people registered so far? I’m hoping all this talk of Dot.com Meltdown™ and Blog Backlash™ doesn’t mean you’re not coming this year. C’mon!

from Consolation Champs

Since I’m registered for

Happy Birthday, Jeffrey Zeldman!!

James McNally — Fri, 12 Jan 2001 17:03:08 +0000

Happy Birthday, Jeffrey Zeldman!! from Consolation ChampsHappy Birthday, Jeffrey Zeldman!!

from Consolation Champs

Happy Birthday, Jeffrey Zeldman!!

Based on his impeccable

James McNally — Thu, 11 Jan 2001 21:28:32 +0000

Based on his impeccable taste (Rushmore!), welcome Matt Haughey to the links section! And welcome Leia, for her self-declared large head.

from Consolation Champs

Based on his impeccable

“Thankfully, parking on Mars

James McNally — Wed, 10 Jan 2001 17:15:02 +0000

“Thankfully, parking on Mars isn’t too bad” (no, Heather hasn’t lost it completely yet…)

Check out Apple. They’ve unleashed their semi-annual torrent of cool stuff. Can I put the G4 Powerbook on my Amazon wishlist?

from Consolation Champs

“Thankfully, parking on Mars

I looked at my

James McNally — Wed, 10 Jan 2001 06:43:07 +0000

I looked at my referrer logs tonight and learned with horror that I’ve been visited by the SXSW web awards judge. Aargh. It’s like having unexpected company when you have a big zit and your house is a mess. I don’t honestly feel like my content has been that compelling lately, nor have I succumbed to the New Year “funky redesign” rash yet. Make me feel better, click on over to Nikolai’s little venture and nominate me (suggested categories: Best Canadian weblog, Best “Best-Kept Secret” weblog). Thanks!

from Consolation Champs

I looked at my

Good interview with Jeffrey

James McNally — Tue, 09 Jan 2001 19:39:40 +0000

Good interview with Jeffrey Veen, but boy, WebReference should get themselves a copyeditor!(via Zeldman)

I’m all excited because Steve Jobs’ keynote at Macworld SF begins soon. I can’t afford a new computer for a while, but I always love Steve’s dog and pony shows. Watch now! (9am PST to approximately 10:30am PST)

from Consolation Champs

Good interview with Jeffrey

Blogger’s been having some

James McNally — Fri, 05 Jan 2001 18:38:44 +0000

Blogger’s been having some trouble posting my entries lately. Sorry for the late update… from Consolation ChampsBlogger’s been having some

from Consolation Champs

Blogger’s been having some

Ahem…I wrote a little

James McNally — Thu, 04 Jan 2001 22:52:24 +0000

Ahem…I wrote a little article about blogging a while ago and it’s been published in About This Particular Macintosh, a fine webzine. Please take a look, but don’t be too harsh. It was written in about a half hour as content for a late technology column for Cherrymag, and it’s aimed squarely at the beginner.

from Consolation Champs

Ahem…I wrote a little

My Fake Job Fake?

James McNally — Wed, 06 Dec 2000 17:26:06 +0000

Now it turns out that “My Fake Job” may not be the only thing fake in this article.

from Consolation Champs

My Fake Job Fake?

My Fake Job

James McNally — Mon, 04 Dec 2000 05:08:36 +0000

Finally reading the November 27 New Yorker. Rodney Rothman’s article, “My Fake Job” is hilarious. He just shows up one day at an internet company, sits at an empty desk, and pretends to work. He continues the ruse for almost three weeks. My favourite quote: “If it’s possible to be a workhaholic at a job you don’t actually have, that’s what I’ve become. The thought of going back to my apartment is loathsome, and I don’t even have a family I’m trying to avoid. In this office, I feel productive, even when I’m doing nothing. In my apartment, even when I’m working, I’m idle, lazy, and always a hairsbreadth away from masturbation.” Jason Levine has some links to discussion about this story.

from Consolation Champs

My Fake Job

Chris Ware Draws The New Yorker

James McNally — Thu, 23 Nov 2000 19:24:51 +0000

Hey, this week’s New Yorker has a cover drawn by comic book genius Chris Ware. Check it out!

from Consolation Champs

Chris Ware Draws The New Yorker

Playstation 2 Rental

James McNally — Mon, 06 Nov 2000 17:15:49 +0000

So, $30 (and a $300 credit card deposit) later, I’ve scored a Playstation 2, for 2 days. My local Blockbuster has 4 of them, and I was lucky enough to be there when one was being returned, as they’ve been very popular. I got two games as well, Ridge Racer V, which is pretty good, and Madden 2001, which is absolutely breathtaking. Tonight I’m going to watch a DVD or two.

from Consolation Champs

Playstation 2 Rental

14 Hour Day

James McNally — Wed, 01 Nov 2000 07:17:31 +0000

I had an entry half completed today and then work caught up with me again. Just finished a 14 hour day at the office, and so not in the proper frame of mind to tell you all how wonderful Newfoundland was. I will tell you soon.

When it rains, it pours. Please send Elise some love.

from Consolation Champs

14 Hour Day

Canadian Thanksgiving

James McNally — Tue, 10 Oct 2000 16:51:32 +0000

Brooke and I spent this weekend (Canadian Thanksgiving) at her parents’
house in Collingwood, Ontario, about 2 hours north of Toronto. On Sunday
night, it started snowing, and although I thought it would all be gone by
Monday morning, this is what we saw. I think this is the earliest I’ve ever seen snow on the ground. Mind you, Collingwood is in the heart of ski country in Ontario, and they get more snow than most places. Still, snow in October?

from Consolation Champs

Canadian Thanksgiving

Thoroughly Defeated

James McNally — Thu, 28 Sep 2000 04:23:01 +0000

Well, here I am back from my jog, thoroughly defeated. My first stab at jogging since 1998, and I last precisely 5 minutes. The past two years have not been kind to my body. I’ve put on about 20 useless pounds, and in my zeal to avoid paying money to run on a treadmill beside the other lab rats, I decided to hit the pavement again. I hardly had time to break a sweat before my heart began pounding, my head began spinning, and my legs began turning to jelly. It’s humiliating. I guess now my grand goal of running a half hour each night will have to be scaled back, to about 10 minutes every two nights, at least until my heart and I get onto the same page.

I grow old, I grow old, I shall wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled…

from Consolation Champs

Thoroughly Defeated

Free The Jury

James McNally — Tue, 19 Sep 2000 01:14:56 +0000

One of the ladies on the jury has a home business making custom printed ribbon and napkins, and she brought in something today to make us laugh (the caption reads “Free the Jury, The Toronto Eleven” because one of our jury was excused on the first day of the trial, for unknown reasons):

And at lunch I went out to one of my favourite little greasy spoon places on Queen Street, where I saw a mouse running along the floor under the lunch counter, and then it ran under my table and back the way it came. Several people saw it, and the waitress just said, “He wants to play.” Not sure if it’s still my favourite place…

Anyhow, off tonight to see Modest Mouse, 764-HERO, and The Chins. Tomorrow night I’m seeing Sleater-Kinney. You’d never believe I was 35 years old, at this rate…

from Consolation Champs

Free The Jury

Email Redirect

James McNally — Tue, 12 Sep 2000 06:30:40 +0000

Since I won’t be at work for the next two weeks, please direct any email to me here instead…

from Consolation Champs

Email Redirect