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| Personal background |
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INTRODUCTION
Hi, I'm Chris and, yes, that's me sittin' with big Ratty Teddy, my sister Sue's idea heh! At first I wrote a reallly tiny profile, and then I thought, hey, what the heck, us ratties are natural born yakkers, so let's go for broke.
And so ... I would like to share my passion for my town, my origins, my love of rats, roller blading, weight lifting, Yoga, programming and playing videogames, and my feelings about SETI - how does that grab ya? If all that interests you and is right up your alley - then read on dear sir/madam, and there will be a LOT to read here - you are warned! So ... make yourself a big cup of coffee or grab a nice pint of Guiness and put on them reading spectacles!
ORIGINS
My origins are definitely Terran, so no need to stop searchin' for that elusive radio signal any time soon ;) I live in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, and you'll be learnin' more than you'll ever want to know about Ottawa !
As for my Irish connection, well, my mother was a Flynn (and if that isn't Irish, then hang me upside down from the Blarney Stone). My father is French-Canadian (Legare). My mother's great-great-grand mother was a Sullivan from Killarney, County Kerry, who fled the Irish Potato Famine in the 1850's. She settled in a wee speck of a village 50 miles east of Ottawa called Kazabazua (Indian word meaning "underground water") - notorious for having the longest bar in the Gatineau, and part of the region known as the greater Ottawa Valley.
My father's folks were actually Normands, of Swedish descent (Vikings) who settled in Northern France and emigrated to New France (now called Quebec) about 300 years ago in a spot about 200 miles east of Montreal. Because of their common Catholic religion, many Irish and French-Canadians intermarried in the Ottawa Valley, and such was the case with my parents.
A BIT OF OTTAWA HISTORY ...
Parliament Hill seen from the Ottawa River
Ottawa, before being designated the capital of Canada in the 1850's, used to be called Bytown, named after Colonel John By, builder of the Rideau Canal connecting Ottawa with Kingston (100 miles south on lake Ontario). Bytown was a wild and violent lumber town, where people worked hard, drank harder and fought like madmen. The town was divided between Irish, French and British, the Irish and French more or less allies and living east of parliament hill in Lower Town, the British living west of Parliament Hill, living in Upper Town. They would meet at a bridge connecting the two parts of town after drinking all evening and all hell would break loose! In Corkston, a part of Bytown near Lower Town, was a famous old pub, Mother McGinty's, where all the Irish labourers who built the Rideau Canal gathered, check this out:
http://www.cbc.ca/ottawa/features/ottawa150/1800.html
And this is the town where I was born, live and grew up heh. We all get along great now, though - honest we do!
Ottawa, named after the Ottawa River which got its name from the "Odawa" Indian tribe, is the Canadian Capital, chosen by Queen Victoria because it lies on the border between French and English Canada, and is home to the longest skating rink - 5 miles (8 km)!
Centre of the city, seen from the War Memorial
Our population is 1.2 million and growing. We are located between Montreal and Toronto on the Ottawa River which flows south to the mighty St. Lawrence river which emerges from the final great lake, Lake Ontario and flows to the Atlantic Ocean a thousand miles east. The nearest US town south of us is Massena, New York. There are 1,500 IT firms in town and we are home to some well known companies (Northern Telecom, Corel, Mitel, etc.)
THE RIDEAU CANAL AND THAT STRANGE LITTLE WAR OF 1812
3 rivers come together here (the Ottawa, Rideau, and Gatineau rivers) including the Rideau Canal built by Colonel John By between 1826-1831, consisting of 47 stone locks, 52 dams, thus creating a 120 mile waterway. It was considered a great engineering accomplishment of the 1800's. It was built mostly by Irish labourers.
Skating on the Rideau Canal, the longest Skating in the World, Ottawa
The purpose of the canal was to ensure supplies in case of another war with the USA after the War of 1812 when the Americans attempted to seize control of Canada but were beaten back by a combination of Indian and British Troops ... who were warned of the attack by a famous Canadian heroine named Laura Secord - who figures greatly in Canadian lore in our tales of Laura Secord and her cow - and to this day there is a chain of candy shops named after her. It appears, while she was on the American side of the border, Laura overheard American plans for an invasioon ... and so she took off through many fields with her cow to warn the Canadians - and we were ready for 'em. Not sure exactly why she brought a cow with her ... hmmm, anyhow, to continue ...
Thus if there hadn't been a war of 1812 there would have been no need for a big, long canal, no Colonel By, no Bytown, no Ottawa - all we would have today is an inconsequential lumber village - and so we actually owe the Americans a lot - so thank you very much you fine Yanks - hope to return the favour someday - hehe, just kiddin'.
The Americans did, however, manage to burn down York (present day Toronto), and in return we managed to burn down the White House - really we did, check it out on the internet heh! They never bothered us again after that - pretty amazing considering we have only 1/10th their population and we thus managed to hang on to the 2nd largest country in the world (after Russia). That's a pretty sizeable piece of real estate, wouldn't you say?
 
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Some of me ancestors roastin' marshmallows at the White House Heh :D !
After that war of 1812, the 49th parallel was chosen as the dividing line between our countries and is now the longest, undefended border in the world, though that is now changing due to 9/11. I have travelled through parts of the USA and have found Americans to be truly friendly and a great people in a beautiful country. I don't always agree with their politics, but they have really contributed a lot to the world and I thank them for that and wish them well - especially at this time in their history.
WHY I LIKE RATTIES
Yes, Rats are #1 !
I really like pet rats, which are really zany and fun critters, and call my new computer RatMachine2 heh! Hopefully, I can crunch some serious numbers with my new beastie (Core2Duo 6400, 2 Gigs DDR2 RAM). Our last rat, Doodie, died a while back. She was a white Albino Dumbo Rat (meaning huge ears, low forehead, friendly disposition). She was a real sweetheart who loved playing with you - being chased, being tickled, she'd suddenly lie belly up, legs in the air, wanting you to tickle her belly and she's give a friendly little nip and then run off wanting to be chased again. She would also insist on licking your face (she'd grab your face with both paws if you didn't let her).
We are looking for another Dumbo rat, which are very friendly and have little fear of people. If you ever get a pet rat, try to get them when they are young, hand feed them. Make sure they seem friendly and are not afraid of people. It's too bad most rats have such a bad reputation - I'm sure wild ones can be a real pain, but I've been keeping rats since 1986, and have never encountered one with a mean disposition, have never once been bitten by a rat. Like most animals, Rats are neither particularly evil .. nor saintly ... - they are just trying to survive and definitely have some qualities if you are willing to see them.
ROLLER BLADING ANYONE?
I enjoy roller blading and weight training. I've been skating for over 3 years and have luckily not yet fallen, though have come close a few times. I highly recommend roller blading (also called inline skating) to those perhaps a little overweight and not in the best shape. Skating is tremendous exercise, is low impact on the joints and is tremendous fun once you get the hang of it.
In my first season my weight went from 210 to 170 and I practiced in an abandoned parking lot first. You must learn braking techniques, failure to do so is the cause of so many accidents for newbies. My favourite braking technique is T-braking (dragging one skate very lightly behind the other foot, most of the weight being put on that forward non-braking foot - it takes a while to get the hang of, but is well worth it, though t-braking will wear your wheels down faster on the skate your braking with - but the wheels are easily replaced but cost money). If you are interested, look up inline skating on google or yahoo or take a course in your city. There are inline skating clubs in a lot of cities - myself, I prefer to skate alone or with friends and family.
Just a bit of essential advice regarding inline skating for those maybe considering it:
1) Do wear a helmet and some knee pads, wrist guards and maybe elbow pads, especially when you are new to the sport.
2) Keep an eye on the surface you're skating on, watching out for stones, sticks, holes, cracks, wet leaves (slippery as all heck), and be especially careful about hills at first, and some steep hills are always a danger and require special treatment (like take those skates off!).
You'll sure huff and puff at first, but if you stick with it, and do it about 2 or 3 times a week for an hour or more, in no time you'll be skating miles and miles and getting into the best shape of your life. I was really amazed at how fast the flab started melting away, and it took from April to October - but you have to really work at it - don't think you can just skate leisurely for a while. You gotta sweat! Flab really starts to melt if you sustain a good effort for about 20 minutes. Do this, eat sensibly, and watch your body change. After you see the results, you will be motivated because you will know it works, you will skate religiously and start an amazing healthy lifestyle that will change your life.
3) Consider getting good quality skates, such as K2, which is what I use. Skates come with different size wheels and hardness, and are designed for recreatin or fitness, etc. I suggest fitness for those serious about getting into shape - the wheels are larger 80 mm as opposed to 72 mm for example. The larger the wheel, the further you go on each stride - simple physics.
Good quality skates have excellent bearings, which means you go further with less effort, and are far more comfortable, cushioned, ventilated, whereas the cheap, plastic, buckle type skates have small wheels, can cause blisters and are inefficient. Buy good quality skates at the end of season when they are maybe half price. Wheels should be rotated once a month (if you skate regularly), moving the 2 front wheels of one skate to the last 2 wheels of the other skate, and vice versa (skates having 4 wheels each), thus wheels 1 and 2 moved to wheels 3 and 4 of the other skate. Always inspect your skates before you put them on - are the wheels tight, are they cracked, are they worn, etc? Again, if you are thinking about inline skating, please do check out websites discussing inline skating safety, technique, maintenance - you'll be glad you did. I didn't, and never rotated my skates the 1st season, the wheels almost wore down to nothing on one skate and I almost had a disaster heh! So don't be a dummy like me :)
YOGA
I also practice some Yoga technique. I had a lot of back and neck pain, but now since I do a couple of Yoga poses 2 or 3 times a week, that pain is a thing of the past. The two stances I do are these: lie flat on your back, raise your legs over your head, all the way back, until your legs are over your head, your toes pointing down to the floor. The lower half of your body should be folded over you, your toes touching the floor behind your head. Relax, breathe in deeply, hold for 10 or 20 seconds at first, building up to a few minutes with practice.
Think good thoughts, think healing thoughts to your body and mind. Slowly bring your legs back to a normal position and rest. I do that pose just once and follow it by doing the 2nd pose described below.
The second Yoga pose is a kind of reverse push up. Lying flat on your back again, raise your body up slowly and arch your back by pushing up with your arms and legs - hold for a few seconds or as long as you can bear it, to a max of maybe 30 seconds. Repeat 3 or 4 times. Done - now pat yourself on the head :) !
Doing those 2 Yoga poses at least 2 or 3 times a week will help straighten your spine and strengthen your back. After doing this for a few weeks, you should feel a noticeable difference and may even find you no longer have to see a chiropractor if you are currently doing so. Remember, start off slowly and carefully, easy does it. The poses also really help when you get kinks in your neck or back. Because I lift weights, doing the bench press especially sometimes hurts my neck or upper back, and those poses really really straighten out the mess. I used to suffer for weeks or months, sometimes.
WEIGHT LIFTING FOR FITNESS
Finally, to complete my exercise routines, I lift weights (chest, shoulders, biceps, triceps, lats) to look good and maintain my weight as more muscle mass equals more calories burnt and also means stronger bones and joints).
Moderate weight lifting using free weights, in addition to an aerobic activity like roller blading, can be tremendous for your health, your appearance, and your overall spirits. Exercise gives you a good feeling afterwards.
I lift weights twice a week, on Monday and Wednesday.
On monday I work biceps (using EZ curl bar), triceps (using dumbbell)and forearms (using straight barbell) and deltoids (shoulders) using dumbbells.
On Wednesday, I work out pectorals (chest, upper and lower) using flat bench press (lower pecs) and incline press (upper pecs), and Lats (neck muscles, the ones that move when you shrug) using barbell.
Before each weight session, I do vigorous walking around the home for 5 or 10 minutes to warm up, followed by stretching. It is important to warm up, get the blood flowing, and to stretch your muscles a bit so as to avoid injuring yourself when lifting weights.
After weights are done, I do 3 kinds of crunches for my abdominals, followed by my 2 yoga stances.
After I am all done, I find I am in much better spirits, more relaxed and pleased that I did something good for myself. Exercise is a great stress reliever.
EXERCISE = QUALITY OF LIFE
There is no reason why you have to experience "middle age spread" at 50 or 60 years of age ... it is definitely not inevitable. Just get a bit more active, be consistent about it - remember procrastiantion is the work of the Devil hehe! - and eat sensibly ! Moderation in all things. Those fad diets really don't work - you need to make a permanent change in your eating habits - cut down on all those greases and oils, watch the sweets - doesn't mean you have to cut them out, just cut down by half or more.
I strongly encourage anyone reading this, who isn't doing so, to begin a regular exercise program - everything begins with one small step. The key to success is consistency - pick just two nights a week, make it fun, and before you know it, the weeks will zoom by and a new you will emerge. You will feel healthier, happier and more confident.
Myself, I don't like working out in public gyms - they can be expensive, crowded .. I prefer to work out at home. All you need is a cheap set of weights and a little bench. For example, I got a new Weider (Weider 128) bench for only $49.99 for doing bench presses and incline presses. Altogether, it should cost you less than $100 US, $120 CDN, 50 pounds sterling approx. If anyone would like any advice or encouragement in developing an active lifestyle, please feel free to contact me. I am no expert, but it would be my pleasure to share whatever experience and knowledge I have.
VIDEOGAMES - PLAYING, PROGRAMMING
I love videogaming and still play Starcraft almost every day. My favourite game of all time is Magic Carpet - and anything Doom-related is close to my heart as well .. and, of coure, Halo is a definite favourite. Tomb Raider and Lara Croft get a special mention too, hehe. I also enjoy console gaming and have an Xbox, Playstation, trying to get a Wii ... In general, I love RTS, FPS and Fantasy games, but am flexible and willing to try new genres.
My trade is Flash/Shockwave development, with specialization im Flash videogame programming in ActionScriptII (an OOP language that has evolved into a full language akin to Java) and website development. In my spare time I enjoy making Flash games for myself and hope to make a Flash version of Magic Carpet one day. I have made a really bizarre Flash version of PacMan, Tetris and Pong and a zany space UFO game, among many experimental games I made in the course of learning videogame programming. Am currently working on a platformer that is driving me batty.
Anyhow, that's about it - congratulations to those who actually read this whole thing - I admire your patience :) Actually, for those poor souls who really enjoy torture, there's more stuff below this - my amazin' thoughts regarding SETI - Rats just LOVE to yak and yak and yak and ..........
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| Thoughts about SETI and SETI@home |
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I run Seti@home because I believe not only is there definitely life on other worlds ... but there is also intelligent life - and lots of it! It is a great honour to be part of an effort to discover that intelligent life. I thank Seti@home for this opportunity to make a contribution towards such a tremendous goal.
I don't know how long it will take to find a radio signal of unmistakably intelligent origin - 6 months, 6 years, 6 decades ... but however long it takes, we have to keep trying. Statistical analysis point logically to one conclusion: there are very likely hundreds of thousands of intelligent civilizations in the Universe; thus, it is a matter of "when" and not "if" we will find proof of that fact.
I say shame on governments that do not fund this project, yet have no scruples about spending billions of dollars on new bomber jets and nuclear subs ....
The day we finally discover that amazing radio signal .. our perception of the universe, of ourselves, will change forever - we will know for a fact we are not alone in the Universe, we will know we are part of a pan-galactic and pan-universal community. Hopefully, we become a united planet looking forward to an amazing future participating in the sentient community spread out in the depths of space.
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