PS: If anyone has Toby Keith’s ear, can you please tell him he’s done much, much better? Just tossing that out there.

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• Sugarland: A reason to reconsider country.

Other posts you might enjoy. Or not.

• That personal data you just handed to Facebook? Trade secret!
• Email is dead. Unless you don’t use Facebook. But then you don’t care.
• dear Facebook. I’m not a hacker, just blind.
• Please tell me Facebook doesn’t want to play fortune teller.
• My Facebook MySpace resistance.

• Of course, the team I call my own (hint: over here) choked again. In spectacular fashion. They call this the rebuilding year–well, those of us who haven’t seen the playoffs since 2004 are still waiting. Oh well. We’re also used to it.
• I got a lot closer to spending the rest of my life with someone–I even had a quote in hand for a wedding, which was something a lot of people–myself included–didn’t see me doing.
• I moved back to Ottawa, where I actually started to put my life back together–or, rather, where I actually started to have a life again. This whole getting out and doing things idea? Yeah, let’s keep hold of that, yeah?
• That wedding quote I mentioned? Turned out it wasn’t going to be needed after all–I ended up single this year. It was hard getting there, a lot of things went down that kind of kicked me in the face, but I can’t say I didn’t see it coming.
• Met some extremely awesome people this year–and actually started talking to a couple of them more regularly. Get these people in the same room with a nifty amount of something alcoholic and there may not be a room left, but hey, we’d have fun doing it.
• Did a ton of job searching. No job finding, but plenty of searching. That’s halfway, right? That’s what they tell me, anyway.
• And, most importantly, survived to see 2012. Some days I don’t know how, but you’ll have that. Provided life doesn’t continue to kick me in the face, this year will rock in comparison.

So how was your year?

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• 2009, in review.
• 2008: year in review.

1. Was 2011 a good year for you?
It was an okay year, employment situation notwithstanding. I can’t eally complain, overall. Relationship issues tended to cause a small problem, but those have been kind of put to bed, now.

2. What was your favourite moment of the year?
Moving back to Ottawa. There’s just so, so, so much more to offer here than Pembroke/Petawawa. Love the town, don’t love the lack of anything that can be done without use of a vehicle.

Personal events that took place over a large part of the summer–things I won’t be putting up here any time in the near future, but things that, we’ll say, lead me to sort of suspect things wouldn’t be the same after. And, well, I was right. We’ll leave that at that.

4. What are your plans for 2012?
Same as they’ve always been. Try and find work, maybe put a little money aside. Get back into doing this more often–complete with the usual mockery and other such breaky type things. Oh, yeah, and get used to this apartment. The awesome still slaps me in the face and I’ve been here now for 7 months.

5. What countries did you visit?
Just the US, and sadly, only did that once–I hate being broke/poor. Stayed around the home front otherwise.

6. What date in 2011 will remain etched in your memory?
August 19.

7. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Not going completely, foodstamps broke. That took some creative nifty.

8. What was your biggest failure?
Not entirely a me thing, but not landing any kind of work, which was the reason for moving to Ottawa in the first place. Still, can’t complain–well, can, and will, but probably shouldn’t.

9. Did you suffer any illness or injury?
Thankfully, no. I’m probably the only one in my family who hasn’t on some level this year.

10. What was the best thing you bought?
The laptop–from which this thinggy type thing is being now written. Hey, it’s come in handy.

11. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
She knows who she is. I’m not in the business of naming names–besides, that’s kind of been put to bed now, it looks like. Have fun, by the way.

12. Where did most of your money go?
Wo wait I had money? Most of the money I’m told I have went to, and still goes to, bills. That’ll probably never change. Hello, ODSP.

13. What did you get really really really excited about?
An apartment we ended up not actually moving into when we moved to Ottawa–but very nearly! Huge ass building, laundry rooms on every floor, vending machines, a pool–and oh yeah, our mutual friend in recovery has her eye on the same one–now all she needs is money. Or a roommate. Hey, anyone in the Ottawa area interested?

14. What songs will always remind you of 2011?
Too many to list, but a song that will always stand out to me is “I Won’t Let Go” by Rascal Flatts. I saw them in concert in the beginning of the year. In my book, that puts them up there with Garth and BNL–especially considering the concert was damn near as good.

15. Compared to this time last year are you:
a) Fatter or thinner? Probably thinner. I could walk more this year–and did! Hello, getting places! Christmas dinner probably erased most of that, but you’ll have that.
b) Happier or sadder? Happier, I’d say. Not enthused about being unemployed, but still, life’s good.
c) Richer or poorer? About the same. Maybe slightly poorer. Again, hello, ODSP.

16. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Remember conversations either in person or on the phone that would have you awake until 4:00 AM? Yeah those. Those were awesome. ‘Nuff said?

17. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Getting stressed about the job market. It’ll fix itself, or not, when it wants to. In the meantime, there’s booze.

18. How will you be spending Christmas?
Spent it at the parents’. Om nom nom coma. Wake me up when newyears gets here.

19. Which LJ/MySpace users did you meet for the first time?
That would be Jessica. And Candi. And, uh, I think that’s it–I dunno. Ended up engaged to Jessica. Not bad for online.

20. Did you fall in love in 2011?
I was already there. Might not hurt to gie it a shot in 2012, though. Or maybe 2013.

21. How many one night stands?
None. Although, if my 2012 2013 plans don’t work out–see previous question, you just never know.

22. What was your favourite TV show?
Not a fair question. all my *favourite* TV shows stopped running before 2011. Although, if CSI ever improves…

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Probably should, but no. Too much goddamned effort. Besides, I’ve always believed–we all get ours. I don’t have to bother.

24. What was/were the best books you read?
I’m hute into the “In Death” series. So, yeah, any book from that series. Including the two released in 2011–go read. Now. No, seriously. Stop reading this, go read those books, then come back to this. I’m not joking.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
I didn’t make any real major ones in 2011. Unless you count the Blake Shelton version of “Footloose”. Yeah, I don’t either. Good song, but no. However, it will make the blog, now that I’m back to blogging.

26. What did you want and get?
A laptop. And apparently, the patience to survive a whole lotta small town stupid. Don’t ask me how.

27. What did you want and not get?
A decent paying job. Or hell, a job at all. Yeah, I know, stand in line.

28. What was your favourite film this year?
I wasn’t overly impressed by the selection this year. Most of them were meh, with one or two that just plain outright sucked hard.

29. What did you do on your birthday and how old were you?
I had a low key birthday. Not a whole lot went down over here–unless you count spending part of it fighting to migrate the blog and a few other domains away from a web host with a rather itchy trigger finger–but you’ll have that. oH, AND THE REST OF IT TURNING 28.

30. What one thing would have made your year more satisfying?
Being able to say I accomplished more by moving to Ottawa than just changing my mailing address. Still, that’s a start, I guess.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
Same as I would in 2010, and will in 2012. If it fits, it works. Everything else is negotiable.

32. What kept you sane?
What the hell is sane?

33. Which celebrity did you fancy the most?
Can’t say I had one. Most of ‘em were too busy getting divorced, married, and divorced again. If I wanna see that, I have relatives.

34. Which political issue stirred you the most?
Like most up here, I paid attention when the NDP became official opposition. Jack Layton’s death only 3 months later is the kind of stuff political drama novels and movies are made of. I mocked him a time or six on this thing, but really, there was something to him. And there might be that same something to the common theory that his not being here now is what’s probably going to lead to the NDP getting bumped off the front benches in next election. Unless the party pulls off a small leadership miracle.

35. Who did you miss?
Can’t say there was anyone really. A few people I didn’t talk to much and probably should have, but we aren’t all that close anyway–otherwise I would have.

36. Did you treat somebody badly in 2011?
Not that I can think of, but I’ve been told I don’t think all that much.

37. Did somebody treat you badly in 2011?
Probably. I never had the energy to really care.

38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned this year?
Drama still sucks. When your situation is mostly drama, you’re in the wrong situation. Get the fuck out. Now.

And there you go. A year end thinggy before my year end thinggy. Yay and whatnot. Now, about pizza, booze, caffeine etc. Now taking suggestions.

The holidays are insane on a good day, which accounts for most of my time spent doing things not related to blogging. What accounts for the rest? A mutual friend of both Shane and myself came down with some pretty nifty little medical issues–some of which, some of you are already familiar with. That’s required we be a lot more not near electronics than usual around here while those get fixed and otherwise taken care of. Thankfully, she’s kind of on her way towards recovery now, which means–you guessed it–back to business as usual around here.

It’s been pretty low key on the familial front. Mother’s still working too much, dad’s still working too much, brother’s still–well, okay, nothing he does is low key but there’s not enough room in this entry for that. Oh, and–surprise of surprises–I’m single again. The reasons behind it aren’t worth going into detail publicly–again, some of you already know and the rest, well, probably have theories. But suffice it to say I kind of saw it coming. For those of you who read Jessica’s blog when she posts to it, it’ll be up again just as soon as she figures out what she’s doing with it–and if it’s actually going to get any kind of continued use. Outside of that, it’s been a pretty routine month and a bit–where routine equals anything but. but now, there’s time. And where there’s time, there’s all kinds of random. New year, which means new posting habbits, new mockery, and a new year end show to be kicked off at 9:00 tonight on Mojo Radio. Drop in, say hello, and have a listen (links are over here), while we do 2011 right–and get trashed. Look for more blog content from this corner–including my 2011 review, starting… well… later tonight or early tomorrow. Maybe. But it’s coming. In the meantime, we now return you to whatever you were doing before I distracted you.

Other posts you might enjoy. Or not.

• When your network takes a crap, and takes your email with it.

The group’s founder, Max Schrems, received a reply to his request for the data Facebook held about him in the form of a CD-ROM storing over 800 pages. But
looking through them, Schrems noticed that important information was missing, and so contacted Facebook again, asking for the extra details. But
Facebook refused

And why, pray tell, would Facebook do such a thing? Well, Facebook was asked.

To date, we have disclosed all personal data to which you are entitled pursuant to Section 4 of the Irish Data Protection Acts 1988 and 2003 (the Acts).
Please note that certain categories of personal data are exempted from subject access requests. Pursuant to Section 4(9) of the Acts, personal data which
is impossible to furnish or which can only be furnished after disproportionate effort is exempt from the scope of a subject access request. We have not
furnished personal data which cannot be extracted from our platform in the absence of disproportionate effort.
Section 4(12) of the Acts carves out an exception to subject access requests where the disclosures in response would adversely affect trade secrets or intellectual
property. We have not provided any information to you which is a trade secret or intellectual property of Facebook Ireland Limited or its licensors.

So, basicly, Facebook will give you any and all information you ask it to, about you–except that which is covered by intelectual property–read: copyright–laws or which is considered a trade secret. So much for personal information being, well, personal, hmm? And folks wonder why I have such an opinion on internet privacy.

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• Just when you thought only Facebook could make Facebook look vaguely dramatic…
• Email is dead. Unless you don’t use Facebook. But then you don’t care.
• dear Facebook. I’m not a hacker, just blind.
• Please tell me Facebook doesn’t want to play fortune teller.
• My Facebook MySpace resistance.

Oct 9 10:42am: who hands out clean crack pipes in Vancouver

That’s exactly the question I asked a few weeks ago. Who in their right mind? Although, speaking of right mind, I hope that search wasn’t to point our querier in the general direction of a source…

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• Kids on Google search the darnedest things.

He told the Toronto Sun he is frustrated federal and provincial governments aren’t doing enough for municipalities.

He maintained if Toronto was a province it would qualify for transfer payments from Ottawa.

So, basicly, if toronto was a province, the rest of Canada would have to give them more money they likely would have just as much (read: absolutely no) trouble finding things to do with due to the way equalization’s been set up, and the fact they’re bleeding red out both ends. Yeah, tell you what. No. Spend a few million less, then maybe talk to us about separation. Quebec could use some company on that front. Or better yet, just get rid of Giorgio Mammoliti.

Remember all those jokes–half of them probably not quite joking–about the way folks over in that other province not far from here like to drive? And by drive, I mean everyone else insane? I used to think those jokes were largely, well, just jokes. Yes, even having been to and through Quebec on more than one occasion. And then, I saw this.

Ontario Provincial Police say the foursome was spotted by officers on foot patrol at around 3 p.m. on Friday along the main stretch of Lake Huron’s Wasaga
Beach, about 130 kilometres north of Toronto.

Officers say the group was observed smoking marijuana on the beach; a subsequent search uncovered more of the drug, police alleged on Sunday.

The four people, all from Quebec, were charged with possession of a controlled substance and later released from custody pending an appearance in a Collingwood,
Ont., court.

Huronia West OPP said the group’s rough weekend didn’t end there.

A highway patrol officer stopped a vehicle leaving the area while travelling 104 kilometres an hour in a posted 50 km/h zone.

Provincial police impounded the vehicle for seven days and charged the driver with stunt driving.

I have at least one Royal Canadian Air Farse skit rolling around the back of my head right now. If I can find it, it will be added to this post. For right now, though, I got nothin’. Only in Quebec.

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• Another bright idea out of Quebec. I should stop being surprised.
• A year later, Quebec still hasn’t let go of the olympics.
• And this, folks, is why I’m glad I don’t live in Quebec.
• This would surprise me if it wasn’t Quebec.
• If Quebec is a nation, then yall can stop running mine.

Consider this when planning your next family function. It could be a huge success. Or it could flop. We here at WTN take no responsibility for either–but we *will* take your barely entertaining recordings.

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• In which James changes it up, and very nearly breaks things.
• Happy early birthday to me.

• Wins: 4
• Losses: 1
• Shootout Wins: 1
• Shootout Losses: 0
• Points: 9

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• Maple Leafs 5, Thrashers 4.
• Lightning 2, Maple Leafs 0.
• Flames 2, Maple Leafs 1.
• Flyers 4, Maple Leafs 1.
• Canadians 2, Maple Leafs 0.

• Wins: 3
• Losses: 1
• Shootout Wins: 0
• Shootout Losses: 0
• Points: 7

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• Maple Leafs 3, Flames 2.
• Blue Jackets 3, Maple Leafs 2.
• Flyers 4, Maple Leafs 1.
• Maple Leafs 5, Capitals 4.
• Islanders 2, Maple Leafs 1.

• Wins: 3
• Losses: 0
• Shootout Wins: 0
• Shootout Losses: 0
• Points: 6

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• Maple Leafs 4, Jets 3.
• Avalanch 3, Maple Leafs 2.
• Flames 2, Maple Leafs 1.
• Flames 5, Maple Leafs 2.
• Maple Leafs 3, Canadians 2.

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• I got free food, and such!
• House to myself, just the way I like it.

• Wins: 2
• Losses: 0
• Shootout Wins: 0
• Shootout Losses: 0
• Points: 4

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• Maple Leafs 5, Senators 1.
• Senators 3, Maple Leafs 2.
• Maple Leafs 5, Senators 1.
• Maple Leafs 4, Senators 1.
• Senators 3, Maple Leafs 2.

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• I don’t cheer for anyone. I cheer against the Phillies.
• Forget soccer and football, let’s see some baseball!

• Wins: 1
• Losses: 0
• Shootout Wins: 0
• Shootout Losses: 0
• Points: 2

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• Canadians 3, Maple Leafs 0.
• Maple Leafs 3, Canadians 1.
• Maple Leafs 4, Stars 1.
• Canadians 2, Maple Leafs 0.
• Maple Leafs 3, Canadians 2.