I’ll scan in my latest bird on the weekend. I have a really full schedule Thursday and Friday. Lots of fiddly work on computers – my favourite kind of house call (and no I’m not being sarcastic). Not sure I like my latest drawing. I’m trying different pencils. To date I’ve used a couple of mechanical pencils. This week I’ve moved to regular pencils with different leads – 2h, Fine, HB, 2B, 6B, 8B. One thing I’ve noticed is the shading is a lot more subtle. But it is very hard to get the delicate feathering right. S’alright, it will give me something to do during the long, cold winter months. Bugger….

Oh… and if I’m late in posting anything this weekend, it’s because I’m at the Stamp show. Oh… I’m incredibly excited. I love the Stamp Show! Yup… I really am a serious geek, aren’t I?

It is cold outside
I curse my ancestors as I shiver
Why not move to New Zealand

I saw snow today
I shivered in my jacket
Come back summer

Stupid fecking ancestors just had to choose a cold country, didn’t they? Why not New Zealand? It sounds lovely to me.

Canada’s H1N1  vaccination program is a complete shambles. The Canadian government didn’t just drop the ball on preparing for this epidemic, it seemed to think if it pretended it wouldn’t happen, then money wouldn’t have to be spent on the program. Canada is extremely short on the vaccine, line ups are epic in scale and there doesn’t seem to be any coherent plan to deal with it. Each day more confusion about the availability of the vaccine, whether it works or not and should you get it in conjunction with the regular flu shot appears in the news. Perhaps Canadian officials should take a short trip down to Mexico and find out how to deal with the problem.

We here in Canada have been told preferential treatment will be given to those most at risk. That is okay by me, if, and only if, this is applied evenly. I fail to see why Calgary Flames and Toronto Maple Leafs AND their families rank above those highest in the risk category. Young, extremely fit and healthy men don’t fit the category – I have yet to see a pregnant woman on any of the teams.  Don’t see a single senior lacing up his/her skates. Not a lot of toddlers skating around either (though some of them behave like toddlers at times). According to the Ontario government guidelines, these are the people who should be given the vaccination:

• People with chronic medical conditions, under age 65
• Pregnant women
• Healthy children from six months to five years old
• Persons residing in remote and isolated settings or communities
• Health care workers involved in pandemic response or the delivery of essential health care services
• Household contacts and care providers of persons at high risk who cannot be immunized or may not respond to vaccines

Yup… I see all of them skating around the ice each game.

A couple of issues crop up here. First and foremost, school children are not being vaccinated because of the short supply. Here in Ontario a young boy recently died from H1N1 so the lack of vaccinations is a sore subject. Second, Ontario has had the general vaccination program suspended because we just don’t have enough. Only those at risk were supposed to get the shot. Third, didn’t someone in the head office think “Wow if we let the athletes jump the cue there might be one hell of a back lash”?  None of these players are in the at risk categories. Yes they might get the flu and yup they will be sick. But… they are not in the category where it means life and death. Fourth, as an excuse for seeking preferential treatment Flames defenceman Robyn Regehr said he didn’t know there was a shortage. Wow! I’m.. I’m .. speechless. An athlete that can’t read. He’s either the single stupidest person on the face of the earth, or he’s deaf, illiterate and blind. I’m opting for the first.

I read one response that the players went to private clinics – um… so what? The vaccine is distributed by the government so it should still be distributed according to the guidelines. Private clinics as a reason to jump the cue ahead of someone who very well may die for lack of vaccination doesn’t cut it here in Canada.  Another answer I read left me hopping up and down – it boiled down to if the players get ill with the flu then they can’t get to work and the team will be let down. ??? Basically playing sports for millions of dollars is more important than you and I going to work to make sure we keep a roof over our heads. Sorry, athletes are no more important than the person who works in a restaurant, pumps your gas or works as a store clerk. Each business is just as affected by their absence. The difference is, these people can’t afford to be sick. No work = no pay = bills not paid. To me these people have a priority, not over-paid jock straps with attitude.

Oh .. and kudos to the Edmonton Oilers hockey team and Edmonton Eskimos football team players. Not one of them sought or received preferential treatment. Evidently some Oilers are out with the flu now.

And now the tweet:

From Catpaw’s Art work – birds
Rather striking little Flycatcher, isn’t he. I’ve been working on sketching leaves this week. On Sunday I went out and collected a load of them and then ironed them in wax-paper. I felt like I was 6 years old again! Cheap ass wax-paper company sure skimped on the wax though. Most of the leaves are extremely dry already because there was so little wax on the paper. So I’ve thrown some of the best leaves into a book to keep them.

Leaves are a lot harder to draw than you would think. You just know you are likely going to see a lot of leaves in the next few weeks as I practice getting them right.

Dear (@Rogers.com)Webmail Account User

This message is to the Rogers.com account owners. We are currently upgrading our data base and e-mail account center. We are deleting all unused webmail account to create more space for new accounts.We are currently performing maintenance and upgrading our Digital webmail services for your convenience. To prevent your account from closing you will have to update it below to know it’s status as a currently used account.

Confirm Your Rogers.com WebMail
Details;User Name:
Password:
Date of Birth:

You will be sent a new confirmation alphanumerical password so that it will only be valid during this period and can be changed after the
process.
Warning!!! Any account owner that refuses to update his or her account within Seven working days of this update notification will loose his or her account permanently.
Warning Code :ID67565434
Confirm Your Rogers.com Account
Contact email:upgradingservice@mail2webmaster.com
Copyright ?2009
Information Technology Services Centre All Rights Reserved.

While this is specifically aimed at Rogers users, it also applies to all internet users. This is a trolling expedition. The sender is hoping to panic you into sending all the info they need to access you email account so they can send out their spam, or use your identity to con someone else. Do not respond. Yes it looks legit on one hand but any decent internet provider would NEVER, NEVER send out such a mass email. Here are a couple of tip-offs that it is a scam:

1. According to Rogers’ own website they do “not solicit personal information via e-mail, unless the account holder has initiated contact”. This applies to virtually every Internet provider (and bank, and anyone else that has personal info).
2. If you are a paying customer, and have paid your bill, they cannot arbitrarily cut off your service like this.
3. The sender mispells Webmail. Rogers always spells it with a capital W.
4. Type in Warning Code: ID67565434 and you will get a boat load of sites that discuss this as a part of a phishing expedition.
5. Contact email is a generic address. Rogers (and any Internet provider) would never use mail2webmaster.com. Seriously, why would they use an  outside email account when they can have as many as they want for free.
6. The message is not gramatically correct. While I concede this does seem to be a dieing skill, I would expect a modicum of accuracy in a corporate mail out.
7. The time constraint is unrealistic. 7 days is not enough time for all customers to respond. What if you were away? Opps… sorry, you didn’t respond so we cut you off.

So there you are. Be wary of any email you recieve that wants you to hand over information to them. If in doubt, pick up the phone and call the company. They will be able to tell you very quickly.

From Catpaw’s Art work – birds

I find that if I can get the eye correct, the rest of the bird comes along fine. If I screw up the eye, then the bird ends up looking like a Disneyesque parody of a bird. It’s like the eyes speak to me. I loose track of time when I start filling in around the eye and watch the feathers appear.

I’ve been wondering why, for years I felt unable to draw. Then this year, I picked up pencil and paper and, well, just started to draw. My first attempts were comical. My drawings were adrift until I decided to try and draw a feather. From the feather grew eyes and then the birds just came. When I was younger, I really wanted to draw animals and birds but could never figure out how. I keep pondering why I suddenly was able to produce realistic birds. Maybe it’s best not to think about it and simply enjoy the ability.

Next on the artistic board? I’m going to try leaves and berries. Leaves are harder than they look… wish me luck.