Big news, well buzz, and not yet. Bell and Telus may get the Apple iPhone soon, but not soon enough.

Sources say the two former phone monopolies are set to roll out a joint $1 billion upgrade of their wireless networks as early as this fall, months ahead of schedule, that will allow them to support a range of GSM-based devices including Apple Inc.’s iconic iPhone, which so far is only available in Canada through rival Rogers Communications Inc.
[...]
Officials at Bell and Telus declined to comment but noted that their proposal to jointly “overlay” an HSPA (High Speed Packet Access) network on their existing CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) networks would give them the technical capability to support the device.
– Bell, Telus buzz about iPhone upgrading Toronto Star 26 Jun 2009

We wait so long just for baby steps. I remember when people thought the iPhone coming to Canada (after a long wait) would open up unlimited data plans and bring down pricing, but it hasn’t done anything like that nearly enough.

• Fido drops fee but not for loyal customers 5 Nov 2009
• Will Rogers have to reduce data rates to get iPhone? 7 Nov 2007

We had another family dinner tonight, Saturday. It was pretty simple, just burgers and salad.

Ooms made lentil, walnut patties. I made hamburgers. Those who have read about our previous dinners might wonder about the sourdough. Yeah, we had sourdough buns.

The lentil patties cooked in the oven and Macd, who is an ace with the grill, barbecued the hamburgers.

The salad was just lettuce and I made honey mustard dressing. I also made bergamot rooibos iced tea with lime and honey.

I just had one lentil burger and one hamburger. I was only half empty to begin with because Ooms made some channa flour flat bread squares, which were tasty. I ate quite a few of those.

This was a good easy and simple dinner. It has been busy recently.

• Pizza for family dinner on Wednesday 12 Jun 2009

I went to the IPA Challenge at Volo last weekend. I am not a big beer drinker let alone drinker, but this event had “challenge” in the name, so it was more compelling.

It is a single elimination tournament of Ontario cask IPAs as judged by patrons that come in, buy, and rate the selection.

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After a couple of wins we returned to middling performance with a 2-1 loss last Tuesday.

I had previously dubbed this league the complaining league, but began to think differently with the introduction of three officials this season. I have seen umbrage returning as we meet other teams for the first time this season.

It seems crazy to me that people make such nonsense arguments or raise a fuss as some kind of tactic. One fellow charged me off the ball and complained that he had been elbowed before. So, essentially he didn’t dispute the foul.

It turned out to be a busy day for me. After class, teleconference, and interview work in the morning and early afternoon, I got a call from work that several people were sick and they needed my skills.

I responded that I was willing, but still needed to make my soccer match. So, I rushed into work, but left in the middle then came back to work until deadline. “And I wasn’t even supposed to be here today,” I told people referring to that Smith film about the cashiers.

We gave up the first goal in defensive confusion. A guy was tripped in the box and the official granted a penalty. They got it. We equalized shortly after as Ben put it home.

Though we kept most possession throughout the game, they would just bomb long balls into our end for their speedy strikers. And they got an easy break at the top of the box and slipped one by Brent, who is an amazing keeper.

We need the discipline to play our game how we want and not lapse based on different challenges from different squads. We are getting close to the halfway point, so a lot of games have passed, but there are more matches to come.

• We beat Phoenix 18 Jun 2009

We got another win Tuesday night and I was satisfied with the outcome.

It was not just that I want our team to win and succeed, but that a few players on the other team were particularly ungracious. It is a weird thing that somehow I am always surprised when people obviously cheat. One guy I was marking would reach out and pinch me when I beat him to the ball. once he fell backwards into me while I jumped up for a high header.

The referee was of little use (which is one of the conditions for developing a destructive culture of honour in sport).
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We went to the beach at Turkey Point last Saturday. I had never been there before. Except for Grand Bend and the Pinery, and then camping, I hadn’t really been to beaches in Ontario outside of the Waterloo area. It is still weird for me to go to a beach and have all this development like patio bars, ice cream stands and so forth.
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Last weekend I got some kefir grains. That means it was time to make kefir.

I had been interested in making kefir for a little while and now I had the means.

I spooned the kefir grains out of their transport milk. I took some photos to show people what they look like. They are often described as cauliflower-like, but they also kind of look like feta cheese. They are also very rubbery. First I took a photo on a white plate.

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I was hoping for the young Pittsburgh Penguins to take it — and they did. It went to the last minutes in the final game of the series Friday night. Detroit had some good shots and the Pens had to work to keep their one-goal lead.

It was an unusual game as a game 7 away championship win against a defending champion after a 2-0 series deficit, but it did happen.

I was at work and the deadline was looming, but I stopped to watch the full last few minutes. Then back to work.

• Me and the Stanley Cup 25 May 2009

We had our third family dinner on Wednesday and we made pizza. “What, no sourdough?” you might ask, but though it is not in the title, it was in the crust.
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Back in April, I had kefir for the first time. I may have had it before, but I couldn’t remember. I was buying yogourt at the Price Choppers on the 28th and I saw the kefir on the shelf and decided to try it.

It was fizzy and creamy and tasted unusual but good.

I read more about it on the web.

Kefir is cultured milk like yogourt, but unlike yogourt it is cultured with yeast as well as different and several types of bacteria. Except for needing a kefir grain to make it, it is easier to make. Kafir grain holds most of the culture. They are little rubbery rough solid pieces that hold the yeast and bacteria that start the culture in the milk.

I decided I’d like to try making some. But first I needed a kefir grain.

Last weekend I got kefir grains from both Ooms from a friend of hers, Anna, and from Joaska who got me one from her friend.

So, this week, I have been trying to make kefir and I have even past some grains on to Dave B.