Darkly Colored Felines of Fury http://blackcat.ca Personal site for Patrick Audley and Blackcat Systems. Sun, 20 Dec 2009 12:06:52 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 en hourly 1 Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-05-04 http://blackcat.ca/announcements/twitter-weekly-updates-for-2009-05-04 http://blackcat.ca/announcements/twitter-weekly-updates-for-2009-05-04#comments Mon, 04 May 2009 11:30:00 +0000 Patrick Audley http://blackcat.ca/announcements/twitter-weekly-updates-for-2009-05-04
  • Scientists working in isolation are going to predict the next Twitter. Film at 11. http://tinyurl.com/sillyrabbits #

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    ]]>     http://blackcat.ca/announcements/twitter-weekly-updates-for-2009-05-04/feed/ 0     Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-04-26 http://blackcat.ca/announcements/twitter-weekly-updates-for-2009-04-26 http://blackcat.ca/announcements/twitter-weekly-updates-for-2009-04-26#comments Mon, 27 Apr 2009 05:30:00 +0000 Patrick Audley http://blackcat.ca/announcements/twitter-weekly-updates-for-2009-04-26
  • @twowheelgeek Calgary is not really reasonably priced, I found it on par with Yaletown for $/sqft. in reply to twowheelgeek #
  • It’s official, my company just released its first enterprise #crowdsourcing product. Check it out: http://tinyurl.com/ceyjyk #

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    ]]>     http://blackcat.ca/announcements/twitter-weekly-updates-for-2009-04-26/feed/ 0     A White Christmas and Teeth http://blackcat.ca/lifelines/a-white-christmas-and-teeth http://blackcat.ca/lifelines/a-white-christmas-and-teeth#comments Sat, 03 Jan 2009 03:13:41 +0000 Patrick Audley http://blackcat.ca/?p=330 Seasons CheerI flew to Vancouver to visit family for the holidays and this time I carted my cat Lana with me. Christmas itself went off without a hitch and was joined with the usual huge turkey dinner, assorted gifts, a few rounds of good wine and general merriment. Though I love getting together with family, travel during the holidays continues to worsen and given my lack of religious lock-down to specific dates has become something I think I shall avoid in the future. A story of teeth, gypsies, blizzards and cheer follows. Well… perhaps not gypsies.

    A White ChristmasTravel Nightmare

    Westjet 737 landing on a snowy runway.I normally eschew traveling on Air Canada and I have never been more thankful of that choice. I had a very surreal moment when I was in the Calgary airport and overheard an Air Canada minion telling a traveler that no planes were taking off because the runways were closed. I could see this was a tough sell because behind the man, perfectly framed in the huge window facing the tarmac were several Westjet planes taxiing out and in the far distance a plane just lifting off. I can almost imagine the scene in the Air Canada employee lounge hours before where disgruntled workers probably drew straws to see who was going to go out and tell bald-faced lies to weary travelers whose flights have been canceled while all the other airlines somehow managed. I understand why, in most cases, Air Canada just didn’t show up to say anything. My own Westjet flight was half an hour late but Lana (who can travel in the cabin with me) and I made it to snowy Vancouver eventually.

    Family Christmas

    Traditional tree laden with collected ornaments.My mother has been collecting ornaments and bits for the family Christmas tree since before I was born and it’s always formed a comforting part of the season for us. That and turkey dinner. Lots of turkey. Heaps even. This year was no exception and we had a great dinner with family on Christmas Eve. The next day was followed by gift opening and generally lazing about in post turkey lethargy. We also went to see Bugs Bunny on Broadway at the Vancouver Orpheum — a wonderful fusion of symphony orchestra and Merry Melodies. All together it was a nice and fairly standard Christmas though the addition of huge amounts of snow in Vancouver made it mildly bizarre (as well as adding that little edge to driving as you are surrounded by others with summer tires trying to pretend they can drive normally on ice). I managed to get together with my best-friend, Danielle, too which is always a great time. We’re planning a party trip to Vegas in the Spring — it will be a hoot!

    Cat Tooth Fairies

    Four molars from a sore kitty's mouth.Lana spent this holiday at the vets being boarded and generally checked out. The checkup revealed very badly inflamed gums and required surgery to extract a few teeth. I’m a little ashamed that I hadn’t peered into her mouth more regularly because I certainly would have seen the very sore gums. *sigh* She had contracted a mycoplasma infection in her gums which thankfully is treatable with antibiotics. We also have a fun new fish-tasting toothbrush game to play that I’m sure will bring hours of … joy… to both of us when she heals up. I picked her up today and she’s perfectly happy and seems in much better spirits now that her mouth isn’t sore. If you’re looking for an excellent cat veterinarian/kennel in Vancouver, I’ve included Cat Care’s information at the bottom of the post.

    A Night at the Movies: Gran Torino

    Clint Eastwood delivers a great performance. Gran Torino Excellent movie, a clash of cultures and generations. I got a chance to see this with my family last week and it’s on my must see recommmendations list now. The trailers were a little misleading with their portrayal of a typical Eastwood Dirty Harry persona. Eastwood’s character, Walt, is amazing and deep — filled with racism and a product the American Dream (with all that entails, including war) he finds peace at the end of his life by reaching out to a young Hmong boy. Stunning acting and classic cinematography make Eastwoods last film incredible. Go see it. You’ll have tears in your eyes at the end — we all did. My rating: 4.5 stars

    Vet’s Info

    Small Cute KittenDr. Karen ZutrauenCat Care Veterinary Clinic49.148745-123.136654#100 8980 No.3 Road#100 8980 No.3 RoadRichmondBCCA-BCCanadaSmall Earth Icon+1 (604) 277-8511vetcatsclinic CommentsJanuary 12, 2009, Brenda May (Audley) writes: For the first several years of Patrick’s life, I made Christmas decorations for our yearly tree. Ceramic, crocheted, stained glass, sewn — all reflected Christmas from a child’s perspective. When Patrick has children, all of these decorations will be given to them, and hopefully, passed on again. Every year I wear my Christmas apron and oven mitts from Patrick’s first Christmas too. We always celebrate Christmas morning with a champagne brunch. This year, we had a huge snowfall — what a surprise! Christmas is peaceful, and we try never to rush:) Lana is a real trooper! She seems to overcome evey obstacle put in her path. What a sweet kitty. MomRelated posts:ReviewsWork: GT — 840 Howe StreetECS G551 Linux Laptop ReviewCopyright © 2008
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    ]]>     http://blackcat.ca/lifelines/a-white-christmas-and-teeth/feed/ 1     Fall is the Season of Change http://blackcat.ca/lifelines/fall-is-the-season-of-change http://blackcat.ca/lifelines/fall-is-the-season-of-change#comments Sun, 28 Sep 2008 23:29:04 +0000 Patrick Audley http://blackcat.ca/lifelines/fall-is-the-season-of-change A twilight season, Fall brings change quickly and definitively. A season that cannot be ignored.As I was walking to work last week I was astounded to see the ground littered with oranges and yellows — fall had pounced upon me like a stealthy cat. Back in my old Vancouver haunting grounds I knew that all was green and verdant but Calgary had already succumbed and the crisp air hinted of the snow and ice to come. This revelation both foreshadowed and provided background to the rest of the week. All changes bring mixed emotions; rarely in my life do they provide me with the absolutes; this week was no exception. Some good and some not good but overall, I think I’m ahead of the game.

    Crowdsourced Joy

    Vikings of old once pillaged foreign shores but also build massive nautical trade networks.My new job at Cambrian House has been unreal with it’s stock of amazing people, it’s bubbly excitement and cool technology that brings back slightly surreal memories of the startup days at GroupTelecom. I’ve deeply enjoyed work lately — work has always been a large component in my life which, if the magical resonance of doing good and making money can be hit, brings huge personal satisfaction. We have very challenging problems to chew away at, crazily smart people to work beside, an endless supply of coffee and a fridge crammed full of food and beer. We’re even making money (shocking for a startup I know, we actually sell things!). All of that has been great and I’m thankful that my life has yet again steered into a cool venture.

    The Fairer Sex

    Cloven in two, the heart sometimes breaks to grow.As often seems to be the case in our great human struggle, there is a counterpoint to such things. Kathy, my intrepid former girlfriend, and I have muddled through much of this year searching for our relationship and I think we’ve finally arrived at the conclusion that it not only took a vacation but indeed moved to a foreign country, set up a small noodle business and has no intention of coming home. It’s been a very sad week as the we realized this — emotions for me went the whole gambit and I’m left now with just sad and a little disappointed. Our stunningly different lives and personalities which were so fascinating and attractive in our early days had become burdens without the stability that commonality brings.

    Realizations of Connectedness

    Wheels within wheels, gears meshed with gears, we all form part of the unreal machine.My love woes (how’s that for a loaded set of words!) served to highlight a rather shocking amount of support in my life from friends, acquaintances and colleagues. It was a thankful and uplifting experience to see just how intermingled humanity becomes in times of difficulty; the speed of this has certainly grown faster with newer technology and I’m happy to say I’ll actually be working on making such things better in the future! I’ve often seen myself as a lone cat, a view I now consider a little mistaken, cats are colony creatures after all. Thanks go out to all my friends, new and old, for all your support and kind words.

    The Coming Cold

    Winter slows time and enfolds us in a her cold embrace while hinting of the Spring to come.Quite a few of my friends (and a no small chunk of my family) have asked if I’m moving back to Vancouver. The short answer is: no. I dove into Calgary with an open mind and have had my usual luck (whose magic touch never seems to extend it’s sublime ease to relationships *sigh*) in finding the makings to a great life. I’ve made commitments here and most importantly, at least to me, I’m having a good time in general! My father expresses constant surprise over how easily I move around and this is just another chance to grow my flexibility muscles. Now I just need a few things to prepare for this new season (are you listening Universe?!?): some local friends to hang out with occasionally and explore new restaurants, a chance to dust off my snow board sometimes this winter and a dash of personal growth.

    Comments

    • October 1, 2008, Pam writes: In Alberta, fall is the season of you-blink-and-you-miss-it! Looks like you’re sharing Edmonton’s little patch of warmth this autumn. Be well.
    • October 5, 2008, Brenda May (Audley) writes: Change is often a good thing. New beginnings, new doors to open as others close. Just another stepping stone to a new experience. If you are not looking for happiness, it often jumps out at you.… Take care.

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    ]]>     http://blackcat.ca/lifelines/fall-is-the-season-of-change/feed/ 2     Calgary’s version of seagulls http://blackcat.ca/lifelines/calgarys-version-of-seagulls http://blackcat.ca/lifelines/calgarys-version-of-seagulls#comments Thu, 28 Aug 2008 17:02:07 +0000 Patrick Audley http://blackcat.ca/lifelines/calgarys-version-of-seagulls Posted from my shiny new iPhone.

    Comments

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    ]]>     http://blackcat.ca/lifelines/calgarys-version-of-seagulls/feed/ 1     Moving to Calgary I http://blackcat.ca/lifelines/move2008 http://blackcat.ca/lifelines/move2008#comments Mon, 30 Jun 2008 07:24:49 +0000 Patrick Audley http://blackcat.ca/?p=240 The Big Move to Calgary has begun! Kathy and I just couldn’t take being in different cities anymore so I’m mashing (no really, see the pictures of the storeroom!) all my possessions into storage and moving in with the family until the 15th of July when the moving truck, the [LANA001, cat] and I are abandoning Vancouver.

    This move was very cathartic — I donated all my un-wearable clothes, old books, and unneeded household things. I converted all my paper items into scanned PDF’s (huge job, thanks go out to PrintPlus in Vancouver for their Herculean effort). And finally, much was just thrown out or recycled.

    The Digital Conversion™ along was worth all the effort of the move!

    Stay tuned for the actual move into Calgary.

    Comments

    • August 23, 2008, Brenda May (Audley) writes: You never know how much stuff you really have until you move! I could not believe the amount of boxes we packed for Patrick’s move to Calgary. He has moved before, but this time, almost everything was kept because Patrick bought everything new and of excellent quality. It was a very nice apartment with a great location, but moving on.….….….. I must say that I won’t miss the hour commute from Richmond to Vancouver!
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    ]]>     http://blackcat.ca/lifelines/move2008/feed/ 1     Contributed art: Sara’s Interpretation of Dresden at Night http://blackcat.ca/lifelines/sarasart01 http://blackcat.ca/lifelines/sarasart01#comments Tue, 17 Jun 2008 04:16:14 +0000 Patrick Audley http://blackcat.ca/?p=222 Sara's Dresden at Night - higher resolution

    This oil paining is a rendition of a picture from my “[COGNETO002, Dresden Trip]” was contributed by Sarah Davis.

    Cool, eh?!

    I’ve sold a few pictures for publication over the years but this makes me much happier than any of the sales. *big grin*

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    ]]>     http://blackcat.ca/lifelines/sarasart01/feed/ 0     Job Search in the New Year http://blackcat.ca/work/job-search-in-the-new-year http://blackcat.ca/work/job-search-in-the-new-year#comments Mon, 07 Jan 2008 02:14:32 +0000 Patrick Audley http://blackcat.ca/work/job-search-in-the-new-year After taking a few months off and spending some time with my family and fiancee, it’s now time to jump back into the fray. I’m primarily looking for jobs in the Vancouver and Calgary areas but I’m also considering making a serious go at telecommuting. Most of my recent experience has been in the identity 2.0 space but I’m very interested in exploring new industries and problems.

    So, if you have a good problem or need a deep thinker for your team, keep me in mind.

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    ]]>     http://blackcat.ca/work/job-search-in-the-new-year/feed/ 0     Leaving Cogneto http://blackcat.ca/work/cogneto004 http://blackcat.ca/work/cogneto004#comments Sun, 21 Oct 2007 05:28:13 +0000 Patrick Audley http://blackcat.ca/work/cogneto004 So, without much ado, I’m no longer with Cogneto and am joining my two friends Andy Dale and John Bradley to bring solid, usable, user-centric identity and authentication to the world under the mighty rubric of Wingaa.

    As is often the case, transitioning from one job to another was rockier than it first looked. It was full of bitter-sweet moments mixed liberally with some sad moments and a huge swelling of excitement and hope for the future. I’ve gained a pile of insight and a good set of lessons to take to my next venture. I try when I leave a job to figure out what the best lesson was and I think that, in retrospect, we didn’t have enough transparency and that should have been a warning sign. We had a very smart group of people who were kept from seeing or helping with problems because they didn’t know about them. That’s my key lesson from this job — transparency is a hallmark of a good company.

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    ]]>     http://blackcat.ca/work/cogneto004/feed/ 0     Kathy Chernipeski http://blackcat.ca/lifelines/kathy http://blackcat.ca/lifelines/kathy#comments Thu, 27 Sep 2007 22:53:58 +0000 Patrick Audley http://blackcat.ca/lifelines/kathy I met Kathy on Orkut where Kathy found me in September of 2005. We kept lightly in touch for a while, trading the odd email about favourite authours or random things, and then chance (or design) conspired for us meet in person in Calgary and it was love immediately.

    Kathy is a profoundly new experience to me, someone who challenges me and herself constantly to grow and learn, someone that I love spending time with.

    I think Kathy:

    • is a hardcore rockhound
    • a prairie girl
    • cares deeply about the people around her and humanity in general
    • is very smart
    • has the coolest bird
    • is a serious adventure taker and well traveled
    • is into social entrepreneurship as well
    • is universally loved by all my friends
    • loves chocolate
    • will eventually learn to love coffee *duck*

    My time with Kathy has been a wonderful interlude in my life and I love her for the time we had together and the friendship that grew out of it.

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