Highlights of the past week

[johnfowles]

Highlights of the past week
The undoubted highlight of the past week was the news that Gord had appeared on stage at the Mariposa festival in the town they call Orillia and at least one Newsgroup poster/reader was there to report on what it was like. He commented "He blew the entire audience halfway to Penetanguishene." this in turn led to a lively discussion on how to pronounce that name scroll down the full thread that started at http://groups.google.com/groups?q=g:...ble.rogers.com
However it is said that a picture is worth a thousand words
And the ability to display pitures on corfid was used to good efect in the topic there at:- http://www.corfid.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/002399.html
another corfid highlight was the continuing effort by Bruna/silverheels to get a Brit Gathering off the ground now more likely to be next year
I had the bright idea of devising a suitable logo for this as a rallying point and after the usual turbid education process I managed to get Bru to post her selection at:- http://www.corfid.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/002301.html
I am nearly done drafting a tutorial on displaying pix on corfid which I will then highlight in next week's posting here
well that's it for the past week's highlights
Oh yes each Friday I have been posting a reminder about the Friday chat session to a topic/thread that I called
"Chat extraordinary general meeting" at corfid:- http://www.corfid.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/002271.html
and the title "extraordinary general meeting" on the Newsgroup starting at:- http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=e...A%40garden.net
I appreciate that it's the time when many are away but only two joined me last Friday
and Doug "plumguru" Kirk claimed to have had access problems, even though he had himself supplied me with a link to an MAC equivalent to mIRC
but notwithstandimng the above I will go to
the room this evening at 9PM EST http://www.johnfowles.org.uk/lightfoot/chat




------------------
My Gordon Lightfoot webring
starts at
http://www.johnfowles.org.uk/lightfoot

[brink]

Sorry I have been missing the chatroom. I like going there and you have worked so hard, hopefully I will be getting some help at work and be able to be home earlier and be able to join in. Thanks for the updates though it's like reading a weekly review!

[johnfowles]

New Newsgroup threads were much as found here on corfid but a newcomer Alan Cassaro asked
"Who Wrote Farewell to Nova Scotia?" http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&safe=off&selm=40FD0F2B .4C755740%40worldnet.att.net
I had sincerely hoped to highlight that by taking a fair bit of trouble and time writing a tutorial on the not necessarily straightforward technique for displaying pictures here on corfid,I would encourage more fans to try their hand at this to the advantage of every reader of both corfid and the Newsgroup. But despite posting a thread on the Newsgroup and starting topics on all three corfid forums to date only one brave soul who uses the nom-de-plume "stationmaster" has done anything (displaying a great pic of Gord with Aengus Finnan)
As a reminder
my tutorial is at:- http://www.corfid.com/ubb/Forum3/HTML/000109.html
I realise that not everybody has a web site to upload their own pix to
although I will address that situation soon with a guide to finding suitable absolutely free web sites but I did try to stress that you can display any picture that you find that takes your fancy I even wrote a page to give some ideas at:- http://www.johnfowles.org.uk/lightfoot/pictureideas.htm
So how about it folks??
Surely Brink you could display a colorful Colorado picture??
Rona could you not find a pic of a signpost showing the way to San Jose??(I know groan!!)
Martin/12 as an art director how about your favorite old master??
Kilgore a nice pic of the Canadian Rockies perhaps
Minstrel man what does the Hamilton Centre/Center look like?? Inside and/or outside
Walter stoneborder show us a mighty Saguaro (Soh hwarr-owe) or is it sah-WAR-oh.??
I could go on but that is a fair selection for starters
so let's be having you ALL!!!
On a brighter note; last Friday's chat was much better attended (eight) so I guess it is worth continuing.However I understand that it is likely that any MAC chatters are unable to succeed in getting in every time I will remind them that I had added a page re MAC IRC clients (since the otherwise preferred method of accessing the chat channel mIRC is not available for these fine machines please visit my chat room speal
this is at:- http://johnfowles.org.uk/LIGHTFOOT/chat/MAClients.htm
and includes a link to a supposedly freeware MAC program:-
"conversation" which is described at http://www.macnn.com/news/20775
this was a small 212KB download from http://www.conversation.pwp.blueyond...nversation.dmg
where *.dmg seems to be a unique MAC file format that I know zilch about.
Furthermore that download link no longer seems to be functional,
However a tad of googling revealed a mirror site:- http://allmacintosh.mirror.ac.uk/preview/350531.html
from which I could download a useless (to my PC)
file of 1.5MB named conversationosx.sit


------------------
My Gordon Lightfoot webring
starts at
http://www.johnfowles.org.uk/lightfoot

[This message has been edited by johnfowles (edited July 23, 2004).]

[brink]

I shall truly try John.

[Minstrel Man]

Hi John,
Listen, I'd love to help. Here's what you said:

What does the Hamilton Centre/Center look like?? Inside and/or outside

What are you referring to exactly? I'd love to comply. I'll borrow a digital camera.

Awaiting your reply.

[johnfowles]

quote:Originally posted by Minstrel Man:
Hi John,
Listen, I'd love to help. Here's what you said:

What does the Hamilton Centre/Center look like?? Inside and/or outside

What are you referring to exactly? I'd love to comply. I'll borrow a digital camera.

Awaiting your reply.



HI Minstrel Man
You seem to have missed my point
This was that you can display any picture that is already on a web site somewhere(anywhere)
without recourse to your own pictures or a digital camera
then I gave some examples/ideas in my page:- http://www.johnfowles.org.uk/lightfoot/pictureideas.htm
and selected you as a potential tester due to your location in Hamilton,Ontario where Gord himself heavily hinted that he hoped the Centre would to be the venue later this year for his return to public performing with a benefit concert for the Hospital staff who saved his life in 2002. I had therefore visited the site of the

at:-
http://www.hecfi.on.ca

and found the address of a suitable exterior picture

If you now go there you will find a choice of interior pics and can learn how to display one here.OK??

------------------
My Gordon Lightfoot webring
starts at
http://www.johnfowles.org.uk/lightfoot



[This message has been edited by johnfowles (edited July 28, 2004).]

[johnfowles]

Again there was a single obvious common highlight on the two principle message boards.
Several posts revealed the discovery that Gord would be appearing on Canadian Idol next month.I had two "lowlights" during the past week:-
In common with at least two other Gordfans Bruna Zanelli in England and Laurel Hoover from Vancouver WA (are you reading this Ron Jones in Vancouver BC??) I am being plagued with what might be the annoying atack by some sort of ad-ware. Although a scan by the freeware Ad-aware program(me) detected and then deleted some 57 suspect files I still get an objectionable search site by some perverse outfit operating from outhost.info constantly insinuating itself as my Internet Explorer Home page.And another equally unxwelcome outfit going by the name of casinopallazo repeatedly places an unwanted connecting link "on-line show" on my desktop. On top of that once I do connect I am constantly disconected requiring a reboot because another dial-upo connection allegedly is using MY modem".I sispect that this might or might not be connected with a spurious "phantom" connection calling itself "700104" that keeps being setup in the My Computer dial-up networking folder which would try to connect to a stupid phone number 12345!! However as I have several other silly issues with my laptop I will sometime give in and carry out a full system recovery which means saving imoportant files; reloading a stack of drivers and favo(u)rite program(me)s. I have promised myself that this time once all is hunky-dory I'll make an updated and complete recovery back-up CD-R.
My second lowlight concerns the ignoring of my well-intentioned campaign to get more fans "certified" in displaying pictures on the corfid Discussion Forum. Despite in my highlights last week trying again to encourage regulars on the Newsgroup to try their hand at this potentially most useful technique the result is zilch.
In particular I singled out the following:-
"so how about it Derek (a nice pic of Palo Alto),
Peter Treloar (an outback photo perhaps),
David Bradford isn't there anything beautiful in Sweden other than your wife and their furniture??
Cathy (the beauty of Northern Maine under snow perhaps)
Charlene (Beautiful downtown Whitby perhaps)
Kimberley a view of the ocean at the end of the road perhaps"
No response from any Newsgroupers even though the thread degenerated into a basic discussion on Derek's state of mind(lessness) to which two of the above contributed.
the thread also produced a fascinating glimpse into those far off AOL chat sessions.
So far other than the usually challenged Charlene to whom I awarded a certificate a long time ago now as far as i can see not one Newsgroup regular has made even an unsuccessful attempt at this.
Surely not everybody cannot be simultaneously on vacation???
I therefore declare that this past week saw no other highlights on the Newsgroup
Indeed last Sunday the 25th not a single new post was made.
But at least one relative newbie on corfid the above-mentioned Laurel Hoover qualified brilliantly by showing a picture of Gord with that Dylan fellow thus joining champion displayer the "statiomaster who entertained us with pix of the now-famous Lake. Also in this topic at:- http://www.corfid.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/002423.html
was a link I reproduced to a fascinating topic on Gord's late lamented pet Yellow canary Lyle (you just gotta Love-it!!) and his fate acording to Al the Watchman which just might have been that Gord...
"ended up eating this same canary on a canoe trip down the Chiniguntha during the 80's"
see:- http://www.corfid.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/002016.html
In yet another surreal topic Al had claimed to have rescued Gord from his canoe on the Chiniguntha which I discovered was itself in fact a tributary of the mighty Chimichunga

Another corfid highlight was the revelation by the pugilistic poster previously known as DMD3 that he was actually pacifically named "Douglas McArthur Dowdy 3"
In another topic the ever alert Annie from Auburn NY beat me to report on an interesting article giving the "real Harry Tracy story":- http://www.corfid.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/002439.html
Bruna/silverheels tried again to rekindle interest in GordfestUk 2005:- http://www.corfid.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/002301.html
Well that's it for this week now to try to get a long enough connection to post this!!
H yes I'll be in the chat room again this evening at 9 pm EST at:- http://www.johnfowles.org.uk/lightfoot/chat
and hope to see more than the 5 who attended last Friday
John Fowles




------------------
My Gordon Lightfoot webring
starts at
http://www.johnfowles.org.uk/lightfoot

[Auburn Annie]

John - sorry to hear about your computer woes. We were invaded by several worms in our older computer this past week. I'd run Spybot Search & Destroy, Ad-Aware, Norton Antivirus etc. It continued so I ran them all again in safe mode, cleaned out whatever I could find in the registry that didn't belong there, and tried system restore, too. Unfortunately system restore failed - the computer went down as it finished restoring. Recovery was not successful, so we sent it out to our local Computer Doc. It was a mess and needed a complete reformatting of the hard drive and reinstallation of Windows XP; she did save most of the data files (music, documents - though I have those saved elsewhere - and our "keepers" mail.) It comes home on Monday, with additional security software. The problems likely came from one of the kids linking to something their friends send, in spite of me telling them for the umpteenth time not to download anything or click on links or open attachments.

[jj]

[charlene]

we have a castle in town...it is now private girls school-18 grand a year tuition.


[This message has been edited by charlene (edited July 31, 2004).]

[LSH]

Ooops. Didn't quite get your pic in Char. Try again, I'd like to see that castle!

[johnfowles]

Newsgroup Highlights
go to http://www.newsgroup.shorturl.com
As with corfid much talk surrounded the revelation that Gord would be at Peterborough this very evening
Nobody from the NG except Charlene has yet dared to display any pictures over here
although I have e-mailed detailed text ready for posting to both David from Orillia/Sweden and the California Kid
My posting of the thread
"Lightfoot Odds & Ends and Wayne Francis"
drew a few responses but as yet nothing from Mr Francis himself even though I e-mailed a copy of my posting to him. Like Florian he keeps in the background it seems
A dutch person named Lisa or Gerard tried to interest anyone with a penchant for foreign tongues, but it was nearly all double Dutch to me!!
Bill (jusrean) resurrected an old topic on the french translation of "nous vivons ensemble"
OK that is a smattering of things I encourage you to peruse at the Newsgroup and hopefully inspire some corfidites to register with Google groups and post over there.
Now chat. Last week I finally had complete failure to get connected with my laptop. After many hours watching the stupid scandisk blue screen I now have Windows 98 reinstalled and connection restored.
I believe only my wife Susan and Bill Hall chatted last Friday,
I hope to see a few tonight especially from the great Northwest area at 9 pm EST at:- http://www.johnfowles.org.uk/lightfoot/chat
John Fowles




------------------
My Gordon Lightfoot webring
starts at
http://www.johnfowles.org.uk/lightfoot

[This message has been edited by johnfowles (edited August 06, 2004).]

[johnfowles]

There was really nothing of great import on the Newsgroup this past week except for one fellow Brit who said in a rather uncalled for comment on my posting about corfid ghighlights last week
"A wonderful advertisement for someplace call Corfid.

Just wondering John why those of us who use a proper usenet newgroup called
alt.music.lightfoot would wish to use this corfid"
I cannot give you the URL as for some reason although I was able to read the original using Outlook Express and two free Newsreaders when my OE was out of action
and silverheels alerted me to it on saturday morning when she saw it on the AOL Newsreader
it has never even after 6 days appeared on the Newsgroup as viewed via Google Groups which happens occasionally.
Now I realise that there are many Lightheads who enjoy both boards and those who for various reasons choose to ignore one or the other so I am not trying to insist that they patronise the other board.
But my intention is purely to try to ensure that Newsgroupers do not miss out on topics here at corfid
and vice versa (for those who like their vice versa of course)
In the same vein I have fairly recently discovered the interesting Small Talk Forum here.
This often provides some much needed light relief such as a link I gave to
an article linked from a Windows XP newsletter which described important research into "squirrel fishing" by pair of dedicated nutcases at Harvard University see:- http://www.corfid.com/ubb/Forum2/HTML/000401.html
As a change this week I think I know a number of very touching threads on the Newsgroup so in quiet moments as now I'll fish out their URLs.First as we begin to joyfully anticipate the strong possibility of another chance for a convention at Massey Hall Toronto

Here is an account by one good friend of her experiences at the first one in November 1999.
I hope dj this does not embarrass you too much:- http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=e...002.remarq.com
OK finally the chat advert
Last week's chat in adition to the debut of Laurel (LSH) attracted a further 4 fans including I was most pleased to see Laurel's
near neighbour the honourable chat room founder Rik Stevens. I now see that they are possibly only about 10 miles apart (in my mind it was more like 200 but I now see that they actually live in cities on opposite banks of the Columbia River. You learn something new every day!!
I'm sorry but this evening I rather doubt that Susan and I will make it to the chat room as we plan to watch the Athens Olympics
opening ceremony which is on NBC from 8pm till 12 (obviously not live)(we'l try tpo drop in sometime) but anyone who can go to the room at 9pm EST, can click
on my new easier to remember (notlong) link at:- http://lightfootchat.notlong.com


------------------
My Gordon Lightfoot webring
starts at
http://www.johnfowles.org.uk/lightfoot

[This message has been edited by johnfowles (edited August 13, 2004).]

[johnfowles]

Highlights of the Newsgroup
As with this Forum most activity and posting has been concerned with the lead up to Wednesday night's Canadian Idol show devoted to Gordon's songs.
I previously omitted to highlight a most interesting revelation (in an earlier thread on Gord's singing "Farewell To Nova scotia") about the provenence and background to the great La Cave Cleveland 1965 bootleg and the two Koala albums that that recording spawned. See http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=e...rldnet.att.net In subsequent correspondence with the writer Alan Cassaro I have learnt that he is a native of that city (he and Al Watchman should get together?) and also performed at La cave and moreover like me and Matthew Bullis is a Buddy Holly fan.
I have been far from idle myself this week sorting out further silly problems on my computers. in fact none of my 3 are currently able to fire up properly so I may well not be able to attend tonight's chat at http://www.lightfootchat.notlong.com at 9pm EST although i think Susan intends tio be in the room.Last week I took a little time off from watching the Olympic's opening to check the chat room but only saw one fleeting guest who only said "Hi John" and promptly scarpered

------------------
My Gordon Lightfoot webring
starts at
http://www.johnfowles.org.uk/lightfoot

[johnfowles]

The chat room last friday as I anticipated was, possibly due to the
Olympic's opening ceremony (shown here as a recording at the US East Coast
prime time starting at 8pm EST) poorly attended by just me and Rik Stevans
I'll be there later at 9pm EST at:- http://www.lightfootchat.notlong.com


------------------
My Gordon Lightfoot webring
starts at
http://www.johnfowles.org.uk/lightfoot

[johnfowles]

Newsgroup highlights from the past week
the news of Massey 2005 was embelished by a reference to Wayne's site which under "news "
says
"If Lightfoot's recovery continues as hoped, he plans to do a benefit concert at Hamilton Place in Hamilton, ON, with proceeds going to the McMaster Medical Center, the hospital where Lightfoot has received his life
saving treatment. At present, November 28 and 29 are under consideration, with the Good Brothers as opening act. More details
as they become available"
Derek (zippo) Kidd starterd a thread on a Martin guitar advert on the back cover of the October issue of Acoustic Guitar magazine at:-

http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&safe=of f&selm=WZuYc.13221%242D3.3808%40newssvr27.news.pro digy.com
but since Derek eschews the ability to display pictures here we cannot see this ad
"zippo"??
yes for those who have never seen it this is his account of a theory that gave him that nickname as well as Bruna's "goofy" of course and my own "Neddy" since Derek is also that rare animal an American Goon Show fan thanks to his English mother
Go enjoy the read at:

http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&safe=off&sel m=20010125090051.04196.00001029%40ng-cm1.aol.com
For any reader her who does not usually look at the small talk forum I started a techie topic on portrait mode LCD monitor
orientation:-
"Thinking Outside The Bun" at:- http://www.corfid.com/ubb/Forum2/HTML/000417.html
We had a merry band of six chatting last Friday
and hope to see more this evening including a promised appearance by the the newly internet active Gaby (I had telephoned her during the week and threatened to give her an alarm call at 2AM (GMT) if she did not turn up!!
So guys and dolls this evening at 9PM EST at http://www.lightfootchat.notlong.com
let's be seein' ya

------------------
My Gordon Lightfoot webring
starts at
http://www.johnfowles.org.uk/lightfoot

[This message has been edited by johnfowles (edited September 03, 2004).]

[johnfowles]

quote:Originally posted by johnfowles:
"zippo"??
yes for those who have never seen it this is his account of a theory that gave him that nickname as well as Bruna's "goofy" of course and my own "Neddy" since Derek is also that rare animal an American Goon Show fan thanks to his English mother
Go enjoy the read at:

http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&safe=off&sel m=20010125090051.04196.00001029%40ng-cm1.aol.com

I hqave just clicked on that "zippo" link and now have tears in my eyes . So if you do not yet know the story do yourself a
favo(u)r and read it it is pricelees


------------------
My Gordon Lightfoot webring
starts at
http://www.johnfowles.org.uk/lightfoot

[This message has been edited by johnfowles (edited September 03, 2004).]

[Auburn Annie]

Mwuahahahahaha snort snerk giggle sigh....

Okay. I'm back.

Thanks for the repost, John. I'd read it a while ago but it's still funny.

[stationmaster]

Hey, I just listened to Cabaret and that's the first time I heard that beer can open. I guess I'm not as acoustic as I thought!

[superiorsings]

so, ummm, how do you say Penetanguishene??

pen uh tang gwi (hard g; short i) sheen

[johnfowles]

Newsgroup highlights w/e 10 September
or lack of same can be best summed up by the fact that so far there has only been a single mention (by Charlene) of the announcement about tickets for the Hamilton concerts.However the NG remnains a wonderful storehouse of research opinions and memories try this link:-
a reaction to the last Massey extravaganza by the ever ebullient (my word for today folks)
Derek "zippo" Kidd:-
T%oronto Recap Part 1:- http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&safe=off&sel m=20010528181039.07480.00001633%40nso-cf.aol.com
and Part 2:- http://groups. google.com/groups?q=toronto+recap&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&group=alt.music.lightfoot&safe=off&selm=20010528 181036.07480.00001632%40nso-cf.aol.com&rnum=2
---------------------------------------------
regarding the chat room
After a few lean weeks a great crowd of 12 attended last Friday(including two ladies who arrived rather late (after Gaby had retired to her bed at
around 5 am GMT)
On another topic the Watchman opined
"I wonder if the chat room would have a bigger attendance if it were held like on a Wednesday instead of Friday at 9 pm?
I don't know anybody who is home at 9 pm on a Friday night. West coast members it would be 6 pm for them.
Well Al the Friday session is now a long established time although in its heyday (1999) we also used to meet on Tuesday
evenings and later we started "BritChat" on Sunday afternoons to suit those in the UK who unlike me needed their beauty sleep
on Friday evenings. Nowadays one of the more regular chatters is ex-Australian convict catmanron who has to drag himself away
from houesehold chores and/or the Gee Gees on Saturday mornings so for him any other weeknight is just not on.
I agree the present timing is certainly unfortunate for those on the West Coast.But there is no way to stop the earth rotating as far as I am aware, so it is inevitable that not everybody can be accomodated.
I am organising it and as I am on the East Coast the details will stay the same.
So unless there is a howl of protest the chat will continue on Friday Evenings at 9 PM EST at:- http://www.lightfootchat.notlong.com
One smaal point about the chat room sign in procedure.Every week at least one chatter arrives under the default nickname "dilexnet-Guest_xxx and receives a barrage of requests to change to a more usual nickname.
This occurs when using the IRC server (dilexnet's) own free applet as linked from my site pages:-
B2 Dilexnet link
the solution is elegantly simple and easier than retrospectively changing it. The applet sign-in screen has a box
surprise surprise !!
entitled "nickname":-

just overtype your desired nick thus:-

I trust he says with heavy irony that is straightforward enough??

------------------
My Gordon Lightfoot webring
starts at
http://www.johnfowles.org.uk/lightfoot

[This message has been edited by johnfowles (edited September 10, 2004).]

[Gaby]

I agree with Al, here! (First and last time.)
Obviously I can’t expect you to change the time to suit me (and other Europeans/Antipodeans.). However, a lot of people do go out on a Friday night.
It’s 10.30pm now (5.30pm EST) and I’m just getting ready to go out.
I’ve eaten, sorted my daughter out with clubbing money, paid for her taxi home and now Mum and Dad can let rip!!! (Well, Mum can. )
By the time I get home, you lot are just thinking about going out for the night.
Can anyone work out the optimal time for our chatroom? (Assuming, of course, that anyone in NA wants to talk to the very few of us abroad.)
Frankly, you North Americans can talk whenever you want so, if you could adjust your hours to include us lot at a sensible time, that would be fantastic. I do also realise that it would be unreasonable of me to ask you to do this.


[This message has been edited by Gaby (edited September 10, 2004).]

[charlene]

I don't know about anyone else but I'm ready for bed by 11-12 on Friday night...I'm not much of a "going-out" person anyway and if I'm not at glass class I'm working on glass at home or spending time with my daughter watching a movie/t.v. on Friday nights.
Even here the "night-scene" starts late - not just for the young'uns either! people going out for dinner at 10 and later....then staying out until 3-4 a.m.! i imagine they must sleep all of saturdays daylight hours away!
lol
I don't have enuf hours in the day as it is to do all I have to do!
The Friday night choice and time seems to work for the majority of folks who do frequent the chat-room and most nights people sign off around 11-12. Can you Brits work up a CHAT amongst yourselves maybe? Just a thought! I know any other weeknight doesn't work for me and most Saturday and Sundays during the day I am doing a million things and accomplishing nothing! lol or so it seems. it is quite a conundrum issn't it?
hmmmm...

Char
although I did stay on-line longer than usual last Friday because you were on Gaby!
lol
and you never did call Bru to wake her and get her chatting!

[TheWatchman]

Makes sense John. "Opine"? For a minute I thought I was entering the "No Spin Zone".