As of yesterday, I will be in Edmonton from the 25th through the 1st. I'm in for some festivities, including the 27th. Just don't tell my anyone in my family(on the off chance you see them), because it is a surprise. Yay Christmas!

I will be free that day.

Lessons from the Sony Hack from Bruce Schneier:

The worst invasion of privacy from the Sony hack didn't happen to the executives or the stars; it happened to the blameless random employees who were just using their company's email system. Because of that, they've had their most personal conversations­gossip, medical conditions, love lives­exposed. The press may not have divulged this information, but their friends and relatives peeked at it. Hundreds of personal tragedies must be unfolding right now.

This could be any of us. We have no choice but to entrust companies with our intimate conversations: on email, on Facebook, by text and so on. We have no choice but to entrust the retailers that we use with our financial details. And we have little choice but to use cloud services such as iCloud and Google Docs.

So be smart: Understand the risks. Know that your data are vulnerable. Opt out when you can. And agitate for government intervention to ensure that organizations protect your data as well as you would. Like many areas of our hyper-technical world, this isn't something markets can fix.

Won't be in Edmonton yet by then, but hope you guys have a good time!

Hello all! We'll be in Edmonton for a few days around Christmas, would anyone be up for hanging out the afternoon/evening of the 27th?

Petition for a fenced off-leash dog park in North Edmonton for the safety of dogs and motorists.

Nadeesha's family dogs have been using this dog park for years and there is a great need for a fence to be placed by the city. Appreciate all you current (and former!) Edmontonians helping out with a quick virtual signature.

Props to Zach Parise regarding an unexpected mumps outbreak in the NHL:

"Nine out of some 600 players getting the mumps is not a full-fledged epidemic, but the lack of familiarity about mumps has made it a talking point around the league. As Wild star Zach Parise joked to the Star-Tribute in Minneapolis: 'What is this, the Oregon Trail?'..."

Specs

Thanks for the kind words everyone. Not going to lie it was tougher today since his widow and children came to visit. You always stay strong for the family I think. If anyone tells you that men don't cry I beg to differ with them. One day at a time, we are all going to make it.