A Collection of Daily Wisdom by Dennis Sylvester Hurd since September 2003.

Okay, I've invented a new hobby. First, I'll find a photo on the New Westminster Public Library's Historical Photo Database. Then, I'll see if I can find the location. Third, I'll try to shoot a digital image of the same scene. Lastly, I'll edit and post them.

Today, I walked down to the west end of Columbia. The city of New Westminster is in the midst of a project that has added angled, back-in parking and cut most of the street back to two lanes. I'm a bit disappointed in the lost opportunities to add a lot more green area and trees. We lost the chance to make Columbia Street a real showcase for street planning. Alas, it's a chance that won't be revisited for another twenty or thirty years.

I should probably admit Columbia Street already looks better than it ever has. I certainly favour the photo taken today over the one taken in 1932!

Labels: New Westminster

There is no celebration today. It's not a very special birthday this time around as the year ends in a nine. That's okay as all the candles needed might set off a fire alarm or something. I still wouldn't mind a hat though.

Labels: New Hampshire, Sunapee

I'm relishing a stolen moment to start today's entry. It's just about break time and my students are now finishing up a writing assignment at their tables. Making a cohesive paragraph from a simple flowchart seems to be taking them longer than I had anticipated. Not having taught this level for a few years, I find most activities take a little longer than I plan.

I look forward to moving to our next topic after the break. We will discuss résumés. My résumé is another example of a document that has been modified dozens and dozens of times over the years. It's rather intriguing to guess about the number of different keyboards which have had a hand in creating it.

My résumé is hardly a textbook example. For one thing, it's two pages long and thus, breaks one of the cardinal rules that many folks have. Also, an increasing amount of my distant past no longer merits inclusion; however, it'd be pretty tough for me to decide which parts of my past to erase. Furthermore, the two-column format is rather look-at-me-ish and almost as annoying as trying to read one printed on canary-yellow paper. It even contains a few non-standard sections due to the fact I am primarily interested in working with English as a Second Language students.

I suppose it really doesn't matter as I don't intend on sending out any copies of my résumé in the foreseeable future. Even if I were job hunting, I'd rather be hired by someone who had the wherewithal to check my main website for information.

Labels: BCIT

In a one-bedroom apartment, space is usually at a premium. In a way, the lack of storage esures that I don't collect too much junk. Still, nestled next to the Christmas decorations, between some spare light bulbs and extra sleeping bags, is a box full of wires, cables, and adapters.



I do my very best to keep the collection contained in a fairly small box. Once in a while I clean out the types of components I think I will no longer need, but somehow the box always seems full. You'd think after I threw away the 25-ft, male-to-female 15-pin, computer serial cable, I'd have had extra room. Getting rid of something or another simply doesn't seem to create much more room though. I'm pretty confident that there's no connector sex going on in there leading to cable offspring. Come to think of it, it is pretty dark and private in that closet!

Making matters worse, I seldom have the heart to actually get rid of much of the content. The junk, ahem treasure, is not all related to computers either. For example, there have been various ways of connecting televisions to other things over the years. So, I have old coaxal antenna wire, RCA video and audio wires, s-video connector wires, and even a spare HDMI cable. There are also some weird British connectors and this is only the TV stuff.

The strangest thing is, when I do actually part with some antiquated wire or connector, I have a nearly immediate need for one. Oh, damn I must make another trip up to The Source! No time to blog now. I must go pick up an extra toslink cable for my new digital optical switch that came in the mail today ...

Labels: technology

I might have seen some Eastern block circus performers at National Day celebrations in Bahrain, but I am pretty sure I've never actually been under the big top.

The Cirque de Soleil performers are not sticking around Vancouver for my birthday; in fact, their last two shows of the season take place today. So, we decided if we were going to hit Corteo while it is still around, we'd better get right to it! We have seats for 1:00 pm.

Labels: Vancouver

I think this is the nineteenth year of our annual summer celebration in New Westminster, BC. Things kicked off last night with opening ceremonies at the New Westminster Quay. Several stages were set up and each end of the boardwalk area had different musical performers. More people than I can ever remember seeing at the quay were walking around. The events continue today and tomorrow.



Small fireworks occurred last night. There's an encore presentation tonight. The barge with all the gunpowder is pulled out onto the Fraser River. Whereas, we usually just watch from the balcony. Last night, we spent an hour down at the quay. The show looked more impressive from beneath the explosions.

Labels: Fraser River, New Westminster, Quay

It seems a smidgen lame to complain about other drivers on the road. Like, for gads sake, Dennis, get a life and blog about something of greater import. Things are going well for me. Yet, I am a little tired after a 20-hour teaching week and I want to complain about something. It was either about the bad habits of other drivers or the economic and environmental stupidity of Vancouverites buying bottled water. I will go with the former today.

All people who drive more slowly than me are old farts and everyone going faster is an idiot. Maybe others also feel the same way. Unfortunately, I rather fear most other drivers are morons who aren't even aware there is anybody else on the road.

I have been recently cognizant of my driving habits due to the high price of gasoline. I'm no hyper-mileager; however, I generally think and plan while behind the wheel. There are some pretty serious inclines between BCIT and home. I shake my head as I see most cars fly up the hills with their right feet buried in their carburetors. It's doubly silly as, although they blast past, we again sit side-by-side at the traffic light further up the road. They ended up sucking up far too much precious fuel for absolutely no measurable advantage.

On my first car, a Ford Pinto, I put in an extra gauge that measured the manifold vacuum pressure. I don't know why other than perhaps it was fun to watch. By driving as if the accelerator were a fragile egg, I could keep the gauge firmly in the green, fuel-saving area. Getting a run for hills became second nature. It was perhaps physics class where I figured out having to use the brakes meant one was wasting momentum that one had already paid for in spent fuel. Looking a bit beyond the hood is a good practice. There's no reason not to coast up to a traffic light that's going to be red.

Driving to save gas means driving safely as one is more aware of the highway conditions. It's a shame that more people don't bring along their brains when they drive somewhere.

Labels: cars, opinions