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

Many people create huge chunks of text. I have present and ex-colleagues who can write dozens of paragraphs on any given subject. (Of course, these individuals can generally talk for endless hours in person too!) I'm not like that.

Ever since I can remember, I've tried to write things briefly. I've always felt if one has something to say, it shouldn't take a marathon session of reading to decode. These characteristics are not things I wish to change. My directness is a trait that carries over well when attempting to teach technical writing to students.

I think I promised myself that I wasn't going to ramble on and on about Flickr in this blog. Still, I find that images continue to be a important avenue of expression. I'm sharing over 2770 online photos at present. These have been viewed over 25,700 times by visitors to the site. That's a fact worth blogging about. Isn't it?

Here's a picture from my newly created set entitled, Some I Like.

Labels: Flickr

Okay, I'm dating myself but I can remember TVs in real walnut cabinets, some with shuttered doors. Oh come on, even the Brady's had one in their paneled playroom. Don't you remember? It used to sit on the shag carpeting. What was that all about? Was it like saying, "I own furniture but I won't admit to watching television?"

Regardless, one could expect the trusty old RCA or Zenith to last twenty odd years. If something did go wrong there were always local repairmen. These were weird, little guys who lived in houses stuffed with wire and vacuum tubes. The smell of solder filled the air. If they'd been born later they might've become computer geeks.

There wasn't much coming down the pipeline. TV technology was static. So, in those days a trained monkey could've bought a new TV set. It was simply a matter of choosing a size and brand.

Today, one needs a degree in electronics and a few months of study time to figure out which screen to buy. Let's say you've ruled out all types of projection systems. Alright, do you want flat-screen Plasma or LCD? You've decided that LCD is the way to go. Now what resolution? Is 1366 x 768P enough? Should you wait for true 1050P? How quickly will the prices tumble?

It's not really like I have an option of choosing when to jump in. I'm already very sick of looking at the spare 19-inch tube from the bedroom. The old, dead Hitachi is still against the wall in the corner. We've not gotten around to tossing it yet.

Where's that monkey?

Labels: complaints, monkeys, television

We got back from Sri Lanka / Hong Kong on October 8th. Nearly since that day, I've been uploading digital photos to Flickr. A few minutes ago, I completed adding the Sri Lankan section of the vacation. We stayed there four weeks and I've selected 400 photos to share online.

There are all sorts of ways to access them. The following link will take you to some relatively small copies. They are spaced to fit chronologically on twenty-two pages. Should one catch your fancy, just select it and a special page will open. From that point, you'll be able to see additional information about it. To try this direct approach in viewing the September 2006 in Sri Lanka images, simply click on the photo below.



If you're the less active sort, you may simply view all 400 in slide-show fashion. The pictures are small and there's no specific information. Yet, it's a nice way to zip though the collection and you are able to click on the photos during the show. If that's your wish, then click here.

If you have a comment about a specific photo you see, please post it. Of course, you'll need to be a Flickr member to do that. It now requires a Yahoo ID but is absolutely free.

Labels: Flickr

The fish tank needs cleaning. I could tidy up the living room a bit. I should put the vacation video onto DVDs. The towels need washing. It'd be good to finish uploading September's pictures to Flickr. I should start another batch of wine by walking to the shop on Columbia street. Boston Legal has been recorded and is sitting on the PVR. I also promised to call my sister.

Furthermore, there are some items which should be returned to the library. Jay wants me to pick up some whey protein powder at London Drugs. I ought to drop off some mail in the outside letter box. The living room needs to be painted. It's time to change the oil and flush the radiator in my truck. I've got to do a bit of homework in choosing a new television. I might even want to get my course outline completed for my October 30th class.

Nah! I can do those things later; I'd rather write a blog entry instead.

Labels: errands

I was only ten years old when Easy Rider was released. I think my dad may have brought us to the drive-in to see it, which is rather weird. Maybe it was some prior motorcycle movie. Still, I really knew only fleeting references to the 1969 film.

Today, I watched it.

Is there anyone who cannot go in for a road story? You know this specific genre of American film, I'm talking about. They take place with copious, stunning stretches of endless road. They use scenic variety to showcase a type of modern frontier. Most importantly, they all involve characters hitting the open road in order to find peace and inner freedom. I nearly get all teary-eyed just thinking about this while humming, This Land is Made for You and Me.

I don't imagine this genre's myth translates well to other cultures. Geography and circumstance seems too specific to this continent.

This particular version of the road story, seemed to chronicle the angst of an entire era well. It's been re-mastered into Dolby 5.1 so the sound track sounds great. In conclusion, some sections made me wish I'd been born eight to ten years before I was. The ending made me feel lucky I ducked those times.

Labels: movies

As I kid I lived in New Hampshire where colour erupted on most trees at this time of year. Some years were, of course, better than others. Generally though, the autumn foliage season was an event enough to have became a part of my experience. I can almost smell the earthy odor as one kicked up newly-fallen, wet leaves after school.

Then, I moved to the deserts of the Persian Gulf. I lost the seasonal markers and the memory of the splashes of red, yellow, and orange. I no longer saw trees getting ready for a frozen winter. In addition, I forgot the association between falling leaves and an academic year.

Ten years ago, we arrived in Canada. I was a bit disappointed by our first British Columbian fall. The landscape is awe-inspiring, don't get me wrong. It's just that I had expected more in the way of a flashy, end-of-summer show. Many of the natural trees are conifers. Maples, due to their national status, are planted along urban pathways but we just don't have the weather to kick start them into brilliance.



Now however, I perceive enough of a change to satisfy my needs for youthful recollection.

Labels: New Hampshire

Today has been cool, wet, and rainy. It's the first time we've seen this oft-familiar type of weather since being back. I have to admit to rather enjoying the day. It is an excellent excuse for being rather lazy. The gas fireplace is on low and the fish are leisurely swimming around their gallon tank.

It was a perfect day for writing letters. There is some joy in doing it the old way. By that I mean, getting things on paper, folding, and then licking an envelope shut.

We picked up some prints of the digital photos. Some went to our sponsored kid. We also sent several real pictures to a friend of Jay's and a fellow who owned a guest house where we stayed in Tissimaharama.

Affixing actual postage stamps was a simple pleasure, really. And knowing the words won't be read for a few weeks seem quaint but somehow comforting.

Labels: blogging, errands