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

A big chore is easy if one does a bit at a time. I don't know why I don't train myself to scan just several old photos every day. Scanning one takes less than a minute. Then, getting 'em online and in The Old Box in an e-Attic takes about the same amount.

After having been uploaded, the potential for sharing them is much greater than when they are languishing in the photo suitcase beneath my hanging sports coats.


On Diamond Head in Waikiki, Hawaii in April 1998

Labels: Flickr, Hawaii, places

I've avoided leaving a place for visitors to post comments for years! Today though, I decided to give it a whirl. I may keep this option in effect for all future entries. My decision will sort of depend on seeing reader enthusiasm. Please take the time to comment here now by clicking on the word 'comments' in the 'posted by' line below.

1) Do you favour the idea of adding this option to future my eJournal and images entries?

2) If you're a regular reader, do you feel you'd comment on a regular basis?

Labels: blogging

There's no warranty repair facility for Creative products in Canada. I had to fork over $21 to UPS my non-functioning Zen mp3 player to Stillwater, Oklahoma.



Still for $20 it's more fun than using the regular postal system. At least I can check its progress as it slowly crosses borders and rumbles along Interstate highways. Still, the technology is never enough. I'd like it to have a GPS unit enbedded into the package, so I could follow the entire route on Google Earth. This, incidentally, brings me to another topic.



I'd heard about Google Map's Street View. Running around at street view is, indeed, quite amazing. Most of the comments voiced were in reaction to privacy concerns. Yes, people were out on the streets as the Google van drove by. Yes, it's possible to even spot a fellow standing around in front of a strip club. It's pretty hard to make out who it is though. The last I knew when one was in a public space, being on camera was a possibility. San Francisco isn't, for God's sakes, Saudi Arabia. Maybe my stance is just sour grapes over never having become famous myself!

Labels: Creative Zen, Google, opinions

There's a lot of chance in having this photo here today.

Firstly, I noticed that my scanner wasn't working and then it dawned on me I'd not successfully used it since upgrading to Vista. I checked the Canon site and, sure enough, there were new drivers available. After installing, I ran to the photo suitcase. I pulled out a drugstore envelope that had photos from our early years in Canada. As I got a digital camera in 2002, there are six years captured on film. Of course, we took fewer photos in those days. A snap is generally one or both of us standing in front of something while on vacation. I happened across this one taken in front of Montreal's 1976 Summer Olympics Stadium. This was our first visit east in November, 1998. We were gone for a week and visited Quebec City and Ottawa too. We love Montreal and would probably visit more frequently if it were cheaper.

Nine or ten years ago it was possible to find cheaper domestic fares in Canada. I think we flew on a now-defunct, charter airline called Canada 3000. This country has a small aviation market so I do look positively to more liberal open sky policies. If an airline can make market sense out of stopping across the border and then continuing back to a city north of the 49th parallel, then they should be encouraged. Let me give you a quick example why.

Seconds ago, I logged onto Expedia.ca and did a test. I chose to hypothetically leave Vancouver on August 25 and return on September 1. Undoubtedly these are peak times but I simply wanted a comparison. I chose the cheapest return fares offered for the following two itineraries. Both include all taxes and are priced in Canadian dollars.

Vancouver --> Montreal ($903)

Seattle --> New York City ($489)

A little more competition couldn't hurt the consumer, could it?

Labels: Canada, flying, opinions, places

I'd forgotten about being able to directly add blogger entries by email. Here's a note sent off to Academic and Career Advising at Keene State College, in New Hampshire.

Labels: New Hampshire

And I always have.


Today is nice but I probably won't sit in a water-filled,
rubber boat as I once did.

Labels: New Hampshire

... to Skin a Cat?

Information is useless without a quick way to access it. Realizing this has become more important as I approach my fourth year of daily blog entries. My blog's archive vault holds all the words I've typed here since September 2003.



There are three ways in which to access old data. First, the most powerful way is to do a complete search. One simply types a word into the box and clicks a button. This will return pages that contain specific words. Secondly, it's possible to check the label categories which I've set up as a way to describe entries. This can point to general directions, but it may be difficult to locate specific material as these pages can grow quite large over time. The final way to see previous entries is to browse through week by week. This would not be a very efficient way of finding an exact entry, but you might well find some interesting things along the way. These three ways increase the value of old entries in this blog by making the information more accessible.

Labels: blogging, labels, searching, sharing

I had fallen in love with my little mp3 player during the last seven weeks. I became completely engrossed in podcasts. The player was small and perfect. It was a 4GB model and held everything that I'd want to take along even on a trip. It changed my life.

On Saturday it died. It has no indication of life. There's no screen. When I plug it into my computer it doesn't connect. Pressing the reset button is futile. I know there must be something wrong with its battery.

With little actual hope, I drove over to BestBuy in Queensborough because I bought it there. If the device had ceased to function within thirty days, they'd have switched it with a new one no questions asked. Unfortunately the damned little varmint held on for seven weeks. This means I have to try to deal with the Creative directly. I wrote an initial email to North American customer support.

Detailed Problem Description:
My Zen worked well for six weeks. Charging was never a problem. I updated to the latest firmware right after buying it. Yesterday, it suddenly died. There is no activity nor none after leaving it plugged into my USB overnight.

Pablo wrote back and thought my problem dealt with my firmware upgrade. I don't foresee a quick solution here ...

Labels: complaints, Creative Zen

As it's Sunday morning, I want to pop in something here that'll be quick and easy. Yesterday, it was a cinch to point out a newly added blog label. I guess I'll do the same today.

I've had quite a few entries about Vancouver's SkyTrain system. As pointed out previously, the reason we ended up living in New Westminster is most assuredly because of the system. Although the owner of a vehicle, I exclusively use the SkyTrain when heading to downtown Vancouver. I look forward to the completion of the line from Vancouver's airport to the city center too. Its completion won't cut travel time when we fly, as there's already a direct bus route from New Westminster. However, it just seems that having transit from the airport to the downtown core should be available in any real city.

In order view my previous entries with the transit label, click the following SkyTrain picture, or click the actual label name beneath it.



I generally comment on transit during local (places) and foreign (world) trips. Yet my label called transit deals mostly with the local SkyTrain system and New Westminster bridges over the Fraser River.

Labels: labels, opinions, transit