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

I was thinking what a very cold winter we've had this year. We should've expected it here during an El Niño year. Still, we feel as if there's been more snow than in the previous eleven winters in Metro Vancouver. Snow has, of course, fallen this winter in many other places too.




Here are two pictures I've recently received by email. The first is from a former Emirati student. I taught him when I worked in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. He wanted me to see some white stuff which fell at high elevations in Ras al-Khaimah. The second photo comes from an area known for snow just a little south of here. Still, it's cute to know that there's a two storey log cabin behind the person and under the snowbank. It's Joel and Lynne's place at Snoqualmie Pass in Easton, Washington.

Labels: Dubai, Joel, weather

I've given up waiting for inspiration. The blank screen here can't seem to coax out any great thoughts. Although I'm currently watching my students toiling over their exams, I don't feel like commenting about that in any way. I can glance to my left and look out over Canada Way and toward the cloud-covered North Shore Mountains. It's a little dark already for four o'clock so rather hard to tell if it's snowing up among the peaks.

I'm not annoyed at anything or anyone. Consequently, there's no need to type out a condemnation of any sort. I can't even think of any product to discuss or technology about which to pontificate.

Furthermore, we don't leave for the Mexican cruise until Sunday, so the prospect of writing about that doesn't excite me either.

I don't feel like adding a photo from my past and describing it. Also, I don't feel like taking a new picture and doing that.

I have nothing to share with the world; therefore I won't.

Labels: blogging

It's nearly in the can.

This statement alone must represent some of my thoughts about being an educator. I am one of those instructors who love the process much more than the subject. Teaching communication skills is really a blessing for those like me. I am a true believer learning should be a show, sometimes a dog and pony one. I'd be bored silly if it weren't for the wide berth given to instructors in my department. I'm able to treat a majority of classes as small productions. Nowadays, teaching must complete with diversions in a media-heavy universe.

The days I love the best are when the whole afternoon has felt like something suitable for stage or screen. My current players are getting ready for tomorrow's final examination which is quite traditional and paper-based.

My group this term is composed of just fourteen. They are small and close-knit. This is the type of class which are planning a dinner out after their final exam. Only a small percentage of my classes choose to voluntarily hang out together after it's all officially over!

Labels: BCIT, students

I thought perhaps I was searching for a a standard, English idiom but it seems there are many ways to complete the following phrase. I simply queried a few search engines and these seem among the winners.

You can tell a lot about a man by ...

his shoes.

the company he keeps.

the tip he leaves.

the way he treats animals.

whom he loves.

the friends he has.

this laugh.

the way he walks.

the way he treats his mother.

I cannot verify the accuracy of any of them. I'd like to suggest a new one though. I believe you can find a lot about a person by checking his most popular Flickr tags. You're invited to take a look at mine. The page also has a box marked, JUMP TO, where you can type in almost anything to see if I have tagged photos which match it. For example, try LION!



Click anywhere on the word list above to visit the Flickr page containing the tag cloud. (Note: Recently these type of pages have been opening slowly on Flickr.)

Labels: Flickr

Things really pile up during the final week of a course. Generally, these things include a little bit of extra stress. This is the week that the students' oral presentations are given. There are also many things such as course evaluations which must be completed. Simply getting the photocopies of the final examination adds to the burden of tasks which must be wrapped up.



So, a few minutes on the Carnival Cruises website seemed to be just want the doctor ordered. I had to change the FunPass information to include the earlier flight on which we'll be returning. I wonder how many passengers are really Internet savvy to make use of web capabilities. It will be a rush but we can easily be at LAX for the 12:20 pm return flight as the ships gets back into the port at Long Beach at 9:00 am. While at the website I discovered that our stateroom had been assigned. We knew for the cheap price, we'd not have a balcony or even a window. Just about the only hours we plan to spend in the room is when we're sleeping, so it really doesn't matter. Still, it was nice to discover we'll be way up on the eighth deck.

Labels: cruise, Mexican cruise, Mexico, travel planning

Okay. I have given in. I’ve taken a side in the format war between Toshiba’s HD-DVD and Sony’s Blu-ray. These are the two, competing options for the next generation DVD format.

I guess I'll have to go Blu-ray even it has many aspects with which I’m not enamored. I don’t like the fact the format still uses regional coding. In addition, I think it’s nearly criminal many Blu-ray stand-alone players are still being sold which are impossible to upgrade to current, not to mention, future standards. I’m annoyed that unlike the HD-DVD format, a standard DVD and HD version cannot be pressed on opposite sides of the same disc. I don’t think the extra space on a Blu-ray disc merits the increased costs associated with the technology and licensing agreements.

However, like I said, I’ve caved. I am willing to pay almost three times more for Blu-ray even though in many ways it’s not my favourite. I am willing because a majority of big studios have lined up to dance to Sony’s tune. When I read news that even National Geographic has picked Blu-ray, who am I to argue?

Labels: HDTV

We tried entering all the FunPass data necessary for next weekend's departure on a Carnival Cruise to Mexico. It's just an easy way for passengers on an upcoming trip to speedup check in by filling in the required information online. I hope they have good security considering they now have all sorts of data about us including our passport information!

It was when were entering all the data last night that we noticed a rather obvious error made by our travel agent. The cruise leaves from Long Beach on Sunday, February 10th and returns the following week. Yet, Aerin at the Lougheed Mall branch of the Flight Centre had mistakenly noted the end as February 18th and, consequently, booked us return tickets from LA on Monday. We'll be working on Monday. Our agent won't be in the office until tomorrow, so I hope she won't have any trouble changing our Alaska Air flights to the correct day. I emailed last night and will leave a voice mail message soon.



Speaking of Alaska and cruises, I didn't put this image from our very first cruise ship experience. We left downtown Vancouver for a week's itinerary to Alaskan ports in May of 2001.

Labels: Alaska, cruise, Mexican cruise, Mexico, travel planning