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

I thought I'd made it through the winter without a cold. After all, the colourful cherry trees are just about to put on their annual show.



Yet, right now, I feel on the edge of being sick. I knew when I woke up last night and felt achy and hot that something was up. I have quaffed juice and a few Extra Strength Tylenol Flu capsules. I hope they do their usual magic.

The Metro-Vancouver cherry trees seem to explode into pinkness at different times in different neighbourhoods. They're not native to this area but they do help to herald a triumphant parade into spring.

Labels: flora and fauna

For a living I teach practical English. All courses taught in my department are grounded in functionality. Each class activity is designed to enhance English skills for use in the fields of business and technology. Nary a figurative nor rhetorical device shall be seen. I guess I do define myself by this role.

Please don't lump me into the same category as others called teachers of English. I feel no absolutely no affinity with those who must impart the intricacies of English as literature as part of their teaching duties. How utterly impractical for all but a precious few!

There are, however, literary parts of me. There are, of course, past parts which help to define me. My knowledge of Robert Frost is due to growing up as a New Englander. My background is a major component as to why I understand the following poem. I'd be hard pressed to find an old stone wall running through a forest around these parts. Yet when I close my eyes, I assuredly picture any back road as a corridor between rocks placed carefully into position decades ago.

Labels: literature, New Hampshire

I should keep better track. Maybe this is the time of the year when work sometimes gets to me. It's my second intensive course of the year and the week in between the midterm and final. We had an assignment in the BCIT library today, and then we went back to the classroom for another three hours. As well, I volunteered to administer a computerized speaking evaulation this evening. I just got home a little while ago.

I think I used to be less stressed even when I had more on my plate. It's time to step back and appreciate the opportunities I have and circumstances I'm in. For example, this is the view from SW3 4725. It can be rather pleasing.

Labels: BCIT, feelings

For how many years have we now had email? It hasn't been all that many but the impact can certainly still be strong.

I'm not so much thinking of work-related messages, but those that come in from the Internet from people who were from former aspects one's life. Once in a while, along with those automated reminders that my credit card statement is online or other official-type business, I get real email. Again, most of the crap received from my sister wouldn't count as it contains no new information. Hers tend to be those pass-it-along messages of a supposedly profound nature.



I am trying to highlight the times when a real message comes that provides interesting information from a friend or acquaintance. I got one just this morning from a school pal. Candy, on the left in the photo, started schooling with me when we were in elementary grades. We continued right through high school and eventually both received teaching certificates from the same college. I hadn't heard from her for years but it was easy to catch up. How interesting to hear about the family and their goings on. How great to hear about recent vacations too. Here's a quote that might not be too common in any messages you received today.

"A 100 x 25 foot barn addition of ours collapsed under the heavy snows and ice. Four cows were trapped, but with help managed to escape and are now healing."

I'd not mind getting more messages from others. Even if they're sent out in bulk and have the type of information that yearly Christmas newsletters used to contain. Go ahead, drop me a line.

Labels: Internet, Sunapee

I run some of Microsoft's Home Productivity software. I was really hooked on their Digital Image products but they pulled the rug out from under me and have completely dropped that product line. I cannot quite understand why it's not profitable to keep publishing newer versions. I learned to love the software's interface and still find it extremely intuitive for most of my needs. This fall I ran out to get Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 and have tried to make the transition. More often than not, however, I simply open up the now defunct Microsoft program.

Apparently the same is happening with the localized version of MS Money. I am still using the 2006 copy and as it's a tax write-off would surely upgrade if given the opportunity. Unfortunately, the only offering in Canada is for a base option that cannot open files created in previous versions.

Rather than the normal rants against Microsoft for what they're doing, I'd like to go on record for being disappointed by what they're not doing. Namely, I'd like updates to my favourite, old MS Home software.

Labels: complaints, money, software

I kept dying. My Playstation 3 came bundled with one game. It was fun racing around MotorStorm's dirt track but I have to be honest; I didn't take much time to really put the game through its paces. I found it disheartening when involved in a serious enough accident to cause death. The screen slows down and one's flying body bounces around pitifully. It doesn't really hurt though. There's not much to prevent one from racing around rather foolishly and recklessly.

I wanted to see something else and have been interested in graphic adventure games since King's Quest I on the PC. Although amazing in 1986, Sir Graham appeared as a little stick figure on the CGA cards of the day. Last week, I stopped by the Canadian Superstore as they had a newer adventure game on sale. I wanted it.



I picked up Uncharted - Drake's Fortune. There was about a half hour over the weekend when I had some extra time. I began the game and so far it has more than met my expectations. In fact, the graphics I saw would have to be categorized as stunning. I've only been on the island for a little while but the lush vegetation is very impressive in high definition 720P. A waterfall was pretty enough, so that I simply had to walk up the river and take a better look. The storyline was engrossing and has made me want to get further involved.

I can hardly wait to take occasional extra minutes to explore more.

Labels: games, PS3

The morning news is on and it's showing the aftermath of the snow storm back east. Cars were all over the road and people were busy digging out. They've had quite a bad winter, I guess. We had a fair amount of snow this winter but generally it's been quite nice. British Columbians from the Metro-Vancouver area like to brag about our mild winters. Nothing sticks on the ground in the long term. I have no golfing photo to include but I did find an image in My Daily Picture Parade. It was taken on March 10, 2006 the day after snow flurries occurred here exactly two years ago.

Labels: Flickr, weather