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

I want to mention some personal opinions about Blu-ray today. It's a little shocking that I'm taking a few minutes on such a fantastic weekend when the glorious sun is out. Okay, I won't say much.

People who aren't considering the purchase of a Blu-ray player or discs are either not interested in high-definition movies at home or are in denial about the longevity of physical media. The first group have other priorities and that's certainly okay. The second lot should understand that the Internet won't be adequate for movie delivery for at least a half dozen years, if not considerably longer.

Those who maintain that Blu-ray picture quality isn't much better than a standard DVD, are blind, have never seen one, or don't own a television capable of 1080. Yeah, one can certainly make do while watching a movie stored on an old duel-layer DVD. There can only be 8 GB of data there however. That's simply not enough physical space for hi-def content.

Those who are waiting to download hi-def movies online had better have lots of time and an extremely rare Internet service provider. To receive one feature-length movie is beyond the monthly bandwidth caps of most current plans. It can take me up to 10 minutes, at present, to get a two-minute trailer via my PS3 and Telus DSL.



I hate to argue but physical media is the foreseeable future. Blu-ray is more than just a temporary stop-gap measure. In many ways people are born collectors. More importantly, BD Live will extend physical media content out beyond the disc itself. In many ways, BD Live hasn't even caught up with the capabilities of its former challenger, HD-DVD. But hey, Blu-ray's the only game in town now.

Labels: HDTV, Internet, movies, PS3, Q3_2008

Other than lugging my notebook computer to BCIT, I don't use it much. It's an old Gateway that I really wish would break. Sometimes when I turn it on, the pixels on the whole lower third of the screen appear dim. Unfortunately, after a few moments it always seems to come back to life. I'm no longer careful when carrying it; I drop it on the table in hopes of hastening its demise. The damned thing continues to function. When I got it, the 14.1 screen seemed smaller than those with that additional diagonal inch or two. Yet. after repeated trips abroad, I've discovered it is far too big and heavy.

I first read about Asus Eee online. At the end of October last year, I blogged about the apparent new class of computer. I would dearly love something with less than a 10" screen. As the Eee has proved so popular in many circles, many other manufacturers are finally jumping on the parade. I can't believe the industry couldn't figure there is a huge market for mini-notes. One student had one in class today, and, of course, everybody wanted to see it, touch it, and ask questions about it.

A mini-note wouldn't be a replacement for one's main PC. I still like a big plastic box in my house with a zillion wires. I can see how a big, fully-loaded laptop could be many people's main computer though. That's not the point nor function of these sleek little babies. They are just for basic computing and Internet access on the go. They are something one wouldn't regret carrying when popping down to Starbucks. Cell phones and Blackberries are too small, but as any techno-Goldilocks knows, a mini-note would be jusssssssst right!

Rather than an Eee, I sort of have my eye on the HP 2133. Or perhaps I can wait to see what Dell throws into this increasing crowded ring.

Labels: computers, Hardware, netbook, Q3_2008

Years back when I went overseas, I had to rely on real letters. I mean if I wanted to send someone some information, I had to put it on a piece of paper, slide it into an envelope, affix a stamp, and drop it in the postal system. Sometimes there was a two-week turn around between sending something and getting the reply. Considering I was waiting on my lazy family and friends, it often took much longer. I was slightly ahead of the curve by the fact in the mid-1980's I was word processing most of my correspondence. At that time, I knew that some people considered getting a typed message as rather rude. How silly, I thought!

Now people can stay in constant electronic contact but that's not what I want to discuss. Today, I just want to focus on some differences I've witnessed in my own written communication since college.

When one wrote letters, they had to be self contained. One would save up events and then share a lot of them in a single document. It took a lot of work and time. One had to be pretty dedicated to locate the previous missive and begin the process of creating a reply. One wanted to make it worth the effort for there was a cost in both one's money and time.

In contrast, email came along and could be short and sweet. Some of the discomfort of having to devote a lot of time to messages had lessened. Unfortunately, most people never adapted. I think most people seldom write personal email because they never caught up with the mindset of the new technology. An email can be a single thought. It doesn't cost anything to send. Multiple conversations can take place but people, at least the ones I know, aren't mentally or emotionally set up that way.

I've begun to notice a third change in my personal electronic correspondence. When word processing first appeared, it was a surprise to realize one didn't need to retype text. For example, even on my first IBM, I could hit a button or two and my whole return address would appear. Now in the past few years, I've noticed a third major change. I am often using chunks of pre-existing, personal online data inside my emails nowadays. With standard text, I constantly add URLs to information I've already got online. I might link to an entry here, or a slide show of Flickr pictures.

These three stages have come about due to changes in computer technology. First, there was no email. Then, email came along and shifted both the speed and content of my messages. Finally, I'm seeing the inclusion of much more personal online media. It's too bad I don't know anyone who's capable of writing back!

Labels: email, Internet, Q3_2008

I always have my classes sit at tables of four or five as most work is done in groups.

Today, we were discussing how to match the needs of an audience when giving an oral presentation. In the module there was an empty table listing different types of professions. The task was to identify how a particular topic would need to be modified to fit the various types of listeners. As the books are written at BCIT, we always try to sneak in information about the different trade programs offered at our Institute.

One group was pretty sure that radiologists work at radio stations. Humm ... clever, eh?

Given the strange complexity of spoken and written English, it's a wonder that first-language users are understandable. Moreover, I find myself in total amazement that those encountering it for the first time as adults can ever make sense of it!

Labels: BCIT, Q3_2008, students

The weather finally matches the calendar. The balcony doors in both the bedroom and the living room are wide open. The apartment faces almost directly south. The sun, if there is any, pours in the rooms in the winter. In January, it forms a little arc on the horizon. At this time of year, we get morning sun, but by afternoon, it doesn't really hit the balcony. This is good as things stay cooler on the hottest of days.



I am sitting at my computer thinking how grand things are. It's amazing how things like the weather can affect one's mood. Of course, most other things in my life are going well, so this probably adds to my satisfaction of the moment.

Probably a component of being happy and approaching 49 years old includes the security of having some cash in the bank. We're fairly frugal but I suppose this term is open to interpretation. Our combined salaries have never been much compared to what many others pull in. I am sometimes shocked when I see the annual salaries for many types of workers. What do they do with it all, I wonder? Okay, there are certainly some personal priorities at play. For example, we annually spend more on travel than many people do in ten years. Surely, others choose to spend in different ways.

I think I define being frugal as never spending more than one has. In fact, a little of every cheque should always be saved. I don't know exactly how I became so debt averse. I've never been in a situation where I had to borrow money. In my life, I only paid back interest on college student loans that amounted to a few hundred dollars. Other than that, I have paid zilch for the chance to use someone else's money. I suppose some folks total fees for borrowing money equals years their salaries. No wonder why I don't need to work too much!

Labels: balcony, Fraser River, money, Q3_2008, weather

One of my students today said she'd seen that my site has a lot of information and was impressed with how long I'd been writing in this blog. Last Saturday I was patting myself on the back about this too. I don't think there's much I can add without repeating myself but that's never stopped me in the past, has it?

I don't spend a lot of time looking at other people's blogs. There are a few Internet acquaintances whom I drop in on occasionally. I think blogging as the supposed voice of the little man on the street (Internet) has pretty much gone the way of the dodo bird. Of course initially, it was heralded as redefining the very concept of Internet content. In Net years that equals once upon a time. For let's be honest, how many people can write about what they had for dinner the previous night and keep it, at all, interesting? Few. How many people would flock to a website with information like that anyway? Probably fewer.

Let's venture that personal blogging is rapidly disappearing and there isn't much reason for Internet users to visit one. These facts won't affect me here. I'm not doing this for the five to ten dozen folks who stop here on an average day. Most of the guests are unknown and arrive through a Google search for an image or some rather arcane references I might have made. Lord knows, my family and friends seldom take a peek! I think I'm continuing here simply for my own benefit.

I like having my ideas down in pictures and words. I'm far too lazy to sit and organize a real autobiography. This shotgun approach suits me better. I have spent most of my life teaching communication skills, so actually writing something down seems like a logical pursuit.

I am happy with a big, electronic place to store junk. Having never settled into one location for long, and having generally lived in small spaces, I've never had spare engine components, or old snowmobile parts like my father once amassed.

I enjoy having answers to questions people don't even have. For example, should the day ever come that anyone emails me about my now long-deceased grandmothers, I could offer a link: my eJournal and images: grandmothers. How many people can do that, eh?

In conclusion, you can expect to see this blog boldly continue into the indefinite future, even if it means entries about absolutely nothing, like today's.

Labels: blogging, Q3_2008

If you'd suggested even a few months ago that I'd have an active account on ticketmaster, I'd have doubted it. Suggesting that I'd receive their promotional emails for upcoming events in the Lower Mainland would have met equal incredulousness.



It could be that after one finally realizes the basics of food, shelter, and a lasting relationship, one can aim at something higher on Maslov's hierarchy. Maybe things simply change. Or more likely, my new realizations are an indication I'm getting older.

My birthday is later this month when I reach the tender age of 49. I'm honestly and fervently happy with this fact. I've always been a clever guy, yet the simple passage of time has allowed me so much more. I mean, although I meet people who long for a previous time in their lives, I never have. I think I'm better now than ever.

We've chosen to live in an urban area. We've done so for twelve years. Only recently, I've decided that we should avail ourselves to the benefits of doing so. Paying for tickets to a concert or show a few times a month no longer seems like a waste of money. For the price of a single airplane ticket nowadays, we can partake in a rather big, local event every month. Fear not, the new expense will not take the place of any annual airline ticket purchases; it'll just be something additional.

Even later today, we are set to attend the travelling, Broadway production of Spamalot. Look out Ticketmaster, I'm your new best friend.

Labels: feelings, Internet, musical theatre, Q3_2008