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

I just finished reading an Internet article discussing generational differences in the concepts of online privacy. Have you noticed how many newspapers are now starting to offer article forums in which people can comment? I generally kick myself for actually going through the paragraphs written by all those informed readers. Most opinions are not worthy of the time they take to read. I already have an opinion or two on almost everything and someone else's is not likely to affect mine. I was contemplating adding my own thoughts on the topic here but why bother? It just makes my head hurt to think about it.

Rather than that, I'll briefly mention the potential purchase I'm wavering over. Next Sunday, we're off to Rome. Although the past two times to Europe in 2005 and 2007, I took along my notebook, this time I am unwilling. It simply weighs too much. I don't want to carry around five pounds of extra luggage as we're pretty good at going lite.

A mini-note would be perfect for a trip. I have progressive lenses, so I could make due with a screen less than nine diagonal inches! I became interested in the Asus last fall and thought getting one would be great. Then, the HP 2133 showed up this summer. The keyboard was perfect but in this first incarnation, they used an underpowered processor. Next, I became very excited about the Acer Aspire One. There are several models and XP is an option. I wanted to wait until I saw what Dell was to release. I was disappointed to see during last Friday's launch that they're currently only using solid state drives. One reason for taking a mini-note along on a journey would be to dump pictures and video onto it in order to not have to buy extra memory cards.

Okay, so it looks as if I really want one now, it'll have to be the Acer. Unfortunately, in Canada the model is only released with a damned bilingual keyboard. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against some additional markings on my keys as I don't look anyway. However, they have had to modify the keyboard on the bilingual version to fit in a few extra keys and vary the placement of others. Yuk. As it is, the Acer is nearly too narrow for comfortable typing in the best of conditions.

So I guess if I run to Bellingham, WA and pay taxes twice, I can get the US model for about the same price. For some reason the Best Buy there has it $50 cheaper than can be found in Canada. But I'd have to pay Washington state tax, and then turn around at the border and declare the GST and PST too. So, it comes out as a wash. I am leaning to the notion that it'd be worth the hassle.

Or, more appropriately, I could simply take along a $1.99 paper notepad and pencil on the trip to Italy.

Labels: computers, netbook, Q3_2008, technology

One benefit of being a long term Telus ADSL customer is ... well ... nothing. In fact last week, after I happened by their website, I found I was paying much more for access than current rates.

Angrily, I tried to contact customer service by phone. Over the course of three days, I spent at least three hours on hold. Among other services, Telus is a telephone company. I find it more than a bit ironic that it was impossible to contact them by phone.

Eventually, I got hold of a customer representative. Why was it my responsibility to have to contact them in order to get my bill adjusted to reflect current rates? As a reward for five years of service, I was getting ripped off. They would have happily overcharged me forever, I must assume. Anyway, my bill is now $5 plus taxes per month less than I was paying. This is even reflects a change to their Extreme rather than the old Enhanced high-speed ADSL. The customer service representative effectively upsold me to the plan which promises more robust connection speeds. After using it for a week, I cannot really see that much difference but I suppose I'll feel a whole lot less guilty about downloading numerous torrents now.

Let's see I have had mp3 files for the original Boston for a long, long time. Now, can I find the Don't Look Back album?

Labels: complaints, Internet, music, Q3_2008, telephone

We've been members of zip.ca for a very long time. We watch quite a bit more than typical, run-of-the-mill fare. It'd be impossible to pick up the wide selection of films at any local video store; therefore, we're grateful for the Canadian equivalent of Netflix service. The convenience is that fact one adds all movie selections via the website to a secure, personal online list. As soon as a disc is returned by post, a new one is sent. We always have between thirty and fifty movies on that list. Sometimes that means we're a little late in watching some DVD releases.

I'm writing this only to say how I was fascinated with Atonement (2007). I like most recently-done historical dramas. I like period pieces when it feels like one is participating as an audience member. I feel I could be a step closer in understanding London before and during WWII. This surely had the earmarks of being a big production. The thing I liked the most is how clever it is. It makes one run to the Internet to see whether it is true or not. I felt the abrupt inclusion of an older Briony was superb. Then, one sort of plays mind games with the details after the credits roll.

Labels: movies, Q3_2008, stars, zip.ca

If you look at a map of BC's Lower Mainland, you'll find New Westminster smack dap in the middle. The city's not very big. Once upon a time, people would come from far and wide to shop downtown New West. Then from the 1960's everybody's focus moved uptown. Given the elevation, downtown really is down. After decades of neglect it nearly become economically out as well. It was just a busy route on which commuters sped past.

The central street is called Columbia. When we moved here in 1996, it was a bit seedy and run down even though they'd been trying to revitalize it for years. Over the last decade and especially the last five years, lots of new development has started taking place along Columbia Street. As recently as this summer, municipal road crews have turned the street back to two lanes with back-in parking. A bike path has been added and sidewalks near corners have been widened.

As a downtown resident, I often walk outside and have snapped quite a few photos. I have arranged them from the most recent taken today back to August 2005. To see a slide show containing nearly 150 photos along Columbia Street just click. (It may take up to thirty seconds to load the data.)

Labels: Columbia Street, Flickr, New Westminster, Q3_2008

It seems strange starting off a new year of my eJournal and images. I made no secret yesterday that I have been doing this for a very long time. I don't think there's been a great deal of emotional payoff for all this effort but I continue to think doing this makes an interesting hobby. It does happen to combine things I like: using computers, thinking historically, manipulating images, and writing stuff down.

I do have a platform in which to say anything and I know that Internet search engines will come around and scoop 'em up. I'm still amazed at the different routes I could take with this. For example, I have never included any literary writing here. I could pick almost any topic and work on it in a daily public way. I probably won't. More likely, I'll just continue as I have been. Namely, that means writing accounts when on trips, complaining about things I find offensive, and sharing interests in things such as movies, or my work.



My first real entries on September 2, 2003 included the photo above. I went back and re-sized the original in order to remind me about when I started here. In September 2003, Jay had flown back to Sri Lanka as his mother had become terminally ill. My sister had flown back to Iowa after visiting the west coast for the first time. I snapped the shot to show her how the photo shirt of us had come out. I was preparing to send it to my dad in New Hampshire. Without this medium, I could not have so quickly nor easily placed these events into context.

Five years ago, things were not as they are today. They will not stay the same for tomorrow either. Maybe this is one reason I plan to keep on blogging. At least I'll have some sort of personal record of it.

Labels: blogging, Laurie, Q3_2008

Here's the math:

365 x 5 = 1825 + 2 (leap years) + 1 (today) = 1828 Days of Blog Entries

Labels: blogging, Q3_2008

Rather than being late adding an entry due to being busy, it's quite the opposite. What a lazy day for the middle of a long weekend! Going uptown for a few errands is hardly news.



Tomorrow, we've decided we will visit the Museum of Anthropology at UBC. We've long talked about going but have never seemed to get there. It houses a well-respected collection of First Nations cultural artifacts. Labour Day is the last day it'll open before undergoing six months of renovations. It will be expanding. I expect we will have seen some similar exhibits at the BC Museum in Victoria.

Just think, kids are dreading the upcoming week as many have got to head back to school. How sad for them. I will be lounging around until the start of our trip to Italy on the 14th.

Labels: British Columbia, Q3_2008, Royal City Mall