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

Okay, this is it. Puerto Vallarta is nearly perfect on account of being both tropical and close. Our ship got into port before seven o'clock and well before we had breakfast. We still got out and to downtown Vallarta by mid-morning. The new port is in a harbor area across the street from a Walmart Store. But if one gets past the traffic down to the Malecon and the old town, one can find the original allure of the resort.

As the Carnival Pride wasn't due to set sail until 10:00 pm, we rode back to the ship for lunch and showers and returned to walk around some more. I have some nice sunset photos to prove it. We used the regular bus service. It costs the equivalent of fifty cents to use public transit. I prefer to travel with the locals. I hate tourists who never really step out into the actual environment of the places they visit.

Labels: cruise, Mexican cruise, Mexico, Walmart

It just might be due to the season that's approaching. Although, I'd be loathe to admit it; perhaps, I really am affected by the end-of-year buying frenzy. Many products are positioned for sale at the year's end. Furthermore, I generally discover in December, after my charitable donations and forced savings, that I've got some extra cash in my pocket. These two forces have the power to unite in a dangerous combination. The final catalyst added is the ease and power of the Internet.

My morning started when I received my email from www.ncix.com and discovered a camera I like is on sale. Perhaps the SP-560UZ would make a nice replacement camera. After all, my present camera is two years old. I spent hours reading reviews and doing comparisons.

Then, in the afternoon, I spent time researching to see if the Blu-ray or HD-DVD camp is winning the battle for the chance to connect to my TV. With the Canadian dollar at around a US dollar, web site comparisons are simple. A trip to Bellingham, Washington would be quick and easy. The power of Wal-mart and its sub-$200 HD player and the deals on Toshiba models at Circuit City may tip the balance in favour of the HD-DVD format. If there was no format war raging, high-definition disc adoption would be substantially greater.

I did a lot of planning today but no actual buying.

Labels: camera, Christmas, HDTV, Walmart

Yesterday, the microwave oven bit the dust. When pressing start, there was a weird buzzing sound that lasted for only a second and then the panel went dark. That microwave was one of the first purchases we made in Canada. I think the oven was being used before the shipment of junk arrived from Dubai. So, I wasn't upset because it had lasted over a decade.

Luckily, it died when we were getting ready for lunch. That made picking up a replacement easy in the afternoon. When walking into the Queensborough Wal-mart, I mistook the place for a cattle auction. Rather, I learned it's always a zoo on Sundays. It was shocking nevertheless as I was reminded how the uptown Zeller's used to always be completely devoid of shoppers. Well, let's acknowledge they are no longer is business.

Speaking of such things, the replacement Hamilton Beach microwave was only $54. That is Canadian $54.00 and the numbers could be reversed for a quote in US dollars. Okay, I know that it was assembled by workers in China living on subsistence wages. Still, if one ran into a Radio Shack, he'd find that a power cord alone would cost a quarter of that.

I suppose I shouldn't be upset by an object that costs less than I think it's worth. In many much-poorer economies though, these devices are priced much higher. I do feel a bit of discomfort in the strange pricing patterns of a global economy.

Labels: errands, technology, Walmart

Okay, it's not exactly Vegas.

Every so often, we do go to Hara's Buffet for lunch. It's located near the Silvercity Threatres and the Wal-mart in the Whalley neighbourhood of Surrey, BC. They offer Western, Chinese, and Indian foods. I will always celebrate all-you-can-eat dining. We grabbed lunch there yesterday.

The restaurant doesn't seem to have a web site. After mentioning Hara's in the past, I've seen visitors arrive at my eJournal and images because they were searching for details. Here are some:

Hara's Buffet
100-15155 101st Ave,
Surrey, BC V3R 7Z1 tel (604) 589-1929.

Labels: food, Surrey, Walmart

It seems as if the weather's going to continue to be great for most of the week. Hot days are okay but fortunately, it always seems to cool down enough in the evening. This place, I've picked to live, really is ideal. With Jay working, I don't want to pack a picnic or anything. I was wondering what to do today. Maybe it's time to run to Walmart to buy hamster food. I am even tempted to look on NCIX.com to see if there's anything that intrigues me.

Just when I was wondering what I could blog about today, my iPaq buzzed with an event message. Happy Birthday, Sujay.

Labels: Walmart, weather

I saw mention of it on the Internet. I have to admit I'm a sucker for useless gadgets and this little darling was available at Wal-mart. It looked like an item one would use for fifteen minutes and then put in a drawer until ... forever. Still, I rationalized buying one because I decided it cost only as much as a calculator. (Actually, it was a bit more as I'd forgotten calculators are now just $2.19.) I don't think I went expressly to buy the Radica's 20Q but as long as I was there ...



You know the game of 20 questions, don't you? This is just an electronic, handheld version that has uncanny accuracy. The user just thinks of an item. I'll use 'refrigerator' as an example. Here's our conversation:

Gadget - I know what you're thinking. Ready?
Dennis - yes
Gadget - Q1 Is it an animal, vegetable, mineral, other, or unknown?
Dennis - other
Gadget - Q2 Is it flat?
Dennis - no
Gadget - Q3 Would you use it daily?
Dennis - yes
Gadget - Q4 Does it bring joy to people?
Dennis - no
Gadget - Q5 Can it bend without breaking?
Dennis - no
Gadget - Q6 Is it smaller than a loaf of bread?
Dennis - no
Gadget - Q7 Does it use electricity?
Dennis - yes
Gadget - Q8 Is it a common household object?
Dennis - yes
Gadget - Q9 Can it be found in a classroom?
Dennis - no
Gadget - You think you can beat me. Let's see. Q10 Is it larger than a microwave oven?
Dennis - yes
Gadget - Q11 Do you open and close it?
Dennis - yes
Gadget - Q12 Does it get wet?
Dennis - no
Gadget - Q13 Can you hold it?
Dennis - no
Gadget - Q14 Can it be stolen?
Dennis - no
Gadget - Q15 Was it used over 100 years ago?
Dennis - no
Gadget - Q16 Do you use it in your home?
Dennis - yes
Gadget - Q17 Does it come in a box?
Dennis - no
Gadget - Q18 Does it contain a liquid?
Dennis - yes
Gadget - I will ask a few more questions ... before I win! Q19 Does it get really hot?
Dennis - no
Gadget - Q20 Would you find it in an office?
Dennis - sometimes
Gadget - I think you thought you were tricky! Is it a refrigerator?
Dennis - yes
Gadget - That was easy. I know you want to try again?
Dennis - no

Labels: games, lists, Walmart

Today, if the fog lifts, we have a chance of breaking a 37-year-old weather record. The last time there was any measurable precipitation at the Vancouver airport was February 7th. That's quite a run of sunshine for this usually dreary month! The forecast shows the rain is approaching and beginning tomorrow we may be back in a regular weather pattern.

How will I spend the last sunny day? I will probably run out to buy income tax software. All the slips have arrived, so I may as well plug it all into Intuit QuickTax. Maybe I should look into the web-based, online version this year. Nah, that'd mean I wouldn't get a chance to run to either London Drugs, Canadian Superstore, Wal-Mart, or Best Buy. Oh, drat . . . all the decisions!

Labels: money, New Westminster, software, Walmart

The days have been quite extraordinary weather-wise. My usual idea of 'getting out' means to pull up a chair on the balcony but yesterday afternoon was much too fine to do only that.

Do click on this little picture to get a larger view of New Westminster from a bit down-river. It was taken near the Annacis Channel.

I went to locate GCMTEM: Lulu's Tailbone. My GPS showed a reading of only 1.63 kilometers from the apartment; however, that would've been how the crow flies. Actually, to be more accurate, it would have been how the salmon swims. So, I drove to get across the Queensborough Bridge and onto Lulu island. The cache find was quick and rewarding and gave me enough time to walk aimlessly around both Wal-mart and Best Buy before the return home.

Labels: GPS, New Westminster, Walmart

I went to find old-fashioned, low, canvas sneakers. You know the type of summer shoes that predate Nike and Addidas. Surprisingly, I couldn't find any at Wal-mart. I was a bit worried that perhaps nobody was making 'em anymore ...

As a kid, I fondly recall getting a new pair at the beginning of each summer. They were comfortable, light, and because of little grommeted holes, cool in warm weather. For these reasons, I reckon they'll be ideal when doing lots of walking in Sri Lanka over the next several months.

I did spot some on the Internet and they come in a multitude of fashionable colours but they're being touted as 'old-school' shoes. My birthday was last month and I consider myself young. Yet, it has now dawned on me, that I'm having trouble finding my choice, retro footwear!

Click here ---> Chuck Taylor All Star Low Tops

Labels: complaints, Walmart

I drove in the rain to the Queensborough Wal-mart to look at one. I am such a careful shopper that I knew what the price could be. They were selling it $22 over what I reckoned was a good value. Consequently, I'm blogging this entry rather than experimenting with a new toy. Damn.

Labels: GPS, money, Walmart

I recently bought another houseplant at Walmart for $1.69.

I don't know why I like green things growing in the house. Maybe, I developed a desire for indoor green when living in the Middle East. Or could it be genetics? When I was small my mother made a big deal by inviting relatives to the house and loading up the Kodak Instamatic when she managed to cajole a night-blooming cereus to flower. Jay, however, grew up in a jungle and is not terribly impressed by my efforts.


I don't think I'd call it a special gift, but it does take me many months
to kill most plants. For example, the large one in this photo was a
house-warming present from guest, Don Richardson. He bought it during
his visit to Canada which was more than five years ago!

Labels: Don, flora and fauna, Walmart

Is it just me or are many products cheap nowadays?

In the classic example of falling prices, we always examine technological advances in personal computers. I'm looking to buy a DVD burner now and they are a whole lot cheaper than my first simple CDROM reader of the early 1990's. I once paid nearly $500 for an 80 megabyte (not gigabyte) hard disk. Now we get a thousand times more space at a quarter of the price. I will also admit that technology is constantly providing many new and interesting goodies to buy.

Yet, it's not only hi-tech items that appear cheap. I went to Sears yesterday ... okay, it WAS an outlet store, but I'm often amazed at prices. I am sure that a good pair of dress shoes cost the same or less now than when I was a child. Ditto for an average bicycle. Big box stores can offer a microwave oven at practically give-away prices. (I bet every dorm room nowadays has one unlike during my college days -- in the late 70's & early 80's.)

If we examine the hours of work needed to purchase many basic goods and services, I think we've moved considerably ahead in the last thirty years. As proof, I'd like to suggest that most households own a greater quantity of junk than ever before. I'm sure this phenomena can be traced to many facts:

When people can save a few pennies they often choose the cheaper of two items. This helps explain why foreign goods flood this continent.

Many companies can keep prices low because of more efficient distribution networks.

Increased productivity per worker creates manufacturing savings.

An enormous company, such as Walmart, buys in such huge quantities that it can dictate prices. I'm sure manufacturers have to squeeze every penny in order to guarantee a seat at the retailers' table.

We've conditioned ourselves to think of inflation as a normal fact of life. Maybe it isn't. You may or may not share my views. What do you think? Jot out a message to me.

Labels: hard disk, Hardware, Walmart

The new, Queensborough Wal-mart was fairly packed. Wal-marts usually are. I just returned from buying a new wallet. It doesn't sound like a big deal, but I can only remember buying about three wallets ... ever!

I wonder how long an average guy keeps the same wallet.

Labels: New Westminster, Walmart

I had to drive over the Queensborough Bridge to say I'd been at the grand opening of our new Wal-Mart. It is not really much closer than the one at Lougheed Centre. Yet, because the new one is actually in New Westminster --- I'll probably head that way more often.

It all smelled so new and there surely were a lot of people there!

Wal-Mart is the world's largest retailer. Will this now affect the uptown Zeller's which quite often seems like a ghost town?

Labels: New Westminster, Walmart