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

It's getting a little late and I've still not decided on the topic for today's entry. A million little ideas occur to me during the day, but when I sit to jot out one, I'm sometimes stumped.

I think I have to write a a little paragraph about how unfair clothing prices are. First, I'm often shocked to see how relatively cheap things made of cloth are. I guess we have to thank the labour force in far-away places such as in China, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. I'm thinking of this as I just walked back across the street from the Army & Navy Department Store. I noticed that at $17.99, real Wrangler jeans, due to the sweat of Mexican garment workers, are as cheap as when I was a child.

Still, most prices seem so arbitrary. I know a lot of different factors must enter into the equation. For example, the tenders for specific contracts must have an enormous affect. Even the time of the year makes a difference as retailers don't want stock sitting around. Yet today I noticed that a spring jacket is selling for $11.90 but some thin shorts were going for $24.99. I can't help but contrast the amount of material in the $19.95 queen-sized bed comforters and the $19.95 non-brand name necktie.

Ah, it doesn't really matter does it? I just needed to pick up some bathing trucks to bring to Arizona for next week. I'm going to look so cool!

Labels: opinions

On weekends we tend to watch local news on Global, however, for the evening news I always turn to the CTV local news. Recently, they've been trying really hard to become new media. There is a 'Your Say' segment where people get a chance to share their opinions on a question via the Internet. Then, they report what people are thinking. Wooow, how trendy! Of course they're choosing the questions so it's not really viewer-driven content. Still, it's nice to see 'em trying. Our local CTV also gets out there in the community. I really believe that they have a positive impact on provincial government by their willingness to take on tough reporting. I certainly cannot say that about our local, taxpayer supported CBC station.

There is one fairly useless part of the evening CTV News though. Tamara Taggart is the weather girl and has been a popular personality for a long time. Tamara is back often doing the weather now that she's a new mom. Loyal viewers can remember when she got married and changed to her married name. In reality, the addition of the 7-day forecast is totally useless. We are affected by weather off the Pacific. It makes trying to determine what is coming very tricky. It's nearly impossible to make any reasonable guess beyond a three-day time frame. So, let's ditch continually offering 7-day fallacies. I bet the prognostication for the seventh day has never, ever been correct. Not once! Talk about a waste of breath and on-air time.

Labels: opinions, television

I grew up in a working-class home but we had all we needed and much more. It was back in the days when one income was enough and my mother was a stay-at-home mom. Wasn't the term, housewife? It's a little sad that's a choice no longer possible for most families today.

The inspiration for today's entry occurred when we were flying back from California earlier in the month. The Alaska Air plane was packed with every seat occupied. Jay and I sat across the isle as the two seats closer to the 737's windows were filled to each side of us. A mom and dad sat next to Jay. I sat near the kids who obviously wanted to sit near the windows (and away from their folks). There was a boy who I'd estimate being about 13 and his sister was younger by a year or two. The family was obviously returning from a trip that included Disneyland as they were wearing the clothes and carrying the swag.

I also saw Mickey, the rather scary walk-around one, on the screens of both their digital cameras. These youngsters were gadgeted up with devices galore. As well as the means to take photos, they also each had iPods. The boy was playing with a PSP and the girl some other sort of specific electronic game. I'm sure all these toys plug into their own computers at home. There's certainly a whole lot more than simply buying clothes and paying the dental bills for these parents.

I have been following Sony Playstation 3 news on the Internet. I'm trying to figure out when the time is right to buy into the product lineup. Apparently, there is no new, upgraded version due out in the next few months. It was announced today that the 80 GB model bundle will seemingly be replaced with a different game and replacement controllers but the price will remain at $499. I've seen that the average prices for new games for the device are in the neighbourhood of $50 to $60. It seems like providing what's necessary for children in this day and age must break the bank.

It must cost a lot to raise kids. When I was small in the 60's, there were far fewer products to own. No wonder why moms have to work nowadays!

Labels: flying, opinions, PS3, technology

Ahhh .. I've got a blank screen but a little extra time to fill it! I am sitting in front of my Technical Communications class as they're hard at work on their midterm exams. The class is small so as well as already correcting the writing section of the test, I've gone through a large pile of marking from our recent program placement exams.

I'm very grateful that we can enforce strict standards for entry. A relatively high percentage of potential students are told they're not ready for our upgrading courses. We can afford to be picky and choose only those whom we feel will be able to advance rapidly through our classes and into regular, BCIT programs. We are able to better serve the students with whom we work.

I've mentioned the idea before but will add again that I cannot help but contrast our situation to private ESL training programs. No matter how professionally managed, most all private sector schools, for financial reasons alone, are forced to accept just about anything that walks by. This can create conflicts that affect the program efficiency and its eventual results.

Labels: BCIT, opinions

On a clear day in the winter when the mountains are boldy watching over Vancouverites, I like being on the road. Of course when heading to work at 12:15 pm, there are few vehicles competing for space on Canada Way.

Everybody feels they're a better driver than others on the road. While others think so, I really am. With over 70,000 miles on the truck, I still have original brakes. With a stick shift it's easy to drive economically. We should introduce the concept of green driving. It'd include simple things like avoiding jack-rabbit starts. For God's sake if people would look beyond their own front bumper, it'd be easy to drive in a safer, more eco-friendly manner. There's really no need to speed toward a traffic light which has just turned red.

Most of the people I share the road with are idiots.

Labels: opinions, Ranger

Three short months ago, I blogged a product review about a can of shaving cream. I've still not bothered to buy an electric razor. I am, however, using something new on my face. I received a Schick Quartto as a gift.

To me, this is clearly demonstrates of the excesses of the free-enterprise system. To compete the market, companies need to continue to improve even the simplest of products.

If one works then two is better. If two are fine then, obviously, doubling the number will vastly increase the performance, right? Let's be honest. Four blades are a bit of an overkill. Steering this implement around my face is a little like driving an SUV through a tiny, back alley. I think the replacement blades cost a fortune too.

In the end though, I do have to admit, when using four blades, my face does feel as soft as a baby's bottom.

Labels: opinions, review

If you've bumped into this blog before, you've probably noticed my propensity for travelling. I am often shocked by others I meet as some never venture out of their own little worlds. I know immigrants who landed here years ago and have never ventured beyond their original home and Metro Vancouver. I've met Canadians by birth who've not seen most their own country. Also, I know of employees who take their annual two-weeks of vacation and stay at home!

I cannot say whether it is nature or nurture that forges a longing for travel. Once in this blog, I tried to develop a theory that North Americans, in general, may travel a lot because they inherited a gene that gives that susceptibility. After all, we all have ancestors, First Nations included, who got to this continent by leaving a former home. Or, perhaps the love of travel is handed down through socialization. After all, my parents, without the option of international travel, still ventured out on highways and crisscrossed North America.

I just wondered if I could think of a few reasons why I believe travel is so important:

None of those items people are working so hard to purchase are going to be around in 1000 years and probably not even in a hundred. Invest in making yourself aware of the planet you're on, instead.

People who see how others live usually end up being less sure their way of life is the only correct way. Travel makes you more open minded.

Travellers who visit famous sites share in a larger heritage. Getting out provides you with a better understanding of your world and your place in it.

Some people say they don't have the money to get away. Travel can be accomplished on varying budgets, even yours.

Some people say they don't have enough time to get away. You have only so much time on earth. Don't wait for some future date when you may be too frail to go.

Life contains a lot of references to things beyond your backyard. Lastly, travel, even if by accident, makes you smarter.

Labels: opinions, travel planning

"It's my party, and I'll blog what I want to."

And if you're actually old enough to know the song being referenced, then chances are, you may not be even slightly interested in today's topic. None of my friends and acquaintances could give a hoot. Cut me a little slack for my weekend entries, will you? I want to talk tech, turkey.

I've been following the HD-DVD vs Blu-ray format war with relish since getting the wide-screen television. So far, of course, the only high definition programming I've seen on it is via Bell ExpressVu's satellite channels. Known for their highly-compressed offerings, these oases of clarity began my uncontrollable addiction to HD. The standard up-converting DVD player can only show what's actually present on the discs. Although this is slightly better than standard TV, it cannot be compared to the quality of a real HD signal.

Back when regular DVD players appeared, I was willing to pay premium to be an early adopter as the road to the quick demise of video tape was obvious. But this time around Toshiba and Sony are reenacting the classic VHS/Beta battle.

Many pundits out there blogging about this today probably never actually owned a Betamax machine as I did. In the mid-1980's our contracting company shipped programming through diplomatic pouch to the military camp where I worked. It was a no-brainer choice. Either watch Beta tapes or watch what was on Saudi Arabian television. It wasn't due to technical merits that the other format won. In fact Beta was superior and the tapes smaller. Being a winner had more to do with the available Hollywood programming on offer.

Once again here we go. Right here, I mentioned the battle between HD-DVD and Blu-ray in my 2008 resolutions. My default browser page is set to Google news, where I personalized a section to keep me up-to-date on the daily developments.

So, it's a bit of a mixed blessing that Sony's Blu-ray format has been prematurely heralded winner of this race. All the pronouncements involve Warner Bros. decision on Friday to abandon neutrality and support only Blu-ray from the spring. They are the biggest distributor and because they are joining the likes of Disney, this consortium is estimated to make up 70% of titles released. (At this time, Paramount and Universal still have exclusivity agreements for the other format.) This is said to have turned the tide in favour of Sony this time around.

Of course I haven't even hinted at the numerous others with stakes in this battle. They range from the electronics and computer manufacturers to Microsoft. Additionally, folks like Blockbuster and retailers like Target have all taken sides.

So, the whole things is still a great big mess. It's extremely unfortunate that back in 2005, the two camps couldn't have foreseen this turmoil and agreed upon a common standard. Those involved may have had less potential to make a fortune but would've also avoided completely losing out in this war. In the end, whatever the outcome, it seems like it is primarily consumers who have been given a raw deal.

Labels: HDTV, opinions, television

There must be something about having fifty staring one in the face that makes a guy a little more health conscience. Well, the big five-oh doesn't really threaten for another year and a half, but it's only recently that I've taken any sort of interest in my physical health. I guess when one is in one's twenties or thirties, it'd be a waste of time considering such details. In fact, I used to be of the opinion that a human heart only had so many beats in it. I surely wasn't about to waste any of mine on frivolous exercise.

Now that I'm only half way through losing fifty pounds of excess weight, I can see the importance of burning a few calories as well as just consuming fewer. I am still not one who's going to step inside a gym anytime soon. Yet, I have taken to walking a bit.



In this city, just walking uptown is cardio lite. It makes all the more sense now that I pack some useful podcasts into my Zen and grab my camera. The podcasts keep my brain involved in learning about new topics. My camera forces me to really pay attention to my surroundings. Finding something to shoot inside the ordinary and familiar keeps me involved in looking at the form, colour, and composition. The results can be pleasing but as I tell my classes, "It's the process, not the product, that really counts."

Labels: New Westminster, opinions, weight loss

For the next five days you'll see a a tiny representation of this picture as the first thing on this page. Photos from the last five days are always represented in My Daily Picture Parade. Guests are invited to click on one to see it in greater detail.



This photo is fairly representative of the type included in this online Flickr set. It is not pretty, nor is it an example of great photography. Those are not really part of the criteria for My Daily Picture Parade.

Since July 1, 2005, I have uploaded an image which characterizes something about each day of my life. That means that today marks the 900th photograph in the collection. It's quite interesting to think that I've held a camera in my hands and pressed the shutter button during each of the last 75 dozen days.

It's a rather personally-rewarding image journal of sorts. Most of the subjects can be quite ordinary although some were taken in various countries. I only wish I had developed this habit much, much earlier than two and a half years ago. Wouldn't it be great if I could go back and re-shoot something daily from the thirty years since graduating from high school.

I love the idea of personal archives, I guess.

Labels: camera, Daily Picture Parade, Flickr, opinions

I nearly forgot about writing an entry today. That's pretty strange considering how long I've been doing this on a daily basis. I never seem to forget to do other daily things such as putting on underwear. So, I guess, I am not going to put down this temporary lapse to being an age thing.



Today, among the other things accomplished, I went through my neckties. I used to always wear ones to class in the past; however, I haven't been during the last few years. I was looking to weed out the collection. Some were really wide and others were extremely thin. I'm not so sure I know what is actually 'in' nowadays.

Looking at my ties was a trip down memory lane. I did find one I bought in Kuwait during my first teaching job. That would've been in 1981, so at least one of the ribbons of cloth was 26 years old. I used to joke that I had neckties older than some of my students, but I'll be damned if it isn't actually true!

Labels: blogging, Kuwait, opinions

There's a dearth of good podcast aggregator software for those of us who refuse to hop on the iTunes bandwagon. The Zencast software from the folks at Creative works well enough but it feels clunky and odd.

I heard rumors that podcasting was being integrated into the new Microsoft Zune software. It shouldn't matter much that I don't have one. I sort of believe there might eventually be one in my future. Anyhow, I simply wanted something to fetch my podcasts and arrange them nicely in a sub-directory on my hard disk. SyncToy would be able to quickly move them to my Zen Stone.



It works but I have a few comments about the Zune software. The first problem is that I live in Canada. That in no way sounds like a problem until I learned that excludes me from participating at all. I am well aware that the local shops don't carry the devices but there are major malls just across the border from most Canadian cities, eh? If I type in my hotmail address I get shown quickly to a page which says:

The Zune service is not yet available in your region.
Thanks for your interest! Please continue to check Zune.net for the latest news and information.

Yeah, thanks a lot, indeed.

Even with Web 2.0 I still sort of like Redmond's insistence in having code sit on each local machine. I somewhat still agree that life shouldn't entirely be experienced though a browser. It is possible to just download the software alone, so I did. The software recognized my IP as being north of border!

I installed. The software seems to be typically Microsoftish. What that means is in about three releases from now it'll unusable. Then after another, it'll be rock solid and soon catch up in popularity to iTunes. That should be in about five years, I'd say. First off, software developers, please allow us to cut and paste into the add-podcast box. How did you let it out the door with that major fault? Nobody wants to type in an arcane xml URL. In addition, let us do a complete podcast update with single button. As it stands I have no idea when it's going to pick up my feeds. Lastly, it'd surely be nice to have it run in the background. You know what I mean. When I close, I want it running over by the clock and not be forced to keep it open on the task bar. These seem like such simple things that I cannot understand how it was released these annoyances. How come I never get to beta anything? Send me a free 80GB Zune and I'll give you more useful advice ...

The interface is somewhat appealing so I allowed it to rummage through my music collection. I think under most circumstances I'll probably use it to locate and play music rather than running MediaPlayer.

Labels: Creative Zen, opinions, podcasts, software, Windows

In the space of five minutes, I just had to endure two of the 'PC vs. Apple guy' TV commercials. These annoy me no end. Who in the hell is the target audience for that ad campaign? It seems they're always pandering to idiots by insisting they're so simple to use. Perhaps there are fools being fooled though. I just did a web search and and found that Apple's market share has recently been soaring. After this amazing growth, it stood at just a bit more than 8% in the third quarter of this year.

Big deal, eh? If a mass-market consumer product has been around for decades and still cannot even manage 10% market share then it cannot be all that spectacular, can it?

I guess I could be confirmed as staunchly anti-Apple. I've even refused to buy an mp3 player that sports the iPod name just because they wear the little Apple logo. Most importantly, I don't think of their products as being cool, just well-hyped.

Labels: computers, Creative Zen, opinions

Things still seem fairly hectic. There are assignments and exams in my briefcase which need to be corrected, even as I type. I cannot even keep up with the programs on the satellite PVR. High definition programming takes up a lot of space on the hard drive. Now, nearly everything worth watching is broadcast in HD.

This is a little ironic as I had an email from a former colleague in Dubai. She asked whether I was still running Psiphon on my computer. It seems that some television that they watch must come via P2P sites.



The United Arab Emirates blocks Internet sites. Locally this is supposedly a way to protect citizens. In reality, of course, it's just a clever means of preventing 'freedom of speech'and the unfettered flow of ideas that may be contradictory to those who hold illegitimate power. Condoning censorship of any sort is a political means to keep others subservient. It happens in all sorts of places, of course. But P2P sites? I bet the greedy national telcom company is more interested in trying to preserve bandwidth than stopping porn.

Anyway, I seem to have forgotten the password to my wireless router and I'm sure I need to open port 443 on it. The thing is, I'm not sure when I'm going to have time to get it up and running. There are too many hours of TV to see first.

Labels: Dubai, Internet, opinions

CHANGE IS GOOD
Every so often, it's good to change the way one works. This is especially true with computers although a switch often feels painful at first. I think it's natural to feel resistance in having to relearn skills. After the initial disorientation, however, one probably barrels though tasks more efficiently. Internet Explorer 7 is a case in point. I've been running it for years now, beginning back when it was just a beta on XP. Now, when I leave the confines of Vista for my work PC, I find it a chore to work with the previous version. All my increased productivity in the new version doesn't help me cope in dealing with the old code.

OUT WITH THE OLD
I've really grown to love the simplicity of the Microsoft's image editing products. The interface seems to match so well to the things I want to do. In fact, it's so easy to touch up digital photos, that almost none touch my Flickr account unedited. I like to think I can take anything out of the camera and make it better. Due to this fact, I felt anger when I first discovered that Microsoft has dropped its Digital Image products.

IN WITH THE NEW
I decided that I had to move on although my old copy of Digital Image Pro works fine on this new computer. As it would no longer be upgraded, I wanted to migrate to a more popular package. Yesterday, I picked up Adobe Photoshop Elements 6.0 at the BCIT Bookstore. It must be more popular as it can be used as a verb nowadays. As I begin using the product, I'll let you know how much pain is needed for the switch.

Labels: opinions, software

I spent the day in class with my weekend COMM 0004. I'm extremely happy that tomorrow is Remembrance Day in Canada and it's a holiday. In fact, Monday is a vacation day too. So, I will have off two days in a row which seems like a treat. Don't let me make it sound like I have a hard life. I recently had three months off and will also not be working for three weeks during half of December and part of January.

I started to say that we went over the topic of cause and effect today. When discussing the topic I generally have the class think of bad habits they might have and the effects that lie down the road because of them. I was a little surprised when I asked how many of the 19 students smoked.

None of my current class smokes! I can't help but compare this to when I began at BCIT. Ten years ago it was not unusual for half my classes to run out to have a cigarette during breaks. Of course, I used to join them too.

Cigarette smoking is certainly no longer cool. In fact, people who seem to congregate near doorways nowadays to puff are losers. I equate smoking as something primarily done by unemployed bums or other people of questionable character.


In the Middle East cheap, tax-free cigarettes provided
no incentive to quit smoking. I do not have a photo of me
actually holding one though.

Labels: Bahrain, opinions

Seconds ago, as I opened www.blogger.com, a television commercial extolled a major benefit of having a new Pontiac. If one throws tens of thousands of dollars down on the table, it is apparently easy to buy ...

F - R - E - E - D - O - M.

In the commercial, initially, there was a fog of annoying, computer-generated responsibilities swirling around the driver's head like gnats on a hot day. Yet as the example driver headed out on a limitless empty highway, these items were sucked away in the draft created by his increasing speed. A fat guy, most probably a boss, was able to hang onto the collar the longest, but as soon as our alter ego was able to shift into overdrive, even that annoyance was loosened. The boss broke into pieces on the road as if made from painted ceramics.

Lots of new car ads imply easy access to speed and freedom if customers purchase specific vehicles. I guess my old Ranger is not such a beast. This must be why I find every street clogged with traffic whenever I venture out onto the tarmac. It seems my worries and blonde hair seldom fly with wild abandon as I speed down empty highways.

Labels: cars, opinions

Okay, I've been blogging for over four years and I have never, ever just pasted in one of those 'cutie' emails that one sometimes receives. You know who I mean. Everybody has at least one acquaintance or family member who frequently sends out junk to a huge list of people. I got this and I figured it does sort of fit here.

When I was a kid, adults used to bore me to tears with their tedious diatribes about how hard things were when they were growing up; what with walking twenty-five miles to school every morning .. uphill BOTH ways .. Yadda, yadda, yadda

And I remember promising myself that when I grew up, there was no way in hell I was going to lay a bunch of crap like that on kids about how hard I had it and how easy they've got it!

But now that... I'm over the ripe old age of thirty, I can't help but look around and notice the youth of today. You've got it so easy! I mean, compared to my childhood, you live in a damn Utopia!

And I hate to say it, but you kids today, you don't know how good you've got it!

I mean, when I was a kid we didn't have the Internet. If we wanted to know something, we had to go to the damn library and look it up ourselves, in the card catalog!!

There was no email! ! We had to actually write somebody a letter .. with a pen! Then you had to walk all the way across the street and put it in the mailbox and it would take like a week to get there!

There were no MP3's or Napsters! You wanted to steal music, you had to hitchhike to the damn record store and shoplift it yourself! Or you had to wait around all day to tape it off the radio and the DJ'd usually talk over the beginning and @#*% it all up!

We didn't have fancy crap like Call Waiting! If you were on the phone and somebody else called they got a busy signal, that's it! And we didn't have fancy Caller ID boxes either! When the phone rang, you had no idea who it was! It could be your school, your mom, your boss, your bookie, your drug dealer, a collections agent, you just didn't know!!! You had to pick it up and take your chances, mister!

We didn't have any fancy Sony Playstation video games with high-resolution 3-D graphics! We had the Atari 2600 with games like "Space Invaders" and "Asteroids" and the graphics sucked! Your guy was a little square! You actually had to use your imagination! And there were no multiple levels or screens, it was just one screen forever! And you could never win. The game just kept getting harder and harder and faster and faster until you died! Just like LIFE!

When you went to the movie theater there no such thing as stadium seating! All the seats were the same height! If a tall guy or some old broad with a hat sat in front of you and you couldn't see, you were just screwed!

Sure, we had cable television, but back then that was only like 15 channels and there was no onscreen menu and no remote control! You had to use a little book called a TV Guide to find out what was on! You were screwed when it came to channel surfing! You had to get off your ass and walk over to the TV to change the channel and there was no Cartoon Network either! You could only get cartoons on Saturday morning. Do you hear what I'm saying!?! We had to wait ALL WEEK for cartoons, you spoiled little bastards!

And we didn't have microwaves, if we wanted to heat something up we had to use the stove or go build a friggin' fire ... Imagine that! If we wanted popcorn, we had to use that stupid Jiffy Pop thing and shake it over the stove forever like an idiot.

That's exactly what I'm talking about! You kids today have got it too easy. You're spoiled!

You guys wouldn't have lasted five minutes back in 1980!

Regards,
The Over-30 Crowd

Labels: lists, opinions, PS3

I see us sending a larger and larger amount of money each year to Chinese factories so they can pollute the environment by creating silly, plastic ornaments for today's non-holiday. Over the last 25 years, those kids who used to dress up and run around the neighbourhood now actually go to their professional places of employment in costume.

I tried to make known my thoughts about Halloween last year and they haven't changed.

Just because we're free to behave however we wish, doesn't mean that it makes any sense whatsoever. Also, just because it's possible to waste time and money, doesn't mean we have to. I can think of more useful and responsible ways of spending both of them.

Labels: complaints, opinions

I hadn't planned on making any comments about computers today.

I did successfully find a new home for the machine that used to be the main PC. The new owners stopped by this morning and lugged the enormous beige box away. That didn't require a blog entry. My students are busy checking information on the individualized course homepages at my.bcit.ca. I've gone on and on about that many times before, so it didn't require even the briefest mention here today.

I find myself complaining here as my notebook computer seems to be on its way out. The bottom third of the screen appears washed out now. This makes using it impossible. I've had a rather love/hate relationship with this particular piece of equipment, I suppose. I was happy with the 14 inch screen as compared to all those people lugging around much wider beasts. The little notebook worked well when overseas on separate trips to Europe and a month in Asia. On the other hand, Gateway product support did not impress me at all.

This means I probably will have to start looking for something new. I don't want to replace my home computer, so I do not want anything large. In fact I think it'd be rather nice to have something with less than a 12-inch screen. I want something that's not a pain in the back, literally, to carry around. If it weren't for the fact they're a bit overpriced for what you get, I'd absolutely love one of these new ...

Labels: computers, opinions

I'm a great deal smarter than I was last month. What do I chalk this up to? During the entire month of August I've been subscribing to podcasts. The personal changes due to my purchase of an mp3 player are quite profound. I used to have a rather unsavory option of those who walked around listening to portable devices. Let me see if I can find an example. At the beginning of the summer, I said this.

It's okay to have changed my mind. In the past, I've also written things within these files, such as:

"Do I contradict myself? Very well, then, I contradict myself. I am large, I contain multitudes."

-- Walt Whitman, Song of Myself

It must be a sign of age when one starts repeating oneself, don't you think? Perhaps, however, I should just chalk up the inconsistencies to my increasing wisdom. Times change and so do opinions. As I said, I'm a lot smarter than I was last month!

I'd venture I help form a very strange demographic of mp3-player ownership. I seldom, if at all, listen to music on mine. Oh, I have at least a dozen albums tucked away. Yet, I have spent many hours this month listening to reports more educational than musical. I seldom walk out the front door without podcasts in my pocket. Being able to listen to in-depth NPR stories from around the globe, or commentary on the latest technology buzz is extraordinary. It's as if an additional method of input, has increased how much I can experience in a single day.

I am most probably an auditory learner and it just feels so gratifying to have found media which can provide more than a few simple soundbites. Most standard, daily news coverage just glosses over several navel-gazing topics. If one ventures out into podcastland, there's a lot of meaty information to be discovered.

Labels: Creative Zen, opinions, podcasts

I went to the campus today in order to give placement exams. We were in the testing room from 9:30 to noon. First, a colleague and I checked in the potential, new students. We then administered the grammar and writing components. We were able to correct the multiple-choice grammar answers during the testing. It was about noon when the students had finished.

After that, my colleague and I packed all the materials and took them back to the office. Next, I spent about three hours going through 64 writings alone. They will be marked by other staff tomorrow. We use these tests for identifying proper placement into one of the four course levels. Our program used to be known as Pre-Entry Communication but is now called Professional English Language Development.



I am very proud of the fact we are able to be honest in our assessments. One advantage of working in a public institution is that we have no pressure to accept students who aren't ready for our program. In fact, there are times when a quarter, or even one third, of those we test are advised to return after they've had some additional language experience and exposure.

Turning away such large numbers of students is not possible in privately-owned, for-profit, ESL schools. Many of these institutions must accept students, even if those learners do not have the necessary skills for a course. This is one reason I have little faith in private, language schools. In addition, the teachers salaries may be substandard due to the need for strong company earnings. Although students might not be aware that the instructors are not well-paid, everybody easily understands one truly gets what one pays for.

Labels: BCIT, opinions, students

Why do I listen to US National Public Radio nowadays? It could well be my age but I don't think that's the reason. I believe it has more to do with the organization's quick adoption of new technology.

The people at NPR have rapidly made use of podcasting as a way of sharing their extensive resources. The shear number of programs is quite overwhelming.

This sort of reverses the trends of the last 60 years. In North America, radio became quite isolated and independent as early radio networks morphed into being television broadcasters. Commercial radio moved to music formats with primarily local news and information.

Now, with the rising popularity of podcasts, public radio broadcasters have the unique advantage of making use of their relatively large collection of resources. Here, I'm also thinking of organizations like BBC and CBC. All of these offer an amazing amount of podcast material.

Take a look at the npr.org site. In fact, I challenge you to look through NPR's listing by clicking on the image of screen capture. If you cannot find something that interests you, leave me a comment. Actually, if you do find something that interests you, then leave me a comment too! (In order to do this, simply click the word 'comments' as found in the 'posted by' row below.)

Contrast this enormous collection of iPod and mp3-player material to most commercial, terrestrial radio stations where you'll probably not find a single podcast.

Labels: opinions, podcasts, technology

I'm sitting here this morning trying to decide on a topic for today's entry. Once in a while it seems like a burden to put something on this page. On the other hand, I'm often awed by the fact I have a space to share whatever I wish. I can add a photo, an audio clip, or text. I've said it before and realize there's little chance in hell of it happening; however, I could begin writing poetry or a scholarly thesis right here.

I don't think the average person is going to get smarter because of the Internet but that possibility exists, doesn't it? In a fewer than 15 years, global connectivity has gone from near public obscurity to being considered boringly familiar.

If one has a desire to broaden one's horizons, then an avenue is available. Today, as a society and individuals we need to learn how to ask more questions. As I was poking around finding resources for yesterday's entry, I discovered new things. I was looking up references to a particular style of Sri Lankan music and found that the Sri Lankan Broadcasting Corporation now streams several feeds. I did not expect to learn that radio was first broadcast in Asia from Colombo. Without access to the Internet I'd never have read of a Mr. Edward Harper, especially as it was a weekend. Information is now not locked in a specific location accessible to a few at specific times. It's easy to find voices from the opposite side of the earth.

Labels: Internet, opinions

The first time I went to Sri Lanka, I didn't know a thing about its music. When there, I heard a particular type of song called, Baila. I wondered why it sounded a little bit Spanish to me. Now I'm wiser.

Wikipedia has an entry briefly describing the emergence of Baila. Many people tend to erroneously believe that cultural exchange is a new phenomenon resulting from immigration. Actually, the whole sweep of civilization is pretty much defined by trade and the influence of human exchange. For example last night, I happened upon a TV program describing the discovery of an ancient crypt of a Roman girl who was buried wearing silk. That proved a rather suprisingly strong connection between the Roman Empire and the Far East.

Regardless, I wanted to let you hear this type of music but have had a little trouble picking one. I decided on a rather over developed recording of Ojayee by the Gypsies. You can also read about the group on Wikipedia.

I've included the song as today's topCast.

There are some references and even words from the aboriginal peoples of Sri Lanka as mentioned in yesterday's podcast and shown here in my eJournal and images in 2004.

Labels: music, opinions, world

There's no warranty repair facility for Creative products in Canada. I had to fork over $21 to UPS my non-functioning Zen mp3 player to Stillwater, Oklahoma.



Still for $20 it's more fun than using the regular postal system. At least I can check its progress as it slowly crosses borders and rumbles along Interstate highways. Still, the technology is never enough. I'd like it to have a GPS unit enbedded into the package, so I could follow the entire route on Google Earth. This, incidentally, brings me to another topic.



I'd heard about Google Map's Street View. Running around at street view is, indeed, quite amazing. Most of the comments voiced were in reaction to privacy concerns. Yes, people were out on the streets as the Google van drove by. Yes, it's possible to even spot a fellow standing around in front of a strip club. It's pretty hard to make out who it is though. The last I knew when one was in a public space, being on camera was a possibility. San Francisco isn't, for God's sakes, Saudi Arabia. Maybe my stance is just sour grapes over never having become famous myself!

Labels: Creative Zen, Google, opinions

There's a lot of chance in having this photo here today.

Firstly, I noticed that my scanner wasn't working and then it dawned on me I'd not successfully used it since upgrading to Vista. I checked the Canon site and, sure enough, there were new drivers available. After installing, I ran to the photo suitcase. I pulled out a drugstore envelope that had photos from our early years in Canada. As I got a digital camera in 2002, there are six years captured on film. Of course, we took fewer photos in those days. A snap is generally one or both of us standing in front of something while on vacation. I happened across this one taken in front of Montreal's 1976 Summer Olympics Stadium. This was our first visit east in November, 1998. We were gone for a week and visited Quebec City and Ottawa too. We love Montreal and would probably visit more frequently if it were cheaper.

Nine or ten years ago it was possible to find cheaper domestic fares in Canada. I think we flew on a now-defunct, charter airline called Canada 3000. This country has a small aviation market so I do look positively to more liberal open sky policies. If an airline can make market sense out of stopping across the border and then continuing back to a city north of the 49th parallel, then they should be encouraged. Let me give you a quick example why.

Seconds ago, I logged onto Expedia.ca and did a test. I chose to hypothetically leave Vancouver on August 25 and return on September 1. Undoubtedly these are peak times but I simply wanted a comparison. I chose the cheapest return fares offered for the following two itineraries. Both include all taxes and are priced in Canadian dollars.

Vancouver --> Montreal ($903)

Seattle --> New York City ($489)

A little more competition couldn't hurt the consumer, could it?

Labels: Canada, flying, opinions, places

As it's Sunday morning, I want to pop in something here that'll be quick and easy. Yesterday, it was a cinch to point out a newly added blog label. I guess I'll do the same today.

I've had quite a few entries about Vancouver's SkyTrain system. As pointed out previously, the reason we ended up living in New Westminster is most assuredly because of the system. Although the owner of a vehicle, I exclusively use the SkyTrain when heading to downtown Vancouver. I look forward to the completion of the line from Vancouver's airport to the city center too. Its completion won't cut travel time when we fly, as there's already a direct bus route from New Westminster. However, it just seems that having transit from the airport to the downtown core should be available in any real city.

In order view my previous entries with the transit label, click the following SkyTrain picture, or click the actual label name beneath it.



I generally comment on transit during local (places) and foreign (world) trips. Yet my label called transit deals mostly with the local SkyTrain system and New Westminster bridges over the Fraser River.

Labels: labels, opinions, transit

I really cannot imagine living without a vehicle. I believe we, as a society, should continue to worship the concept of personal transportation.

Yes, going green is important. But I can imagine a planet where cars are carbon neutral. Think of the technological innovation that came from the push to land on the moon. Our modern landscape wouldn't look the same without the technologies that were developed. I'd like to see an equally determined focus on developing new technologies for personal transport. What a goldmine! The only way it could happen is through legislation. Mandating stringent vehicle gas consumption would be a good start. I'm not usually one to call for increased government regulation but the situation is warped by power and influence in the status quo.

Anyway, I decided to get all vehicle slap-happy because we took a very short little trip today. Although I've been able to look out the window and see the Fraser River for over eleven years, we'd never really been to its delta. Jay noticed the park-type designation on a map. We looked up the George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary on the Internet. It is about 40 kilometers away and was worth the trip.

There were lots of paths to walk. There were also many ducks, geese, and blackberries!

Labels: cars, Fraser River, opinions, places

Some west-end Vancouver folk have a poor sense of geography. They rarely, if ever, make it beyond Thurlow Street. Some are quite convinced that the city of New Westminster is somewhere back east near Winnipeg or something. And many are under the false impression that they need a passport to travel to Langley.



In actuality, our apartment is only 25 minutes away via the SkyTrain. The main problem occurs after getting off at Granville Station as it can take half again as long for a bus to mosey along.

Last night, as downtown New West. residents, we were downtown for the finale of the HSBC Celebration of Lights fireworks competition which was quite magnificent. We didn't get home til midnight but went down again this morning for watch the Pride parade. What fantastic weather for our three-day weekend! Tomorrow is BC Day, a provincial holiday.

Labels: opinions, Vancouver

I had all my final exam papers corrected by one o'clock in the afternoon. Nowadays, I always use BCIT's online grade-book during the term. In that way, students can check marks online as the course progresses. I stopped keeping track on Excel spreadsheets a few terms back. That's how I kept track right from my first class at Burnaby in 1997.

This means that I've been signing teaching contracts with the British Columbia Institute of Technology for ten years! I've never worked anyplace for such a long time. It sounds a little scary. People work only four or four and a half decades at best but I've just finished one.



Back to what I was starting to say, an advantage of the online grade book shines when it comes to completing final marks. I simply click on a few links and all the data is automatically calculated and transferred. I am only required to enter attendance data and a special form if there were any failed students. Then viola, the job's done. It is sent off to be approved by a supervisor and then electronically proceeds to the registrar.

I like technology a lot, but then I've always chosen only what I feel makes my life easier. For example, I manage to completely avoid voice mail at work. My message redirects callers to my cell. If I am busy, I simply don't answer. People who do not have clear boundaries may end up stressed out by the additional demands placed on them by technology. I'd rather think I use it only to lessen my responsibilities or, at least, become a little more efficient.

Labels: BCIT, opinions, software, technology

It's 9:30 am and the balcony door is wide open. It's going to be another hot one. June may have had a lot of awful weather, but July has been picture perfect so far. I have a good topic for today, but I fear I'm too lazy to do it justice.

This relates to my current, life-altering, new-found reliance on podcasts. I count myself now as one of those distracted drivers zooming around paying more attention to what's in my ears than what's on the road.

I was born at the tail end of the boomer generation, so some changes seem interesting, yet odd to me. I was a kid when we had something called mass media. In fact, I may have been among the first to really have really grown up with television. Whatever your thoughts about the quality of programming, TV did have a unifying force. If I ask a guy of my generation if his preference would run toward Ginger or Mary Ann, there's instant recognition of the reference. Isn't the whole concept of society simply access to shared experiences? Likewise, when we listened to the Top 40 on the radio, we knew that although not everybody's cup of tea, those same songs were being heard by just about everybody.

I was going through my podcasts yesterday and noticed how very focused my selection was. Most of my audio involved science and technology. I had spanned the globe in search of only the information I was interested in. I guess this sort of demonstrates the idea of narrowcasting rather than broadcasting.

I can't help but feel a little sad that in our future there'll be no common ground to which we're subjected. New media is giving us fewer and fewer points of shared reference as we each pursue our own little worlds of self interest.

Labels: Creative Zen, opinions, podcasts

There are two ways to be rich. One is to make more ... while the other to want less. I recently saw this on a poster, in Los Angeles, CA no less.


I feel as though I've always been cautious with cash. The only time in my life I ever borrowed money was to go to college and, fortunately, student loans have very reasonable interest rates. Of course, working abroad when right out of college did not force me to live a normal lifestyle. I mean I paid off those college loans quickly with cash from my work in Saudi Arabia. In addition, my current, eleven year old, pickup truck, although purchased new, was paid for with traveller's cheques. Even the apartment from which I'm typing this blog was 'cash on the barrel head'. I just shake my head in amazement at just how much most people have paid for the privilege of borrowing money! I don't need to make much considering how much I've saved.

Even with the small things, I tend to scrimp. This whole new global warming paranoia has at least shined a spotlight on society's excessive consumption. Let's face it most people buy way too much crap. It's nice that my choices can now be discussed as being green ones.

Today, though I went to buy new batteries for our cordless house phone. The price ranged from $16 to $21 for those wrapped, three-battery packs. Then I saw that the entire new Sanyo cordless telephone was just $19. So, of course, I'm throwing away the old but perfectly usable one. I remember doing the exact same thing about three years ago. Sometimes, it just ain't easy being green. Wait, didn't Kermit, the frog, already say that?

Labels: money, opinions, Saudi Arabia, technology, telephone

I'm nearly cross-eyed right now. I've been correcting assignments while my class is taking the final examination. I've also checked and marked the listening comprehension part of today's test. This means I've stared at a lot of paper this afternoon.

Now there's just 25 minutes of class left, so I finally have a chance to look around the room. I will probably not see many of these people again. That seems strange as they have been such a big part of my life for the past five weeks. These intensive courses really do cause a sort of instant bonding. Sixteen hours per week is a lot of time for a college-level course.



What I'm thinking of now has more to do with the combination of personalities in the room rather than the length of time we've had together. Each group takes on its own unique characteristics. The sum really is greater than the whole. As a student, one never really thinks about how much luck is involved in the selection of people who are classmates. I suppose it's basically the same phenomenon in the workplace or, for that matter, life in general.

Labels: BCIT, opinions, students

I really don't think my generation does Christmas cards with such dedication as folks my parents' age. I have never maintained a large list for a yearly mailing. Even during pre-Internet holiday seasons, I never bought large quantities of cards, stamps, and envelopes. I suppose this behaviour could've simply been my own.

After all, I was overseas for many years right after college. I recall festive cards being banned in Saudi because of their significance in a Christian holiday. People of faiths other than Islam cannot practice their religions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Given the regime's lack of respect for human rights, I will leave it to your imagination to decide why many Western governments count that dictatorship as a friend in the Middle East.

This year I didn't even send a typical mixed CD to the few friends. This was a small habit for a few years. I guess I'll offer a tiny e-version of greetings to everyone who stumbles across these words. The photo was taken during an unusally early snow. It's the Holy Trinity Church right next door. Simply click the thumbnail in this entry and make sure your computer speakers are on.

Labels: Christmas, opinions, Saudi Arabia

Yesterday, I downloaded the release candidate of Windows Vista. Why not? This is the fun part of computer ownership as far as I'm concerned. If I didn't like the thrill of taking things apart and tweaking them, I'd probably run the Mac OS. This action has caused me to consider how computer software is changing.



Once upon a time, a web browser was just for displaying static information and images. As proof of new directions, just a few days ago Flickr mashed up with Yahoo maps. How fun to drop my personal photos onto a world map! Although a small but exciting improvement, it really highlights the significant changes taking place. One of the versions of the upcoming Windows Vista boasts an improved way of organizing digital images. I'm sorry, but with the likes of Flickr that is already an outdated paradyme. Those functions are arriving at my operating system too late.

Why would I want to organize on my own machine, when I can upload and organize my collection on the Internet? The hot, live implementation means I can access my images wherever I roam. The idea is nice to be able to locate a specific photo from a group of thousands. That is something that an operating system could do. Yet, that is something that Flickr is already doing better for I can link the data to a web page or through email. The PC hasn't been a lone device for many years now.

This is the frightening thing for Microsoft and other traditional software producers. In the future, I will assuredly be buying fewer boxes of shrink-wrapped software to operate on my own CPU. Rather, I will find myself storing and manipulating my data within Web 2.0 applications. This gigantic shift in focus means that Windows Vista may well be the last important operating system upgrade from Redmond. And there's one thing you must know in order to fully appreciate the depth of my viewpoint: I've always loved Microsoft!

Labels: Internet, opinions, software, technology, Windows

I harbour feelings of either antipathy or dislike towards blackberries. To me, the bushes are just weeds. They tend to grow in places that are not being regularly maintained and they have thorns. The fruit, although tasty, are hard to get and leave purple stains on anything they touch.



Jay considers blackberries the cat's meow. They don't grow in Sri Lanka so he cannot learn to accept my ingrained disapproval. He maintains they are delicious, free fruit. He says that even beloved roses have thorns and that blackberries should be much more prized as they can be eaten. He thinks they are worth the effort of picking. He's careful so he never gets blackberry juice on him.

Labels: opinions, places

I was once paid salary through a US military kickback slush fund. Well, it wasn't called that. Those words are simply my own way of trying to accurately describe the funding arrangement. When the US decided that Bahrain's Air Force would need shiny new General Dynamics F16 warplanes, lots of arrangements were made. One of the agreements was the company would offer reverse funding for the establishment of a technical school. It all made sense really. That allowed the implementation of a method to help get the locals up to speed with the new hardware that was soon to arrive at their door. Additionally, it made the Bahrainis feel as though they were getting something for free. I functioned as a pawn.

I have never connected the subsequent Gulf War I directly to the purchase but the sophisticated hardware was delivered just in time to be used during the initial conflict. Let's call that just a convenient coincidence, shall we?

Anyway, the only reason I'm mentioning this today, is because I wanted to quote my former boss. The old guy must no longer be with us. He was pretty much on his last legs during the early 90's. If I recall correctly, the good doctor even had heart trouble while on the job. I was acting director when he disappeared for medical leave once.

When requesting a pay raise due to high expenses in the country, he offered that all people had to set their own financial priorities. He was politely saying, "Put up and shut up." I was probably asking for enough to pay for both the rent and buy food, but I digress. Take what I say with a grain of salt for even from my picture you can tell I've never starved.

More recently, yesterday in fact, a colleague's work computer broke. It was fortuitous actually. The replacement computer came with a stylish 19-inch flatscreen and now I want one for my house! I had been checking monitor prices recently. My current Samsung LCD works superbly. It's very clear. Still, I have had it for a few years and it's a mere 15 diagonal inches. Obviously, even though yesterday's entry seems to deny it, big is most definitely better. It's better at least when it comes to computer screens.

I have enough cash to pick up one on the way to school today. Yet, I'm stuck thinking of Dr. Benson's remarks. I do have to set priorities, don't I?

Labels: money, opinions