chubology

Customer disservice

2009-08-17T20:02:00.005-04:00

I had an experience which I am certain many others have had before me. I had a watch battery replaced on Sat. in a waterproof sports watch. Unfortunately, the young woman who replaced the battery did not place the rubber seal properly and when I went swimming the next day, within a minute the screen flickered and went dead. When I removed the watch to inspect it, I could see a bit of the rubber seal sticking out from under the back case of the watch where water had seeped into the watch and shorted it. The young woman had botched something as simple as replacing a battery. Here's where the hatred rises to the surface:

I returned on Monday to the store to show the saleswoman the crippled watch caused by her improper closing. I expected her or her manager to apologize and replace the battery or offer a replacement watch (or at least a discount on a replacement) as her incompetence had caused the watch to short circuit when exposed to water. No such luck. They refused. Not only did they refuse, the manager had the nerve to suggest that I had tampered with the watch and they were not responsible for it no longer functioning. I was furious and become increasingly incensed when I realized they had no intention of admitting their mistake or making any sort of amends whatsoever. They even shooed me away saying they were closing and had to lock their doors before mall security arrived. I couldn't believe it. I was so angry for the next half hour and then incredibly disappointed at being let down again by salespeople who, in this case, were happy to sell items but completely unskilled at offering technical service and having no concept of customer service. I know a number of people who have had their watches damaged by jewelers attempting to replace batteries - why can't they get this simple task right? Could you imagine a bike mechanic causing damage while replacing a flat or an auto glass repair centre cracking a replacement window and suggesting it's your fault? Obviously, a number of jewellers are there to make high margins selling you bling and don't think we're worth their time to provide quality technical service or post-sales customer service. As for my case, it's not worth my time to fight for my watch as I know they won't change. Weasels 1 - Customer 0.

Try Tri Again

2008-08-06T18:20:00.003-04:00

A number of years ago, I did a couple of sprint triathlons for fun with friends, both individually and as a team. Now, some ten years plus later, I'm training to do another one in a few weeks. While I don't have high expectations, I have personal goals I hope to meet or beat, particularly in swimming.

I've always found that despite being in decent running and biking shape, swimming would leave me wiped out. I thought at first that maybe it was I'm fairly lanky, but that doesn't fly as top swimmers are also fairly streamlined. That meant I was probably in need of corrections to my technique. This is where the fun started. As I began to research swimming technique, I came across a number of articles and training clips breaking down the strokes of elite swimmers and what they did to make themselves more efficient. Here are a few that were helpful:

- Swim Taller
- Swimming in Circles:
- Of Gravity and Air:
- Total Immersion site clips. Chose your bandwidth, then choose appropriate clip samples to view, such as Use Your Head to Swim Better, Freestyle Made Easy, and The Secrets of Freestyle

The combination of the total immersion notion of maintaining a horizontal body position by keeping your head aligned with your spine by looking down and front quadrant swimming have made a big difference in the effort required to swim. While I don't think that there's enough time to noticeable speed improvements by my triathlon date, these techniques are definitely helping me swim more efficiently which will leave more energy for biking and running. If you swim and haven't heard of any of these ideas before, check them out as there will likely be at least one thing new for you to try. For more seasoned triathletes, there may be some tips you find helpful in the ACTIVEdotCOM series of videos, such as this one.

Some great things about this upcoming race are that it's short enough to make training reasonable and it's been a great incentive for me to get into good shape.

Intelligent Business

2008-07-24T16:42:00.003-04:00

Having recently completed contract work for a company, I'm currently filling the position of Head of Business Development for Me Inc. After years of working in roles which require various degrees of technical or analytical ability, the field which sounds the most interesting to me given my work history is Business Intelligence. I've seen it defined as "the art of sifting through large amounts of data, extracting pertinent information, and turning that information into knowledge from which actions can be taken", though that Wikipedia entry has now been modified. Just the same, the idea of helping people sift through data to extract the information from which they can make meaningful decisions appeals to me. If anyone has a suggestion, link, or contact for a smiliar position, please let me know.

53 Americans of Iranian Descent in Under 2:00

2008-07-24T10:57:00.003-04:00

Beijing: Environmental Focus of Olympic Proportions

2008-07-18T10:37:00.006-04:00

(source: newsimg.bbc.co.uk)

It was most certainly not the intent of the organizers of the upcoming Olympics to have the world focus on environmental issues, but that's what seems to be happening. By now, most of us have seen, read, and heard commentary from climatologists, meteorologists, and other scientists who have described the pollution situation in China near the Olympic sites. The government is frantically trying to perform a clean up, but in doing so, has captured the world's attention in how it proceeds in trying to resolve large-scale issues with water and air quality. Hopefully, some good will come of this attention and intentions:
First, the world is becoming more aware of how China operates. We are certainly no environmental angels in North America, but perhaps our business leaders will be forced to take notice. As savvy and conscientious consumers, we need to pressure them with our wallets and choices into considering the ecological impact of their decisions when considering options such as outsourcing. The term filthy rich may take on a whole new connotation in today's economic climate if companies continue to operate based solely on shareholder's equity and increasing the bottom line.

Second, now that China has drawn attention to its ability to mobilize, it will be difficult for it go backwards. It, too, will be (and should be) forced to continue to consider the environmental impact of its economic growth. It will no longer be able to sweep its soot under the rug as its own citizens, as well as the eyes of the world, have seen that it can be forced to change. What it needs now is to ensure sustainability as it grows in order to promote long term economic benefits and a healthy environment for that growth.

Lastly, when the IOC considers host cities for the next games, there needs to be consideration of the impact of the games by consultation with the scientific community. Why? Because host cities bend the truth to be chosen. In China's case, the world may actually benefit if it forces them to adopt better environmental practices: they may not have realized that in today's world of blogs, cameraphones, and YouTube, you can't hide for long. London is the next host for the 2012 games. We already know that the UK has the highest rate of landfill use per capita in Europe. How do you plan to handle waste of Olympic proportions? We'll be watching, London.

Hey, you with the cell phone - pay attention. It could save your life.

2008-07-15T21:13:00.005-04:00

On the way to the metro this morning, I witnessed something that gave me quite a jolt. A man with a cell phone glued to his ear jogged across a busy thoroughfare when the light was red for him. After he passed the median, he kept going. A car was coming in the centre of three lanes just as he got there, slammed on the brakes and hit him. With a screech and thud my heart stopped as I watched him bend at the waist and then bounce off the hood of the car and roll back onto the road. By some miracle, the man got up, phone still glued to his ear, and ran up the street. I couldn't believe it. I imagine he felt some pain after the shock wore off later on. That poor driver must have been shaken by the experience, as well.

The point of my telling you about this is not to wonder at his good fortune, but to underline the inevitability of the event. People lose focus while they're on the phone. I've had many occasions where I've had to honk at oblivious jaywalkers and judgement-impaired pedestrians as they wander into the street absorbed in their phone or music player. If this sounds like you, then I'm asking you to keep your head up, your eyes open, and to be more aware of what's going on around you. The last thing I'll say is that guy is damn lucky the driver wasn't on the phone.

White vinegar = cleaning product

2008-06-28T09:57:00.002-04:00

I've read a number of useful columns on a site called Dumb Little Man. This one confirms something with which others have also agreed: white vinegar should be placed under the sink as a cleaning product and not used for cooking. The article suggests a few ways to use vinegar for cleaning and if you're interested in natural cleaning products, you can also look up what you can do with lemon juice or tea tree oil, as well. I know that lemon juice works really well in removing calcium deposits in the bottom of a kettle, for example. Even if you don't use them exclusively, it's a good idea to use them on surfaces where you prepare food so that you don't have to worry about any harsh chemical cleansers in your meals. Happy cleaning.

Notice to Attached People

2008-06-22T21:00:00.003-04:00

A few times now over the past few weeks, I've received surprisingly insensitive comments from Attached People about my currently being single. The comments were particularly blunt from those with children: "You have to stop doing this; you know, you're almost out of time; etc." Here's a little reminder to those who spoke those words: there's a 50% chance you won't stay attached You have the same probability of maintaining your current status as you do winning a coin toss: heads you win, tails you lose your wife/husband and kids. Is that really something to gloat about?

Another related topic is the idea of a Soul Mate. While the idea that there is a perfect person out there for someone, I think the odds of meeting The One is astronomically small. I think that people end up with someone with whom there's good chemistry and who meets enough of the items on the checklist. For you to meet that person takes luck and for things to last takes effort, compromise, and a little more luck. Granted, you can improve your luck by adopting certain attitudes and behaviours, but you can't control all events. If you're attached, how certain are you that you would stay together if you lost both your savings due to your investment choices; if you changed physically and weren't attractive to them anymore; if you discovered your partner wasn't really working late?

Given all the things that need to go right for a relationship to work out, I'm asking you, Attached People, to be a little more understanding and encouraging with those of us who, despite the odds, are trying.

Food Network junkie

2008-05-12T19:10:00.002-04:00

I can't pinpoint exactly when it started, but sometime over the past year, I've become really interested in making whatever food I'm preparing really good. I've been cooking my own meals for about eight years now, but used to be very practical about it, seeing food as something to keep me going with occasional splurges or efforts to make something special. I used to find it difficult to make something interesting if it were just for me. Somehow, somewhere, that changed. Maybe it was the book Taste that K gave me, or spending Saturday evenings making dinner for ourselves and slowly enjoying a bottle of wine with F, getting a culinary schooling from R who cooks at restaurant quality or better - when's the last time *you* made preserved lemons? see?

I think what tipped the scales for me was getting the Food Network. It was and is a real eye-opener and inspiration to take things up a notch. I've gone from making things that were alright to growing herbs in my window sill - basil, mint, rosemary, and parsley seem to do OK - to making the breakfast bread I've always wanted filled with raisins, cranberries, orange rind, cinnamon, vanilla, walnuts, almonds, whole wheat flour and flax. R teases me is inching its way to becoming fruitcake, but I swear, I've only used a little alcohol once when I had no oranges. A little Curacao never hurt anyone, right? Seeing Jamie Oliver get so much enjoyment out of simple, fresh ingredients, Ricardo Larivee make an effort to support local producers, Iron Chefs' creative variations on an ingredient (and I don't mind that there's some prior-to-show knowledge), and of course, the sweet, pretty Laura Calder whose mix of French cooking skills and girl-next-door charm leave me weak-in-the-knees and craving toasty baguette, creamy Brie, and an earthy Bordeaux.

To leave you with something useful, here's something I've discovered prevents the burning eyes brought on by chopping onions: I've found that if I take the cutting board over to the stove and turn on the overhead fan to at least medium speed, my eyes don't burn. Apparently, if you have a gas stove, you can also burn off the syn-propanethial-S-oxide gas.

Bon Appétit!

Winter: all the more agile for it?

2008-03-12T22:16:00.002-04:00

As I walked home this evening, dodging huge slush puddles, and climbing over snowbanks like a mountain goat, I wondered if there are going to be some interesting benefits to all the snow we've had this year (over 3 metres total so far). I'm sure we're going to find we have a little extra agility on the soccer field, that our ankles feel strong when jogging, or that our sense of balance has improved and we no longer tip over in yoga class. I can also imagine that after this winter, summer is going to one long celebration of sunshine with terrasses (patios) packed for 5 à 7s (happy hour) from May to September. For now, don't forget your boots. You'll need 'em.

Happy Brew Year

2008-01-16T11:10:00.000-05:00

Alright, perhaps it's a bit late for New Year's wishes. Our family's Ukrainian, though, so I'll ask that you be kind and consider that Ukr. New Year just took place on Jan. 14. (For a detailed explanation on the transition from a Julian to a Gregorian calendar, this article is quite interesting.) Regardless, I hope that you're having a good one so far and that you haven't already blown your New Year's resolve to learn to tango, lose 2.6 pounds of fruit cake padding, and learn conversational Urdu by the second week of January. If that is the case, then I do have some good news for you if you're a coffee drinker: new research - including a 125 000 person, 10-year study by Harvard School of Public Health researchers - shows that moderate consumption has health benefits due to the antioxidant properties of caffeine. Among other things, it's been shown to reduce the risk of liver cancer and kidney tumours. So, if the new year hasn't gotten off to the start you'd hoped for, I hope this bit of news perks you up (painful pun intended).

Roll on

2007-09-27T12:20:00.000-04:00

I started to notice it two years ago: the room designated for bike lockup at work would fill up earlier and earlier to the point where if one arrived after 8:30 AM, it meant locking one's bike on the street. There's a definite trend here in Montreal, as in many other North American cities, towards increased bike usage. With increased fuel costs and people wanting to reduce their carbon footprint, urban cycling is on the rise. The recent start of construction on a bike lane connecting east and west parts of the city along De Maisonneuve and the addition of sharrows on other streets to improve the flow of cyclists show that the city is encouraging this trend. A Wired article on trends in bike sales also shows that people are looking for simpler, practical bikes to use for city commuting.

For those of you who've never tried cycling to work (and live close enough to do so), give it a whirl. It's a nice change from standing on an overheated bus or cramped metro. For drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists, please use your heads when using this newly shared space: expect the unexpected as people slowly become accustomed to changes in their normal paths to work. For cyclists, biking with your iPod just in't smart. Please don't do it. Cities are busy and you need your ears to pick up on audio cues signaling a potential accident. People who care about you don't want you to end up like this teen. Happy riding.

The hope for Rock Star

2007-09-14T11:29:00.000-04:00

The Cambridge, MA based company which brought the gaming world Guitar Hero is coming up with an extension of the idea of game-based music making with Rock Band. In the game, four players will play the parts of vocals, guitar, bass, and drums along to tracks in order to win points according to how closely they can follow a song.

It sounds like fun, but I'm more interested to see if experiencing something which resembles actual music making pushes some people to upgrade from plastic controllers to the real things. Pushing a button which sounds a guitar chord on your TV is one thing, making a real guitar crunch out chords through a humming amplifier is something else. I agree with what one of the company's founders had to say in a Wired article about the upcoming release: it will change how some people experience and appreciate music in that they'll be excited about 'playing' a song. Hopefully, that will help the real musicians who have dedicated a large part of their lives to learning their instruments gain new respect and appreciation for their talent and dedication and perhaps give some people the push they need to create their own music.

Dumb Little Man

2007-08-31T11:40:00.000-04:00

The other day, I added content to my iGoogle page from a site called Dumb Little Man. Today, there was an article by Tom O'Leary entitled How to Win from a Loss. I know, know, more motivationalspeak. I thought this was a good one, though, as far as those go and thought it worth including here.

Don't work longer, work smarter

2007-08-07T12:32:00.000-04:00

The Canadian Labour Congress president is requesting that the federal government legislate more paid time off for workers. He states that Canadian work more hours than the majority of their European counterparts. (brief article) Although this may not seem like an option that businesses would want to consider, it would likely be a worthy investment in their most valuable asset: their employees. Employees who are well rested, happy with their work environment, and feel that their employer encourages a balance in their work and home life are more likely to be productive at work and less likely to be absent or to take stress leave. In addition to allowing for more time off, better time and task management also needs to be encouraged and taught. I agree strongly with the notion that to work more effectively requires more focus with fewer distractions, not longer hours or trying to do many things at once (article). These thoughts are echoed here, here, and here. It's unfortunate that the fear of being of the next to be downsized leads us to work longer hours and take on yet another task or project. This is largely because it's difficult to say 'no'. The next time you're honestly at your capacity, defer or decline that extra task that would remove focus from your existing projects. It'll help you handle your existing work more effectively and also let others know your reasonable limits. That's good task and time management. Try it.

Know yourself, know your career

2007-07-24T16:12:00.000-04:00

I'm currently at the beginning of the job hunt process. Although I don't have an indefinite time to discover the perfect career for myself, I'm definitely approaching this go at it differently than in the past. R lent me a book called What Color is Your Parachute? which apart from giving good general job search advice, gives good career and self-assessment advice. There is a great focus on knowing yourself and your skills before approaching potential employers. For example, how would you answer the question "Who Am I?" if asked to write down ten answers then prioritize them? In discussing the book and its ideas with other people, one person observed that some companies work like football teams with one quarterback dictating plays whereas other are like soccer teams where people contribute more equally in generating plays. Do you enjoy soccer or football and does this match your work environment? Are you happy there? That could be a reason why (for either a 'yes' or 'no'). It's interesting to note that my previous supervisor played and loves football whereas I prefer and still play soccer. ; )

How $7.50 could save your life.

2007-06-17T22:13:00.000-04:00

Or at least save your face. It's amazing how many people I see on bicycle riding around at night with not a single light. As a cyclist who's also a driver, I realize how difficult it can be to see people cycling at night. I won't even get into the topic of not wearing a helmet here, but if you're going to ride at night, please invest in one of these and one of these. For a grand total of $7.50, they do a great job of making you visible to other drivers who are already distracted by cell phones, blaring music, GPS screens, pets in the car, etc. Maybe get a few for your cycling friends while you're at it, too.

The world is your oyster not your dumpster

2007-04-14T14:53:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago, a Montrealer was caught on camera by his friend teaching someone the lesson in the subject line. He saw someone dumping the ashtray of their car onto the sidewalk, and promptly walked up to the car, picked up a handful of the discarded butts and dumped it back in the man's lap. Here's a CBC article with accompanying links to a video on YouTube, and a radio interview with him.

The act brings up a number of points to think about, from why people think it's OK to dump their trash in public areas, to why more people don't stand up to offenders. I'd like to think that most people would like to live cleaner, greener lives if they could believe they could make a difference with small gestures. I also believe that if we weren't afraid of each other and were more accepting of criticism, we'd be able to provide guidance to each other when messed up - pun intended.

A break from the busyness of life

2007-03-06T20:20:00.000-05:00

Between soccer, volleyball, guitar lessons, x-country skiing, spending time with the fabulous R, and new projects at work (we're takin' over the government, arrr.. which, put this way, will only make sense to Fel, MB, and MB's brother who laughed when I put it that way), life's been fairly busy. Perhaps a little too busy. I ended up taking yesterday off with a cold and working from home today so as to avoid spreading my cold. It's hard not to think that all that activity was perhaps a little too much and the cold was a way for me to take a little time to slow things down a bit. Tonight, I listened, and took a little time to prepare a simple dinner of Bhuna chicken (ok, from paste), saffron rice, salad with romaine, onion, walnuts, mint, and capers and an olive oil, honey, lime, cayenne pepper dressing. And of course, a classic martini to sip as I enjoyed this. Ah, now that's better.

Wintr Wnderland

2007-02-19T07:26:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since I've posted - longer than I'd thought it had been, actually. I've been pleasantly distracted by ongoings in the offline world. It's funny how things happen sometimes, but very shortly after the Impersonals post, I met a great gal who loves to x-country ski. Now, either of those two items alone would be reason to have less time for posting: both together, well, you know the results.

It's really looking like the picture postcard winter one imagines when thinking of Montreal in winter, and there has been good, and lately, great skiing to be found on our beloved Mont Royal. Having the park in the middle of downtown is one of the pleasures of living in Montreal and having someone to ski it with is just great. Yesterday felt like a one-day holiday, for example: went to Eggspectations for breakfast, then x-country skiing in fresh, powdery snow, then to the Atwater market to pick up great cheese, baguette, and wine for dinner followed by a mindless but fun movie (Pirates of the Caribbean II). A great day of R&R with R.

Namyopia

2007-01-30T23:29:00.000-05:00

Everyone who wears glasses has at some point had to function, perform, and somehow get by without being able to see properly. You fell and broke your glasses rollerblading, you're 10 km from home, and well, you can sort of mostly see well enough to wheel home carefully. If you stay away from the grass. And you'll keep your hands out, just in case. After tearing a contact lens today while changing for yoga class, I decided to give the class a try with glasses. I hate wearing glasses for sports because they move around, virtually eliminate peripheral vision, get in the way, and only provide relative depth perception - all things that take away from a enjoyable sporting experience. In certain positions, they also just plain fall off. Now, in most sports, like running, skiing, or cycling, that usually won't happen since your head remains upright. In yoga, however, three moves in and you're upside down, glasses on the mat or at least dangling annoyingly while gravity fights to pull them away from you. So, first downward dog and they were history. This left me with another challenge: seeing the instructor. Luckily, I'd been going to the class before so I could follow what she was doing from her verbal instructions. However, instead of looking like photo 1 below, she looked more like photo 2:

On top of that, the room was dark. One thing I noticed, though, is that I depend on visually focusing on a point to maintain my equilibrium in balance poses. Not being able to focus made these a little tricky. Luckily, I didn't take topple and take anyone out during these poses. All went well, actually - certainly much better than R's yoga Nazi substitute instructor who apparently said "Those of you have bad energy should leave the class right now." No chakra for you! Step aside. (photos from Lululemon.)

Banff Mountain Film Fest (in Mtl)

2007-01-25T23:24:00.000-05:00

This is the first time I'd been to a set of films presented as part of the touring version of this film festival. From the 320 entries, 7 were chosen and shown in Montreal which ranged from a 54-minute film of a couples' 8000 km bike trek from Mongolia to India (Asiemut) to shorter films on mountain climbing and technologies helping the disabled reclaim their active lives. Most were quite interesting if only for making one realize how narrow-minded we can become in our daily routines. If you're looking for an escape from the frigid conditions this weekend, you might want to check this out.

The impersonals

2007-01-18T20:42:00.000-05:00

I used to wonder why it either took a while to receive a response when I wrote to someone on a personals site or they didn't respond at all. I actually found it kind of rude until I spoke with F about it. She said she received about 200 emails per week! Ah. I just got off the phone with someone who, although she'd given me two numbers at which to reach her, couldn't remember who I was. Even after giving her my name and a brief description of my ad, she guessed wrong when she tried to remember my pic. She did say, though, that it could almost be a full time job answering all the mail she received. To be honest, her ad isn't one of the most catchy I've seen, either, so I can imagine that some women are completely inundated with mail. So, to you guys out there, take note: there is a lot of competition. Don't take it personally.

Apple - it's the interface

2007-01-15T23:43:00.000-05:00

It's been a long time since I've owned a Mac - eleven years now. I often miss it. Not for the machine but the user interface (UI), the user experience. One thing that always struck me about the UI, was that they do things right. They were first to let users copy and paste between programs and be able to scale and orient your printed output from any application. It's what and is you want to do and it's consistent across their applications. Enter the iPhone.

I just finished watching the keynote address that Steve Jobs gave at MacWorld to see what all the fuss was about over the new iPhone and can say that they've done it right again. Why? Because they built something around how users atually want to use the device. For example: shrink an image by squeezing it between two fingers on the screen and expand it by stretching two fingers apart; scroll a screen with a flick of the finger; run a real web browser on it; scroll through your music by finger-flipping through album covers like you'd go through your CDs.

Hats off to them for working so hard to keep it simple. That's no easy feat.

Never thought of it that way before

2007-01-09T23:14:00.000-05:00

During the sermon at Ukrainian Xmas mass the other day, the priest said something very interesting. He stated that contrary to the story of the Bible, Jesus was not born alone. Millions of Christians were present at the birth of Christ. "How is that possible?" he asked us. Here's where it gets interesting. He went on to say that In the spriritual realm, there is no time. Therefore, all people spiritually exist in all of time as we know it, and spiritually we were all present at His birth. I'll let you think about that.

One of the most beautiful things I've ever heard

2007-01-07T23:19:00.000-05:00

Today was Christmas for Ukrainian and other Christians who follow the Eastern Rite: Russians, Greeks, etc. It was the last of the holiday gettogethers for our family and it's one we all look forward to for the great traditional food and lack of commercial distraction this time around.

After mass today, my sisters and I went to parents' home nearby for leftovers from our great meal last night. I was the last to leave and I went to hug my mom goodbye, she said one of the most beautiful things I've ever heard: "When I'm gone, I don't want you to miss me, but I'm going to miss all of you." For a few seconds I couldn't speak and then had to fight back a tear at those simple, spiritual, human words. When the time comes, we'll miss you, too, Mom. For now, though, let's just enjoy that we're all together.

Belated best wishes for 2007

2007-01-02T22:28:00.000-05:00

I feel very fortunate and blessed to have the luxury of being concerned about what to write for a New Year's blog post. As I take stock of my life situation, my family, my friends, and the creature comforts I enjoy, I feel that 2006 was a year in which gave me time to both get grounded again and to wonder about things beyond me. Thanks, Fel, for getting the new year off to a great start with mellowed meandering around TO and with your funloving FT crew (Woot!). Thanks to my family, MB, KTO, F, PD, LC, Bonnie and others for being your dependable selves.

For 2007, I wish that you surround yourself with great people and find a way to let your light shine.

From holiday to vacation

2006-12-27T19:28:00.000-05:00

At about 1:30 PM today, vacation mode kicked in again. I took some vacation time around the holidays that we were allotted from work in order to have a continuous break from before Xmas until after New Year's. For the past few days, I've been in Holiday Mode with the usual Christmas activities and spending time with friends and family. This was great as I love this time of year. Today, though, with a friend D's brunch and time with old friends, the last of the holiday events took place and vacation mode switched on again. I walked 30 min. from my place to HMV downtown and spent a decadent two and a half hours browsing various sections of the store, from movies to jazz to indie to acid jazz. It's been a while since I've taken time to just relax and wander in a record store, so this was a great indulgence. To top it off, I had 40$ in gift cards to spend. I decided to choose things that I wouldn't normally buy and picked three movies - When Harry Met Sally, Ronin, and Walking Life - and a Parov Stelar CD. I'd first happened across Parov on a groove/lounge music site called Soul Seduction and didn't think I'd ever find an import of his here. Between the find, the flicks, and the combo of gift cards and holiday discounts bringing the total for this loot to a paltry $6.69, it was a good vacation mode afternoon indeed. Popcorn and a movie to follow. Purrrrfect.

Let it sn*w!

2006-12-26T13:22:00.000-05:00

First off, I hope you had a Merry Christmas and I offer you my thoughts and prayers if it's been a difficult one.

Our own family is getting together this evening, so I spent Xmas day skiing with the IronGoddess. It was the first time on skis for the 2006-2007 season and it felt great. It was a little odd in one sense, though, as the only snow on the mountain was man made. Every other part of the ski hill was grassy. There were even little creeks running across some of the runs which would normally be snow-covered at this time. I told a friend that the only thing missing to complete with the Spring-like conditions was a little bunny hopping across the trail. Thankfully, there is currently a blanket of white lightly covering the city making it feel more seasonal. I'll take a white Boxing Day if we couldn't have a white Christmas.

A good measure

2006-12-21T00:40:00.000-05:00

Today was my last day of work for 2006. Woot! (I think you'd agree Fel, that deserves the t) Things have been hopping at work lately, so despite it only being five days until Christmas, in all the distraction and work immersion it somehow felt a little early to be bidding people farewell with Christmas wishes. RK was one of the last people I spoke to today and he told me about his method for rating how a year went. It's quite simple: how well did I eat and drink? He went on to explain that he likes good food and eating well is a sign that he could afford to splurge on occasion on nice meals, either in a restaurant or at home. I thought about the drink part and offered this: people normally don't drink alone, so drinking enjoyably means you had memorable occasions in which you shared drinks with good friends. That's definitely true for this year. From toasts at RK's and another friend's weddings, to visits to friends and from friends, and even to F and I being comfortable having a beer together, it was a good year in this sense.

A toast to a solid theory, great friends, and wishes for more of the same for next year.

Afterglow

2006-12-04T23:38:00.000-05:00

A number of paths of thought converged recently on the idea of what we leave behind when we're gone and in particular, how the symbol of light represents these paths. The symbol is a strong one which is often used to represent abstract notions of guidance, hope, and warmth. When someone is described as a beacon, or the Light of the World, we know what is meant.

Some thoughts on the subject came to mind at last week's funeral for a friend's father and the memories and impressions he left with people. The common theme to stories about him where about the how he'd made a difference to the lives of the people around him as a father, friend, teacher, coach, and person. Another link to the image came courtesy of a Muse CD which Fel passed along to me. Matthew Bellamy from the band says this about life: "You've got to make the most of what you've got here and spread as much influence as you can. I believe that you only live through the influence that you spread, whether that means having a kid or making music". Whether this giving someone hope, shedding light on new ideas, or being flint for a spark of creativity, it is easily thought of in light imagery. The last impression was something F had one pointed out to me about photography. A long exposure shot taken at night of people passing by would show no people, only lights: the only trace left is literally the light they leave behind.

photos by:
Sparky /
David Lindes /
cool_beans00

The loss of a father

2006-11-29T19:01:00.000-05:00

The father of a high school friend passed away unexpectedly recently. Today was his funeral. As I followed the service seated next to good friends, a number of memories, thoughts, emotions, and questions came to mind. From what I knew of him and what I know of my friend, I could clearly see where my friend got his knack for making people feel at ease and his generous, sociable manner. Like his dad, though, he's tough in character and was stoic and strong at the wake and service today except for one moment. He delivered a wonderful ending line in his eulogy which went something like this: "In the end, the doctors said it was his heart that failed. From what I know and what we've seen and heard here today, they were clearly wrong." His voice cracked at the end of this line and with it, the hearts of everyone at the service. Even one of the priests on the altar wiped away a tear.

Despite my faith in this life leading to another in Heaven, there is still sadness and sympathy for the regret for things which my friend and his father won't be able to share now. My thoughts and prayers are with you, friend, as the weight of these thoughts sink in over the coming days. Don't be afraid to let us carry them with you.

Pimp my handle

2006-11-25T15:59:00.001-05:00

Just for fun, I tried Googling my handle (chub-pronounced choob) to see if the blog would come up. It doesn't (unless it's further along than I tried checking), but some other interesting stuff does:

a fish
a US-brewed Scottish Ale (scroll down)
a band
a certain community (Which is funny b/c I'm not either. You'll see.)
last but not least: hype accessories for your MP3 player

Taking a cue from science fiction

2006-11-22T22:53:00.000-05:00

Imagine a story set in the future. Picture a groups of scientists in different locations working to find a way to curb the warming of the planet caused by decades of our own ignorance and resistance to change. Envision ideas as wild as fleets of tiny mirrors suspended in orbit above the planet to deflect harmful rays or a veil of sulfurous dust being used to shield the earth from the sun.

Imagine this happening: geoengineering

From Borat to Bwah-aat: a great week

2006-11-19T11:18:00.000-05:00

The past week was as event-filled as summer during festivals season in Montreal. It started last weekend with a convergence of work friends from Waterloo, Toronto, and Montreal (my home base) in Kingston. Ten of us took in a matinee showing of the ridiculous Borat, then headed over to the Kingston Brewing Co. for wings, brews, and rounds of trivia questions and Dragon's Breath Pale Ale. We had a great time and once again lamented the fact that we live 600 km apart. I do feel blessed, though, to live in this time: even 50 years ago, it would not have been easy for all of us to get together as we did.

The fun continued this week with Fel's visit to Montreal. She, MN, and I got to hang out and share meals together, see movies (we recommend Kinky Boots as a feelgood movie), get through a hectic work week, and Fel my brother-in-law and I went to the Joe Sullivan Big Band (scroll down) CD launch (clip) on Thurs. night at the laid back Divan Orange on St. Laurent. The band was fantastic and filled the bar with a wall of swingin' sound - BWAAH-AAAT!!

The week ended with a good, group-cooked BBQ meal on Fri. night with MN's beau as barman. Can you end the week on a better note than with good friends, good food, and good martinis? Not this one.

Santé, merci d'être venue, et au prochain Felstival! - Bises, DC.

The other age old question: what's your perception?

2006-11-15T00:22:00.000-05:00

A quick Google search puts the nature-nurture argument at 50-50, but sometimes it's difficult to see the line. Consider Person A who goes to a gym, drops a little weight, gets in shape, and in time feels better about themselves. Why do they? Well, there is a physical response to exercise and the release of endorphins which leaves a positive feeling. There is also a change in self-perception and self-esteem, but distinction is more blurred here: does the person feel better because they are physically more fit (yes) or because they are likely perceived to be more attractive to other people (also yes). This change has both internal and external influences and it's difficult to determine the overriding factor: the absence of one would still lead to an improved feeling of well being. What about more subtle factors, like one's voice, height, coordination or state of health? People can be quick to judge someone else by these factors and others which do or don't appeal to them. We know that. But how do these things shape someone, shape you? Would you act differently if you had straight hair and were four inchers taller? If you were 4'10"? Just as one guitar is unlike another and can make you want to play a country lick if it twangs or a jazzy chord if it sounds mellow, I would guess a body would shape a personality, both in how someone responds to their instrument and how others react to it. Whatever kind of instrument you've been given, part of life is figuring how to make it rock.

An age old question: what's your reception?

2006-11-14T22:48:00.000-05:00

One interesting aspect of trying online dating is see how different sites go about the process. Some have long, detailed surveys to fill out, some are quick to set up but difficult to filter people well (which means that time saved filling out a profile is later spent browing ads that are too generic), etc. One that I've tried has an interesting feature which lets you see who's browsed your ad. This is great in some ways as it let's you target emails or notes to people who may already have some interest in you. For me, it's confirmed something I've already known: I'm apparently the wrong age.

About 40% of the women who browse my profile are older than I am by up to four years. I'm not superhot or ultrahip by any standards, but simply find that I get along better with people younger than I am. I think it's natural, therefore, that I'm attracted to people with whom I seem to click better. I had thought this would somehow come across in the profiles I've posted, but perhaps not. This notion leads to another interesting question, however: how do our physical selves shape our personalities?

Songs to wear pants to

2006-11-08T19:12:00.000-05:00

Somewhere an English teacher just cringed at the subject line ending in a preposition, but there's good reason: it's the title of an unusual site someone pointed out to me: www.songstowearpantsto.com. The author takes requests for songs on any subject and then writes and posts the ditty. Someone's cousin likes the words muffin and puffin, among others, and asked that it be done in Beatles style. OK.

Wanted: dating agent

2006-10-30T20:37:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since I've posted, mostly due to time being spent doing other things. On the whole, they're enjoyable things like indoor soccer, volleyball, guitar, and spending evenings with friends, but one of the activities has been a veritable sinkhole of time: online dating. Anyone who's tried it can likely sympathize. It takes some time and effort to find a decent pic, put together a decent profile and write something about one's self which is intelligent, articulate, orignal, and funny. Then there's creating searches, trawling ads, and hoping something interesting comes up in the net. As I said awhile ago, it really is a game or performance and I think the time has come to move to the next level: finding an agent.

Wouldn't that be great? Give someone a headshot, a blurb, and the kind of person you're looking for and let them set up an audition/date for you. That way, you'd be free to do the things you'd rather be doing while someone else is spending time finding your compatible partner in crime. They'd work for a low flat fee plus a commission for any match that lasts four months.

Interested? ; )

The short weeks can be the toughest

2006-10-12T19:30:00.000-04:00

Here in Canada we celebrated Thanksgiving on Monday making for a four-day work week. Call me crazy, but I always find that four-day weeks feel like they're eight days long (What? It can't be! We had Wednesday two days ago!) At work, especially, there seems to be an expectation to cram a normal week's worth of activity into four days. In addition to the compressed week, I'm covering for my boss while away he's on much deserved vacation time. Oh yeah, I also drove through a 480$ Montreal pothole the other day which broke the front sway bar links.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow which is going to start with a tasty chocolate-orange bread from the nearby Premiere Moisson and good coffee and end with a massage. In between the two, there's going to be a barbecued, marinated steak with a glass of red wine (thanks RK).

Here's to Friday.

Have wrist pain from typing?

2006-10-08T11:30:00.000-04:00

One of the downsides to all the time we spend typing and texting is the risk of RSI (repetitive strain injury) which may take the form of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, tendonitis, or other conditions. The usual advice applies here for treatment and prevention such as avoiding prolonged periods of the aggravating actions, keeping good posture and hand position, exercise (stretching), etc. One thing that I've found has helped is changing my keyboard. Of course, it's not a cure and won't reverse any existing damage, but I do find that my hands feel much more relaxed and comfortable when typing in this position. If you've never tried one of these odd-looking keyboards, I'd suggest that you give it a go. I've switched to this one at home and work and am happy with it. It takes a little getting used to, but if you're able to type without looking down at the keyboard, you'll adapt quickly. If you have a more advanced condition, here's another site that has an array of more advanced keyboards.

There are good tips available on a number of sites if you Google RSI. A number of things that can help are paying attention to how you use your hands when not typing. Is your hand bent backwards when you hold your phone or brush your teeth? Straighten it. How about at the gym? Can you modify your workout to do load-bearing exercise with a straight wrist? Does it hurt when you use a knife? A sharper one would let you use less pressure. Do you carry a loaded backpack when you commute on your bike? Consider a rack or panier to ease the weight on your wrists.

If you have any more tips to share, please add them in the comments. It's something which probably affects a lot of us, but we just don't discuss it.

Nothing makes a Sunday morning like..

2006-10-08T11:15:00.000-04:00

.. the deep satisfaction of knowing the HABS BEAT THE LEAFS!

It's a beautiful, crisp fall day here in Montreal this Thanksgiving long weekend Sunday and I hope that the weather is equally nice wherever you are. Even if you don't officially celebrate Thanksgiving, I challenge you to take 30 sec. and think of someone or something that makes you happy.

Fall Resolutions

2006-10-01T23:11:00.000-04:00

Who knows if it's the long ago ingrained back-to-school rhythm or the end of summer that spurs fall projects, but there's something in the air that stirs the worker ant in all of us. Friends and colleagues are taking classes, working on eating better, looking for new homes, planning weddings, trips, etc. I've recently started guitar lessons, am getting into the fall sports cycle (indoor soccer, volleyball, more running since it's cooler), and have other side projects to work on like designing a website for a guitar-building friend and generally trying to read more French books. I do remember reading somewhere that people tend to keep fall resolutions more then new year's ones - unfortunately, I don't remember where.

What's in your agenda?

Adventure awaits

2006-09-21T23:50:00.000-04:00

Those two words well describe the state of affairs these days, a personal stasis. No big romance, no big projects, no big trips. On the other hand, no news can be good news. I'm in good health (knock, knock), our soccer team is steadily improving each game, jazz guitar lessons are both humbling and inspiring, and one year after ending a 2.5 year relationship - which neither of us regrets - I'm feeling calm, steady, and ready to begin again.

Color and the hive

2006-09-13T13:04:00.000-04:00

I work in an office where there are well over 100 people. This gives me an opportunity to observe some interesting phenomena among my co-workers. One of these what colour people wear to work. Last Friday seemed to unofficially be brown t-shirt day. Today, it's wear black. The weather today is cool and grey, so perhaps that has affected people's moods and their choice of what to wear. It may also be that the clothing stores near work have mannequins and photos of people dressed in black and white.

I've done a quick Google to try to see if anyone has studied how and why people gravitate towards certain colours, but haven't found anything yet to explain it (beyond the effect of marketing). If you've found something or have an opinion, go ahead and post a link in the comments.

iMorality

2006-09-10T22:30:00.000-04:00

There's a Friday column at the Wired site I like to read called Sex Drive in which the author discusses sexual and relationship issues in the cyber age. Occasionally, it's a gadget review of eyebrow-raising uses for technology, but it often looks how technology is changing how we interact and what effect that is having on relationships. This past Friday's column continues a discussion about when online interaction with someone could be considered cheating. If you've ever sent a flirty e-mail or Blirted, you know that the answer is not clear cut. While the article doesn't provide all the answers, it certainly raises some interesting points to ponder in how we view and value our interactions and relationships both on and offline.

Travel wise

2006-09-04T21:14:00.000-04:00

I haven't traveled extensively, but have been fortunate enough to have backpacked in Europe as many others do. Although that trip was ten years ago now, the lessons I learned and its effect on me still hold. I witnessed the change it made in a friend who came to Montreal to visit this past weekend. He'd been invited to visit Montreal from Toronto by a number of us who worked with him, but always declined. He went to Europe for two months this summer and came back with a fresh perspective. He was in Montreal this past Saturday after spontaneously deciding to visit after having traveled to Ottawa earlier that day. His experience let him see that he would have nothing to worry about in making a simple trip to Montreal where he knew people. It was great to see that change in him and to see that in general, change is indeed possible.

Beyond cowboy chords

2006-09-01T22:32:00.000-04:00

I've been playing guitar for years. I've never taken lessons, but used whatever knowledge I had from having studied piano and having taken some music classes in high school to learn to play. There's also been a lot of learning by ear, that is, generally trying to imitate what I heard being played in a song. For the past number of years, however, I've thought of taking jazz guitar lessons. The sounds and rhythms of jazz have interested me for a long time now, thanks to my brother-in-law, who began that education when I was about 14. I'd taken history of jazz courses here and there, but never really studied it to learn to play it - to learn to play all those interesting chords and of course, to unravel some of the mysteries of improvisation. On Wed. of this past week, however, I finally took my first jazz guitar lesson, 20 years after having been introduced to the music.

One of the things the teacher had me do was play various chords on the guitar to see how I played them. There are always different ways to play the same the chords since notes reoccur on the guitar. The chord chosen often relates to the chords which come before and after in order to create a certain pattern of sound or sometimes just to simplify playing the series of chords. When the teacher asked me to play a C7, I played the version in the first image above. He looked at me and said: "I call that a cowboy chord." I laughed. He explained what he meant and showed me that because the root note is repeated, it sounded heavy and thick. He suggested I try the following instead, a C9 (the second image). While not very different, the sound is definitely more interesting in that it adds a 9th giving the chord a lighter yet fuller sound.

And so began my education in jazz guitar.

Like design? Have a few hours to spare?

2006-08-28T23:28:00.000-04:00

Then you'll probably want to check out this site: Netdiver

More good lines from the Big Sleep:

"I knew damn well you were trouble, " she snapped at me. "I told Joe to watch his step."
"It's not his step, it's the back of his lap he ought to watch," I said.
"I suppose that's funny," the blonde squealed.
"It has been," I said. "But it probably isn't any more."

A toast

2006-08-27T00:39:00.000-04:00

As I sat watching a movie tonight thinking about a particular woman, I began to think of the effect of certain women in my life. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that women have had a greater effect on me than men. Some of this is likely due to the fact that I'm hetero, so women have been able to be closer to me. But even in other ways, they've had significant influence. Some of them reading this post would recognize their stamp in small things like the zebra print pillow on my couch, the glasses I'm wearing, and the a number of items in my closet. Others have taught me to sing, play the piano, and are currently teaching me yoga and providing me with wonderful, relaxing massages. Even in sports, one of you have changed the way I ski.

From Mom to kindergarten teacher to recent ex, out of deep appreciation for all you have done for me, I toast you: you've truly changed my life.

I wouldn't even be blogging if not for you or you.

A three-second affair

2006-08-24T11:02:00.000-04:00

morning routine
a metro ride
he sees her there

heart stops
time stands

a glance
a look
a stare

a three-second affair

Fel's simulpost

Sometimes, Doll, life is a beach

2006-08-21T19:28:00.000-04:00

Took some time off and a time out Thurs. and Fri. I had some vacation time to burn, things are quiet at work, and the forecast looked like a good one. I got lucky and it turned out to be mostly sunny and 27C to 30C the two days.

I spent the Thursday relaxing at Playa d'Oka (locals are probably snickering here). It's really a beach in provincial park about 40 min. from where I live in Montreal. A beach, a lake, the sun, pickup beach volleyball and a good book. It was perfect.

The good book is turning out to be quite interesting and has even sparked among a few co-workers and a blog entry from the lovely Fel: a great dame whose coy smile will distract and disarm you long enough for her eyes to steal your heart. The book in question is The Big Sleep, the Raymond Chandler novel which was the source of the film noir in which Bogey plays Philip Marlowe, a straight-talking private eye who shoots off great lines like this:

"The coupe went west on the boulevard, which forced me to make a left turn
and lot of enemies."

"I didn't ask to see you. You sent for me. I don't mind your ritzing me or
drinking your lunch out of a Scotch bottle. I don't mind your showing me
your legs. They're very swell legs and it's a pleasure to make their
acquaintance."

"Hair like steel wool grew far back on his head and gave him a great deal
of domed brown forehead that might at a careless glance have seemed a
dwelling place for brains."

For fun, post a comment describing something that happened to you today in this manner. Here's a try:

"I could tell from the look on her face that she could hear the foghorn in my head as I tried to think straight on this rainy Monday morning."

Glad that I can easily walk, blade, bike, or Metro to work

2006-08-14T12:45:00.000-04:00

"Hi, Honey. Good, thanks. I'm going to be late getting home today. No, not exactly. The garage ate the car."

Plateau Victim (c)

2006-08-13T20:06:00.000-04:00

Spent a great end of day Saturday and into the night in full-on Montreal mode. First, a bike ride on the Lachine Canal from Atwater out to Lachine and back. Although windy, the moderate, sunny weather and interesting clouds made for a great ride. This was followed by a meandering walk through the Plateau with a stop at Lafontaine Park to catch the encore of the Orchestre Metropolitain's performance, supper at NueVo , a relaxed stop for good coffee at Plan B, and drinks and conversation at Barmacie Baldwin. It's been a little while since I've had a real Montreal night out like that, so thanks for a great night and great company.

Que nos prochains nous méritent. Santé!

(c) A phrase which F coined.

Random acts of kindness - good timing

2006-08-09T20:00:00.000-04:00

I was feeling a little down after work today. Friends and colleagues are just busy doing summer things and I remarked to F (my ex) at the usual Tues. night swing dance last night that I'd been waiting to meet someone for summer to begin in some ways. The days at the beach, weekends away from the city, long Friday night suppers at a restaurant were all waiting to happen. It dawned on me that it's coming on mid-August and, well, that these things probably wouldn't happen this summer. Summer's nearly over before it had a chance to start.

Then it happened.

Feeling a little restless and not in the mood to make dinner just yet, I checked my Lavalife account. What? Two emails? Hmm. I thought it was just an announcement, at first. But, no, they were from actual people. One from someone saying that they'd met someone else, but offering consolation in saying they thought I was one of the few good ones. That's not something one sees everyday in the dating game: a touch of humanity. Many points to J for being that considerate. The second email was a reply from someone who apologized for their late response, giving an explanation for being busy and their hotmail address. Even though nothing may become of these emails, I thought this was an incredible set of responses to happen today, of all random days.

Thanks to both of you for reaching out when you didn't have to.

Uncoupled at 10 months

2006-08-02T20:53:00.000-04:00

After being with someone for over two and a half years and living with them for nearly a year and a half of that, it's odd being solo again. As with other situations, it's the little things you're reminded of, like having someone to do spontaneous things with - "Hey, it's a nice evening. Let's go play some tennis" That doesn't work so well alone. Cooking's also a bit of a drag. It's infinitely more inspiring to make dinner for someone with whom you can share the meal, good conversation, a glass (or bottle) of wine, and... well, that, too, of course.

Moving out on your own for the first time is an exhilarating rite of passage filled with many related first experiences: first couch, first party, first spill on new couch, first time you wished you owned a mop. Now, having acquired more than enough creature comforts to survive, the challenge of living alone is gone. It's simply become a transient state. And a test.

The test is comprised of figuring out when you're ready to get back in the dating game and trying to remember the rules. As much as people want to pretend that it's not a game, it is. There are rules and guidelines to follow and rewards and penalties for following them or not. It's not unlike Snakes & Ladders in it's progress: sometimes you can be unexpectedly promoted to a new level, at other times you slide backwards. Most of the time, you plod along steadily, rolling the dice and moving forward with a healthy fear of snakes.

This being said, I don't mind my current status. It's given me time to learn some new things, work on small home improvement projects (and learn what not to do the hard way), play more guitar, read a little more, even take up yoga at the advice of a massage therapist. I'm simply looking forward to having a travel partner again to share the journey. It's simply more fun that way.

At some point in our 20s, time speeds up

2006-07-31T20:38:00.000-04:00

Or maybe we just slow down.

In my twenties, I can recall feeling that I had time to do things, that I could wait another day, week, month, or even months before acting on an idea, feeling, or urge. Now, marching towards my mid thirties, time seems to be moving a little more quickly. Perhaps we move so fast in our twenties, that relative to ourselves, time doesn't seem as fast. As we slow down in our thirties, partly due to age, partly due to just being more settled and anchored in life, time seems to glide by at a quicker pace. Although I have more patience, that feeling of fleeting time also urges me to act where I used to waiver. That change has been gradual and those who have known me a long time would probably not even see it, but I know and feel it in my own thoughts and actions.

The interesting corollary to time moving more quickly with age is being less concerned about what others think. That combination of sensing the importance of acting to seize a moment and being less self-conscious is definitely making life interesting. It's nothing revolutionary, but coupled with more personal stability and good health, Life, I must say, is pretty darned good these days.

Baths and manliness

2006-07-24T23:56:00.000-04:00

A friend recently found himself with poison ivy symptoms which were likely passed on to him via his future in-law's dog. I suggested to him that he take a bath with baking soda to help relieve the itch. He made a face and commented that he didn't take baths - that somehow they weren't manly and made some additional excuse of not fitting comfortably in the tub in their apt. His girlfriend started laughing at this point. I suggested he take a sports or car magazine with him and his girlfriend suggested joking that he take porn. I laughed at that point and said I don't think it's supposed to be *that* kind of bath.

Personally, although I don't take baths often, I do find they help me relax and ease muscle tension. It's particularly nice In the winter to sit in a warm and relaxing bath, especially after a day of skiing. I don't see anything unmanly about it, but I've also been labeled as metro. Fine. People like labels. However, I think it's more a matter of just being open to try things that feel good and simply caring less about what other people think as I get older and maybe a little bit bolder.

P.S. Further in the conversation, my friend stated that from now on, he'd only shave once a week. I looked at his girlfriend and said , "We'll see how long that lasts. I think she could get you to change your mind pretty quickly."

Manual transmissions for all

2006-07-20T20:21:00.000-04:00

While at the gym this morning (yup, made it), the Mix 96 morning banter turned to reports of cell phone use while driving. Once again, they reported how it and other preoccupations distract drivers and have been found to lead to more accidents for lack of attention to driving. I'm sure we've all seen people do thing they should not be doing while driving. I've seen people applying makeup, shaving, reading(!), and of course, blathering away into a cell phone that they're holding.

I have a simple solution to this distraction: design cars in such a way so that people have to pay attention to what they're doing. The manual transmission is a great existing solution. It requires one to use both hands and both feet and pay attention to what you're doing so that you're in the right gear at the right time. You don't have time or a free hand to be shaving or trying to send an SMS to your SO for dinner plans. You need to be focused on what you're doing. It would also prevent those who lack the coordination, sense of timing, and spatial judgement from driving. Driving a 2000 lb. vehicle should not be as easy as driving a bumper car. A car with a mass of 1200 kg (a little less than a Honda Civic), going 50 km/h would have the same energy as one dropped from 9.8 m or 32.3 feet. A mistake in driving could be like dropping a car 30 feet on someone. Doesn't it seem like you'd better be in full control of that car? I think so.

On a lighter note, also from the same broadcast this morning: "The worst time to have a heart attack is when you're playing charades." - Demetri Martin

Seemed like a bad day

2006-07-19T22:20:00.000-04:00

5:30 am
Alarm goes off. Hit snooze. Or so I thought.

7:03 am
Train rumbles by. I wake up and realize that there's no going to the gym again this morning. Damn, that's two days in a row I've missed and the first bit of bad luck today.

8:30 am
I realize by the tickets left in my hand that I just paid for the bus ride with two tickets.

9:03 am
Get settled at work and realize that today's the day I replace a vacationing colleague in her role. OK, so projects on hold today.

7:30 pm
After spending the weekend in a hot bathroom doing renovations and having missed out on the morning gym sessions so far this week, I'm looking forward to an evening bike ride.

8:00 pm
Dishes done, laundry going, I'm set to go. Even remember to slip the yellow replacement lenses for my shades into my cycling jersey in case it turns dark on the way home. I think I'm so clever for thinking of it.

8:04 pm
Flat tire. Crap. Run up from the building garage to get car keys to get repair kit. Halfway up the stairs, I realize that I've forgotten the keys to the door. Double Crap. They're locked in the garage passed a security door. Have to go outside and follow a car into the garage to retrieve the keys. Get the flat changed using a patched spare. Hope it holds up.

8:16 pm
Spare goes flat. I give up on exercise for the evening and decide to put up the wall mount for holding the bike in my storage area. Well, if I don't exercise, at least I'll have done something productive.

8:49 pm
The wall mount is in place with plugs in the drywall. Hope it holds.

8:51 pm
Despite being a fairly light bike, the bike rips the mount out of the wall, screws, plugs, mount, and all.

Alright, day , you win, lol. You got me. I suppose things could be worse. No Hezbollah rockets landed in my living room today.