Leather highback chair needed two leather patches on the seat. After the repair was completed and new metal gliders added. Photo 1 by Don Tai
This leather chair was cast aside, but it beaconed me to come closer. It took little time to determine that it was leather covered and in need of a major repair. Once done, however, the chair was returned to service, and comfortable it is.
Glaringly obvious was the huge gash 6.5″/17cm gash in the seat, as well as a smaller 1″/3cm cut, also in the seat. After I determined that the backing material was actually the very reassuringly natural matte fibers of real leather, I knew the repair could be done.
Car bicycle crash in Scarborough, Toronto, Canada 2017 Oct 20 11:40am. The driver of the minivan did stop at the red light but did not look for pedestrians or cyclists, and hit an old Chinese lady on a bicycle.
Today was not a good day for the old lady cyclist in front of me. She trusted that the right-turning driver of the minivan would wait for her to cross, and he hit her, 2017 Oct 20, 11:40am, Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. While it might have been unintentional, thankfully the crash was very low speed, the car driver stopped, and no one was hurt. While I believe the car driver was at fault, we all need to pay much more attention, especially when vehicles are concerned. That old lady could have been a mother and baby in stroller.
The proposed SmartTrack Go train station for Finch/Kennedy in Scarborough, called the Finch East station, will be the station right between the existing Milliken (near Steeles Aveenue) and Agincourt (near Sheppard Avenue). Finch is a very busy route and the station would connect people to the more east-bound Finch express buses.
There are, as always, concern over implications for building in this location. The current location includes a medical building, a small shopping plaza, a small Chinese grocery store, Purolator center and a storage space business.
SmartTrack Finch East Go station at Kennedy/Finch. Google map superimposed with one from UrbanToronto.
Yesterday here in Toronto, Canada, was the start of Autumn 2017. At this time of year the average temperatures range from a high of 19C to a low of 10C. The leaves begin to turn from green to red. For some unknown reason the weather in the last week has been very hot. yesterday was 31C. Today is 32C. The next two days will be 31C. Still, the leaves are on a strict time line, their life coming to its inevitable end.
Leaves are turning from green to red in Toronto, Canada, even though the temperature is 32C today. Photo 1 by Don Tai
Sometimes you need to change course. Zag when you have previously ziged. And so it goes that Kom Jong Un and North Korea have splintered the UN. It is clear that economic sanctions are not effective against North Korea. The current sanctions, imposed in 2006 have been an abysmal failure, as North Korea displays its nuclear ambitions.
As the US and Trump shout ever louder, North Korea launches yet another test, making the US and the UN look like fools. After using one strategy one needs to reassess its effectiveness. It has been very clear that a pivot is required. The 11 year strategy of economic sanctions have not worked. The UN is no further ahead in convincing North Korea to stop their nuclear program.
Zoomed map of Handan, Changzhi, Licheng and Dongyangguan, overlayed with a topographical map. From Google Maps and topographic-map
Air pollution in China is at an all time high. Specific to China’s terrible air in general is Xingtai 邢台, a prefecture-level city of Hebei 河北, the most polluted province in China. The article calls out the county-level city of Shahe 沙河, on the southern outskirts of Xingtai. In looking at pollution in the area, I wondered how this would affect the people in the general vicinity, specifically in the nearby Taihang Mountain 太行山 range in Shanxi Province, such as Changzhi 长治, Licheng 黎城 and Dongyangguan 东阳关. Here are some Google maps of the area, overlayed with topographical maps to show how air pollution might affect the area. Here are the current Air Quality ratings for Changzhi
This cicada was upside down and near death. I turned it right side up and its legs twitched. I picked it up and put it on a piece of wood, and it screeched a tiny bit. When death is at your door, we all succumb.
Cicada near death, 2017 Sept 15, Toronto, Canada. Photo 1 by Don Tai
Cicada near death, 2017 Sept 15, Toronto, Canada. Photo 2 by Don Tai
A year ago Bell decided to install fiber optic on our street. For some reason they had cut squares into the sidewalk, which was filled in with asphalt. This year city contractors broke up and completely removed and replaced the complete sidewalk.
Bell Fibe install in Ontario. 2017 Sept 15, a year after, contracted city workers replace the sidewalk. photo by Don Tai
Bell Fibe install in Ontario. 2017 Sept 15, a year after, contracted city workers replace the sidewalk. photo by Don Tai
Bell Fibe install in Ontario. 2017 Sept 15, a year after, contracted city workers replace the sidewalk. photo 3 by Don Tai
City of Toronto potential flood area, for a 50 foot or 15.25m rise in water level from Lake Ontario, which occurred in Houston 2017 hurricane Harvey. Map changes by Don Tai
I was wondering, I am sure like many others, what would happen if the City of Toronto had a flood similar in height to Houston 2017 caused by Hurricane Harvey. Who would get flooded and who would remain dry? Is the City of Toronto largely at risk? Are we ready? Unlike Houston, Toronto is not flat. We also do not have hurricanes or tropical storms. That being said, let us try to analyze a topological map of Toronto and see how we would fare. As I live in Scarborough note that Scarborough has the Scarborough bluffs. My area of Scarborough is 235m above sea level. As Lake Ontario is 75m above sea level, we have a buffer of 160m or 525′. I think we are safe from a flood risk.
A novice canner, I am, so in seeking out answers I am aptly qualified to document my findings. Canning is a food preservation method that uses heat and acidity to preserve foods into glass jars. These jars can stay almost indefinitely without refrigeration. In an age of computers and electricity I find this age old food preparation method quite enlightening. Yes, I am so easily amused.
Why Can?
You really do not use a can, as in a metal can. Canning uses glass bottles with a 2 part metal top: a seal and a ring. Interestingly these products are readily available at our local grocery stores and Walmart. it seems that many people still do can.
