Don Tai (Canada) Blog

Going back to the commute routine has been eye opening, which caught me by surprise. It’s not like this is new to me, but getting used to the TTC and the quickness of pace has been eye opening.

The TTC seems to have stayed the same. I expected advancements, but this is not so. They struggle to keep from falling backward on themselves. While most bus drivers are courteous, I have met those who are not. Once there was a detour because of a crime and police had closed the road. This driver did not even announce why he was detouring, so many people asked. He got so mad.

Regret is how I feel about not posting these earlier. Still, life goes on and so I go. All these events have been memorable, and at each one I learn more as I continue on my way, either through technique, talking to people, or myself. Overall, it is 3 x win.

C-vents:

What is their message and why did they choose to dress as clowns? Kids would easily identify them as clowns.

Rest assured, I have not started a pharmacy and am not promoting illegal drugs on my personal blog. Oh no, as I am a “No Drugs” type of person. I was the victim of the Pharma Hack. This virus changes your indexing on Google Search so when people search for your site instead of your blog entry title they get ads for pharmaceutical drugs. I was not happy about this. After many extensive changes in beefing up WordPress security, so far Google search has started to index me correctly. This might take a couple of months, so bear with me.

Imperial sewing machine model 535, as illustrated in the user manual. May also be branded as New Home 535 or Janome 535.

Since I became the custodian of my Imperial 535 sewing machine I have been looking for a user manual. Many people have written in looking for the same. As luck would have it, Gord Bestwick of British Columbia, Canada happened upon my blog page and has kindly cleaned up and offered me an electronic version of his user manual, for free non-commercial distribution. This means no one need pay for this manual and all Imperial, New Home and Janome 535 owners can enjoy it. This manual is applicable to many Japanese sewing machines of similar era. Between us, the world is a better sewing place.

How to avoid getting killed by a car, especially a left turning car at a signalized intersection, is a frequent topic of discussion on motorcycle forums and blogs. For a long time smart motorcyclists have been looking for the cause and solution to this deadly dilemma, in the hopes of reducing or eliminating the threat. First-hand documented accounts of crashes are dissected with a forensic zeal. Possible causes and contributing factors are suggested. Motorcyclists always leave the discussion with an uneasiness and queasiness in the gut: Often the cause of the crash, a car driver, is beyond the rider’s control. In this case an automotive writer riding his motorcycle gets into a head-on crash with a left-turning young lady, who says the typical cop-out excuse: “I did not see him”.

Ibanez Roadstar II RB800 electric bass, 1987: body finishes were black, pearl, red, fountain blue

Ibanez basses are difficult to identify. They often have no specific model numbers written on the bass. After heavy use these model markings can wear off, making identification of vintage models difficult. Many sellers using Craigslist and Kijiji will also post poor photos of basses, making ID very difficult. This post will positively identify the Ibanez Roadstar II RB800 electric bass, as well as provide related internet links. There is actually very little information about this Made in Japan, Fugigen factory 1987 model on the internet, so every little bit helps.

There is something about singing that puts me in a better, more cheerful mood, but I don’t really know what it is. Increased oxygen intake? Distract you from other issues? A recent study has come out from Harvard Medical School documenting how a 76 year old arthritis patient with high blood pressure was able to lower her BP by 40hg by singing hymns, just before her surgery. I wonder if this has further implications than a single sample size.

Here is the link to this interesting article in Science Daily, as well as the journal article, published Mar 30, 2011. It is difficult to extrapolate from a sample size of 1, but maybe we could sing a little more?

Rocker RA-200 dreadnought acoustic guitar, Made in China, surprisingly good quality

My friend bought this guitar and, due to lack of time, gave it to me. This acoustic guitar is a low end “Made in China” acoustic dreadnought, purchased here in Toronto, Canada. For the low price of $60CAD, this guitar is surprisingly high quality. It says in tune, sounds very good, is well finished and looks great. The neck is straight and intonation perfect. The action is high but can be somewhat lowered. I do hate the “Rocker” brand name. Whomever chose this name should be shot.

Fender Mustang Controls: If you do not like the 24 amp models then change them with the Fuse software

Fender’s Mustang guitar amp is a very cool modeling amp, with 24 preset types of amp sounds. It is also a very flexible amp. Unfortunately for some players who like an acoustic or clean sound, most of the presets are way too aggressive and dirty, with lots of distortion. Have no fear, because with the Fender Fuse software and USB cable that comes with the amp the Fender Mustang can clean up pretty well, turning your solid body double humbucker into an acoustic.