Don Tai (Canada) Blog

Sunforce 12v Power Sports Charger 50014 is but a battery maintainer, not a charger

Solar power has always been enticing idea. You point a panel to the lovely sun and it returns usable power. With few exceptions the sun rises each and every day, so theoretically you have unlimited access to power. Unfortunately the reality of economics creeps into the equation, initially taking the shine off solar power. Wanting to play with the technology, a Canadian Tire sale on small solar panels allowed me to try it out.

What qualities should you look for in winter boots: warm, waterproof and maybe stylish. Also Made in Canada

Winter here in Toronto, Canada is cold and snowy. Take today for example, at a bone chilling -18C, with a light dusting of snow on the ground. Going out of your house is necessary to get food and some fresh air, so the purchase of winter boots is mandatory. Children and adults have the same need for winter boots: They need to be warm, waterproof, rugged, and maybe even stylish. Unlike other Internet posts about consumer products I am not trying to sell you boots, only to point out what to look for in a quality pair. Winter boots that are rated to -40C are available for $70CAD, $35CAD on sale.

Mike Holmes exudes credibility because of his knowledge and actions, not because of a slick web site.

Home renovations shows are useful to me because they educate the public in the care and feeding of your home. Like any system, homes need maintenance and upkeep. Knowing what to do can prevent major damage and expense in the long run. On occasion, these seemingly mundane shows highlight issues that stick to me. Recently Mike Holmes, from “Homes on Holmes” and “Holmes Inspection” lamented that one of his customers found a contractor online, thought the guy was legit and handed him $25,000CAD for a basement renovation. This legit contractor subcontracted out and created a structural and aesthetic disaster of dangerous quality. Mike’s conclusion: You can’t find a legit contractor from a web site. I agree with him.

Screwed up royally, sums up the TTC fair increase situation, where riders cannot buy tokens or tickets. The TTC issued short term adult fare tickets, good until January 2, 2009, available November 24, 2009 (yesterday). This is supposedly to eliminate hording of tokens. Tokens are no longer being sold. Unfortunately we also cannot find tickets to purchase anywhere, leaving us once again stuck.

Craigslist is by far the best web tool for personal buying and selling of your goods. It beats Kijiji hands down in consistency of interface, lack of technical trouble and content management. It is understandable that Craigslist want commercial companies to pay a listing fee that subsidizes the free ads for personal items. Craigslist relies on its loyal readers to flag illegal ads, which are then removed. Owners of these flagged ads may also face a ban on future ads.

There are two quality standards for Tastee patties. You choose with your wallet.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been buying and eating George’s Tastee Jamaican beef patties from Toronto, Canada. It’s become a family tradition. The patties are of reasonably high quality and are not as flaky as Allan’s. This week I inadvertently found out that Tastee offers two tier quality for their patties, readily evident when one bites into a patty.

Craigslist is much better than competitor Kijiji. Craigslist.org CEO Jim Buckmaster, left, and founder Craig Newmark

Shopping for used items instead of paying for the same new item can save you a lot of money. Two popular online resources here in Toronto, Ontario, Canada are Craigslist and Kijiji. Though I peruse specific sections of both I prefer Craigslist. Both Craigslist and Kijiji allow sellers to advertise goods and for buyers to contact sellers. I have bought goods from both sites. I find that Craigslist is so much more aligned with social media, and Kijiji is more traditional seller pushed want ads. The difference might be subtle but enough to add its own flavour.

Marketing Gimmick: Not From Concentrate (NFC) orange juice does not mean fresher than concentrated OJ

We live in Toronto, Canada, so do not have the luxury of going to our backyard, picking fresh oranges and juicing them. Still we love to drink orange juice, a call which is answered by a trip to the local big box grocery store. Orange Juice can be expensive, so I have done several blind taste tests on the family to see if they can tell the difference between types. In summary, there is no difference in taste between concentrate and “not from concentrate” (NFC) types. Canada Grade “A” No Name brands taste the same as good as the name brands. Added calcium does not change the taste of OJ. Chinese orange juice is discernibly tarter and therefore easy to identify. If you can buy orange juice for $1CAD/litre, this is good economy.

Swagman 3 bike rack installs 11.5 inches from my bumper, not a good fit

I have been meaning to get a bike rack for quite a number of years. When the kids were small this was not an issue because they could not ride far anyway, but they are growing. We don’t have a large car, so a bike rack is now a necessity. The Swagman 3 bike hitch bike rack seemed to be the strongest and lightest but well made bike rack I could find. It works very well but the experience of installing it provided some interesting surprises.

The inevitable demise of a Mary's Good Eats apple pie. Delicious.

Quirky and a little remote, the pies from Mary’s Good Eats, Toronto (Scarborough), Canada, are certainly great. The place is on the Pickering Town Line, north of Old Finch Avenue, and south of Steeles Avenue East. They have cherry, blueberry, apple, and I bought a blueberry peach yesterday. $8 per pie. If you need change you go up to the house and knock on the door.

I found this place from a chance conversation with Dale Reesor, owner of the Sweet Ridge Farms, who sells delicious corn. Thanks again, Dale!