Here’s a really cool concept vehicle that could go a long way in reducing our dependence on oil. The GM-Segway concept vehicle is small, light and efficient. It’s electric powered. The absence of a sunroof would make it an interesting cross between a car and a motorcycle.
___It will probably be illegal on Ontario roads. Look, no huge front bumper, so will not withstand crash tests. The front bumper looks like a piece of bent sheet metal.
Pollution almost obscures Beijing's Birdsnest Stadium
We were in Beijing just before the Olympics in August 2008, and upon arrival were greeted by Beijing’s biggest and most violent thunderstorm of the year. I’ve never seen rain in Beijing like that day. It was only after we got into our hotel and watched CCTV Channel 9 news that we found out the thunderstorm was man-made. Man vs Wild, specifically Peking Man. Chinese Peking Man wins this round. We enjoyed clean air for the day. The day after, I knew we had to leave the city. Even with manipulated air quality, Beijing has a real problem with air pollution.
This mystery shopping test was done on Friday April 3, 2009, accompanied by my son. It was raining heavily and mad dashes from the car to the store entrance made us soaked. Still, it was +10C, and is expected for spring. Trip review: Price Chopper A, Nofrlls C.
General Notes
Toronto has a varying climate with 4 distinct seasons and significant precipitation. In the winter we can get a snowfall of 20cm in one day. Copious amounts of rain can fall, as is the case today. It has been raining hard today. Toronto is expecting 10-20mm of rain, so much so that you still get very wet running from the car to the store.
Dean, of Jiaozuo, China, has the ability to become a fluent English speaker. He can learn English like a sponge and will put any adult learner to shame.
Very often I am asked to help a Chinese person improve their English. They have the goal to talk just like a native English speaker. It is a noble goal but very difficult to attain. Even more frustrating is to be able to listen to a 4 year old who can yammer on in both English and Chinese in perfect fluency. The kid can’t even tie his shoes, but can speak much better than his supposedly much wiser and better educated parents. Here’s an excerpt of his blog:
I have been doing workflow applications going on a decade now using Domino Notes. It is very sophisticated and secure but administratively very heavy. I was intrigued with Drupal’s Workflow module. I am using Drupal 6.9 and Workflow version 6.x-1.1. Though the module is at first confusing, it seems to work quite well.
___Workflow allows you to define a process or series of steps necessary to get to your final destination. Each step requires some action and approval before moving to the next step. For a simple example, in order to eat an apple the workflow steps required could include: purchase, wash, eat. Each of these steps needs to be defined, and each step requires someone to do the step and to approve it.
Chinese farmer with a traditional hoe. Notice he is not fat.
There are some government social systems that affect society so profoundly that without it we would be much worse off. In Canada, I would recommend our universal healthcare system. China’s hukou system is the mirror opposite, a tool to suppress and control the movements of China’s rural population.
Yangrou chuanr, mutton kebobs, Chinese street meat
It takes very little for me to have flashbacks of eating street meat in places I’ve lived or visited, namely China, HK and Japan. The mere whiff of an exotic spice can easily send me off to places past, transforming me from here to where I’ve been. I literally lose track of what I am doing and will walk off to chase a scent down. Now that I live in Toronto, Canada, where multiculturalism has evolved to mind expanding lengths, I become easily impatient with our city politicians as they dither about what is acceptable street food offerings to Torontonians. Here’s a novel idea: Let anyone offer food on the street and let the general public decide what they want to eat. Make it easy to get a licenses, enforce strict health rules, and punish those that are unclean. That, however, would be too easy.
It is with deep regret that today, March 17 2009, the Seattle Post-Intellingencer has written its own obituary and ceased production of its paper version. In business from 1863-2009, the 146-year old Seattle newspaper served more than 117,600 weekday readers. While the online version will continue, the PI has layed off 90% of its reporters, whittling its staff down to 20 reporters, a shadow if its former self. The PI will certainly be missed.
This is not Chung Hing, but has the same feel. Photo by Don Qua
While it might seem unfair to compare a local Chinese grocer to the large big box chains, our shopping experience spans both, so I feel I should review both. Chung Hing, or in Mandarin, Zhong Xing, is our local Chinese grocer. While it is an average sized Chinese grocer, it seems to serve our needs well. Trip Review: Chung Hing: A.
