Pink crabapple tree in bloom, 2017, Toronto, Canada. Photo by Don Tai
Our male crabapple tree blooms almost every year. It is a somewhat late bloomer, but reliable. The male tree does not produce apples, so the mess is much less. The blooms only last 4 days or so, maybe a week at the most, after which our whole back yard becomes a lake of pink leaves.
The reflection from the tree casts our rear rooms into a lovely shade of pink.
Pink crabapple tree in bloom, macro, 2017, Toronto, Canada. Photo 2 by Don Tai
I have an old Win XP machine inherited from a neighbour. We use it to play videos on our TV. Microsoft issued a bug fix against the Wannacry ransomware attack, the one that encrypts your data, for Win XP SP3.
I downloaded the bug fix and only then found out that the Win XP Home edition, which I have, is excluded. I have Win XP SP3, just not the right Win XP SP3.
Great.
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Imperial sewing machine model 676, owned by Rachel Ryan, Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia, Canada
My buddy Cameron Baily in Powell River, BC, Canada, found this Imperial Sewing Machine Model 676 user manual in a local store. He was gracious enough to digitize it for me. I am able to add this sewing machine manual, along with my other Imperial sewing machine manuals, for free download. The documentation also includes instructions for a sewing machine cabinet, important information, and a warranty card. Did you know the Imperial 676 has a 20 year warranty on parts? Wow, though that probably expired in the mid 1980s! This machine is probably about 50 years old. Thanks, Cameron!
Neilson 2% Chocolate Milk, paper carton, I cannot open it without a knife. Terribly inconvenient. Toronto, Canada. photo by Don Tai
Ridiculous is the fact that I could not open a paper carton of Neilson 2% chocolate milk without a knife. I have done this since I was a child. They used too much glue in the opening mechanism, so using only hand force, it will not open. How terrible is that? I’ll need to use a knife and cut it open. This makes the container more dangerous and certainly not safe for kids.
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Neilson Chocolate Milk Carton: Trouble opening without a knife
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Marisa Lazo sits atop a crane hook, 45m up a construction crane, awaiting rescue. Why, Marisa, why? Toronto, Canada
Amazed, I am, that she did this, and was so calm when getting rescued. Marisa Lazo, you are both crazy and brave, but do not do this again. 27 firefighters were called, excluding police and other emergency services. Up so high, 45m in the sky, but why?
Personal protective equipment: none. She is wearing high heels, jeans and a particularly clean jean jacket. No phone. No gloves. This is very odd.
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Girl Climbs 45m crane, sits on hook until rescued
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177.234.9.186 has no host name, but the owner name comes back as: SECRETARIA DE COMUNICACIONES Y TRANSPORTES COORDINACION DE LA SOCIEDAD DE LA INFORMACION Y EL CONOCI
Google translates this to: Secretariat of Communications and Transportation COORDINATION OF INFORMATION SOCIETY AND KNEW
This sounds like a division of the Mexican Government
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Upset I was, about the state of my orange juice. We buy cartoned Minute Maid orange juice, an the carton I bought was short 100 – 120ml. I sent them an email, provided the necessary info they asked for, and a long two weeks later, they sent me coupons for orange juice. Thanks for that, though there was no communications for two weeks, during which I thought that the company was ignoring me.
I bought Minute Maid orange juice 1.75L, poured the contents into a 1.75L Simply Orange container and found I was short 100-120ml. I do hate getting ripped off by manufacturers. Toronto, Canada. Photo by Don Tai
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Minute Maid Orange Juice by Coca-Cola Made it Right
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For the longest time my site has been tracked and spammed by 163data.com.cn. I, and others, have wondered about the story behind the number 163. Was it a Chinese Army unit number similar to 解放军 61398部隊? Alas, there seems to be nothing so exciting. There are only a few links about the history of 163.
It looks like in the ’90s when you had to dial a telephone number to a modem and reach the internet, 163 was appended to a local number. Thus 163 was commonly used and therefore memorable. After this time NetEase started 163.com and used 163 to start China’s largest free email service, the Chinese equivalent to gmail. 163.com remains very popular in China today.
China has a lot of people. Baoluan, 暴乱, is the Chinese fear of chaos, of the Government or Emperor losing control of their mandate to rule. The people, having little to lose, rise up and kick their overlords out. Today China’s overlords are the Chinese Communist Party. This recurring issue heavily colours what China does.
From China: They provide employment for their people
The solution in China is to give everyone work. With work they will not revolt and not upset the Communist Party, thus preserving the status quo: The Communist Party stays in power.
I bought a bag of Naturally Imperfect potatoes from NoFrills, and out popped potato animals of all sorts! They are so cute that I had to share them with you.
Hippopotamus potato. This creature came out of a bag of naturally imperfect potatoes, bought at NoFrills. Toronto, Canada. Photo by Don Tai
Hippopotamus potato. This creature came out of a bag of naturally imperfect potatoes, bought at NoFrills. Toronto, Canada. Photo by Don Tai
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