Saw it coming, I did, through my incessant weather forecast watching here in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Warned, we were, by the sages of climate. Still we really did not know the gravity of the situation, nor that we were to lose power for 18 hours. As we are always prepared, this matters little, because we know where everything necessary is located and we have done this before. It is worthwhile reflecting on what worked and what needs improvement, so that the next one, an inevitable event, really, will be that much more fulfilling.
Since installing an over the air (OTA) antenna and getting a digital TV here in Toronto, Canada, we have been somewhat out of the reach of the Canadian government’s CRTC legislation because we can now watch U.S. TV without mandatory Canadian content commercials. This new tool, American TV, has given me some new insights of our American neighbours.
Race: Clear in American TV is the predominance of Blacks and the lack of multiculturalism we have here in Toronto. Neither good nor bad, this black/white split is simply different and certainly does not reflect my neighbourhood nor Toronto. Watching US TV is like visiting a foreign country, which it is.
I gave Rogers the heave ho, for both cable and internet, and feel better for it. Scummy, predatory, their service was. Over the air TV has replaced cable. It is not what we are used to, but saves us over $70 each month. Overall I would say that we are much better off without Rogers cable.
Over the air (OTA) TV is not all fantastic, though I did not know all the disadvantages and underestimated the advantages. I will discuss all I learned. With OTA we get 17 channels, which includes a couple of duplicate HD and SD channels, a French channel, though it comes in stunning HD, and a religious channel, also in stunning HD.
Dynam RC Flight Simulator USB is cheaply made. Wire in the cable broke internally, rendering the unit dead, and replacement necessary.
Little Weed really wants to learn RC planes. He has been through RC cars but got bored. The challenge of flight has drawn him in. Instead of destroying and losing many planes and lots of cash, it is recommended that we learn on a flight simulator program. To make the interface easier we bought a Dynam RC Flight Simulator USB, a simulated radio, which connects USB to your PC. At $40 I knew it was pretty cheaply made, and I was not surprised when it started glitching. We flew it for a few months before it stopped working, but from the beginning it has issues with reliably connecting to the PC. I knew something was wrong.
Mobile phone service is unquestionably complex, needing a lot of research about both the phone and your service provider. After an exhaustive search of all the providers in the Toronto area, we found that Wind Mobile had the best cell phone plans to suit our needs. Yet the devil is in the details. Choosing a phone and the specific plan is trickier than we initially thought. There were other issues to consider, including cell phone coverage, unlocking the phone, buying the phone outright, and how Wind does their tab. Specifics of the Wind plan can change at any time, so this post is valid today in August 2013 and will change in the future.
Beto bicycle floor pump V1, early version, bought at MEC in Toronto. The pin in the valve head broke. Photo By Don Tai
Bought from MEC a decade ago for $25CAD, this pump has served me well pumping up kids schrader low pressure tires, as well as the odd presta style. A litle bit of inattention from the Big Weed and she broke the valve head. Specifically the plastic pin that holds down the valve head to the valve. A repair was in order.
Safety is not something that I feel rates as very important in Chinese culture. There are numerous instances where, if the situation were in Canada, regular Canadians would be up in arms. Chinese people are, instead, chill. I really do not understand this mindset, as the results could be disastrous. Having lived and traveled in China, then returning home to Toronto, Canada, I have seen so many examples. In potentially dangerous situations I see nothing to gain and much to lose.
With four fancy pieces of paper from three universities and one from a college, I consider myself educated. It is with dismay that I find obtaining employment difficult, both for myself and for many around me. It is not that we are lazy, oh no. We are at risk of sacrificing a generation of workers, in what I see as a structural change in long-term employment. We must critically look at the implications of high unemployment amongst young people. Whether there should be changes, or not, I cannot say, But to do nothing is unacceptable.
When you buy new fish to add to your existing aquarium, you really should quarantine the new fish in order to check them out. To add them in directly might contaminate your existing tank and/or make your new fish sick. You would then need to treat all your fish, new and old, to medical treatment and risk the possible loss of existing fish.
