Category: Learn

A Project Manager Forsees Bad Project Ending

As an experience project manager I often see the planning of projects before they start the actual work. Often I can predict when a project will go off the rails before it actually happens. Small red flags dot my brain and the warning lights go off. If I feel I have a duty, a gentle reminder is extended. Most of the time the leader feels more than capable of running the project to completion. My advice is relegated to the garbage pile of idiot verbiage and life goes on. I then sit back and watch the train wreck become reality. It is all so unnecessary.

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Chinese Drivers are Bad in China and Toronto

Ten bad driving habits, by Chen Xin, People Daily, equally applicable here in Toronto, Canada

As a lifelong resident of Toronto I can attest that many fellow Torontonians wonder out loud why Chinese drivers are so terrible. I am one of them. As I live in Scarborough, a heavily Chinese area of Toronto, there are certain major intersections that I avoid due to a very high proportion of Chinese drivers that approach 100%. As my ethnic background is Chinese, I have ruled out genetics. Moreover I know many Canadian born Chinese, or Huayi, that are excellent drivers. Further, anyone from Hong Kong can attest to the prowess of their local driving skill. So why are Chinese drivers so terrible?

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Fender Mustang Amp and Fender Fuse Software: Finding Acoustic and Clean Sounds

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.

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Fender Fuse Software Review

Fender Mustang I guitar amp is a modeling amp with 24 presets. Installing the Fender Fuse software is difficult but worthwhile because it allows you to change your preset amps

Growing pains, I say. It will get better, surely. This review will cover the Fender Fuse software package (v2.1.0.8) that is used with Fender Mustang and G-Dec guitar amplifiers. I have installed the Fender Fuse on my PC in order to configure a family friend’s Fender Mustang I. The Mustang is a versatile amp, but came too heavily rock for her tastes. She wanted some acoustic. The Good: After considerable toil I was able to install the software, download different amps to my PC and then store them on the Mustang. The bad: The software install process is overly onerous, required me to download a couple of other Microsoft packages, and is prone to crash. Summary: A very versatile software package and amp, but needs more stability.

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Listerine Agent Cool Blue is Ineffective

It is not too often that I feel a North American “off the shelf” health product in Canada is fraudulent. Bending the truth, some may be, but for true lying through your teeth, snake oil-type fraud, no, I have come across few. At a recent trip to my dentist with my little weed I discussed diagnostic aids with my dentist. If there were only some way I could highlight his bad technique I could help him brush better. I recalled in my youth some red tablets that you can chew. My dentist said these “disclosing tablets” are still available, and still used on kids. Newer disclosing solutions were now available from drug stores, much easier to use and fun for kids. I found Listerine Agent Cool Blue at Pharmaplus for $5.50CAD, “tints plaque for better brushing” it says right on the bottle, in glacier mint. I have found this solution to be not only ineffective, but fraudulent. It does not tint sufficiently to actually allow you to see plaque. For helping me improve my son’s brushing technique it is useless. Please do not purchase this product, as it is useless for highlighting plaque.

Listerine, made by Johnston & Johnston Inc. are a reputable brand and company, so I was surprised at the fraudulent nature of their claim. Note that packaging and claims on the bottle in Canada are different from the USA. On the back of the bottle it claims:

“LISTERINE AGENT COOL BLUE Plaque Detecting Rinse is effective in highlighting plaque to improve tooth brushing effectiveness in children.” CANADIAN DENTAL ASSOCIATION

Directions: Children age 6 years and older: Rinse twice daily before brushing showing you where to brush!

While the solution lightly tints the teeth and mouth, it insufficiently tints plaque and food buildup so that you see no difference between teeth that have no buildup and teeth that need to be brushed. If one looks incredibly hard with a magnifying glass, at the right angle of light I can see a shading difference between clean and dirty surfaces of the teeth, but I can do this without the solution as well. After two mouthfuls of rinse the tint is gone, or so light as to be indiscernible.

Listerine Agent Cool Blue does not tint sufficiently to identify plaque. It is totally ineffective and fraudulent as a dental diagnostic tool.

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Chinese Surname Dai or Tai

The Chinese character Dai/Tai: the earth/dirt, a field, to share, a saber (weapon)

dai/da4i (Mandarin)/Tai (Cantonese, Japanese)/Thài(Gan, Jiangxi)/Tè (Hokkien)/?ái or ??i (Vietnamese)/Dae (Korean): Ranked 57 of the 100 most common Chinese surnames (2006), gaining from 64th in 1990

put on; wear: put on one’s gloves, wear glasses
respect; honour: love and respect
Da4i: a surname

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Long-term Joblessness in Canada

So Canada is much better off than all other OECD countries? We have economic growth of supposedly 2%. How can this be? Statistics magic saves the day. Lose well paying full-time jobs, gain low wage part-time jobs, and call it even. Unfortunately your average citizen here in Canada knows first hand that job and economic statistics do not put food on the table. Long-term joblessness, as I know first hand, is a common and growing problem. We need to overstate that this personally decimates the job seeker but society overall. The negative implications long-term joblessness or unemployment are widespread and damaging to society in general. The newly jobless scale back discretionary purchases. The long-term jobless change their philosophy of life and spending, resulting in radical systemic changes to our retail and marketing environments. Health deteriorates, resulting in higher long-term health costs. No matter if you are currently employed, long-term joblessness will affect you directly or indirectly.

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Tips for Chinese Parents on Halloween in Toronto, Canada

Hallowed Eve, or Halloween is an interesting tradition in North America, where kids of all ages dress up in scary costumes, and knock on neighbour’s doors for candy and treats. The kids will exclaim “Trick or Treat” and will expect some kind of treat. Halloween is a North American farming tradition where ghosts and other scary monsters call on your house. They will leave you in peace and allow you a good harvest season if you give them a treat. Here are some guidelines to follow for Toronto, Canada for parents of Chinese kids.

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Violation of Fundamental Rights at Toronto G20

AT thus summer’s G20 meeting in Toronto, Canada, over a 1,000 fellow Canadians were illegally arrested, detained. About 900 of these were eventually let go without charge. Clearly our right to assemble was trampled to bits by police boots. These people should not have been charged in the first place. There is an ongoing call for a G20 public inquiry by many but it seems to fall on deaf ears. I will not and cannot forget this travesty of injustice and will remember the G20 the next time I vote provincially and federally. Here is an article excerpt from the Toronto Star from the Canadian Civil Liberties Association. I would like to read the complete report but have not found it:

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Instructibles Leather Links

Hhere are some interesting leather working links, all from Instructibles. They have some great tip on making near anything. These are leather related. Leather is an excellent material to use, being all natural. Mankind has a long history of using leather to survive, and rightly so. If taken care of leather will last a lifetime and keep its suppleness as well as protective properties.

Make a leather watchband or bracelet: This is really a Leather 101 course because it covers leather prep, stamping, rivets, staining and finishing. This is an awesome instructible. (KentsOkay)
Leather Bookbinding: Not so difficult, but the instructions are very clear. (gmjhowe)
Make leather stamps: He calls them leather tooling punches, but these are leather stamps. I will need to try this but won’t use a nail. I will probably use a bolt instead. Then again the nails he uses are quite thick. Still, pretty cool how he makes these. (cbm104)
How to Peen a Rivet: from a nail. Beginner’s guide to tradition riveting

I will add to this list as I find more leather projects.

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