Thoughts of a Piece of Dust

Will the World End this Summer?

2008-03-29T20:12:00.001-07:00

This news really isn't new, but it is nonetheless scary. Some of you may know about the large particle accelerator that has been built in Geneva. This particle accelerator will be the world's largest and will use higher energies than any other particle accelerator. My understanding of what exactly goes on in a particle accelerator is limited, but I am aware of the concerns that have been raised by this particular one - named the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) (LHC website).

One of the concerns is that the operation of the LHC may (and I stress the word may) create a black hole - which would effectively destroy the earth. This concern is so large, that a lawsuit has been filed in an attempt to stop the LHC from becoming operational (which is set to happen sometime this summer, though I cannot find an exact date).

I would bet that nothing drastic will happen, but humans have made large mistakes with regards to proper safety precautions in the past that have cost many lives (lack of lifeboats on Titanic, Hydrogen gas in blimps come to mind) and I wouldn't completely rule out a disaster. I am a bit worried that maybe the doomsday prophets might be right on this one.

So let's hope we have more than a few months to live!

Finally!

2008-02-19T16:30:00.000-08:00

When credit is due, I am not one to withhold it. Today marks what might possibly the beginning of a huge change. For those of you who haven't heard yet, the Liberals (keep in mind, they have no opposition parties from the right, so they are decidedly more right-leaning than most provincial Liberal parties) in my former province of residence - British Columbia - have done what no other political leaders have had the courage to do: they have imposed a carbon tax.

The tax will initially work out to 2.4 cents per litre - starting July 1st - but will increase each year until 2012 when it will be almost 10 cents per litre. Though the amount seems pretty small right now, perhaps this will start to encourage drivers to get off the road and get on a bus, or walk, or bike. And certainly 10 cents extra per litre (when gas is already pretty expensive in B.C.) will make some sort of difference.

Check out the coverage from CBC, Globe and Mail, and The Times Colonist (Victoria).

So Kudos to Gordon Campbell and Finance Minister Carole Taylor. I certainly didn't support you in the last election, but I applaud your efforts today. Let's see who follows suit now that the first step has been taken.

Wake Up Please...

2008-02-17T13:06:00.000-08:00

About 10 months ago, a roommate of mine sent me an article and I finally got around to reading it. The article, title "A Terrifying Truth" and written by Dave Lindorff, discusses the current situation that we are dealing with on this planet. Though the content is not anything that is new to me, it may be new to anyone out there reading my blog and I thought it was worth sharing as Lindorff writes much clearer than I do.

Read the Article Here

I should note that while he may come across as a crackpot in some of the things he says, we are quickly approaching a point where we will have no choice and some of these things that we deem so important to our lives (such as that thing called the economy which is apparently more important that anything else) will collapse on their own and we'll be faced with even larger problems.

As Lindorff writes,

[i]nstead of thinking of ourselves as consumers and competitive free agents, we need to start thinking of ourselves as passengers on a boat that is sinking. If we all run for the lifeboats and life preservers and fight to see who can be saved, the life vests will be torn and ruined and the lifeboats will fall into the sea and sink. In the end, we’ll all go down. If, on the other hand, we change tack, recognize that we’re all in this together, and make orderly plans to save ourselves collectively, we may all be able to get away.

Lately it has been very troublesome for me to listen to people spout off how An Inconvenient Truth has opened their eyes and then watch them do all sorts of things that contribute to the problems Mr. Gore was describing. Often they will justify it somehow. The economy has always been a reason not to change our way of life. But the logic behind inaction and half measures may turn out to be human kinds biggest blunder. For starters, the economy is worthless without the life systems that support it. A 1997 study (which has been mentioned over and over recently) found that the earth's ecosystem did approximately $33 trillion worth of work (including but not limited to purifying water, providing energy to grow plants, and pollination). At that time, the global GNP was $18 trillion - just more than half of what the ecosystem provided. Without this ecosystem, we would have a much harder time sustaining our economy.

A second argument against the economy excuse is very simple and straightforward. If we destroy our ecosystem we are potentially destroying our ability to live in it. What use is money to a species which does not exist? Many people do not believe this is possible. To them, the problems are with the polar bears and the frogs. How can that possibly affect us? And even if it does we have technology. Right? Though I am no expert, I do not believe that a mass migration to Mars or beyond will be possible in a way that maintains any semblance of our way of life.

Some may also point to the market to solve our problems. In theory, the market could solve a lot of these problems (with proper government control). But we don't have a free market. What we have are large monopolies that spend most of their profits convincing us that we need things we don't need so that their profits remain high. My question is: why is money so important that we have to work ourselves so hard? Sure, money pays for food, clothing and shelter, but do we really need those other things? Are we better off spending our time on more fulfilling things (like spending time with family and friends)?

The article hits one point on the nose as well: we are only taking half measures to try to solve these problems. As if a switch to cloth bags will somehow take carbon dioxide from the air. We do these little things to assuage ourselves of the guilt we have when we fill up our gas tanks.

Lindorff is right, we need to rethink our society. A band-aid solution won't save you when air pollution is lethal (which some would argue it already is in many parts of the world).

The bottom line is that we've all contributed to the problems humanity is now facing. But we are all part of the solution. We have let consumerism get the better of us for some time now. We have become disconnected with the world and the people around us. With creative and inspired leadership (and there is some hope for this) we may find a way. We need to stop thinking about what is best for "me" and start thinking about what is best for "us."

The old adage goes: "There's no I in team," and right about now, our species needs to take that advice to heart, or like Lindorff says, we could rip apart the life jackets.

Why Is English Important?

2008-02-12T09:43:00.001-08:00

Note: This Post was taken from my Korean Blog.

In all of my waiting (see the post in my Korean Blog), I've been trying to broaded the news I read (online). In one of my attempts to get caught up on news in Korea, I found an interesting article about the need for English in South Korea.

To sum up the article (for those of you who are too lazy to click on the link and read it):

- many Koreans are not as fluent as they would like to be in English (as evidenced by many Koreans who work abroad and work with foreigners)

- some are worried about a focus on English (which takes away from the rest of the curriculum and could potentially lead to the eventual demise of the Korean language)

- foreign languages (more than English, though it is certainly one of the more useful ones) are helpful in a world in which barriers to communiction and trade are frequently being broken down.

For my part, I look at my teaching job not as colonialism (which I'm sure is what some people see it as), but as helping the Koreans gain a valuable tool. If Koreans can speak English and Korean, they have tools to deal with more people. If they learn other languages (French, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic), they are even more equipped than the monoliguists who need phrasebooks to have the most trivial of conversations.

The irony is, of course, that while the west supports this teaching of English, we do not teach our children other languages to the degree that the Koreans do (by mass hiring native speakers of a language to teach it). In a world that is largely anglocentric we have not had to do this. One day we may have to learn other languages (my guess would be Mandarin) to communicate with the rest of the world.

Didn't we give them the games so this wouldn't happen?

2008-02-10T08:48:00.000-08:00

Several years ago I remember watching the IOC give their decision on the 2008 Summer games and like many Canadians I was rather upset that Toronto lost the games to Beijing - a country that had only years earlier murdered several protesters (exact numbers are not known, but estimates range in the thousands) at a site we were told would be the venue for Beach Volleyball (I couldn't confirm this, and I think the location has since been switched).

We were told that part of the reason for giving the games to China was that there was hope that Human Rights abuses would decline (I can't give facts either way, but I am sure there is evidence here) in the communist (only by name) country. Perhaps progress is being made, and in that case I can fully accept the loss of the Olympics (ironically, I will be living closer to Beijing that to Toronto during the games) - especially when Toronto has its own problems to worry about.

What is troubling for me today is a recent news article I read about the UK Olympic team on the CNN website (and a similar article I found on the BBC website). The article states (not very clearly) that athletes are being pursuaded to sign a contract forbidding them to speak out on human rights abuses - though I believe they are allowed to answer questions on the issue.

This baffles my mind. We give China the games in hope that they improve their human rights, and then we silence some of the most visible people at the games when it comes to that very subject. I realize there are many athletes there who will censor themselves without any contract because they either a) don't realize the extent of the issue or b) don't care enough to speak out even for their fellow athletes who are living and training in China. I do know there are likely some who will speak out (and even the BBC article stated that Canada, the U.S. and Australia are allowed to speak freely) and perhaps even make progress.

Despite this small setback, I think there are many people (hey, I may even be one of them) who are in Beijing during those two weeks in August specifically highlighting human rights abuses. China's reactions will surely be muted on this grand stage during these two weeks. They definitely do not want to be embarrased when the whole world is watching.

Plastic Bags Revisited

2008-02-07T13:33:00.000-08:00

Several months ago, I wrote about plastic bags. Recently, they have made the news again, but not because a new city has banned them.

The news I am referring to is from Ireland. The government has done something novel: they have taxed bags but they did not ban them (Read articles from the New York Times and the International Herald Tribune). Not only did they tax them, but they taxed them quite a bit: 33 cents. And the effects have been quite remarkable with over a 90% drop in bag use.

There are several reasons why this approach may be more effective. For starters, it does not lower consumer choice, but makes the bags reflect the true costs (beyond just the money required to produce them, the tax tries to add in the cost of disposal, or rather the space given in a landfill). There may be something to the argument that the tax is too high. I am not able to give estimates of how much a bag will cost to dispose of, but keep in mind most of these plastic bags will not decompose and will thus be present in landfills for thousands of years (perhaps longer).

A second advantage (related to the price), is that the cost of bags is clearly noticeable. When I worked at a grocery store, we would refund 3 cents everytime a customer used their own bags. The idea is similar, but very different. First of all, 3 cents is not a lot of money. Most people didn't care at all, and it did not stop people from asking for double bags (because if they chose not to double bag it was the same price). The monetary impact is also diminished because the 3 cent refund is for cloth bags used - which often hold at least twice as much as plastic bags because they are both bigger and stronger.

The third advantage is for grocery stores who will obviously save a lot of money buying bags and storing them.

A fourth advantage is that they do not rely on stores to buy biodegradable bags. These bags are not all they are cracked up to be. Not only do they contribute to global warming, they do not degrade as fast (if at all) when placed in landfills (which often do not have enough of the necessary oxygen). Unfortunately, many workers at grocery stores do not realize these facts and often tell people that they don't have to feel guilty about using bags anymore (and apparently corporate headquarters was contradicting the scientific evidence out there on the landfill issue). They will break down in composts however.

There are likely more advantages to this approach as well though they may not be measureable (perhaps lineups will move quicker as people pack their own bags (which is a lot more common when they have their own bags as opposed to using the store-provided bags).

For someone who doesn't need an incentive to use their own bags (I've been doing it for almost as long as I've been grocery shopping), I think ideas like this one from Ireland will lead to reduced plastic bag use. It's good to see some governments taking some leadership on the issue (beyond just a blanket ban).

If you think this is a good idea, you could always contact your local representatives and suggest this idea. The more they hear this, the more likely they are to repeat it here.

Or if you don't need to economic incentive, you could just get cloth bags and use them instead.

Spread the Net (No, Not the Internet)

2008-02-05T12:45:00.000-08:00

Some of you may have heard of this iniative as I am writing about this a while after the ball has gotten rolling.

Spreadthenet.org is dedicated to providing mosquito nets to children in sub saharan Africa who are at risk of getting malaria. Why is malaria such a problem? Here are some stats from the CDC website:

Forty-one percent of the world's population live in areas where malaria is transmitted (e.g., parts of Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Central and South America, Hispaniola, and Oceania).
Each year 350–500 million cases of malaria occur worldwide, and over one million people die, most of them young children in sub-Saharan Africa.
In areas of Africa with high malaria transmission, an estimated 990,000 people died of malaria in 1995 – over 2700 deaths per day, or 2 deaths per minute.
In 2002, malaria was the fourth cause of death in children in developing countries, after perinatal conditions (conditions occurring around the time of birth), lower respiratory infections (pneumonias), and diarrheal diseases. Malaria caused 10.7% of all children's deaths in developing countries.
In Malawi in 2001, malaria accounted for 22% of all hospital admissions, 26% of all outpatient visits, and 28% of all hospital deaths. Not all people go to hospitals when sick or having a baby, and many die at home. Thus the true numbers of death and disease caused by malaria are likely much higher.

Though there are several ways in which malaria can be combatted, many of them have proved inneffective in poorer countries. I could go on talking about how malaria been killing off humans for thousands of years, or many other aspects of the disease, but I'm not going to.

The tragedy is that prevention is fairly cheap (for us) and nets reduce malaria transmission and deaths by a good proportion (according to Spread the net, the transmission rate drops by 50% and the under-5 mortality rate drops 25%).

A small $10 donation will buy one (treated) net that 2 or 3 children can sleep under (most of the malaria transmitting mosquitoes only come out at night to feed). If you're looking for somewhere to donate money, this is definitely a worthy cause. With AIDS and malaria ravaging Africa, it's hard for the people who live there to get their feet on the ground economically. This is definitely something that will help.

For more information on malaria (including a nice long list of external links), check out wikipedia.

Here's a quick video of everyone's favourite Canadian celebrity:

And on a closing note: big props to Belinda Stronach who has shown a great deal of involvement with Spread the Net. It's nice to see our politians doing some good in the world.

Stuff, Stuff and More Stuff

2008-02-04T08:42:00.000-08:00

Recently (in the last week), I moved from Victoria to Hamilton. This proved a significant challenge for me and my way of life. In the almost four and a half years I was living in Victoria, I accumulated a great deal of items and have had to deal with this stuff in the last few weeks.

It really did amaze (scare) me that I had so much stuff to call my own. Most of it was worthless to me, but I still hung onto it for the possibility that one day it might become useful. For example: in our townhouse, we had two couches (as well as many chairs). One of those couches was rarely used (and in fact a whole section of the living room was left untouched for weeks or months at a time). Yet I still kept this couch.

When moving time came many decisions were made that I am not necessarily happy I had to make. Since I did get most of the furniture and other items for free, I didn't really have a problem giving them away (and in some cases I made a bit of money to help with the costs of moving). What really got to me was the widespread use of the dumpster. So much of this stuff (which was probably useful to someone) was left in the dumpster (legally) in my townhouse complex. We managed to get a good deal to Big Brothers and the Salvation Army, but too much was wasted.

I guess I write this not to express my guilt (for I surely am guilty) but to urge the rest of you not to accumulate so much. If this process of having to decide what is important has taught me anything, it's that most of the stuff around us is irrelevant. Sure, some of it is necessary (a bed, clothes, and some other items), but most of it is only a burden and will eventually turn into a big task.

I suppose I should have started sorting through things earlier and perhaps less would be wasted and end up in a landfill, but even if that happens, most stuff will end up in a landfill when we're done with it. With the exception of my compost (let's just say it went back to nature) everything I threw out will likely be rotting away for years to come, to be useless to pretty much everything around us.

So don't buy stuff you don't need. You'll save money, clutter and future stress.

The First _________ President

2008-01-28T20:52:00.000-08:00

Even though I'm Canadian I've been following American politics fairly closely since the famous Florida debacle. It's not that I'm a big fan of our southern neighbours, but as a nation the U.S. of A. weilds a lot of sway throughout the world and I figure what happens there affects us all to some degree.

Lately I have been following the primaries and potential next presidents (mostly the Democrats, but I've been paying attention to the Republicans). I have started to get really frustrated with one theme that many people and media outlets are using over and over. To be fair, I had been on that particular bandwagon for some time - and in the recent past. What I'm talking about is the thought that the U.S. will be (likely) electing either it's first female or first black President. Now I'm not one to argue about the odds of one of Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama winning the presidency (I would actually be very surprised if it wasn't one of the two of them), but rather the emphasis.

If they win, they will indeed be the first president of their kind, but is that important in the grand scheme of things? I think it says a lot that both a woman and a black man have as much support as they do in their efforts. My intentions are not to belittle the struggles of any minorities, but should that even be the focus? If this is a theme that is so prevalent in the discourse, should we not be asking ourselves: are we voting for these people because they belong to their respective minorities? I can't speak for anyone, but I would imagine that they are voting for Obama and Clinton because of what they "stand for." So why is the media talking about the skin colour and gender? No doubt the two candidates face more obstacles than those who were born white and male, but it seems not to have hindered either of them. But to me that is only the subject of a human interest story.

I think someone should be elected (or given a job) based on their abilities and their work ethic (and other factors depending upon the position). It is definitely a sign of good times when we can support someone for what they stand for and do and not what demographic they fit into.

I will leave you with two video clips that made gave me hope for a better tomorrow:

I think this world would be a much friendlier and peaceful place if everyone saw each other as one people with differences that make us all unique. May the best person become president - regardless of gender or skin tone.

Thought Provoking Magazines

2008-01-27T21:40:00.000-08:00

Working at a library I get to see thousands of books, movies and magazines each day. More often than not I'll take a book out and not have time to read it (my latest failure - only due to being busy trying to move - is Naiomi Klein's The Shock Doctrine, which if the first chapter and a half would indicate, is a very engrossing book).

Magazines, however, are much easier to get through since they are often full of shorter articles. I have found two (well two and a half, but everyone knows about National Geographic already) that have been full of interesting and relevant articles (at least to me): Scientific American (this isn't something I discovered, but rather something I read a few times) and the New Internationalist (which I had never heard of until I saw it on the shelf one day).

A couple of examples as to why I enjoyed these magazines (which might spur you on or make you stay away from them):

- Scientific American recently did a huge feature issue on food and it's many issues. It talked about why there are discrepancies between food advice taken from studies (apparently scientists are only looking at nutrients in isolation and in fact they act together in your body - the best way to stay healthy is to eat a balanced diet with natural foods, lots of vegetables, few servings of junk food, and to get regular exercise - advice that is as simple as it is tried, tested and true). The issue also dealt with obesity (in developed and developing countries) and how food can be addictive. It was very informative and based in facts not some fad diet guru trying to sell his newest plan to lose weight and be lazy at the same time. The potential downside to this magazine is that often the language is very complex and hard to understand (in a scientific kind of way, not in a Chaucer kind of way)

- New Internationalist frequently does similar things in each issue. It takes a topic (depleted uranium, corporate responsibility and Darfur are three recent examples) and discuess different aspects of them at length. It gives facts and statistics to help paint an accurate picture of the topics. This magazine is definitely not for those who aren't into international issues.

So if you're interested, check out their websites, read them in libraries and if you like them, subscribe.

Consume this...

2008-01-04T23:13:00.000-08:00

I read this editorial in NY Times online edition a day or two ago and thought it would be a good thing to share. In a break from my usual tradition, I'm not going to make any comments on what is written beyond the fact that I think that what is written about is something we all need to contemplate (and more importantly act on).

Enjoy!

p.s. if you find yourself nodding in agreement the whole time and wanting more of the author's (Jared Diamond) perspective you can try reading his books: The Third Chimpanzee, Collapse, and Guns, Germs and Steel. I have read two of the and am planning on reading the third in the near future. Or if you're really lazy, National Geographic made a video series for Guns, Germs and Steel.

Be Kind To Your Cashiers

2007-12-29T09:03:00.000-08:00

In my last post I mentioned that I had gotten a job at a grocery store to make ends meet when no one else would hire me. Due to other circumstances, I will not be at this job for much longer. Before I do leave my position as a check out clerk I thought I would share some observations about my job which might help other people in my position.

Through my few months on the job I began to realize what it was that made some days so terrible and other days slightly bearable (others had more positive experiences than I did, so don't take my word as the ultimate truth). I had this feeling that customers were all mean and demanding and not very kind to myself and my coworkers. Then I paid more attention to who was nice, who was neutral and who was just plain nasty. I found that the majority of people didn't cause me any stress or make me feel bad about myself. It was a select few. The problem was that it takes many smiles to make up for one memorable frown (this I should have figured out earlier with my experience as a teacher). So even if 10 people are super kind to me, one person can ruin my day. I also do realize most of the people who aren't kind to checkout people are not likely to read this and the ones who do read this are probably the kind ones I see every day.

So here are some tips to make your checkout people more enjoyable:

1) Acknowledge their existence. Yes I know this sounds trivial, but not a day goes by when I don't get a customer who does nothing but talk on their cellphone through the whole transaction. It makes cashiers (at least me) feel dehumanized. We are people too.

2) Don't take your problems out on them: they likely aren't the reason for them. And if you're kind, we might be able to help you out. Kindness can help you solve your problems. Believe me, I'll look harder for something on the shelves if someone asks kindly. I'm not saying you should be all smiles all the time, and I don't even mind listening to what's bothering you, but when you get upset at us, it just passes the anger/upsetness along to more people (and since we are human, it will likely get passed on to more customers).

3) If you can help, please do. Nothing makes me feel worse than rushing to ring through a huge order while the customer is just standing their tapping their fingers waiting for me to bad everything. I realize some customers are unable to bag and I have no problem doing it for them. That is my job after all. What is difficult is the people who think they can order other people around just because they have money. Yes, the big corporations are getting profits from you shopping there, but the workers are getting paid very little and if you're able to help them out, it makes everyone's lives easier.

I'm sure I could give more tips, but those are three big ones. I do realize not every cashier is in a cheery mood (and those that are are most likely faking it), but if you are nice to us, we tend to be nicer to the public.

So next time you're in a grocery store or a department store, give the people working their a smile. You never know what difference you might make in their lives.

Filling in the gaps

2007-12-08T15:09:00.000-08:00

Before I start talking about new things, I thought I should share with you what has been going on in my life the last few months.

In June I graduated from University with my B.Ed. and was happy as could be. I decided not to worry too much about jobs for at least a week or so. When I did start looking I had no success. All summer I looked for jobs and applied for those I thought I could do. Most did not get back to me. It was a depressing time for me and writing for a blog didn't seem to important at the time (though in retrospect, it may have kept my spirits up and helped me get through some tough times).

During this time I was running quite a bit with the run clinic I had joined. This was quite different than I was used to and I had good weeks and bad. The bad weeks did not help my disposition. In early August I finally got a small breakthrough on the job front. I got about 6 or 7 hours a week working with children but at a lower wage and with a long commute. It helped a bit both to the self esteem and the money shortage I was experiencing. I applied for many other jobs in the teaching field (including for the Victoria school district) and got a few interviews that didn't really go anywhere (except for one job that led me on for over two weeks only to tell me they wanted someone more experienced working on their own) so I had to make some drastic moves.

It was about the same time that my running went downhill. I had trained too hard through August and was burnt out in September. The combination of poor running and no job success made me do something I am not proud of, but something that did keep me afloat until now. I applied and got a job at a grocery store (I won't say which one because I don't want to give any free advertising). I got a few hours (many at odd times and not consistent week to week) at a low pay so when I got a call to take on a third job (which paid much better) at a library, I took that up.

So here I am now, working three jobs, and between 42 and 54 hours a week making barely enough to survive. And that's why I haven't really had time to write anything thoughtful and inspiring. But like I said below, there are some major changes coming.

For starters, I'm going to try to write occasionally on here to help get me through the tougher times. At least this will allow me to speak my mind (and maybe someone will actually listen and maybe even think about what I write) about things that I think are important (or interesting).

But what is really big is that I do have a good job - just not for a few more months. I've actually known for a while, but it hasn't seemed real (hard to imagine greener pastures working three jobs). I (with a good friend) will be teaching English in Korea (the South, not the North) starting probably in March. No travel dates (or even a city) have yet been confirmed, but I have been accepted by an agency that does placements in Korea and have been told I will have a job there.

I have started to get excited about this trip and thus I felt the need to start speaking to the masses again. So I've set up another blog to detail the trip. I've mostly done this as a resource for anyone who wants to go to Korea in the future, but it will also be used as a way to keep track of what I'm doing there and how it's going. This blog will also still exist to talk about non-Korea things (so that anyone using that one as a guide won't have to wade through all of my odd-flavoured posts here).

So that's what's been going on. I hope to get back into the swing of things here shortly (perhaps even as soon as tomorrow - though I'm not making any promises) so look for something soon.

Thank you for continuing to check this blog!

Changes, changes changes!

2007-12-02T09:01:00.000-08:00

It has been a while since I found the time or the energy to write a post. There have been good reasons for this and over the next few weeks I will hopefully be able to relate those reasons to my viewers who have been checking this site occasionally.

The last few months have been filled with some big changes to my life and it has been hard to adjust and survive in this new life that has been formed around me. Further and bigger changes are coming in the next few months (and if you're really savvy you can probably figure out the biggest one) so this space will likely be much different than it once was. All changes will be revealed in due time.

So what does all of this cryptic talk mean to you? Well, for starters it means that I'm back, though different. I have decided to make the format a bit looser for my blog. I will no longer adhere to the strict guidelines I set out at the beginning, though I will try to keep my posts to the subjects that started with (with perhaps a few exceptions).

I will probably be posting with less frequency than I was before (I think the intensity was too much for me at the time, and now I have even less free time), but I will do my best to make quality posts.

Look for a brand new post in the next few days...

Countdown of My Favourite Children's Books: Honourable Mentions

2007-06-19T19:28:00.000-07:00

About a month and a half ago, I finished a countdown of my ten favourite children's books. Then I promised I would give you some that are good, but just missed the list. After a long wait, here they are (in no particular order):

Stephanie's Ponytail (Robert Munsch): a great story about individuality - and a really funny ending! Check out the link it has a cute story in it. Also, as a side note, I have a friend (maybe she reads my blog) who was given a copy of this book but someone replaced all the "Stephanie"s with her name.

Curious George Series (Maragaret and H.A. Rey): If you haven't heard of Curious George and the Man with the Yellow Hat, I suggest you go to the library. If you have heard of them, you know why this is here.

The King's Stilts (Dr. Seuss): Not one of his better known books, but one that was read to me a lot in childhood. Moral of the story: if you're going to work hard, make sure you take some relaxation time (and don't build your city where the only thing holding back the ocean is a bunch of trees that birds like to eat).

Babar Series (Jean de Brunhoff): Originally from France, Babar is an elephant who has wonderful adventures. How can you not like that? Well, though the stories are great, check out the section "Criticism" in the Wikipedia article I linked to above. Apparently Babar is about more than just elephants...

Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel (Virginia Lee Burton): I only put this here because I remember this book from my childhood. Reading this as an adult, this seems to promote development of the land (without any concern for the animals, environment, etc.). But the story does redeem itself with it's ending (sort of).

That's all I could really think of off the top of my head. Does anyone out there have any other great children's books they want to share? If so please do...

Movie Review: Cube

2007-06-18T22:30:00.000-07:00

Ok, so despite having the day completely off and having a lot of things to post about (I watched so many movies this week I'm not sure I could remember them), I didn't get to posting until I needed to get to bed. So unfortunately this is going to be a bit short.

I had never heard of Cube until my sister told me about it and lent me a copy to watch (as with many great things I talk about on here, my sister is once again the source). I was actually pretty excited to watch what some would call a horror movie.

Cube starts with us meeting several people (it ends up that we see 7 in total) who awake to find themselves in cubed rooms of different colours. They find each other and try to find a way out of this cubed prison. There is a small catch though: some of the rooms are booby trapped. Using skills they all have, they work together to try to find a way out.

You can bet that things don't go exactly as planned and some gory things happen. I'll be honest about the gore: it's not that bad. Yes there are some gross things, but there is definitely much worse out there. So if you're looking for gore, look elsewhere.

Where Cube is brilliant is the way in which the characters act. The whole situation is absurd, but they do what they can to try to get out. We are never told why they are in the cube, who made the cube, or anything else. All we know is that they need to get out.

What makes the movie even better is that, not only was it made in Canada, but it was also filmed on a single fourteen by fourteen foot set (with different coloured panels to show the different rooms). Very low budget but very scary nonetheless.

For anyone who wants a psychological thriller I would definitely suggest Cube. I give it a 3.25/4.

I saw some other good movies this week so perhaps I'll find the time to fit in reviews later in the week...

Happy Father's Day

2007-06-17T11:46:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day to all the fathers, grandfathers, uncles and so on and so forth, including my own father!

Some interesting facts about Father's Day:

The first modern Father's Day was celebrated in West Virginia in 1908. If that date and place sound familiar it's because that was also the year and state where Mother's Day originated.
In Thailand, they celebrate Father's day on the birthday of the King (which is currently December 5th).
For more information check out Wikipedia.

Have a great day everyone!

Learning to Run All Over Again

2007-06-16T19:44:00.000-07:00

I know I said I would try to keep this from becoming a "today I had toast with jam" blog, but I thought I might as well add this in and if you don't like it... don't read it (but read all the other interesting stuff I'm writing about.

Yesterday I did what I had in my mind for weeks now: I signed up for a Run Clinic. Yes. I did. This is not a joke. For those of you who know me, you're probably wondering why I would join a clinic after training with a University Program for the last 7 years (ok, two different University programs over that time). Well, it all comes down to having people to run with. Since my recent leaving of University (or more importantly, the ending of my eligibility - though that's a controversy and a half on it's own) I have no one to run with. I also got really out of shape during my practicum and thus had to wipe out my outdoor track season.

So, I decided to focus on the Royal Victoria Half Marathon in October. I probably could have trained for this on my own (even though the longest race I have ever done is less than half of a half marathon), but I thought it would be nice to train with people - even if I am fitter than they are (try not to read any cockyness from this - I could be wrong and not be the fastest in the group). If anyone out there wants to challenge me, I'm in the Half Marathon group at Peninsula Runners in Victoria, B.C. (the leaders are much faster than I am, so that makes me think they know their stuff).

Anyway, I have actually gotten excited about this and thought it would be a good idea to have weekly updates to how the clinic is going (to inspire some of you to do the same thing). I also think I can outdo my fellow UVic runner in his blogging about his training. Since it starts this Wednesday I don't have too much to say yet, but rest assured I will next week.

Countdown of My Favourite Sports Movies: #'s 10, 9 & 8

2007-06-16T15:41:00.000-07:00

More than a month ago, I suggested that I would do a top 10 countdown of my favourite sports movies. Keeping in mind there are a few sports "Classics" that I have not seen, here is the first three in the countdown:

10. Any Given Sunday. Why is it that some of the best sports movies are about Football? Any Given Sunday tells the story of a fictional football team. An aging quarterback is hurt in a game and is replaced by the second string quaterback who is also hurt. This sets the stage for the third string quaterback (Jamie Foxx) who fills in more than adequately. The story follows many different members of the team (Al Pacino as the head coach, Cameron Diaz as an owner, James Woods as the team doctor, etc.). Directed by Oliver Stone this football movie is definitely worth a watch if you have the time.

9. Chariots of Fire. It's not often that a sports movie will win Best Picture at the Oscars (the only one I was sure of was Rocky - and I haven't even seen it), so I thought Chariots of Fire should be on the list. Set in 1924, the movie tells the story of Eric Liddell and Harold Abrahams, two British Sprinters who ran in the Paris Olympics that same year. I won't give away the ending, but I will say that it is a movie that should be seen. This movie has probably the best opening of any movies I've ever seen (and the music lives on forever in my head - especially when we ran through Willow's beach in Victoria as a group on a cloudy Sunday morning).

8. Rudy. Admittedly I have only seen this once, but include it on my list because it is a classic and it has a good message (work hard and your dreams can come true). Starring Sean Astin (funny, I've been compared to two of his characters...) and Charles S. Dutton, this is a great movie to watch if you're in need of some sports inspiration. In it, Rudy (Astin) is always told he is too small to play football. He never stops trying and tries to make the Notre Dame football team as a walk-on. Like Chariots of Fire, this is also based upon a true story (you may notice a trend...)

Check back next week when I'll go through #'s 7, 6 and 5.

Photo Feature: Blue Jay Fans

2007-06-16T12:51:00.001-07:00

Proof that I've been a Blue Jays fan for a long time. Me and my cousins in our Blue Jay uniforms sometime back when they were actually good. Taken by Sharon Davidson.

If you have any photos you think are good, send them in to pieceofdust@gmail.com and they will get posted in this space.

Recipe Contest Announcement

2007-06-15T21:39:00.000-07:00

Today has been a very frustrating day between my computer and myself... let's just say there is no easy (or quick) way to make 30 copies of a dvd I made for my students (especially since it took forever to get one good copy). Anyway, I finally got things sorted out and I want to get to my planned post. I've wanted to do this every Friday for months now, but I have always been up against a deadline. But today is different: I planned it out last night!

For my latest contest (I need to get interest in this blog up), I'm asking for your submissions of recipes. To make things clear, I have made some guidelines and criteria for judgement.

Criteria to win this contest:

Ingredients must be widely available. If it's not in my regularly used grocery store you will be penalized - and moreso if I can't find it in a few others.
Cost should be as minimal as possible. It shouldn't cost me $30 for one serving. I'll rank them from most expensive to least expensive (barring no sales - I'll do the math. Math makes me happy).
The dish should be easy to make. I will actually be making these and ranking them based on how easy they were to make (which also means your instructions should be clear).
The dish should be creative. That means no ripping it off from the internet (though I admit it will be hard to catch). If you give me a recipe to make hot dogs or rice crispie squares I will be a bit suspect of your efforts - though why anyone would submit that as their recipe is beyond me.
The dish shouldn't be too simple or too complex. Basically I'm talking about the number of ingredients here. It shouldn't be one thing (I'd say 5 is probably the minimum) and it shouldn't be 30 ingredients. Use your common sense when judging this. I'm more concerned about things being too simple than too complex (see above points about complex dishes though).
Is the dish tasty? I'll be sharing my cooking with others so I won't be the only judge on this matter.
Is the dish healthy? Lots of sugar (or other chemicals) is probably not a good idea. Natural foods are best (though I will accept pastes, sauces, etc. - don't go overboard with stuff like that though).
The dish can be anything you want it to be (though don't think that you can bribe me with desserts).
Please use measurements that I can understand. Cups/tablespoons/etc. or L, mL, etc. (including both would make my life easier).

All entries become the property of my blog and me (Michael Davidson) and will be posted (all entries that are at minimum edible) in this space the weeks following the judging of this contest.

Each recipe will be given a score (probably an average of the above 7 criteria - evenly weighted and out of 10 each). The winner will receive a Season One DVD of The Next Great Chef (I'm too sick of technology today to get a camera out and take a picture of it - perhaps in an update for this contest).

Entries are due no later than Thursday July 5th, 2007 at 11:59pm Pacific Time (that's a Thursday night and gives you three weeks). All entries are to be emailed to pieceofdust@gmail.com. Each individual may submit only one entry and must include their mailing address with their entry for it to be valid.

If you have any questions regarding rules or anything else, please post them as a comment so that everyone can see them and I will respond to everyone (so that it's fair).

Happy cooking!

Pimping Your Firefox Part VIII: Weather in Your Browser

2007-06-14T18:58:00.001-07:00

It's been a while since I talked about all the great things you can do with Firefox. For a quick reminder, you'll need Firefox to use these great things (and you can read all my previous Firefox talk here).

Follow this link to download Firefox.

Today I am going to talk about two Firefox add-ons that are weather related.

The first is Forecast Fox. This extension gives you the current weather as well as a few days (mine gives me 3 days) in advance. All you do is open your browser and it's there. The extension even updates itself. So for those of you who are too lazy to bookmark your local Weather Network forecast page (or if you're from Victoria, this awesome page - maybe more on that another day) you don't have to. A couple of caveats though. I would tend to think that the other two pages would be much more reliable (though as you can see on the Victoria Weather page, within a city there can be huge variations - so a home thermometer would be best). The second is that the other pages are way more detailed. I use Forecast Fox, but only as a guide.

A second extension (which is more cool than useful) is Sun Cult. This extension will give you sunrise, sunset, moon rise, moon set information for your city and day (as well as some more information). This could be useful if you need to know how light it will be out (the end of twilight is one of those extras you get). Anyway, I think it's cool and it goes well with Forecast Fox so I threw it in there.

Hope you're all enjoying Firefox. If you haven't at least tried it yet, I suggest you go here and download it for free (as it always is) and try it out!

Bus Story: The Lively Man

2007-06-14T18:44:00.000-07:00

For those of you who have seen Cocoon this story sounds like something right out of the movie. Here's what happened:

Last night I was taking the bus home late in the evening (about 9:45 or so). There was an elderly gentleman on my bus who was standing up at the front of the bus (there were seats he could sit in, but he seemed to enjoy standing there). At first I thought he was talking to the bus driver (to be honest I had music in my ears) but then he started to get a bit active. He walked from side to side.

Soon he was holding himself up on the bars that run the length of the bus. Soon he started doing chin-ups (at least what I thought were chin-ups, he didn't really pull his chin over the bar - but considering there is not much room above the bar and his age, I was pretty impressed). I looked around and didn't really see anyone paying attention to him (at this point what he was doing wasn't that obvious).

So I started thinking that maybe he's got a bit of energy and was excited about something. But it didn't stop at the chin-ups. He eventually started holding on to the bar and then bringing his feet up as high as he could. At first it wasn't high, but eventually it got to about the height of the bar. Again, I looked around (with a noticeable grin on my face) and saw a few people pay attention (though many were obviously making an effort to ignore it - an interesting bit of social interactions - makes me think of some interesting social experiments I could do...).

It wasn't until he started swinging back and forth (with each arm on different bars) that I realized I had my cell phone - which has a camera - on me. I took it out to try to get a picture (which drew at least one grin from a fellow passenger), but he got off as soon as I got it picture ready.

So that's my story. To make things even weirer, the guy kind of resembled Don Ameche in Cocoon (in actions and in appearance).

I think I could start a blog writing about my bus experiences (I think I should post my poem about buses that I wrote as an example for my class.... perhaps another day).

I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed seeing it. Isn't life full of wonderful things?

The Facebook Phenomenon

2007-06-14T16:31:00.001-07:00

So unless you've been hiding under a rock lately, you've likely heard of Facebook, the internet social networking site. Originally started at Harvard for it's students, the creator of Facebook - Mark Zuckerburg - eventually opened Facebook to everyone. The site has been going through a rather lengthy and rapid evolution. To read more about what Facebook was and where it came from, check out Wikipedia.

Facebook has become huge, almost overnight (I first heard about it in December 2006) and is frequently making news headlines here, here and here. Seemingly almost everyone I know is on Facebook and those who aren't are only holding out for personal reasons (these are the same people that didn't get MSN Messenger or ICQ when they were "all the rage" - but Facebook is so much more).

I want to talk about what Facebook is right now and why it can be a useful - if used properly - tool. For starters, my big appeal for Facebook is to keep in touch with friends I don't normally see. I was actually enticed to join it to stay in touch with my fellow classmates while we started our final practicums in January. We even created a group for our graduating year and as of today we have more than two thirds of the grads in the group. As teachers, having a social network like this could be extremely useful.

A second useful thing about Facebook is it's ability to have public or private message boards for groups, and for sharing pictures, planning events.

Some used Facebook for "internet stalking" and for posting pictures of themselves drinking to excess. Let me address both of these one at a time. Stalking isn't that cool, but if you don't want the general public to see pictures of you, then don't make them public. The posting of drunken - or otherwise unflattering - pictures to Facebook is not quite the smartest move. There have been many stories of companies checking out prospective employees on Facebook. I know I have checked potential roommates on there and that some parents of students I have in class are on Facebook. But before this turns you off of Facebook, you can easily change your privacy settings so that your pictures are only viewable to people you confirm as your friends (and the privacy settings can go beyond that - but that will be a future post!).

Lately I have noticed many adults joining Facebook (including one of my mentor teachers - and yes I did add her as a friend) and many people are finding those long lost friends from Highschool (and those people you just didn't want to see again - you gotta deal with the good and bad unfortunately).

Every day things seem to be changing on Facebook. As one of the articles I linked to above mentions, there have been many applications added to Facebook in recent weeks. Some of these are small, but interesting and have helped out several other businesses in the process.

What seems to be happening is that Facebook is playing a big role in making those distances between people much smaller. We can now share our lives with people far away with very little effort. Can this be a bad thing? I suggest those non-Facebook users out there at least give it a look over.

Many issues come up with internet applications like this one and I feel like I ought to explore them in depth in future posts. Please comment on any questions you have about Facebook to help me direct what I'll talk about in the coming weeks.

Photo Feature: Hamilton Sunset

2007-06-13T16:45:00.000-07:00

Sunset over Hamilton Harbour. Taken by Sharon Davidson.

If you have any pictures you think are good send them to pieceofdust@gmail.com and I will post them.

Problem of the Day Part X

2007-06-12T20:12:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I asked any questions. Before I give out new questions I have to give some answers to the last two problems.

Part VII

1. A notable doctor had no table and was therefore, not able to operate

2. My lighter is lighter than my wallet.

Carly G. got both for 9 points.

Part IX

I'll be honest, these were vague and pretty hard. You kind of had to know the answers as it would have been hard to figure them out.

1. Elijah Wood was first seen on the screen in Back to the Future II (playing a video game in the future) and later appeared in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

2. Tim Robbins appeared in Top Gun after Goose (Anthony Edwards of ER) dies in an accident. He replaced Goose as Maverick's (Tom Cruise) flying navigator.

No one even attempted these. Guess they were too obscure.

There has been a lead change in the points race. It's not too late for anyone else to jump in the fray...

I'm going back to patterns this week. I'm hoping they are more difficult than the first ones I gave. Each one will be one point for each blank that I have and one point for the way you found it out:

1) 3, 3, 5, 4, 4, 3, 5, ___,___

2) 77, 49, 36, 18, ___

3) 3, 3, 1, 2, 4, 3, ___, ___

That's 8 points in total up for grabs. Email pieceofdust@gmail.com with your answers.

A School Without Deadlines...?

2007-06-12T19:50:00.000-07:00

As I said in my previous post, I wanted to talk about two articles I saw in the Globe and Mail this past weekend. The second article concerns deadlines - or rather a lack of them - in schools these days. Basically, the idea is that students can no longer be penalized for handing in assignments late - if they turn them in at all.

This is a tough issue to tackle. On one hand, students need to be held accountable for their learning. Though I am unaware of a similar rule in B.C., I've been in many classrooms here where it feels like pulling teeth to get assignments in from students (though admittedly, that could be due to my relative inexperience). I find it hard to justify passing a student who hands in a quarter of the work they are supposed to do. What values are we teaching children by allowing them to "do what they can?"

That being said, since we do push students faster than their abilities, it is much harder for some students to do all the work in the given time. Should we be asking students to do more than they are able to do? What about home situations? Some students have help at home, while others have other things on their minds at home (and I don't mean XBOX).

Like the last post, it seems like the system does not offer any satisfying solution to this situation. We can either teach children about deadlines (the fact that we have deadlines in the first place could be debated - why does a paper about World War II (or whatever topic you choose) have to be finished by Friday? The war is not going anywhere), or we can frustrate many of them by giving them too much.

I find it interesting that the article briefly mentions rubrics, and in a way, dismisses them. Without getting into a big debate about marks and the difference between a 79 and an 80% I will say that I think that rubrics are fairer to students and a better measure of their progress.

So in closing, I have a lot more issues to look into in the future, including: Marks, Deadlines, and the segregation of students in Gifted programs (or otherwise).

I hope this didn't confuse you too much. I think the purpose of me writing this is to expose the issues facing our schools today (of which I saw many the last few months).

To Fail or Not To Fail

2007-06-12T12:34:00.001-07:00

This past weekend, the Globe and Mail published two articles about teaching and I thought I would try to devote a post to each of them. The first article concerns failing students. The article, by Jill Mahoney, goes through many reasons for not failing students, but does provide some of the arguments for failing students.

Let me first explain that in my last few classroom experiences this has been an issue with which I have fought with sleepless nights. I'll out line the arguments for both sides (both of which I agree with) and then I'll offer up my suggestions for a better way.

Arguments for Failing Students:

If passing is automatic, then why should students try? If a student doesn't feel like working, failing is one thing that can be hung over students heads. It can be a motivating factor.
Failure happens in real life. Students may as well get used to it at an early age. If we give them things without an effort, they will expect it later in life.
Eventually, at some level of school (High School) students will need to do work to pass, and they will need skills to pass. If they didn't learn how to add or multiply in elementary school, then who will teach them in highschool? Teachers are expected to be accountable, but I have seen many grade 5 classes where MANY students (not just some) are functioning at grade 3 and 4 levels (and some at grade 1 and 2 levels). These students must be taught these grade 3 and 4 things before they can move on to grade 5 things. (I concede this could also be a problem with curriculum - but more on that one later).
If you promote students based on age (and not ability), you end up with a wide range of abilities in a classroom, which makes it much more difficult to teach. Sure it makes a teacher's job easier (and I might sound like I want it easier with this, but that is only a secondary benefit) but it also allows teachers to do more for ALL students.

Arguments for Not Failing Students

Self Esteem. I'll accept this argument as long as it applies to the current system. Imagine you are the only one in your whole school who gets held back. Not so fun. Under the current system failing a student can be disastrous.
Peer Groups. Students apparently need to be with their peers to develop properly. I can accept this argument in the current system where the failed student would be the only one who is older.

So What's My Solution?

Well, it's clear that in the current system, there are great reasons to both fail and to not fail students. Personally I think the system is broken. We are the ones that have placed this stigma on failing by not failing students (I realize that I put way more effort into one of my practicums - that I failed - while many of my students didn't lift a finger in class and were guaranteed to go on to the next grade), and to solve this problem and satisfy all parties we could use a major overhaul of our educations system.

I propose grouping students by abilities and not by age. Students must meet certain standards and criteria to move on to the next grade. I need to explain a few things with this. Does this mean standardized testing? Yes and no. It means a set of standards. There are certain outcomes that students need to demonstrate. They ought to actually have to demonstrate them all before they can move on to the next set. I don't think these should be kept secret from students. They should know what is expected and how to meet each expectation. The second thing I want to make clear is that there should not be this big high stakes failure. If you fail a grade in this system you lose a whole year. In my proposal you could move up and down grades whenever you completed the outcomes for a grade. Students would work with a teacher that helps them meet those expectations and gives them the support they need. In theory everyone in each class would be at the same ability level (more on this below) so students would be able to work on the same thing at the same time.

To make sure students had interaction with their peer group, they would also have a few periods a week (probably at least one a day) where they are with their peer group. I honestly think having students work with students of other ages is more beneficial than having students work with the same group year after year. But what do I know?

One last thought I have for my solution is this: what if a student does really well in Math and poorly in Language Arts? Well, in theory, the school could be set up so that students could go to different classes for each subject depending on their level (though I think this could be difficult if the gap between subjects was very large - as reading is important to EVERYTHING!). I'm sure my system is not perfect and could use some adjustments, but the current system is not exactly perfect.

Thanks for reading all of that.... what do you think???

Movie Review: Jarhead

2007-06-11T21:48:00.000-07:00

I never really had that much desire to see Jarhead, but I thought I should (for some reason I thought it was a good movie). To be fair, I don't think it is a bad movie. I have heard that it portrays a realistic view of the gulf war (but then again, I could be mistaken).

Jarhead follows Anthony Swofford (Jake Gyllenhaal) through boot camp, time in the Saudi Arabian desert and fighting (briefly) in Kuwait during the (first) Gulf War. Also included in the cast are Jamie Foxx and Peter Sarsgaard. The movie doesn't appear to have any purpose other than to show the almost pointlessness of the war - but even that comes more from me wanting to find that in the movie than it actually being there. Sure there are the comments about only being there to protect the oil fields, and about not taking pills to act against the potential chemical attacks, but I think those are more a documentation of what happened as opposed to a statement about it.

Some scenes are fairly brutal, but I didn't find anything to be too graphic (but keep in mind my generation has been completely desensitized to violence). I found the psychological issues to be scarier than the threat of physical danger in this movie.

There's not much else to say about this movie. I would certainly suggest it to get a glimpse of what the war was like (though I would much rather see Black Hawk Down for that same purpose - maybe I'll watch/review that some day). I give Jarhead a 3/4. It's not a great movie, but it is something that I would recommend to most people - though some may find the actions of the characters immature (albeit realistic). Check it out if you can...

On another note, I am going to try to get another streak of blog posts going so it's not just every once in a while. Look for some stuff about teaching and (FINALLY!) an updated problem of the day...

Movie Review: Paycheck

2007-06-11T21:35:00.001-07:00

I find it fitting that my last post was about a Philip K. Dick novel and this next post (after a one week layoff) is about a movie based on a Philip K. Dick story.

Paycheck, starring Ben Affleck and Uma Thurman, tells the story of a reverse engineer (Affleck) who has his memory erased after each big job. We first see him copying a monitor that projects out towards the viewer. He is quickly offered a very big job for a very big sum of money ($92 million). When his memory is erased three years later he is told he forfeited his payment and he is given a new set of personal belongings. It is through these items that he tries to figure out what went on.

Compared to other Dick stories turned movies (granted I have only seen a few) this one has the same feel (I felt like I was watching Totall Recall at points) of a person who is unsure of what the truth is. Unfortunately we are given information as to what is really going on and who is behind everything. This lack of suspense truly hurts the movie and degrades the quality of the film. The acting is not that great either, but what can you expect with Ben Affleck? The movie also features Aaron Eckhart and Paul Giamatti.

The one thing that stands out is the premise. This movies shows the world as we know it but with a few minor adjustments here and there (the memory wiping for one and the computer monitors for another). It is fully believable (well, some of the science is questionable, but keep in mind that Dick died before I was even born - 1982 for those of you who don't know me well) and the human reactions are what are most interesting.

If you're a Sci-Fi fan (or just a fan of Philip K. Dick), then I would definitely recommend this movie. If you hate Sci-Fi and action chases then I would not recommend watching this movie - you're not missing anything important. I give this movie a 2.75/4: good for fans, but nothing special.

Book Review: Time Out of Joint

2007-06-04T22:31:00.000-07:00

So I bet many of you are wondering what this book is. It's not exactly a well known book. The author, Philip K. Dick, may not be that well known to all of you either. Well, not exactly. Philip K. Dick is the author behind such movies as Blade Runner, Total Recall, Minority Report and Screamers. He has written some great Science Fiction books (it was actually the release of another movie based on his books - one point in the problem of the day for anyone who emails me the name of that movie - that got me interested in him again) and I've read a few of them.

Time Out of Joint follows the story of Ragle Gumm. He lives an ordinary life in 1959 (the year the book was written). He is a longstanding winner of a newspaper contest and lives with his sister, his brother-in-law and his nephew. But something's not quite right. The book traces Gumm as he tries to figure out what exactly is going on.

So how good is the story? Well, I thought it was well written and kept me wanting to come back for more. Dick doesn't focus on big details. He writes as if from the perspective of the regular people and explains things in ways that makes sense to them. About halfway through the book we start to get clues as to what is going on (I won't give it away in this review, so don't worry).
These clues give us just enough information to keep us wanting more.

As far as being a Science Fiction book this one is great (though keep in mind, I'm not talking Star Wars or Star Trek Sci-Fi, but real Sci-Fi, like Dark City). I give this book a 3.5/4. There are some things that could change, but is a believable story and tells the tale of a chilling situation. If you like Sci-Fi books, I definitely recommend this (and other Dick stories, which will no doubt be reviewed in the future in this place).

Movie Review: Idiocracy

2007-06-04T22:18:00.000-07:00

For starters let me apologize for my long layoff. I have been very busy lately and I'm trying to get things settled in my life. I figured now was a good time to get back into things. I may or may not have a book review to follow this movie review (we'll see how I feel).

My sister gave me Idiocracy recently and I only had a vague recollection of what it might be about. I read up on it in IMDb and was interested so I popped it in the DVD player last night.

The premise is simple: Joe Bauers (Luke Wilson) is frozen as part of an army experiment. Unfortunately the experiment does not go as planned and Bauers wakes up 500 years in the future. Apparently, due to stupid people breeding more than smart people, the average IQ has dropped quite a bit and everyone is stupid. The movie follows Bauers as he tries to get back home and solve the world's problems all at the same time.

Though not the best made movie, the premise is quite interesting and there are many hilarious moments throughout the movie. I wonder though, if the silliness and stupidity of the movie is on purpose. It has been surmised (on IMDb message boards - though I have to say I agree with the line of thinking) that perhaps the movie is a reflection of our current society in which big jocks and rock stars are more valued than intellectuals.

Directed and written by Mike Judge (Office Space), this is one of those movies that I would recommend. My high standards won't allow me to give this anything higher than a 3/4. I struggled with this rating as all the attributes of the movie that drag it down appear to be done on purpose - for example, the stupidity of the characters, and even the ending).

At the very minimum this movie is worth a few laughs and at under 80mins (the credits started rolling at about 78mins on my dvd player) it's not too big a time waster (like King Kong for instance).

Photo Feature: Cherry Blossoms

2007-05-23T19:37:00.001-07:00

One of the first Cherry Blossoms in Victoria, B.C. this spring - sometime in March (taken by Michael Davidson)

If you have any pictures you would like to submit, please email them to pieceofdust@gmail.com

Weird Coincidences

2007-05-22T22:23:00.000-07:00

When I started this blog I swore to myself this wouldn't be one of those feelings type blogs where I write that I had a piece of toast for breakfast. While this is not quite a mundane part of my day, it is probably registering high on the "Who the eff cares" factor. Read on if you interested in weird things...

Today I was riding the bus home from my school. I am a fairly observant person and I happened to notice a man beside me (well, I was behind him, but my seat was facing sideways - ahhh, the weirdly arranged bus seats) was reading a book and he was just starting Chapter 6 (yes I realize this is really boring - keep reading). Across the aisle from him was another woman reading a book and since my mind was already on the sight of books I looked a bit closer. I noticed she too was starting a chapter. I looked a bit closer and saw that it was Chapter 7. A simple coincidence you might say.... well it gets a bit weirder.

I had seen another lady (she was in the back corner of the bus, which was in front and to the left of me) reading and I thought after I saw the chapter 6 and 7: wouldn't it be funny if she was starting chapter 8. Well I could see the page she was on by the reflection in the window. I looked and I stared. Could it be? This was really starting to get to me. I almost got up and asked her, but I saw it. The letters: E..... I..... G.... H.... T. I kid you not. I just started to think to myself: Am I in the matrix? Is this some sort of computing error where the random number generator breaks down and goes in order? Surely the odds of three people on a bus all starting a chapter are astronomically small. The factor in the fact that they were on successive chapters. Then what are the odds they would all be sitting near me and I would look at them IN THE ORDER of the chapters. Truly mind boggling...

I hope that didn't bore you to death.

If you have any crazy and weird stories like that, please send them to pieceofdust@gmail.com and I'll publish them... geez, I'm still a bit spooked from this.

Movie Review: Half Nelson

2007-05-22T21:46:00.000-07:00

Yes, I realize today is supposed to be teaching on Tuesday. Luckily I saw a movie this past weekend about teaching.... sort of.

Half Nelson tells the story of a friendship between a teacher and a student that has many drug overtones. Don't worry, I wouldn't be writing this if the teacher were selling the student drugs. What actually happens is that Drey (played by relative newcomer Shareeka Epps) happens to witness her coach and teacher - Dan Dunne (Ryan Gosling - yes, the one who we all watched go to highschool on a cruise ship) - having a bad reaction to some drugs - in the girls locker room long after a game no less. This starts a friendship between the two. Complicating the mix is a family "friend" named Frank (most likely this is a friend of Drey's older brother who is in prison. It is assumed that that Frank is the reason or part of the reason the brother is in jail - though it is never said). Frank (played by Anthony Mackie of 8 Mile and Million Dollar Baby) befriends Drey as well and also tries to influence her life.

The competing forces are interesting in this story. Drey is being torn between a drug addict and a drug dealer. As the movie goes on it appears that both Drey and Mr. Dunne are helping each other out. The ending doesn't really clarify much, but it did leave me with a good feeling.

One of the first things I noticed was the grainy feel of the movie. I'm assuming this was done on purpose and gives a realistic feel to the movie (so does the vulnerability of Mr. Dunne and his addiction).

Since this was one of two movies I saw this weekend that were actually good (there were three not so great movies), I give this a 3.5/4. This is an interesting movie that tackles a difficult subject without resorting to preaching about not doing drugs.

Just a disclaimer: I know of very few teachers like Mr. Dunne. Most teachers I know drink to get rid of their problems and alcohol is completely legal here.

Movie Review: Blood Diamond

2007-05-21T20:58:00.000-07:00

About a year and a half ago, everyone in my program was getting engaged and showing off their rings in class. When I saw Blood Diamond, I wish I had the knowledge that movie gave me at that time. I would have asked them if their diamonds are conflict free. (You must be thinking I like to stir the pot. I sure do.)

The issue that envelops Blood Diamond, is that of conflict diamonds (also known as war diamonds). These are diamonds that come from war zones. The money "earned" from selling these diamonds helps fuel the wars and contributes to people killing more people.

The three main characters (well, two really) are played by Leonardo DiCaprio (sporting a South African accent) and Djimon Hounsou (of Amistad, Gladiator and The Island). DiCaprio plays a diamond smuggler and Hounsou plays a fisherman who has discovered a rather large diamond. Somehow the two cross paths and finding the diamond becomes a priority for them together. Jennifer Connelly (Labrynth) plays a journalist who helps them out.

This movie is full of scenes that will make you wonder how people could be capable of such things. The scenes with the child soldiers are terrifying and will definitely take some of your innocence (ignorance?).

Blood Diamond is definitely a must see. It will definitely make you think twice about buying diamonds. I give this a 3.75/4: near perfect (the romantic interest takes a bit away from the whole message of the movie, but otherwise it is a well made film).

As a side note, I realize I missed posting for the first day since I started yesterday. I actually have about 5 more movie reviews to do from this week, but things have been very busy and when they've not been busy I've been exhausted. Soon my busyness will be over. And then I can really work on this blog...

Photo Feature: Pickup Basketball

2007-05-19T11:52:00.001-07:00

Pickup basketball on Caye Caulker, Belize (taken by Alexandra Gillett)

If you have any pictures you would like to submit, please email them to pieceofdust@gmail.com.

Problem of the Day Part IX

2007-05-18T18:38:00.000-07:00

So I have still not really caught up with the good posts. I promise a lot are coming really soon!

To start today's problem, let's take up the problems from last Thursday:

1. The letter M occurs once in every minute, twice in every moment, but never in a thousand years?

2. The man does not get any hairs wet because he is completely bald.

3. All wise men, regardless of their religion or politics, agree that the word "AND" is between heaven and earth.

Alex G., Heather D. and Carly G. all get three points for their correct answers.

This installments questions are movie trivia, but the answers are not easily found (note actor could mean actress, I just used actor and assumed you realized it could be a male or a female):

1. What actor got his start playing an extremely minor role in one movie of a trilogy and then later went on to play a much bigger role in another trilogy? You get one point each for naming the actor, the first trilogy, which movie of the first trilogy and the second trilogy (4 points total).

2. This well-known actor played a lesser role in a well-known movie. The character replaced another character when the original character was unable to continue their duties. The original character also played a doctor on tv. For one point each, name: the movie, the two actors, and the tv show in which the actor played a doctor (4 points total).

As always, email your responses to pieceofdust@gmail.com with "Problem of the Day Part IX" as your subject line. I encourage those people who have yet to respond to give it a try as anything can happen...

Good luck!

The First Step to Solving Any Computer Problem

2007-05-17T22:27:00.000-07:00

Before I relate this true story from today, I thought I should mention that due to circumstances beyond my control I have not had the time to make the posts I had wanted to make today. If time allows this weekend I may make posts on days that they're not supposed to be on. I have the next few days off of school (4 day weekend! - sort of, I still have to go in tomorrow) and will be able to write a lot then.

In the meantime I shall relate a story to you from school today (that is related to technology):

I had sent my grade 5's to the computer lab to write their good copies of poems we had been working on this week. I was talking with some students in the class when two students returned to tell me and my host teacher that several of the computers weren't working. My host teacher followed them to the lab to solve the problem, while I stayed back and helped the students I was helping. When I was done, I went to the lab to check on the students and found my host teacher looking all around the tables to see what was unplugged. I walked to one of the computers and looked at the screen. It had some bouncing boxes on it saying the monitor was plugged in but to check the cables. I looked closely..... and taught a few people a very valuable lesson: Often the problem is much simpler than it looks. I turned the computers on and the problem was solved. I had a grin that must have stretched ear to ear at this point.

Moral of the story: if you're computer isn't working, always check to make sure it's on before you get help.

The Earth is Running Out of Earth!

2007-05-16T20:40:00.000-07:00

You may have noticed that during the last two days my posting has slowed down a bit. I've been very busy, but most of that is over now so I'm going to try and make a good post here.

I read an article in the Globe and Mail Focus section this weekend that I thought was rather interesting. The article was called "Planet Earth has a dirty little secret" (unfortunately it is not available for free on the Globe website, but you can purchase it if you like).

The main idea of the article is that we are destroying or degrading the usable soil faster than it can regenerate. We are doing this by building on top of the soil, by poisoning the soil and by growing crops too often in the soil. The author, John Allemang, and the scientist he talks to, David R. Montgomery, say that even if we can solve all of the other environmental problems, we will eventually run out of soil and be unable to grow the food we need. Problems with dirt can easily cause famines which have, in the past, killed many people (100 000 people in West Africa in 1973). Dr. Montgomery suggests that we have between 200 and 2000 years until we get into real troubles. It is estimated that we lose 1% of our usable land worldwide each year.

I don't want to paraphrase the article completely, but I will give some points that I thought were important:

since World War II approximately 40% of global cropland has degraded.
our ancestors were much fewer in number and would often farm an area dry and move on to the next. We do not have that luxury any more.
people are more likely to get behind issues related to water than issues related to dirt.

Dr. Montgomery has a book that covers this topic (sorry, the link is Amazon. Keep in mind there are MUCH better places to buy books from!).

I guess this post could come off as another warning to the masses to go along with global warming (climate change), pollution, etc. I think this is just another sign that we need to rethink the way we live. All of our environmental "issues" these days stem from the same attitude many of us have with regards to the planet. That is the real issue. This latest idea is but one symptom of a bigger problem. I'm at a loss myself, but obviously if this is right, we do need to start making some changes...

Photo Feature: Morning Fog

2007-05-16T08:13:00.000-07:00

A foggy May morning just outside of my house in Victoria B.C. (taken by Michael Davidson).

If you have any pictures you would like to submit, please email them to pieceofdust@gmail.com. I have very few pictures lined up for these and would like to have more than one a week - they don't have to be nature related, but just interesting pictures.

Problem of the Day Part VIII

2007-05-15T21:11:00.000-07:00

First off, lets get to the answers from last week:

1. Strengths is the longest word in the English language with only one vowel.

2. Words I accepted with no vowels and at least 6 letters: crypts, crwths, rhythm, rhythms, syzygy, trysts, and nymphs

3. A word with 9 "O"s and 6 "C"s: pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis. See here for a definition.

Carly G. earned 11 points and Heather D. earned 10 points with their efforts.

This week's problem is as follows:

Fill in a series of letters to finish the sentence. Each blank has the same letters in the same order, but the letters are broken up with different spaces each time. What is the completed sentence?

A ________ doctor had ________ and therefore, was ________ to operate.

If you get this difficult problem, you'll get 6 points.

Here's an easier one, worth 3 points. This one has the same word in each space. The word is exactly the same each time with no spaces.

My _______ is _______ than my wallet.

Good luck!

P.S. As a side note to get more people motivated to answer this, I've noticed my sister (Heather D.) has been bragging on her blog (I will talk about this more later once she's had a few more posts since her hiatus).

P.S.S. Don't forget there's still another set of questions to be answered. You have until Thursday to answer these ones!

Movie Review: Raising Arizona

2007-05-14T22:04:00.000-07:00

Raising Arizona is one of those movies that you never really hear about, but it's on a lot of lists of great movies, so I thought I would watch it and find out for myself. I was pleasantly surprised, though at times I found the movie difficult to watch.

Starring Nicolas Cage and Holly Hunter, Raising Arizona is about a couple (a paroled criminal and a police officer) who get married and find out they are unable to have babies. In a hysterical rage, H.I. (Cage) is convinced to steal one baby from a recently born set of quintuplets. A manhunt thus ensues.

I found it very hard to be sympathetic to any of the characters and I think the filmmakers did that on purpose. For a while I was trying to figure out what made this movie so good. Then came a ridiculous and hilarious chase scene through stores, houses and streets in an (unsuccessful) attempt to get "Huggies" (product placement is quite evident throughout the movie). There are several such sequences that are so unbelievable that they'll make you laugh. The movie does end with your typical Hollywood ending (though what that is, is hard to tell during the movie). Overall, this is definitely a good watch. Written and directed by the Coen brothers (Ethan and Joel of Fargo fame), the film also stars John Goodman and Frances McDormand.

I give this movie a 4.5/5. It doesn't seem like a great movie, but it will definitely make you laugh (and make you disgusted with the lengths some people will go to). Check it out and let me know what you think.

Book Review: My Friend Leonard

2007-05-14T18:30:00.000-07:00

I'm sure you all heard about the controversy with Oprah and James Frey over Frey's "memoir" A Million Little Pieces. Personally, I don't care if he lied or not, I thought that was a great book. Anyone who thought it was completely true is living in a dream world. I'm sorry, but how many movies have you seen that are "based on actual events"? Rarely are those movies accurate. So take the first book as it is: a story.

But my focus in this post is not A Million Little Pieces, but My Friend Leonard. MFL starts where AMLP left off.

Most of this book is absolutely ridiculous and lacks the urgency of AMLP (it's hard to top a guy who's trying to beat a drug addiction) and I actually was having a hard time believing that this book was actually good (it was recommended to me by a good friend). The beginning is great (although extremely gut-wrenching), but soon after the initial tragedy, the book takes a sharp turn downwards. Frey paints a picture of his friend Leonard as a man who lives to the excess. Always buying more food than people can eat, and just generally using his money and influence to please the characters it seems like a very shallow friendship. The books coasts like that for the middle 80%. It took me about a month to read this, partly because it just wasn't that interesting. However, the last 100 pages started to pick up and the last 30 or 40 make the whole experience worthwhile. I won't spoil any endings, but the friendship comes out as much much more in those last pages.

What Frey did (at least to me) is to give me a character that I didn't really like and that did things in a manner which is not necessarily the most honorable. He spent a whole book building this persona up. Then when you think there's no saving grace, he explains the character's actions.

It's definitely worth a read, especially if you liked AMLP.

I'll give this book 4/5. The middle that drags on is the reason I can't give it a 5, but the ending is why I won't give it a 2.

Making a Difference in Africa: Part I

2007-05-13T20:18:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I shared a blog with you about a trip to Central America. I thought today I would share a blog with you of a friend of mine who went to Africa (Tanzania to be precise) to do some voluteer work. She went there with YCI (Youth Challenge International).

Read her blog if you want to hear more about her trip (I believe she's already back in Canada).

More on YCI and trips to Africa will appear in future posts.

A Mother's Day Poem

2007-05-13T11:45:00.000-07:00

This week with my class, I had my students write a poem for their Moms to give them today. I wrote an example for them so I thought I'd share that with everyone today:

My Mom
by M. Davidson

Thank you very much dear Mom,

Thank you for the work you did,

And all the time you spent with me,

I know I wasn't the best of kids.

Thank you for the meals you cooked,

That made me grow up big and strong,

For driving me to soccer practice,

And staying late when it went long.

Thanks for cleaning my scraped knees,

My pants were often ripped and torn,

But you cleaned up the icky blood,

And didn't even scorn.

Thanks for washing my dirty clothes,

I know it's hard to stand the stink,

I tried to make it up to you,

By washing dishes in the sink.

Thank you for the yummy cookies,

They often made my day,

I especially like the chocolate chips,

Before I ventured out to play.

Thank you Mom, thank you Mom,

I couldn't have done it on my own,

You truly helped me out a lot,

Now look at me: I'm here all grown.

You really made a difference Mom,

I can't say thanks enough,

So here is where I end my poem,

Without you it woulda been rough!

Happy Mother's Day!

2007-05-13T09:09:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to all the Mothers, Grandmothers, Great-Grandmothers, Aunts and everyone else.

Enjoy your day and make sure someone else does all the work for you (easy for me to say living out here).

Some Mother's Day Facts (from Wikipedia):

Has several origins
The US origin came about after the Civil war with the Mother's Day Proclamation in 1870 by Julia Ward Howe.
It took 38 years for the first Mother's Day to be officially celebrated in 1908 in Grafton, West Virginia.
First (American) National Mother's day was in 1914.

The Best Sports Movies...

2007-05-12T22:18:00.000-07:00

It was rough trying to come up with something to write about for Sports on Saturday. I have stopped watching sports on TV (for two reasons: 1. I don't have the time and 2. They're just not that exciting to watch right now). I recently counted down my top ten favourite children's books, so I thought I could do the same with sports movies. I just came up with this idea so I will take some time so that I think through my top 10 (I'm going to go with criteria for this I think and give points!). Until I get this done, I'll leave you with a couple of lists of top sports movies from:

IMDb

Rotten Tomatoes

Perhaps you can send me in suggestions of what I COULD include in my list. I'll do what I can, as I may or may not remember all the sports movies I've seen.

Enjoy!

Nutritional Data Revisited

2007-05-11T21:38:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I talked about a site that gives you nutritional data for many different foods. I came across an article this week that was related.

Apparently, a Canadian researcher has found that some foods have more fat than some of their labels suggest. Read the article from CBC here. The researcher, Bruce Holub, has found that 15% of the foods he tested had more than the legal limit (the limit being based on what is printed on the packages). Though no brands were identified by Holub, the article says that frozen fish sticks and frozen waffles were the biggest offenders.

It seems as if this controversy comes from pre-packed food. Personally I would not be surprised to find out that the labels were innacurate. That's why I try (sometimes I'm not strong enough) to avoid prepackaged food. It's not really all that healthy for you (especially frozen fish sticks and frozen waffles), and it's more expensive (though organic food is pretty pricey too).

I'm not really sure the point I'm trying to make with this post. I guess I'm trying to make you aware of the possibility that nutrition labels might not always be accurate (the law allows for a 20% variation from the label - which is pretty large if you think about it). Always be mindful of what you eat though and don't always trust the label!

Pimping Your Firefox Part VII: Getting Rid of Pesky Ads

2007-05-10T21:52:00.000-07:00

Ever go to a website that's full of ads? Wish you could just make them disappear? Well, you can with Adblock Plus (if you use Firefox that is!).

Adblock Plus is an extension for firefox that allows you to block any elements of a page. Once you install it from the mozilla page (the last link), all you need to do is right click on an ad and select "adblock image." That ad will no longer appear in your browser. It's that easy.

One caveat though. Some websites and ads are pretty smart and frequently change things about their ads so that they will be shown. This can often be annoying because you may have to re-block the specific ads.

It's definitely worth a shot and really helps get rid of all that unwanted information that gets thrown at you on the web.

As always, if you have any questions feel free to ask them on here or email me at pieceofdust@gmail.com

Sunbird: The Firefox of Calendars

2007-05-10T19:47:00.000-07:00

In continuing my look at Open Source Software that I find to be useful (and in many cases I can't live without), I've decided to talk about Mozilla Sunbird, a neat calendar you can get for your computer.

I first got it a while ago and didn't really start using it, but when I started my most recent practicum (the one I'm doing right now and the one that is making it harder for me to keep the posts at a high level of quality) I started using it much more. Teachers take note: this is a great way to make a day book. I have actually been using Sunbird to do all of my planning.

Some features that I find useful. You can make multiple calendars to put on the calendar. So what does this mean for you? You can make a calendar for Work, Home, School, etc. or for each of your family members, and each can be in a different colour. I have about 10 or 15 calendars for different aspects of my life and can click one or another off very easily.

The actual events that you put in the calendar have a lot of space to write a description (this is where I put my plans). I have barely begun to scratch the surface of what this program can do (and expect an updated version in a few months as well!).

Like Firefox, Sunbird can also be customized and is starting to get a nice assortment of extensions and themes. The pickings are slim right now, but once Sunbird goes through more development there will likely be a lot of enhancements.

Read more about it at Wikipedia if you're interested.

Problem of the Day: Part VII

2007-05-10T18:35:00.000-07:00

As promised, here is a second set of problems for this week (after the set I gave you on Tuesday - which are still open to anyone who wants to try). I have still yet to figure out a prize, but there will be many opportunities to get back in the game sooner rather than later. I may set it up so that getting a certain amount of points entitles you to a prize. That may get more people answering.

I have found a more reliable source of problems so I will be using those. Here are a few "riddles" today. As always, I have certain answers in mind, but other answers will be considered on a case by case basis.

1. What occurs once in every minute, twice in every moment, but never in a thousand years?
2. A man is out for a walk when it began to rain. The man had no umbrella and no hat. His clothes were soaked, but not a single hair on his head got wet. How is this possible?
3. What is one thing that all wise men, regardless of their religion or politics, agree is between heaven and earth?

Each question is worth one point.

Good luck!

As always, send your answers to pieceofdust@gmail.com.

Photo Feature: Take the Bus!

2007-05-10T18:26:00.000-07:00

Gas prices in Victoria B.C. on May 10th, 2007 (taken by Michael Davidson)

If you have any pictures you would like to submit, please email them to pieceofdust@gmail.com. I have very few pictures lined up for these and would like to have more than one a week - they don't have to be nature related, but just interesting pictures.

Reducing the Impact of Plastic Bags

2007-05-09T19:37:00.000-07:00

Ever since I wrote my list of things you can do to help the environment, I've wanted to follow it up with some in depth looks at a few of the ideas. Until now I have been a bit busy to do so, but an article I saw on Yahoo! News today prompted me to get writing.

As you may have guessed from the title, I'm going to talk about plastic bags - the ones you get whenever you go buy something at a store.

So what's the problem with plastic bags? Well, they're made from plastic for starters. Why is that bad? Plastics come from oil, and oil extraction creates many problems for the environment and for the people who happen to live in oil-rich countries. Oil is a non-renewable resource so using plastic bags reduces our oil supply. Plastic bags also take a long time to decompose. There are a few other hazards related to plastic bags, but the above two are the main reasons.

There are at least three options to help solve (or reduce) the problem:

1) Banning plastic bags: San Fransisco became the first city in North America to ban the bags and bans have followed in several cities, including Leaf Rapids, Manitoba. Other cities, like Tofino in BC have looked into a plastic bag tax. As seen in the above article, Ontario is making strides to reduce the number of plastic bags used in the province.

2) Personal choices: You can (or a business can) decide not to use plastic bags. I have not used a plastic bag in months and I have even been reusing my plastic bags for bulk things. A simple solution is to bring a cloth bag (or old plastic bags) to the grocery store and just tell the clerk you have your own bag (they like that because they usually don't have to bag the items!). Many stores, like Mountain Equipment Co-Op, Peppers Foods (in Victoria, B.C.) and Sainsbury's (a grocery store in the UK) have started using biodegradable bags (seel more on that below). Another approach stores can make is to start charging for plastic bags or to take money off of purchases if patrons use their own bags. These are all effective ways of encouraging environmentally friendly choices.

3) Biodegradable bags: As mentioned above, some stores have made the switch to biodegradable bags (that can just be thrown into the compost). For more information on these, check out Bio Bag. There site contains some good information on the bags the company makes.

So as you can see there are already many choices to dealing with plastic bags. Do what you can. Perhaps where you live, you can save money by not using plastic bags. Give it a try. You'll be doing a small part to help the environment. If enough people make the switch it makes a big difference!

Photo Feature: Halifax Harbour

2007-05-09T08:03:00.000-07:00

Some boats in the Halifax Harbout (taken by Heather Davidson).

If you have any pictures you would like to submit, please email them to pieceofdust@gmail.com

Problem of the Day Part VI

2007-05-08T19:26:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I'll admit I forgot last week and then it got closer to today so I waited a while. But I have some new stuff for you today.

First, the answers from two weeks ago:

Arrive on Time
Tricycle
Robin Hood
Three Degrees Below Zero (no one got this one)
Hi Ho Silver

Both Heather D and Carly G got 4 out of 5 and their points have been updated.

This weeks problems are fairly difficult and require a knowledge of the English language:

1. What is the longest word in the English language that has only one vowel? 2 points
2. Give as many examples as you can of words that don't have any of the traditional vowels (a, e, i, o u). One catch: they have to have at least 6 letters in the words. 1 point for each word
3. What word in the English language has 9 o's and 6 c's? 3 points

Good luck in your search!

Please email your responses to pieceofdust@gmail.com! Answers are due Monday May 14th at 11:59pm.

Since I missed last week I plan on giving another set of questions on Thursday. Keep your eye open for them.

Countdown of My Favourite Children's Books: #1

2007-05-08T19:06:00.000-07:00

We've finally reached number one on my list after 4 long weeks, you finall get to know what my all-time favourite children's book is. Before we begin, here is a recap of the last four posts I've done: week 1, week 2, week 3, and week 4.

A quick recap of the first nine:

10. The Berenstain Bears Series
9. Where the Wild Things Are
8. Matthew's Midnight Adventures
7. Princess Smartypants
6. Love You Forever
5. The True Story of the Three Little Pigs
4. Oh, The Places You'll Go!
3. The Paper Bag Princess
2. The Lorax

1. The Eleventh Hour (Graeme Base): I said last week that it was my analytical mind that this is the number one book and anyone who has read this will understand why. The Eleventh Hour (note: this link contains a spolier!) is about Horace (an Elephant) who plans his 11th Birthday Party (on November the 11th no less). Eleven guests are invited to eat eleven dishes of food and play eleven games. The story focuses on this party but with a twist. At the end of the story, the big feast is stolen. No one knows who it is, but the book goes on to tell you that there are clues hidden throughout the book (and boy are there clues!). The first time I read this book I was in grade 5 and our class tried feverishly to figure out who did it (don't worry I won't spoil the fun). Recently I bought a copy of the book so that I could look through the pictures for the clues. Even as an adult (and I knew who did it) I had fun looking through the pages.

The pictures are amazing (as anyone who has seen Graeme Base's work - including Animalia, The Sign of the Seahorse, and many others - will know). I have fond memories of this book and it is one of the few I actually remember vividly reading when I was younger (though no doubt there are many I read over and over). For more information on Greame Base, check his website.

I hope this list has been enjoyable. Feel free to comment on your favourite books from your childhood. I will be adding some honourable mentions next week of books I enjoy and had a hard time not adding to this list.

Movie Review: Frequency

2007-05-07T20:59:00.000-07:00

I bought Frequency a couple of weeks ago at HMV for really cheap. It was one of those movies I had seen a few years ago and was pleasantly surprised by it. Let me first state that even though some may label this as Sci-fi, it most definitely is not and would better be filed under fantasy. Why do I make that distinction? Well, the biggest beef I have with this movie is that it causes several problems with time travel (though there isn't really any time travel in the movie)... Anyway.

The movie centers around a father and a son, 30 years apart. The father (Dennis Quaid) died in a fire in 1969 while his son (James Caviezel) is living in 1999. The two become connected by an old radio which apparently can talk through time because of the northern lights over New York city (this I don't have as much problem with as the later lack of logic in the world). The son gives the father advice and saves him from his accident in the fire. This sets off a chain of events which leads to his mother being murdered by a serial killer (though far-fetched, it seems somewhat believable - kind of like all the alternate realities of The Butterfly Effect). The movie follows the father-son duo as they try to save the woman they both love (one as a son!) across the bridge of time. My issue with the movie is that every time something changes in the past, the changes in the future happen, but the son is still the same person and the connection was there all along. If the original changes happened, there was the chance the son in the future would have been a different person (I think losing your father at 6 years old might do that to you), but surprisingly he is the same person.

The time travel issues aside, I think this is a very entertaining movie and definitely worth a watch. Not the best made film, but entertainment that delivers. I give this a 3/5. Pretty Good.

I swear I'll do something other than a movie review soon. It takes a lot longer to read a book!

Movie Review: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

2007-05-07T20:46:00.000-07:00

I have been recently trying to view the movies that are typically viewed as classics and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is apparently one of those movies. This movie was definitely not the best movie I've seen, but it had it's good qualities and is better than most of the Hollywood garbage we get these days (though I have seen many excellent movies made in the last few years).

The moviel, which won Best Picture in the 1976 Oscars, centers around Randall Patrick McMurphy (Jack Nicholson) who finds himself in a mental institution because he has been causing trouble in Jail. He is left in the ward under observation and his response is to try to stir things up with the patients. He does quite a good job and the orderly ward turns into a chaotic ward.

The acting is superb and I was surprised to find that many great actors started their careers in this film, including Danny DeVito, Christopher Lloyd and Brad Dourif. Everyone is convincing as mental patients, though some of the guards do some questionable actions. There are also some compelling characters (Will Sampson as Chief comes to mind).

As one watches this movie, you start to try to figure out if McMurphy is in fact crazy or if he's just causing trouble. I never came to any conclusions myself by the time the movie ended.

I liked the movie though I found it somewhat disturbing at points. I would recommend it to all just because it has garnered so much praise. I give it a 4/5. Good, but not great.

The Federal Government Ought To Pick It's Battles

2007-05-06T19:58:00.000-07:00

I'm sure I'm not the only person baffled by the Shane Doan controversy that has heated up in the last week. For those of you who have managed to avoid this waste of government and media time, Shane Doan is a hockey player who has been appointed captain of Canada's team at the World Hockey Championships in Russia. The controversy stems from alleged racials slurs (directed towards our Francophone countrymen) in a game in 2005. Doan was cleared by the NHL and the issue was dead... until recently when some politicians decided to make a big fuss over it and bring Hockey Canada members before the government to explain their choice of Doan as captain of this years team.

Besides the obvious waste of time (I think the issue of Afghanistan and the new information about the Air India incident might be a more pressing need right now), this makes absolutely no sense. Did the politicians make this much stink when they named Doan to the 2006 Olympic team? And what about Todd Bertuzzi (there, I did it, I mentioned the name of two people who shouldn't get attention today) being named to the Olympic squad? Did he not maliciously attack someone on the ice, in front of cameras? Surely the government would not want 'Bert' to represent our country...

I'm at a loss at this point. I, like many others, think that this whole dialogue has been an exercise just to get votes. I'm not sure if anything has been accomplished...

Paris Hilton Headed To Jail

2007-05-06T16:18:00.000-07:00

Normally I would not draw attention to someone who seemingly lives for it, but this news is just too funny not to mention. It appears that Paris Hilton is headed to Jail for 45 days and will not have any other options. Too bad that they said she would not be kept with other inmates... still a funny bit of news that I thought I would share (just in case you didn't hear it already).

Globe and Mail

CBC

Yahoo!

Alright, that's enough gossip for one day. Sorry to give more attention to someone who has done absolutely nothing to deserve it.

Inclusively Coaching Children

2007-05-05T20:41:00.000-07:00

This has been something that has been on my mind the last few weeks and days and I thought I would share my musings on the subject of coaching children.

It is my opinion that coaching of children should be as inclusive as possible. Everyone should be given chances, no matter how good they are at a sport or any athletic skill. I have often seen otherwise and it saddens me. I have never been that athletically talented (though I will admit I do have some talent), and I often lose opportunities because I am not as good as others. I feel that a focus on working hard would be good for children whether they intend to continue in a sport or not. I think the lessons they can learn from working hard (that hard work = results) can be transferred to anything a child does in life.

There will be those who say to this: "Well, competition is part of life, they will have to deal with it sooner or later." A valid point, and one that is not easy to argue. But I still will. I am not saying give children everything without working. I am saying that you should allow them to try. I'm in track and often I see coaches picking track teams based on how fast a child runs 100m. My issue with this is that many of these children have never been given a chance to work on their speed or may just be missing the genes they need to be fast. By picking a team based on this inherent ability you are basically saying to a child they are not good enough based on something that they have little control over. I say you give them that chance. Let them practice with the team, give them opportunities to improve, and THEN pick the team. This way students are faced with the reality of the world, but they are given a chance to earn something. Nothing is free.

Following this point, I have also noticed that the children who need to be active the most are the ones who will be left unpicked for teams. This makes absolutely no sense, and any way I can think of. For starters, the goal of children's sports (at least in my mind) is to help encourage children to lead an active lifestyle. The ones who are good to begin with are likely already leading an active lifestyle.

This also makes no sense if you are concerned about the quality of the team you have. The biggest moment for many children is just to make the team. If the athletically giften children make a team right away with no worry of being cut, then why should they train hard?

I once had a cross country coach in highschool that followed this philosophy. It was no coincidence that I am still running. When I first showed up in grade 9 I was a nobody. I had never tried running before but had been convinced by a friend to try out. Well I stuck with it and all these years later I am still in the sport while many of my peers (who were better than me at the time) have long since stopped running. I am not the fastest runner in the world, but I have done quite well for myself. For those of you who know me, imagine me had I not been encouraged to try and to make a team in the future, being given opportunities to better myself. I took the challenge and in the end I rose to the occasion. I worked hard and earned my way on every team I have made.

For those of you coaching children I encourage you to do the same. Give those kids who don't seem the best athletes a chance. Who knows, you might be featured on TV when that child grows up and competes for their country...

End of the Season

2007-05-05T15:49:00.000-07:00

Last night the Toronto Raptors lost a heartbreaker to the New Jersey Nets to end their season. The game was hard fought until the dying seconds when a pass was intercepted to prevent Toronto a chance to win the game. They lost their first round playoff series 4-2. This was certainly the most entertaining basketball game I have seen in a long while, and the only thing that could have made it better was to see Toronto win. Certainly both teams played hard enough to win, but unfortunately only one could have.

Still, the game suggests that next year will be a much better season, after already making huge strides this year. For starters, the Raptors fought hard when it mattered. They went out scratching and clawing right to the end. They must be commended for that. A second sign of hope is the young age of their stars. All of them are still improving and none of them are leaving at the end of the season. Certainly what they went through last night can only help them in future playoff series next year.

So, thanks to the Raptors for giving us all something to cheer for and to look forward to next year. I know I'll be watching.

The Future of Farming

2007-05-04T23:46:00.000-07:00

Most of my readers have probably noticed a lack of quality posts lately. That's because I am getting very busy with school right now. I apologize for that and hopefully I can get on top of my posts in the next week.

I didn't want to go a whole day without posting so I will share with you an interesting web site I have had in my favourites for a while now. The website suggests a potential solution to our food production woes (or more specifically, the woes that are likely to come in the next 50 years). That solution is to farm vertically (in human-made structures). Anyway, I think the site is an interesting read. Check it out if you're interested: The Vertical Farm Project.

Perhaps in a few weeks time I will look at the site in depth and give a better post about it. Until next time...

Pimping Your Firefox Part VI: More Buttons

2007-05-03T21:16:00.000-07:00

Ever feel like you use your menu bar too much? Wish you could have more buttons? I have the extension for you: Firefox Menu Buttons

Download this extension from the link above. After you do that, right click on the navigation toolbaar (the one with the address bar in it) and click on "customize". Just drag and drop the buttons you want. I use the following on my toolbar: Favourites, Add a Tab, Add a Favourite and Find (a great feature that lets you search for text on a web page - useful if you're trying to find someone's name in a long list of race results). There are many more available with this extension and I'm sure you'll find something useful.

As always, if you have questions post them here and I'll try to answer them.

Clearing Up The Climate Debate Smog

2007-05-02T20:21:00.000-07:00

I wanted to highlight another blog today. There is actually a funny story behind this blog and how I discovered it. I was in the grocery store a month or two ago and saw someone wearing a jacket with this web address on the back of it. It's name caught my attention so I decided to check it out. You can follow my discovery by checking out DeSmogBlog.com.

It actually took me a while to figure out what side of the climate change debate this blog was on. It was not long, however, until I found this explanation on the site:

DeSmogBlog exists to clear the PR pollution that is clouding the science on climate change.

An overwhelming majority of the world’s climate scientists agree that the globe is warming - the world's climate is changing - and that the indiscriminate burning of fossil fuels is to blame. We know that the risks are incalculable and, increasingly, we understand that the solutions are affordable.

Unfortunately, a well-funded and highly organized public relations campaign is poisoning the climate change debate. Using tricks and stunts that unsavory PR firms invented for the tobacco lobby, energy-industry contrarians are trying to confuse the public, to forestall individual and political actions that might cut into exorbitant coal, oil and gas industry profits. DeSmogBlog is here to cry foul - to shine the light on techniques and tactics that reflect badly on the PR industry and are, ultimately, bad for the planet.

So basically, they are here to counter the points of the scientists who refute global warming. I have checked this blog out occasionally over the past few weeks and months and have found some interesting things in it.

Check it out if you're interested...

Photo Feature: The Sun Through A Tree

2007-05-02T20:16:00.000-07:00

The sun shining through a tree on a street in Victoria, BC (taken by Michael Davidson)

If you have any pictures you would like to submit, please email them to pieceofdust@gmail.com

Countdown of My Favourite Children's Books: #2

2007-05-01T20:51:00.000-07:00

We're still on our way to number one in my countdown of my favourite children's books. Check here for week 1, week 2 and week 3.

Here's a quicker recap of the first 8 books:

10. The Berenstain Bears Series
9. Where the Wild Things Are
8. Matthew's Midnight Adventures
7. Princess Smartypants
6. Love You Forever
5. The True Story of the Three Little Pigs
4. Oh, The Places You'll Go!
3. The Paper Bag Princess

2. The Lorax (Dr. Seuss): Another Dr. Seuss book that I didn't read until I was much older (I was actually reminded of one that I read a lot when I was young, but unfortunately that did not make the list), and a book that I read to my class just yesterday. I think this is more than a good book; it's an important book. First published in 1971, this book rings true today. For those of you who have not read the book, I suggest you do (I can't imagine a public library that does not have this book), and so I will not explain the plot, other than to say it is about our treatment of the planet. I have used it twice already to teach students about the environment and I plan on using it many times in the future. This book would have been number one on my list were it not for my analytical mind (a clue! (which itself is a clue!)) and some fond childhood memories. The Lorax is probably the only book on this list that I think ALL children should be read. It's message is too important to be forgotten or ignored.

Tune in next week to find out what the #1 book on my list is (and if you know what it is, please don't post it, as I know many of my readers are waiting in anticipation!).

A Little Poem

2007-05-01T07:55:00.000-07:00

At my school I am teaching my class poetry. This week I introduced Limericks and wrote some examples for them. Here is one that got a rise out of the class (remember, I teach in Victoria, BC):

There's a team that we call the Canucks
Who just happen to be playing the Ducks
They struggle to score
Their games are a bore
Soon they'll be golfing and saying “Aw shucks!”

I told them they could write responses to this, so I may post any if they write good ones.

Do you have any responses to this? Please post your responses in a comment.

Movie Review: World Trade Center

2007-04-30T20:51:00.000-07:00

Normally I wouldn't watch a movie like this, especially since there are so many angles to the subject that are often used to advance a cause or start a war. I will admit that I was curious. It's one of those things that you think might be filled with fluff but you wonder if it might actually be good.

Surprisingly I found that the filmmakers of World Trade Center did a very good job in some aspects of their film. Unless you have been living under a rock, you know what this movie is about, and even if you don't quite know the specifics you know what is happening, just like in Titanic. That's the mindframe I went in with: I know it's going to happen. As prepared as I was to see it (as depicted by Hollywood), the film really captures the confusion and horror of the moments when no one really knew what was going on (and no one was using that confusion and horror to further their own causes).

The film tells the true story of John McLoughlin (Nicolas Cage) and Will Jimeno (Michael Pena), two Port Authority Police Officers who were trapped in the rubble of the World Trade Center after the first tower collapsed.

The bewilderment of many of the characters is very evident they are fully believable (and there are moments when you say to yourself that probably actually happened). The movie does drag on for a while and seems to be going nowhere, especially since the outcome is never really in doubt.

The last half aside, this movie definitely does what (I thought) it was supposed to do, and that is to remind us of the impact that morning had on all of us. I know I remember where I was when I found out and I bet you do too. I think that with all the political fallout and what has happened since that day, it is important to look back on when we were innocent. This movie does just that.

I give this movie 3.5/5. Though I did talk very good about it, it dragged on and seemed to be a very patriotic movie. I thought that took away from the message that was trying to get out.

Though I was wondering about this movie, I am not curious to see United 93, so you're gonna have to read a review of that somewhere else.

Follow a Trip to Central America

2007-04-29T20:55:00.000-07:00

Today is a light post. I really didn't see anything in the news this week that stood out for me. So I think I would share a blog that I have been following. My good friend Alex and her roommate are currently in Belize in the middle of their three week trip from Guatemala to Mexico.

They have been occasionally writing about their trip in a blog (though from what I'm told Internet access is not cheap or easily accesible). Check it out and follow their journey. They have some great pictures (though I'm going to get her to give me more pictures when she gets back and I'll post them here for you to see in a much better quality than their blog is showing them.

Sorry for the short post, but I know not many people check this on the weekend so I'm not really that worried.

Pro Sports Roundup

2007-04-28T17:21:00.000-07:00

"So what's with all this talk of pro sports on this blog?" you're probably asking yourself. "Isn't this guy not a fan of all things corporate?" Well yes and no. I do follow pro sports but sometimes I loathe myself for doing so. As I tell my students cheering for a team (in their case the Canucks) is like cheering for a company. Why should we be loyal to these companies? What do they do for us?

Well, I'm trying to distance myself from the loyalty to company idea, though I am not really doing a great job of it lately. So I thought I would try to do my best to give an unbiased (hahaha!) report of what is going on in the world of pro sports this week.

NHL
Living where I do I am exposed to many biased opinions about a certain hockey team which I am not such a big fan of (mostly due to it's fans). This week saw the beginning of the second round of playoffs, and already I think we've seen some things that we did not expect. Detroit is down 2 games to none and Ottawa beat the Devils. Vancouver actually managed to win a game in their series (so I was wrong in my predictions of a sweep - if they win game three I'll never hear the end of it on Monday from my students). I'm going to make a bold prediction and say San Jose wins the cup. Either that or Buffalo, but many people have picked them already.

NBA
It's hard to be a Toronto Raptor fan right now. They didn't really look good in their three games against New Jersey. The bright side is that they actually have one win in those games, so they are not facing an insurmountable lead at this point. All year they dealt with stretches like this and then came back with a long win streak. Maybe that streak starts tomorrow night. I have also been following Phoenix a bit (Steve Nash is the only reason really) and I was surprised they lost that third game. I'm no fan of Kobe Bryant's (due to his recent past), but the guy is a good basketball player.... Nash is better though.

MLB
What is up with the Blue Jays? They lose 5 games straight against, then win three straight and then start another losing streak. Today's game was rather dissapointing. Their offence kept getting them back in the game and their pitching kept taking them out of it. I can't really blame them since their closer is injured (along with a lot of their offensive stars). Right now they just need to hang in there and hopefully they will not be too far back when they get everyone back (whenever that happens).

MLS
Apparently Toronto has a soccer team now, Toronto FC. They have yet to win (I think they haven't even scored a goal yet) in four games this season, the latest setback coming
today to Kansas. Today was their first home game and I heard on TV that the crowd was over 20 000. Not too shabby. I wonder what it will be like when David Beckham comes to town.

Finding Nutritional Data

2007-04-27T22:10:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I will admit I am being lazy today, but I have a good excuse: my life is extremely busy right now. Anyway, I think this post will start several other posts about reading nutrition labels and what to look for, but this is much simpler.

If you want to know the nutritional information of a food, I suggest you check out NutritionData.com. This site has a large database of the nutritional data for lots of foods. I'l be honest and say I haven't really checked it that thoroughly, but it is definitely worth a shot to look at. I checked out raw Bananas and they seemed to have a lot of information there. They also had nutritional information for some fast food restaurants (if you're concerned about that kind of stuff, I'm a little confused why you would want to eat there... but to each their own I guess).

The site has some other features as well that look interesting, including a BMI (Body Mass Index) calculator and recipes. Check it out and see if it will help you. It's not one I use often, but I can see how it can be useful.

Pimping Your Firefox Part V: Searching From the Top of Your Browser

2007-04-26T20:18:00.000-07:00

Today I'm going to talk about a quick way to search for things on the internet using Firefox. Though this series has been going on for a while, I think now is a good time to remind you to try Firefox, which can be downloaded from here.

Now that you all have Firefox, you may notice a small bar in the upper right corner where you can type stuff. It may have a little logo right before the blank space. If you have never used this, I suggest you read on from here. This will make searching the internet much easier. You can add ANY search engine on the internet to this bar. All you need to do is go to a search engine you use frequently. Right slick on the bar where you usually type and you should get a menu. Somewhere in that menu should be "Add this search to the searchbar." Select that and you are good to go. You can also go to this page, and pick from some common search engines that you can add.

I personally get a lot of use out of Google, Wikipedia and IMDb (Internet Movie Database), but you may find others that are of more use to you. The great thing is that you don't have to navigate to a specific search engine to search. Just make sure that you don't need the page you are on (opening a new tab will make this easier - more on this next week!) because whatever page is open is the page that the search results will appear in (there is a fix for this, and see this Lifehacker post for an explanation).

Anyway, there is one more thing that you might find useful. An add-on called Seach Engine Ordering will allow you to change the order of search engines so you can have your most used ones at the top.

As always, feel free to ask questions if you're unsure of what I'm talking about.

Great Programs: Open Office

2007-04-26T19:58:00.000-07:00

Are you tired of paying too much money for programs like Microsoft Office only to find a new, costlier version is released soon after you get it? I've got a solution for you: Open Office. A few weeks ago I wrote about Open Source Software, and this is one such application I want to highlight.

Open Office is a free program. You don't have to pay a single cent for it (other than the internet connection you have to download it - and even that can be circumvented). This is by far it's biggest advantage over Microsoft Office, and the reason why I think it may start gaining steam.

Open Office comes with many features, including a word processor, a spreadsheet, a database program, a drawing program and a presentation program (much like Powerpoint). I've been using this for about a year and a half and have not had any problems with missing features. I'm sure there are things that the Microsoft programs can do that Open Office cannot, but they are not likely major features - and Open Office is constantly being updated so there it will be improved and you don't have to worry about paying for those improvements.

One question you may have is: Will my Word documents (.doc files) work in Open Office. The answer is yes, though because Microsoft is very secretive about their formatting, there will be some slight changes. This problem will be eliminated as more and more people and companies use Open Office (read about Open Office here and you'll see that many business and governments are using Open Office) and it becomes standard (the difference is also that the code that helps programs interpret their documents is not secret so Microsoft could make it easy to open those files in their programs - but that would make life to easy, wouldn't it?

Anyway, I'm sure you won't take just my word for it, so check out this comparison of office suites done by Wikipedia to find more information.

If you want to download Open Office to try, you can go to their website.

Canada to Ban Inefficient Lightbulbs

2007-04-25T16:51:00.000-07:00

I was going to post about other environmental issues (and I still might make one more post), but this story popped up today in the news.

Basically the federal government has announced that it plans to ban the sale of inefficient light bulbs by 2012. Check out the articles from CBC and the Globe and Mail.

For more information on the more efficient bulbs, read here.

I find it interesting that there is criticism of this initiative. Not only do these bulbs help the environment, but they save money for citizens. Everyone wins. The criticism seems to revolve around the fact that the government is not doing enough. Though I do not have all the facts at this moment, I would tend to believe that. However, I think those groups that are complaining ought to at least applaud the government for the steps they are taking.

One of the articles claims that lighbulbs account for only 1.5% of our carbon emissions, and that this won't make a huge impact. But surely it will make an impact. There is not one single fix to this problem, but this is definitely a step in the right direction.

Though not criticism of this initiative I have some thoughts about these new light bulbs that may not be shared with many. Maybe there have been studies done to answer my questions, but I wonder how much of that wasted energy in inefficient bulbs reduces the strain of heating in the winter. Will this effect cancel out with the savings in cooling in the summer? These are just things to think about.

All in all I find this move rather interesting. Though a small step, it appears our country is moving at least in the right direction

Photo Feature: Flowers

2007-04-25T12:46:00.000-07:00

Flowers outside of Nellie McClung Library in Victoria, BC (taken by Michael Davidson)

If you have any pictures you would like to submit, please email them to pieceofdust@gmail.com - for example if you have any pictures of a volcano....

Countdown of My Favourite Children's Books: #'s 4 & 3

2007-04-24T21:01:00.000-07:00

Here is the next installment in my countdown of my favourite children's books which I started two weeks ago and continued last week. Here is a recap of the books I have already counted down:

10. The Berenstain Bears Series
9. Where the Wild Things Are
8. Matthew and the Midnight Tow Truck
7. Princess Smartypants
6. Love you Forever
5. The True Story of the Three Little Pigs

4. Oh, The Places You'll Go! (Dr. Seuss): Believe it or not, I had never read this (at least to my knowledge) until the end of my very first practicum in Toronto in 2003. A fellow student teacher brought it in to read to our class on the last day we were there and I read it to one of our classes (we were in a SK class, with a morning and an afternoon class). I absolutely loved the story. Every time I read it I have to hold back the tears. I think this book is such a classic for so many because it is honest. It's not one of those books that says everyone is great and that nothing bad will happen. It instills a message of working hard but still encourages children - and adults - to dream big dreams and to not be discouraged by setbacks. Lately this book has become a cliched gift to graduates of every level of school. I'm not really into that, but I think the book is great for people who appreciate good children's literature. I could not find much information out there about the book, except that it is Dr. Seuss's last book. Find more info at Wikipedia and at the Dr. Seuss website.

3. The Paper Bag Princess (Robert Munsch): Ok, so those who know me, may be surprised that this is "only" number three - but I assure you, I have two good ones at the top and you'll understand why. This book is somewhat similar to Princess Smartypants in that it is about an atypical princess. I like this book more for the fact that it spits in the face of conventional fairy tales that tell girls they are the ones that need saving. As a character Elizabeth is a great role model. She fights for what she wants, uses her brains to beat a foe, and then stands up for herself at the end. The humor present in this book also adds to it's appeal. If I were doing a list of which books I like to read, I imagine this would be a bit higher (Dr. Seuss is hard to beat for readability though). A few years ago, they released a new version of the book which has background information on the book which is rather interesting if you are a fan (or for children who like that kind of thing). There is lots of information about this book at Wikipedia, Robert Munsch's Website, and a random site I found.

Stay tuned for # 2 next week (that's right, I'm going to make you wait two whole weeks until I reveal #1!).

Problem of the Day Part V

2007-04-24T20:56:00.000-07:00

I had three readers email me in the correct answers: Alex G, Carly G and Heather D. These are last weeks answers:

1. 29 Days in February in a Leap Year
2. 26 Letters in the Alphabet
3. 3 Blind Mice (See How They Run)
4. 7 Days in a Week
5. Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs
6. 12 Signs of the Zodiac
7. 60 Minutes in an Hour
8. 1001 Arabian Nights
9. 200 Dollars for Passing Go in Monopoly

This weeks one is somewhat similar. You need to decode what the arrangement of words means. The formatting on this is a little messed up (every time I've tried to post it, there is a big space before the boxes.... I think that's Blogger just being weird!

Anyway, here are the problems:

Arrive
Time

Cycle
Cycle
Cycle

HOROBOD

0
B.A.
M.Sc.
Ph.D.

Hi Ho Ag

Remember to email pieceofdust@gmail.com with your answers and "Problem of the Day Part V" in the subject line. Thanks and good luck!

Movie Review: Click

2007-04-23T19:09:00.000-07:00

I watched more than one movie this weekend and thought I should write about Click as well. For those of you who are familiar with the majority of Adam Sandler movies (Happy Gilmore, Billy Madison), this movie is not quite the same: it will actually make you think and feel. I had heard good things about Click before I saw it, and I was not dissapointed when I got to see it.

The movie begins by introducing us to Michael Newman (Sandler) who is a very talented, yet very busy, young architect. He is juggling his family with his job which is constantly dangling the figurative carrot in front of him in order to get him to work more. The conflict between work and family is a theme that is seen throughout the movie and is probably the main focus of the movie.

One evening while looking for a universal remote control to help make his life easier, he is given a special remote control to his universe. He quickly discovers the power it weilds: muting or fast forwarding through conversations, pausing life and changing what people look like (only to himself apparently). At first the device seems like a blessing, until it starts to get a mind of it's own.

What starts as a funny film (with it's usually fart jokes) turns into something more meaningful. Don't be fooled by lead actor, this is definitely a movie that has some meaning to it.

The acting in this movie is excellent from the likes of Sandler, Kate Beckingsale and Henry Winkler. Also featured in the movie are David Hasselhoff, Christopher Walken and Sean Astin (of Goonies fame!).

I give this movie a 4/5 due to some slips in quality every now and then, but would recommend it to anyone who wants to see a meaningful movie.

Movie Review: Dark City

2007-04-23T18:55:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I watched Dark City and I was rather impressed. If you're a fan of Sci-Fi movies, this is definitely a must see.

The movie starts with a short introduction before we meet John Murdoch who awakes in a dingy hotel bathtub with no recollection of how he got there. He quickly learns that he is the suspect in several murders. The movie is basically one big manhunt for him, with an added twist: there is a group of strange creatures (called The Strangers) who can do powerful things with their minds. As the movie continues John discovers more and more about what is reality and what is really going on.

Though not big on special effects (the ones that are in the movie seem a little hokey), the plot will keep you thinking. If you've ever seen The Outer Limits, this is definitely something you might find on that show (though I have only ever seen the newer series).

Starring Rufus Sewell as John Murdoch and backed up by Kiefer Sutherland, John Hurt and Jennifer Connelly (of Labyrnth fame). The acting is believable and it's nice to see an actor who is not a superstar in a major role.

All in all, I think this is one of those movies that didn't recieve as much attention as it's quality would suggest. I give this movie 4.5/5, but just as a warning, if you don't like Sci-Fi, this movie really isn't for you.

One Whole Month of Posting!

2007-04-23T07:52:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been a whole month since that first post (if you don't count the one where I introduced this blog). I'd like to thank my readers for sticking with me for this long and hopefully you will still be with me at the one year anniversary.

Some changes that are being made as we speak:

Music on Mondays is now Media on Mondays. I was originally going to make it Music and Movies but I thought I might also want to talk about books and that doesn't really start with an M, does it?
If you hadn't noticed already, I set up and email address for this blog. If you have any thing you want to submit for posting (ideas, pictures, etc.) or if you're responding to any contests, please use this email. Feel free to post any comments on the blog and respond to other people's comments. An open dialogue is helpful.
Hopefully soon I will have at least one more person writing for me, so look out for that.

Thanks again for a great month and I hope that as this grows it will become all the more enjoyable. Please pass this blog along if you know anyone who might be interested!

I Refuse to Play the Blame Game

2007-04-22T20:43:00.000-07:00

After a brief mention of the horrible events of last Monday, I wanted to share some thoughts about this tragedy.

I was unsure of what I was going to write and thought I should talk about how this came to be. Then my sister sent me this link. For those of you who are too lazy to check it out (hey, I know how it is, I don't always have the time to follow up on every suggestion I get), it lists all the different articles on the internet which suggest who is to blame for the events of last Monday. I read through some of them and changed (slightly) what I wanted to say.

Everyone seems to be blaming someone else. Some do it to further their own agenda while others just want to be able to point the finger at someone so that they can make sense of the situation. Some want to label the perpetrator of those horrbile things as insane, crazy, or disturbed. Perhaps this gets off the hook for any blame that we as individuals might have coming our way.

It is very obvious that for these events to occur, many things had to happen. There is no one person who can be put at fault, if anyone can be put at fault. In times like these many of us are just trying to figure out why and how someone could be driven to commit such heinous acts on other human beings. We need reasons, we need people to blame.

This whole thing is a mess. Let's move forward in a positive direction and rebuild what we can. Focus on yourself and what you can do for yourself and others. There is no need to point fingers in this terrible time for all of us.

Photo Feature: Grand Canyon

2007-04-22T16:44:00.000-07:00

This picture of the Grand Canyon was submitted by Heather Davidson.

If you have any pictures you would like to submit, please email them to pieceofdust@gmail.com

Today is Earth Day!

2007-04-22T09:00:00.000-07:00

I thought I would mention that today is Earth Day. If you want to, today would be a good day to change something about the way you live. Check out the list I gave to you (and that YOU added to) for ideas.

Yesterday, while waiting for the bus, I saw a garbage can that was overflowing with garbage. I did not have my camera to take a picture, but I will describe it for you. I saw the following: a plastic bottle, newspaper, a timbits box, a banana peel, and many more things. What saddened me (and annoyed me) was that many of the things in the garbage did not need to be there. The banana peel could have been composted (or simply thrown into a bush) and the plastics and paper products could all have been recycled. I urge you today to make a difference so that we don't have to look at the unneccessarily overflowing garbage cans in the future.

More to come today...

Tips to Stay Motivated to Exercise or Train

2007-04-21T13:49:00.000-07:00

Those of you who know me, know I run competitively. Lately I've had some big problems finding motivation to run, but the last few days I have gotten it back. I thought I would share some tips with my readers that helped me get focused once again. So here are my tips:

Stay Hydrated: Make sure you drink enough water during the day. Your energy levels will be much higher if you are drinking enough water. Carry around a reusable water bottle during the day to make this easier.

Sleep Well: If you're tired, it is much harder to exercise, especially if you are not getting enough sleep day after day. Get into a rhythm with your sleep by going to bed around the same time each day and getting up at the same time.

Eat Well: If you're going to eat junk, eat it after you run or walk or whatever you do. Not only will it be good motivation, but apparently your body processes the bad food much better after strenuous activity. If you're confused about what to eat, stick to a balanced diet with whole foods. See The World's Healthiest Foods for more info on healthy foods.

Rest: Make sure you give yourself time to recover. If you tire yourself out every day, you're not going to want to keep on doing it. I personally take one day off a week, but many people might want to take 2 or 3 (see below for related tips!)

Variety: If you do the same thing day after day, you're going to get bored. For example, if you want to average 40mins a day, don't run 40 mins each day. Perhaps you could do 35 min one day, 45 min the next. If you're running outdoors, change your route frequently (try not to do the same route more than 2 or 3 times a week). Do fun stuff too; some days go faster and shorter, while other days go longer and shorter. Though I'm talking mostly about running, I'm sure you can put variety into any other activity.

Make a Plan: Get into a weekly rhythm. Do the same thing every Tuesday for example. It's probably easiest to go with a weekyly schedule, because the rest of your life is likely structured that way. Also, pick a time each day to do your exercise. If you get into a habit of this, it makes it much easier to get out there.

Be Adaptable: If you find you're doing too much or too little, change your plan. Don't be afraid to take a day off if you need it. Sometimes you get stressed or have a tiring day. You'll be better off if you don't force yourself to exercise (if you're training competitively it MAY have a negative effect to take a day off, but use your judgement - if you work too hard now instead of taking a day off, you might find yourself taking a whole week of a month later!).

Exercise with Someone Else: Having someone there and knowing that they expect you to show up makes it harder to not do something. Plus it makes running less boring (though sometimes it's nice to exercise alone).

Have Fun: If exercising is constantly not fun, why would you want to do it?

Make a Goal: If you have something you are aiming for, it makes it easier to get out there. The goal could be as simple as lifting more weights, going on a longer run or just running 6 days in a week. Just having a goal gives you direction.

I hope these tips are helpful to you. If you have any other tips you'd like to share, please post them. I always welcome feedback.

Also, if you know of anyone who might find this post (or any other post in this blog) interesting, please send them the link. I'm trying to increase my readership so I can have some good contests in the future!

"Yam" Fries

2007-04-20T12:22:00.000-07:00

I thought I would share a nice (and easy) food to have that is both nutritious and healthy: Yam Fries. I first encountered these at a restaurant in Victoria (The Reef). Since then I have tried making my own and inspired others to do the same. Yam fries have turned into somewhat of an icon for people I know.

You may have noticed that I used quotation marks around Yams in the title of this post. That's because it's not really Yams that I am using (and I didn't know this until five minutes ago). When looking up the health benefits of Yams on The World's Healthiest Foods, I was informed that what we call Yams are actually oranged coloured Sweet Potatoes. Check out the Sweet Potatoe profile on WHF to see all the benefits of eating them, including having many powerful antioxidants.

To make "Yam" fries, you simply have to cut the "Yam" into small pieces (sometimes I make strips, sometimes I make circles). Put the pieces into a bowl with a lid. Add some spices (any combination, though one I really liked was cayenne pepper, turmeric and black pepper) and olive oil. Put the lid on and shake it up really well. My suggestion is about 20-25mins at about 350-400 in the oven. Turn them over halfway so as to not burn them. Experiment with different spices and you'll probably find one that you really like, or just make them plain and use ketchup. I'll suggest trying cinnamon though. You may be pleasantly surprised.

I hope you enjoy this tasty food idea!

Pimping Your Firefox Part IV: Previewing Links Without Leaving Your Page

2007-04-19T22:09:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been surfing the web and wanted to see a link before you clicked on it and navigated away from the page your on? If so, I've got a great Firefox extension for you: Cooliris previews.

This nifty program, once installed (remember, you need Firefox for this!), will give you a nice blue and green square whenever your mouse rolls over a link. Roll your mouse over that small square and a the page will show in a small box. If you want to continue to that page, you merely have to click the link. If you don't want to see it, move your mouse away and it will disappear in a few seconds, or you can click the red "X" at the top of the preview and it will close.

Not that complex, but a useful extension nonetheless.

There needs to be more pictures here!

2007-04-18T19:49:00.000-07:00

I was just looking at the front page of this blog and I noticed I hadn't posted any pictures in a long while. I find that to be rather boring.

So I got to thinking, why not post some nice pictures? I have a few good ones I have taken, but I think this is a good time to ask for submissions. I'm trying to make an interactive blog, so this is what we'll do. Send me your pictures (piecofdust@gmail.com), with a little bit about the picture, and I'll post them. I'll try to get some of my own to post occasionally, but it would be nice to get some from my readers as I am limited to a small geographic area at the moment. Please don't send me a lot at a time (1 or 2 would be ideal).

I'll get the ball rolling with one today:

I took this near my house right when the sun went down. I had a few and this was the best one. The colours in the sky were much nicer than what my digital camera captured. Do you have any similar pictures?

Environmental Tips Contest Winner!

2007-04-18T19:39:00.000-07:00

Well, after a day of four posts, I barely get one in today (and for those of you in Ontario and the rest of the East, this is coming in quite late). This is also something that should have been announced a week ago, so sorry for the delay and the sporadic posts. I'm trying to make good posts daily, but it's been very hard the last week or so.

So without further adieu, your winner for the contest I started two whole weeks ago is Rebecca. Rebecca gave 16 ways you can help the environment, 8 of which I deemed to be unique. To claim your prize, please email pieceofdust@gmail.com with your mailing address and I will send you your prize. You have one week to respond to my email. So if any of my readers know who Rebecca is (I have a very good idea, but I have learned not to make assumptions), please let her know.

Thank you for all the entrants. I now have many more things to add to my list!

Linking Tutors and Students

2007-04-17T16:03:00.000-07:00

This site came to me from Lifehacker a few days ago and I thought I should share it with you on Tuesday (because, despite what the last few days would suggest, I am trying to stick to my original schedule).

Tutorlinker is a free site (so far) that helps tutors and students link up with each other. Tutors simply sign up and fill out their details (a process which can be quick – and if you have errors like I did, a little slower, but the staff was extremely quick in fixing my problems) and you're set. If you're looking for a tutor, all you have to do is type in your address (or your city) and the site will show you all the tutors that are close to you. You can click on them to find details about how far they will travel, what they can tutor and how much they cost. Doing a quick search as of this writing and I am the only one in Victoria so far (though I hope many of my friends in Education will sign up and pass the word on) but other cities have several tutors registered. Potentially this could be a very helpful tool for students, parents and tutors make the process much easier. This avoids the costly tutoring agencies (which I'm told can charge twice as much as they pay their tutors) and it allows for parents to shop around.

I would try this if I were you. I am going to be passing the site on to the parents in my class and all the teachers I know so hopefully this will be something that parents start using and can be effective.

If you're neither student, parent or tutor, then I guess this doesn't really apply to you (well, maybe if you want to advertise on their site – I hear they are looking for advertisers!)

Countdown of My Favourite Children's Books: #'s 7, 6 & 5

2007-04-17T12:26:00.000-07:00

This is the continuation of the countdown I started last week. A recap of the first three:

10. The Berenstain Bears Series

9. Where the Wild Things Are

8. Matthew's Midnight Adventures

7. Princess Smartypants (Babette Cole): In the same vein as the Paper Bag Princess this is a book about a Princess who doesn't fit the stereotype. Babette Cole is definitely an author worth reading and has produced many other storybooks (which may or may not all be suitable for children). This particular story is about a Princess who everyone wants to marry. She makes each potential suitor complete some very difficult tasks. Definitely one that will make students laugh.

6. Love You Forever (Robert Munsch): If this story doesn't make you cry, the story behind the story will. A few years ago I had a music class where we talked about this book. It originally started as a song which was written by Munsch after he and his wife had two babies born dead. The song was written to those two babies. Astute fans of Robert Munsch will notice that his regular illustrator (Michael Martchenko). This is because the book was seen as a book for adults and not a book for children (though many children do enjoy it). More information about the book can be found here.

5. The True Story of the Three Little Pigs (Jon Scieszka): Another great author who has written several great children's books. I choose this particular book of his to highlight because it was the first one of his I read and it absolutely blew me away (no pun intended). This is the classic story of the Three Little Pigs as told by the wolf. So simple yet such a great idea. Similar to Princess Smartypants in that it is a fractured fairy tale (my how many of those made my top 10) but very different. This can be used in so many ways in a classroom.

Tune in next week to find out what books 4 and 3 are!

Problem of the Day Part IV

2007-04-17T08:33:00.000-07:00

I am making some changes to the problem of the day so that it is fair to all involved. Please do not post any of your responses on here. Instead I ask you to submit your responses to this email I have set up to deal with this blog: pieceofdust@gmail.com

This way anyone who wants to try the problems can try. Everyone who submits correct responses will be credited with a point. Unless otherwise noted, only one response per person will be accepted, so make sure you have the correct answer (unless I explain that there is more than on answer).

The answers for last week that I accepted:

99+9/9 = 100
55/5-5 = 6
((7 + 7) * 7) + (7/7) + (7/7) = 100 OR 777/7 – 77/7 = 100

That's 3 points for Heather D. I know someone can catch her. I heard she was bragging about getting all of these.

This weeks is part of a larger group of problems. Each of these expressions are missing words. Lucky for you, the words are replaced by the first letter in the word. It is up to you to decipher these expressions or phrases. I will give you the answer to the first one as an example and then you're on your own. You can earn up to 9 points in this round, so do what you can. Entries are due by 11:59pm on Monday April 23^rd:

1. 12 M in a Y (12 Months in a Year)

2. 29 D in F in a L Y

3. 26 L in the A

4. 3 B M (S H T R)

5. 7 D in a W

6. S W and the 7 D

7. 12 S of the Z

8. 60 M in an H

9. 1001 A N

10. 200 D for P G in M

Good Luck!

The Best Directions in the World

2007-04-17T06:29:00.000-07:00

Since I have been not so great about posting the last few days, I have decided to bombard you with more than usual today (so far I have four planned, so check back often today). The first of the day is a nice trick that I recently recieved via email (from my wonderful Aunt who often sends me hilarious emails). Do the following:

Go to www.google.com
Click on “Maps”
Click on “Get Directions”
Type “New York” in the first box (the “from” box)
Type “London” in the second box (the “to” box)
Click on “Get Directions”
Scroll down to step #23/24

When I first saw this I was pretty sure what was going to happen, but I was still unprepared. I actually laughed out loud. I think that is a programmers idea of a joke and I for one found it funny. I hope that brightened up your day!

I have no words to describe these horrors...

2007-04-16T15:49:00.000-07:00

CBC

Globe and Mail

New York Times

CNN

BBC

Time

Green and Red Working Together

2007-04-15T17:14:00.000-07:00

This week we were treated to the announcement that the Liberal Party will not run a candidate in the riding that Green Party leader Elizabeth May will contest in the election that is apparently coming soon. For those of you who are not up to date on this development, here is an article which outlines the plan.

When I first heard this news I thought it was a great thing; the Liberals were acknowledging the existence of the Green Party and are giving them some help. Then I read many scathing responses to this move. The sentiment against it basically revolves around the fact that the Liberals (well, Liberal leader Stephane Dion to be exact) are leaving their supporters in that riding out to dry. They will not be able to support the Liberal party.

But that is not what started to bug me. If the Greens do pull of the likely miracle of winning that riding (and most experts suggest they won't) then they will have made their breakthrough the easy way. As a supporter of the Green Party's last couple of platforms (and probably one of the few people who actually read them!) I would not be so proud that the breakthrough came as a result of help from the Liberals.

I'm sure Mr. Dion has some good reasons for this move, though no one can really explain how this benefits the Liberals. They potentially lose their supporters in a whole riding (who may or may not vote for the Green party) and don't gain anything from a lack of opposition from the Greens in Mr. Dion's riding.

Maybe more will come out later related to this move, but I doubt it will make a major impact on the results of the next election (whenever it happens). Hopefully, the Green Party will make a breakthrough somewhere else and get a few members elected to Parliament.

Note: I realize this post is somewhat biased. This will not happen often. If you have anything you would like to add (comments on the situation), please feel free to post your thoughts.

Games Kids Like

2007-04-14T19:38:00.000-07:00

Since I'm getting lots of experience teaching these days, I thought I'd share some games that kids (and adults) enjoy quite a bit in the gym (or outside, etc.)

Everybody It Tag. Just like the name would suggest, everyone is "it." If you get tagged, you sit down. If two of you tag each other at the same time, both of you sit down. The game ends when only one person is left. A better variation of this game (and a more inclusive one at that) is to have people stand with both hands in the air when they get tagged. If someone comes up and gives them a high ten, then they can rejoin the game. This usually doesn't end and can be quite fun.

Battleship. The object of this game is to get across the gym (or a similar sized area) without getting tagged. There are two ways you can get tagged. The first is by the three battleships in the playing area. These consist of children (or adults), who have foam balls. To tag someone, they must hit them below the shoulders with their foam ball. The only catch is that they can only throw their balls from hula hoops laid out on the floor. Once thrown, the battleships can retrieve their balls and throw again (if there is time). If someone is tagged they become seaweed and are stuck in place. The second way to get tagged is if one of the seaweed tags you as you run by. The game is played until one person is left and then a new round begins. I've seen some classes who can play this game for a 45min Phys Ed period and not want to change to a new game. A great way to keep kids active.

Next time I'm having difficulties thinking of something to post, I'll share more games that are fun.

Friday the 13th

2007-04-13T09:12:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know this has nothing to do with food. Sue me.

I thought that since this was such a special day I would mention two phobias surrounding the number thirteen and Friday the 13th.

Triskaidekaphobia: this is the fear of the number 13. Most people know that 13 is considered an unlucky number. This Wikipedia article mentions a few possible origins but I am still unconvinced. Some of the explanations include: the fact that Judas was the 13th person to sit down at the table during the Last Supper and that 13 is one more than 12 (which can be divided by 2, 3, 4, and 6 - I'm not sure what that has to do with bad luck).

Paraskavedekatriaphobia: this is the fear of Friday the 13th. This Wikipedia article discusses possible origins as well. Personally I have had bad luck on Friday the 13th. It was back in December of 2002 that I broke two bones in my foot while running (it was a freak accident). I doubt that had anything to do with the fact that it was Friday the 13th though.

This is turning into a really short post. If I find some time later in the day, I will actually make a post about something food related! I hope this was educational.

Pimping Your Firefox Part III: Easily Accessible Favourites

2007-04-12T20:04:00.000-07:00

Today's tip comes from an older Lifehacker post. I thought I woudl share the advice. Some of you may have the bookmark toolbar on the top of your browser and it may go unused up there. Some of you may also have turned it off. I originally had it hidden until I realized how helpful it can be. Two extensions help you make it quite useful. The first is a nice one that will put only the icons of the site on the bar. Those icons are those little pictures that appear before the address in the address bar (the orange "B" symbol for this site). All that you really need to do is download Smart Bookmarks Bar. You can change the settings for this bar by going to Tools -> Extensions. There should then be a dialog box that lists all your extensions. Just click once on Smart Bookmarks Bar and then click on the "options" button down below to change the settings. There is only one setting (Showing the name when you roll your mouse over the picture). I personally have that box unchecked because I find it distracting. You may want to keep it so you know what the sites are.

The second extension that is helpful is Favicon Picker 2. This extension gives you the option of picking what the icon is for your bookmarks (because not all sites have nice icons like this one). Simply download the program and you are ready to go. If you want to change the icon, just left click on it and click properties. There should be a section of that box that has the icon and two options: Erase or Browse... pick browse to find an icon you want to use (it has to be on your computer).

For those of you who aren't so sure how to make an icon, I will send you to a website that will help you: Favicons from Pics. Simply click on the "Browse" button on the page and select a picture from your computer. It will generate a file that can be used as an icon. You will need to download this to your computer and put it somewhere safe. I suggest making a folder for it (Call it "Icons" if you want to be safe and put it with your other pictures). You can then find this file with the above program to make your icon.

All together, this can give you several of your bookmarks or favourites right in your browser without having to open up the bookmarks sidebar or drop down menu. I personally have 34 bookmarks in my browser with room for 5-10 more. I suggest you try this and see how much easier it is to check your favourite sites.

As always, if you want to try this and are confused, just ask me any questions you may have...

UPDATE (20:50): Oops, I lied. Just after I wrote this, I updated my extensions and the new version of Smart Bookmarks Bar has more options, including decreasing the space between the icons, which allows for more icons on the toolbar. Yet another great feature of Open Source Software - constant improvements!

Open Source Software: The Basics

2007-04-12T07:53:00.000-07:00

I have frequently used the term Open Source Software in my posts and some of my readers may not be completely sure what that is. I thought I would do a brief rundown of what it is and the advantages gained from using it.

Open Source Software is simply software that is not a secret. The source code of these programs is freely avaialable to anyone who wants to look at it. These programs are usually created by individuals who are more concerned with making a good program than they are with making money. Due to the code being freely available, the programs are also free (in most cases, there are some small exceptions). Think of Open Source Software as a collaborative effort compared to closed source software (like Windows) which is controlled by a small group of people.

Open Source Software is developed by anyone who wants to help. There are many online communities working on various applications and constantly updating them and making them better for everyone involved. If you wanted to help with building a program (and you had the skills), you could easily help.

The advantages of using Open Source Software are huge. I'll list a few of the bigger ones in a list:

Since there is no concern for money, and every concern for quality, programmers are constantly working to improve the programs, and not holding innovative ideas back so that people have to buy updates. Often, Open Source Software is more innovative and has been copied by closed source applications. An example of this is Microsoft copying Firefox's tabbed browsing (among other features).
Speaking of Firefox, many Open Source programs allow for add-ons or extensions. These small programs can give you many helpful tools to complete tasks that you wouldn't otherwise be able to do. Other extensions are just for fun. Many of those will be discussed in my weekly posts about how to upgrade your Firefox.
Cost. Open Source Software is free. Even if you don't realize that you pay for Windows or Mac OS, you are when you buy your computer. There are Open Source options (apparently Dell is offering Open Source operating systems on the computers they sell).
A Sense of Community: Open Source software follows the idea that we are one community working together. Those who make Open Source Software are doing it to make something good for them and for others. They are not doing it for money (they may be doing it for fame, however). Open Source Software embraces the idea that we are a community and not the idea that we should hide the secrets to success.

Open Source is not just a computer thing. The idea is a whole movement. Many other things can be made open source. This Wikipedia article (which may be biased) contains a few other areas that have been termed Open Source.

Here are a couple of sites that have various Open Source programs on them (all free of course):

And a site that talks about Open Source Software:

Make the Move

I hope this has been informative. I would suggest trying some Open Source Software out to see how well it can serve your needs. I will be profiling some of the better programs I have encountered in the coming weeks and as always, I'll be talking about Firefox later today.