Tuesday, 30 September 2014

You Read It Here

In Liberia , in Monroeville , there is hospital , the JFK Hospital.
Heavily involved in the Ebola outbreak. Down the road is a large chalkboard , a sort of news of the world in banner headline style.
People stop to read the board. typical of what gets put up there is this : U.S. brought Ebola to Liberia so that U.S. troops could be deployed

It was so disruptive that the U.S. ambassador had to go public to explain the 3 000 troops that arrived in Liberia.

And the world goes on

Weather : turned a bit , threat of rian , cooler and grey
What the hey , it was good while it lasted

Played chauffeur last night , airport and back to Scarborough.
The plan was M runs in to find the visitors and I would wait in the cell phone parking lot. I drove around 2 x and never found the CP lot. People had pulled over on the shoulder , engines running and waiting.
On the beginning of the 3 rd go round , I got in the slow curb lane
moving at a crawl and said ' Crap ' and pulled over at Post 4 as I saw the attendant who chases cars away , just leave - figured that I had 5 minutes before he could get back. 
The ' loading zone at P 4 was empty when I stopped. I looked back in the mirror and there were 12 cars right behind me , stopped and waiting
Just as I figured that I needed to move , I called M - nada
I was near P 16 , our agreed rendevouz and the phone rings " Where are you  ? / Where are you ? /   what post ?  /  16 ? /    at 16
-----    we were all there.  Job done

Enjoy the day , enjoy the day

BTW - did you know on the radio , an expert on the Middle East said ' that if a Westerner uses the phrase  , Salaam Alaikum , or peace be w/ you , it is considered an insult by some Muslims '




Monday, 29 September 2014

Router , router ????

No , I didn't stutter. This morning a news item was aired on CBC.
There is a virus ( or bad program ) that is attacking computers that are Mac based or Linux or ..... ( other basic computer instruction systems ) .. so my PC is safe.
Nope , b/c the routers that we use also use basic computer instruction systems.
Thus , your computer isn't in danger except for the feed system ( router ) that could be corrupt.
And the basic computer instruction systems ( Linux etc ) are maintained by volunteers ( actually , til recently , a volunteer ).
Now a team , is working on protecting the basic systems.
Volunteers  ? And for what we pay , big corporations etc rely on volunteers.
Obviously , you'll need to do your own research.. this message may be garbled b/c I may have heard garble.. half awake.

Weather : boring , warm / sunny - gentle breezes

Relatives fly in , to - night , from Vancouver. This trip would be a maintenance effort - sister visits the nuclear family or what's left of the family. Lots of people but spread out. And not in touch much.
Thats the 3 rd generation out.

Go look at your router... b/c that's about all that I can do.
Time to call some friends.


Saturday, 27 September 2014

OpOsm - weekly check in ( this is Sunday )

Despite the ' OP Osm ' title and the date 9 / 27
This is the Sunday blog. The published stuff was to be a draft yesterday and I hit the wrong button

For Op Osm :  Start date : Jul 19 190 lb.
                        to -day the scale said 176.6 lb - 177 last week
Over the  2 months give or take

The week yielded a change of 0.4 lb
However , we ate out 3 times w/ beer.

The O'Neill Pub in Port Hope has ' LugTread ' by Beau's
and I'm a sucker for a micro - brew , such as that - had 2.
Why should you visit O'Neill ?
LugTread .. check
An added touch is their food. We split dishes ordering a sample platter appetizers and Mac n Cheese deluxe. The deluxe part was the side salad
I've become an expert on salads since Op Osm started. At home the salad has arugala , baby spinach , slivered baby carrots , sliced hot mix pickles and lots of cubed tomato. Topped w/ grated 3 mix cheese and crushed pretzels ( which are the croutons replacement , you should see the nutrition info on the crouton box )
The key is variety , keep it interesting. O'Neill went to the same school of salad making.
I also alternate by using cole slaw bag mix.
The carrots are important. At the deli counter , 2 salads , same size had a difference of $ 1 - one had double carrots. I can do double carrots

The upshot of all this , is that I look at food and eating very analytically ,mayhaps a little OCD but ' you gotta care '
Start now , and work at it.
Thats my credo

I pressed the ' next blog ' icon at the top of the page to see other blogs on blogspot and 1 of 7 blogs is current - the rest seemed to have halted  , some up to 3 years ago

World news. NOT . Only negative news. 
In to - day's editorial cartoon a TV viewer is covering his ears w/ a look as thosugh he got subjected to an AVX sound system ( like at the movies ) , thats my take. The TV has a picture of a sign that says ' World News ' in big red letters. I always thought ' Do Not Panic ' in big red letters was the standard ( ref. 'Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy ' )
Guess I'm not alone in my take on world news.

Weather : same old same old , beuti , bueti , beuti

Are things good in Northborough , Mass ?
Is the knee good in Norton ?


Spending Spree

.... top up.
This week saw the consumer crazy household here , purchase a towel warmer , 22 " TV and finished w/ a DVD called ' Captain America - the Winter Soldier '.
A bit extrvagant the DVD , new for  $ 24. Expensive , yes , however ,I thought about the $ 40 something trip to see ' Guardians of the Galaxy '. I controlled the vertical and the horizontal and my heart didn't change rhythm when the bombs went off (c.f. AVX sound at the theatre)
Rating : Plenty of action , and if you think that I'm a Luddite , well Cap' is worse ) I'd give the video about 0.6 / 1.0 on the Redbox scale
The backyard view. I am typing looking out on the backyard. Our living room is on the backside of the house and faces the ravine.At this time of the year , the trees and bushes enclose the space. The backdrop are maples , oaks and a black cherry plus larches galore.
The foreground is silver leaf dogwoods and pines. The dogwoods and pines are actually in the backyard and were planted by us. B/c of our elevation in the house , the dogwoods are base of the view.
A long time ago , the cleaning lady admitted to sitting and watching the backyard. She quickly added that she stayed an extra ten minutes working to make up for the viewing break.

Weather : SOG , the same beuti conditions , summer

In the news , Ebola still going crazy and more countries are sending planes to combat ISIS. Canada has promised 6 planes. No , we're not cheap - that 1 / 2 of our air force

BTW - the new LG 22 " flat screen is a gem. The picture is sharp and jumps off the surface. The picture was aided by ' the Winter Soldier ' which does plenty of jumping itself.
My elliptic room , now rivals , most gyms. If only the trainee rivaled the people in most gyms. I'm trying , I'm trying.

Friday, 26 September 2014

Canada First

there are many firsts for Canada , this news item says it all 
Canada has claimed the Guinness honours for the oldest pig - right , Ernestine is 23 yrs old - WOW

Weather is amazing Sep 26 and I wore shorts to Costco
Well ,haircut and then Costco
Unfortunately , the trip resulted in the TV purchase
22 " HD TV for the elliptic room and I almost put it back on the shelf - guilt  , galore 
And the HDMI cables were 3 for $ 24. The first HDMI cable thought I bought was $ 30 for one
Oh well , I'm keeping the people of Bangla - something employed , I guess

The towel warmer cost more than the TV
There was added environmental fee of $ 13 which made me feel a little better

Leonard Cohen is a famous poet / writer and entertainer
You might know him best as the author of the song ' Hallelujah '
He stated that on turning 80 , that he would start smoking again , on the principle ' what have I got to  lose '  ah , what the heck

Stay real

Thursday, 25 September 2014

Gone Wild

Ebola : overwhelming governments and on course to infect numbers such as 1 000 000.
A CBC segment had an epidemiologist saying that WHO got gutted financially as the prevailing wisdom was that epidemic control was not a priority in a world where many feared diseases were now under control. Right !
thus WHO can advise but has no resources to set up themselves
Sorry WHO for the earlier criticism , I didn't realize that you were useless  ... relatively speaking
BTW - that big number will accrue come Jan 2015 , making it almost a year since Ebola came to recognition

In defence of those W African countries. one reason that these countries were slow off the mark is the similarities of Ebola to Lassa fever which is endemic in these countries,
Both diseases present similarly at the beginning. Much later in the course of the disease a distinct pattern emerges
Sorry , W African countries for any disparaging remarks made earlier

They haven't asked me to send jet fighters to bomb ISIS , cuz they've asked everyone else

A trusting world : The parcel people left the towel warmer on our front stoop for two days , guess they weren't worried.

Fact ? Smoking kills 1 / 3 of people who smoke  I've got to check this one out

Fishing was fishing , not catching as the joke goes. As in  thats why they call it fishing not catching
The boat runs fine

The grass got trimmed and major carpentry repaired two boards on the dock that had rotted at the ends. I recycled boards that I found laying around , lazy boards. Wow , the boards even fit the space that was needed. Not professional but pretty good. I dood it myself
 ( pat . pat )

Summer happened and no one told us. Beuti , warm sunny days and light breezes. The nights are cool and clear.

" Our far flung navies " Rudyard Kipling 

Barack could have used those lines

On the Facebook front , I checked off about 20 friends requests
2 people confirmed the friend status. Haven't figured out what I'll do when 18 more people ' friend me '
Suggestions ?      readers  of mine

The Luddite log :Case 56
You know the tale of the DVD player that crashed in the exercise room. The new razzle dazzle Samsung BluRay DVD replacement went upstairs to the living room.
The exercise room inherited the 'old ' BluRay DVD player.
Well , the little CRT 14 in jobby in the exercise room is feeble c.f. the BluRay DVD player. Yes , I'm going to buy a flat screen TV for the elliptical work out room.
That means , we will have 3 CRT TV s kicking around somewhere , and the environmentalist in me is having kittens. I'll live , I guess.
Hope the kittens do , too !
I suppose this house just staggered into the world of ultra consumerism 
So for ' give away ' , 3 CRT TV s. Apply here.




Monday, 22 September 2014

Notice......

...... if you haven't backed up your computer , do it.
You can not predict when you will encounter a problem.
My case , while downloading Skype , I used a website CNet that sells computer stuff and does a referral service for AVG - anti virus program. I imagine that Cnet buys the basic AVG program at cost then offers the basic for free.
While researching this ' free ' offer , another site warned a) AVG really ,REALLY wants you to buy the upgrade AVG program. But , BUT , b)  Cnet has to make money too !! .
 Cnet sends advertising and a tool bar and search engine ( which allows pop - ups ) as well.
Now , you try and get rid of that ' pop up ' generating system , you try.
The best way is to go back and find a restore point before you got the ' pop up ' generator. And that is hard to do w/out a back up. W/ a back up , you wipe the computer and re - install your personal settings etc from the back up.
I'm using a 1 Tb second hard drive. FYI , the back up uses less than 1 / 10 of the hard drive2  capacity.
As your friend , get w/ it - Back up.

While , I'm giving free advice , photos and storage. Yes , there is the cloud and other on line services for storage.
My system : each grouping of photos ( videos ) is saved on hard disc. I publish thumbnail cover sheets that are kept in a 3 ring binder.
Next , the photos are backed up on a thumb drive , sort of all lumped to - gether , but in their indexed state.
Lastly , the photos could be found , if you search on the hard drive2

Why should you be so redundant. I discovered that some experts predict a fixed shelf life for hard discs ( something like 3 - 10 yrs )
Computers crash - no , not when you plan , they just crash.
Heard the stories over and over 
As your bud , take some steps

While on the topic of photos. you may as well profit from the misery of others. When I bought my first digital camera ( Fuji )
someone said ' buy the biggest chip that you can '. They said 16 Gb will hold 1 000 s of photos and save money b/c bigger is cheaper. Nope , I opted for 4 Gb chips and paid more.
But I switched out chips when one got filled or used ( each chip held 300 photos or some such / you try and take 300 photos). At leisure , I would save to the computer and likely have an empty chip to swap out.
The friend and his 16 Gb chip still in the camera were separated at a hotel.
The range of photos included 3 summers worth of shots and 2 Xmas'... you see he was waiting for the chip to fill or a time to come when he would download. Thus , he saved $4 and lost 400 photos

Preachy , preachy..... you're full of it this AM.

Weather : ' a grey dawn on the seas face and a grey dawn breaking '
John Masefield , ' Sea Fever ' OK . Alright , there is no sea but the lines describe the day
If JM could have included windy , you'd have to -day

We watched the new series premier of ' Madam Secretary ' starring Tea Leone  - and I'm in love ... always was ... lucky Duchovny
Interesting and rife w/ possibilities , we shall see said the Zen master

Go for it  and back up ..... back up ..... back up   
You heard it here



Sunday, 21 September 2014

The Torstar Reports

... on the World
No , nothing different from other week ends but this time I'll go cover to cover
1. Searching underwater in Iceland for potential sources of new drugs
2. Cocaine revolution : found , coca plants in Mexico
3. Why we need to stop watching the ISIS reality show
4. Hiking around the world : until the Russians say 'No '
5. Re - using water : how recycling waste water is catching on and 
    the value of the effort
6. The Asians arming up : The increase in military spending in the        Pacific East

Weather : Pounding rain hits T.O.

Op Osm get fit : ' The long and winding road ' is the Beatles property. The phrasing describes the weight loss portion of the project. Thus , officially I'm down 13 pounds since Op Osm began.
This week cookies got added to the menu.
At poker , hosted here , I ate carrots and pita chips. For the food part of the hosting , I had lasagna but no bread and double salad.
I did sample all of the bad bits ... chips , pretzels and peanuts

The pita chips come from a recipe book called ' Looney Spoons '
( written by sisters from out West in Canada ). To replace chips , as in potato , they offer oil brushed pita wedges.
The original recipe is to brush an oil / egg white mixture inside of pita wedges , sprinkle herb mix over the tops and bake.
Tried this. 
I've switched to using balsamic dressing for the brushing.
The calories are a little higher from the dressing but its so much faster.

Saturday, 20 September 2014

Something Snapped

if you were M , living here w/ me , you'd hear that phrase throughout the year.
E.g. booking Vegas day. Certainly , we had hemmed and hawed about doing Vegas before Xmas. No set date etc.
Bingo , bango ! I was on line checking the carrier Westjet , M sees me fumbling around w/ schedules ...zip , zip and Bob's your Uncle
air / room done in one. No , probably more like 2 hrs all in.

Thurs. In my head , I'd been mulling the possibility of a towel warmer. Standard in English bathrooms , the towel warmer warms towels. The towel warmer also warms the room and dries towels.
I'd researched the reviews for towel warmers. I'd contacted stores.
Even had the neighbours advise on installers    ( hard wired warmers )
Well, you got it - Thurs came and a towel warmer is on order.
This morning the shipping info was e mailed.
Yep , a plug in ( soft wire ) towel warmer is coming.
M said ' What ? '
 I imagine that I forgot to mention the concept
while I was doing all the researching ( better part of a year )
I guess it failed to come up in conversation
M then says ' where is this going ? ' & ' how much ? '
sort of real practical questions
You think that maybe this has happened before ?
The cost is 270 dollars incl shipping , thus no one will starve or do w/out----- someone may however , get a screaming deal at our next garage sale.

Ideally , it will go in the upstairs washroom at QMH on the 'bee.
There is a baseboard heater but I figured a low wattage warmer left on at night , could raise the temperature a bit and dry towels. And if all goes right , the towel warmer will be closer to the toilet than the baseboard heat

A comprehensive follow up will be available here

We shall see said the Zen Master

Weather : it can't make up its mind sunny / not sunny - it will be warm , going to 70 something to -day but rain to follow

" it takes every kind of people to make the world go round "
from the inimitable Robert Palmer


Friday, 19 September 2014

If

.. not the poem by Rudyard Kipling
But if you've read all the blog entries on this site then  you've read 866 pieces 
my apologies
my thanks
The ' f ' word was used last night by the weather lady , Colette.
There is a frost warning for N and E of the city. The temperature last night fell to the low 40 s here in Scarborough.
The city proper sits on the shores of L Ontario and the lake is still in the 60 's.
Weatherboy is dressed w/ coat , scarf and toque - that guy is not stupid

Getting my head around numbers
1. The Scottish independence question was settled 55- 45. They want to continue to blame England for their problems , smart move.
The announcers keep saying that a million people voted ' Yes ' for separation. To me that  means that a million and a half voted  ' No '.
Except , I though that 4 million people were going to vote. I guess they'll publish the actual numbers in the paper.

2. The show on the Airbus 380 ( 500 passengers ) said that at take off the A380 has a weight of 570 000 Kg. Now , wait half a mo'
500 000 Kg flies - in the air...... Holey Kamoley Batman..

This morning , they interviewed a guy who spent his last 3 nights sleeping in front of the electronics store - waiting for the i Phone 6
Rumour says that i - 6 will be in short supply in N . America.
Give me a break , 3 nights !  Its a phone.... its a cell phone

I host the monthly poker game this month to - day. The game has to be deemed ' friendly '. Everyone ponies up $60. Even if you go broke , you can still play. The rule for this is called the ' Peter Argo ' rule. Cuz guess what , he needed the rule or he'd go home at 9 o clock and we start at 8.
I was drafted approx 6 years ago. The table often has a 50 % Asian component - well , 4 are Japanese by ethnicity. 
There is a formula : a ) start on time      b) stop on time  c) food is served at 10: 30 or 11.
The game breaks up on or before 12. This game is an old man' s game , so , I'm now officially .... old - ish.
At Shoppers Drug Mart , the cashier asked ' are you over 55 , < pause > I'm supposed to ask '     all said sheepishly , until I said ' yes ' Her reply ' you don't look it '  Thank you dearie

# 866 is signing off

P.S. - I did go broke to - night. Kept playing and in the last 3 hands won back 44 dollars. The comeback kid - notice , I still lost.





Thursday, 18 September 2014

Herring are Kippers

I'm not saying its true but on' Salvage Hunters ' , that is what they said.
SA is a UK show that follows a team of buyers / restorers / retailers as they scour Eng / Wales / Eur for ' stuff ' that people will buy... which by the general gist of things is anything.
E.g. to -day they bought an 18 C pew , a turnstile , a station clock , battle shields and a county fair ride ( all wood and painted).
The herring reference came as they went to the Herring Museum in Great Yarmouth on the Eng east coast.

The baby laptop , I get it , you're tired of hearing about it. 
Sorry , I feel the need to vent. Frustration , is universal , when you deal w/ computers. 
To -day , I updated Windows , 12 updates which I'll never need , probably , 1 h 20 min. all in.
Slow  ?   baby laptop re-invented slow this morning.
As per usual , after all the downloads and security checks etc , the little bugger is approaching normal speed.In all fairness , the baby laptop is not used every day , so , I suppose days , such as , to - day are making up for the other 3 when the laptop is not in use.
The Virus software is free from the service provider and it is McAfee , thus , not bad for a freebie.
And ,  I am typing away on the blog
B/c the laptop isn't going to the QMH and we're using our i phones , I suppose , the baby laptop is primarily a travelling convenience.

In the world : the Scots are voting on whether to stay in the UK or be their own country.
My take , the Scots are their own country. People may use the terms Great Britain or UK but Scotland is a country
#2. the Scots have it great , thy're doing well , we've been - they get to blame England and this is great
Do they really want to have their own dis - honest and venal countrymen to blame ? 
Much , much better , blame the English , its tradition , its been like that for 300 years
And to boot ,the English are promising , all sorts of concessions. They may not deliver but you can blame the English
See , so neat.
I maintain its good to have someone to blame - every politician

The classic joke was that a president on taking office finds 2 letters in the great desk from his predecessor. He opens the first. The letter says  ' on your first great mistake just blame me '. The president does that.
Another crisis looms and figuring the advice was so good the first time , opens the second letter. The letter says ' write two letters '

Weather : bleary , dreary - however this is not Cabo San Lucas or wherever in Mexico , the hurricane hit
Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition..... Let me guess too much ' Gods and Generals ' for you.


Wednesday, 17 September 2014

Accumulate Blog Filler

I have a note on my i phone thats categorized as ' blog filler '
Here it is

Ebola ( what again ) Yepper. countries are committing resources to help the gov'ts of W Africa. You should be aware that the gov'ts in question have not committed much. They really have been behind in coping. The heavy lifting was done by NGO s , Medecin Sans Frontier etc.
There is a possibility that as this outbreak peaks and it not any where close to that point , that these economies will collapse. The gov'ts did not commit funds or resources at the beginning and fell behind the curve ... way behind the curve.

By poll , Americans have a good opinion of Canada and Canadians.
We in Canada , are often compared to the mouse sharing a bed w/ an elephant. Even when the elephant is careful the mouse needs to watch out.

Over 1 / 2 of Americans have midriff obesity. This rate is up 46 % since the turn of the century ( 2000 or 1900 ?? )

Weather : ' nothing could be finer than to be in ........s GWN

I watched a 2001 ??? or so TV special on DVD , called ' Gods and Generals ' , a prequel to ' Gettysburg '. G& G focuses on the leadership of the the Union and CSA , a personal look.
The main character was Thomas Jackson.  Enjoyable. Especially , after I cleaned the DVD ( bought used ). Pre - cleaning , the playback paused and jumped around. I guess cleanliness is close to godliness. 

Mah Jhonng  has reached epidemic proportions here. The game is interfering w/ sleep and our psyches. Get a life   ,you two.


Monday, 15 September 2014

The Art of Complaining

This topic was recently aired on CBC radio daytime.
A phrase that was used by the expert , Phil Edmunston ( a consumer advocate ) was ' condition for service ' - meaning a product has to be useable as expected or advertised. A reaonable length of time for service is also guaranteed on the purchase.
The length of time varies w/ the item.
Obviously , cars formed the bulk of problems b/c of the large capital outlay involved. TG , it wasn't my car being discussed
Imagine burning 3 L of oil in under 2 months or being on the road and filling the oil reservoir at each gas stop.

Weather : glorious / sunny and bright , still cool - very cool last night .. methinks its fall

We watched the ' Kings Speech ' last night on regular TV , I guess thats what you call it , I mean w/ commercials. Excellent film and true , which is always neat
Speaking of commercials , at the movies we got bombarded by every kind of ad - food concession , upcoming TV shows and of course future movie releases.

I'm glad things are working out in Northborough , Mass.

How is our mobility in Norton , OH - should be straightening out by now

As I type , I'm on hold ( running into 15 min, now ). Our Bell bill ( internet , phone and TV ) didn't include all the promo discounts that we were promised. much of the discounts showed up including free long distance , which is good.

On the home front , we are about to lay out some money for upgrades and repairs.
1. New eavestrough on the front ( sagging and useless )
2. Running run - off lines ( 3 " PVC ) under the interlock , the stones will be lifted and reset and or cut and reset
3. The dryer venting will be switched to metal ducts
4. A cracked hall ceiling will be plastered to cover the cracking along the joint lines. In the ' old ' days 1970 ? , the drywall came in 4 x 4 sheets - more sheets , more joints. The contractor admitted that this might not work but he said it was better than re - drywalling due to the mess.
Better start saving the pennies

Have a good'un

Sunday, 14 September 2014

Confessions of an Addict.........

... there was a time when I kept a 1 / 2 gallon of Rocky Road ice cream in the apartment fridge. I would have a double scoop on the way home from work at Baskins and Robbins. Sneak a single scoop at night after dinner .
Of course , now , those habits would be impossible. Thinking of ice cream means weight gain.
Well , we've come up w/ a new addiction.
We play Mah Jhong on line. About a month ago , in the Google App store , I stumbled upon games. This game was free ( what else ) and looked simple. It is - it is frustrating too !
We both play and play and play.
We are on level one. Can't even imagine what level 2 could do to your head. Likely we will find out
 " Warning , Will Robinson , danger " the Robot

Weather : bright and sunny , very cool , we have a 52 F reading out back.

World News : No , I don't think so. My life , this blog , may be boring and burying your head in the sand can be dangerous. However, if you want bad news , you read the paper or whatever
Here , the news will be banal - droll - useless ... but relatively nice
The world needs more nice

Yesterday , I repaired a hole. well , not quite a hole. Rather a patch job than came undone.
The story. I suppose when we had the furnace and A / C replaced
approx 7 years ago , the workers found a plywood sheet approx 3 x 2 ft covering the entry of the pipes that vent the furnace and hot water heater ( high efficiency ). They likely arranged to re - use the plywood patch.
The patch was barely hanging on and not totally covering the space.
On examination , it would appear that someone removed two strips of wood siding for the vents and replaced the strips w / this plywood patch. The patch is failing , badly, I re - nailed and re - enforced the patch. The plywood is more like thick cardboard , now , but the covering will hold , another season.          I will need replacement siding strips or a permanent fix , come next spring.
On the whole , the hole is sealed. Job , well done.

To -day , the dryer vent is the target. not that a  lot will or can get done. However , a friend and / a handy man rolled into one should visit. and we will discuss how to replace or re - install a new venting system.
The dryer was very slow about 3 weeks ago. I've cleaned the venting at both ends but I imagine a more permanent solution is needed. Thus , to -days intervention.

On the op Osm get fit front , the weigh in was close to last week.
Kind of held  status quo. This week included 3 meals out ( one was the BD dinner ) and the hotdog debacle at the movies.
Thus , a moderate success , as these things go.
I'm still optimistic.
The best part is that I think differently when it comes to eating. Choice of foods and amount are considered when mealtime comes.
We shall see said the Zen Master

Go  about your day w/ confidence says the Duke of Zhou in the      I -  Ching as translated by King Wen

Saturday, 13 September 2014

AVXXXXXXX....

This is the movie house sound system
The seats move when a bomb explodes on screen
My heart changed rhythm 4 times during the movie

The movie is Marvel's ' Guardians of the Galaxy '
Best : the music sound track
Worst : 2 tix were 26 dollars - the ear ache is free
Second worst : we each had a hotdog --  GG what were we thinking
The adventure was a so - so
At least we tried

The weather : oops , someone forgot to set the thermostat for early fall - when is it under 60 F in Sept ???   Now !

Alright , alright - I turned the furnace on 66F on waking. Its 50 F on the on the backdeck ( in the shade )but its dark everywhere - the air looks heavy and threatening


Friday, 12 September 2014

Crikey ! Upstaged

The News :
I was one - upped by the Torstar. The paper ran a first section , piece on Ebola in W Africa. 4 columns and 15 paragraphs , a chart and figures up to Sat , last.
The bad : over 4600 people affected and 2400 dead. This data puts the mortality rate at something like 50 % which is better than previous outbreaks. however , the numbers affected and the spread , probably mean , a higher transmission rate or better mechanism
I e - mailed the Star to add the bit about the sequencing of Ebola , W Africa.

The weather as promised cool , man , cool .  O/vcast and dodging looking

The baby laptop did speed up yesterday , after all the updates etc.
Still , I saw an add for the Surface 2 tablet w/ $ 100 off. I think the special price is on open box items. 
What makes me pause is :

pros : faster gaming and better graphics , higher quality cameras , and front and back cameras

cons : we don't game except for Mah Jongg which has taken over the computer ( we both play ) and MJ doesn't use much data time
that I can see
Cameras , well , except for Skype , we don't care
Ability to accept USB and other plug ins , is important
and most tablets can't do this easily ( I think )
For instance , my Bios video glasses

And , I'm cheap and deeply committed to a luddite lifestyle or relatively luddite lifestyle .

Adventures in Scarberia ; We are off to the movies this aft or the cinema , as they say , in jolly 'ol England. The choice is ' Guardians of the Galaxy '. We see 3 - 4 films in a year in a theatre. Mostly , in Fla. This trip will be our first this year in T.O.
Good luck , M chose this , honest I'm in dis - belief , and won't say   ' boo all ' til we are there and done
We shall see said the Zen Master

We went to dinner ( BD ) at Trattoria Fratelli. We ordered the bruschetta and veal marsala for her , while I had the antipasto , shrimp and mussels.
Notice the low carbs in my choice. however , the antipasto came w/ 4 slices of garlic bread. Nope ! I left 3 pieces of gb. B/c I figured that I got enough carbs w/ the bruschetta.
I am trying to watch.

Hope all is well in Northborough


Thursday, 11 September 2014

Sept 11

The date ??? Yes , 9 / 11 - certainly changed the way that I see the world and respond to it
Here in s GWN , its M 's birthday as well - not a tragedy , unless you're worried about the age thing and she is

Weather : The skies opened up , last night and the wind raged - sour cherries were hitting the steel roof like a landslide
The humidity of , yesterday , has gone.
The 60 F is the call of autumn
The temperature will not rise over the next week

The baby laptop - again
Slo - oooooow , and then its slow
I downloaded a Windows update and thought maybe that was it ,
as well , the security service was doing a sweep of the computer
Getting into this blog , the speed was slightly better

In my second ' I don't want you e mailing my real address ' e mail address , Staples is offering $ 100 off ( $ 350 ) for a Surface 2 tablet , it was tempting this morning. I've not heard of the processor Nvidia Tegra 4 ,but saw that the $800 Surface 2 had a Intel core i5 processor and that I have heard of it. 

I'm sure by this aft , I will have forgotten , all about the tablet , again

Here in Canada , ' Dollarama ' the cheapie store had a banner year w/ sales up 12 %. I shop there and am often amazed at the quality and often amazed at the crap , as well. At the plaza , Dollarama is the busiest store by far. Line ups are the norm.

Don't go away angry , smile you sucker smile !



Wednesday, 10 September 2014

Ebola

When is news , not new - s
Ebola running wild. Been there , heard that - well , they're saying it again.
Researchers have delineated the genome for the Ebola virus , W Africa.
The current strain is a variant on the 2004 virus that affected Central Africa ( ?? ). The W Africa strain is several hundred mutations away from the 2004 strain.
What happens now ? Epidemiologists try to trace where the virus has been and possibly the host or dormant host that maintained the virus over the ten years since its origins

fishing was poor. the fisherman was poor
Mon night landed 2 bass
This morning , I missed 3 fish. The surface frog got their attention but they missed or I missed
I'm working hard , really

Weather ; A storm is a brewin'. Approx an inch of rain predicted
and strong winds - courtesy of Iowa
Followed by cool temperatures for a least 3 - 4 days

Get ready for " Wet Bum " an indie film that is getting rave reviews at TIFF ( film fest ) The TIFF is screening 300 films this house will see the big O - so , uncultured here

Monday, 8 September 2014

Faceless....

I went to the Facebook page , took a peek , and signed out

Almost , hit the ' friends  ' button to contact people on the list
Didn't do it
I'm faceless , it seems

Techno - news. The Blu Ray DVD , that arrived on Fri , last ,
has now played DVD s , and we think the image is excellent.
There is a USB slot that has allowed the viewing of photos and videos that we've recorded.
We were able to re - live the wedding in England , last Xmas ,our tour of London ( esp Covent Garden ) and , of course , videos of catching fish.
The our home videos look much better on the DVD player than our normal routine which used to be - hook up the baby laptop and play through the TV.
We still haven't tested out the music playback feature. The BR DVD player accepts MP3  etc as media. Unfortunately , the speakers on our TV and the auxiliary speakers are not high quality.
I cannot imagine why , we would want music through the DVD player. However , the option is there.

The Weather : ' He had the Weather Gods but we had weather vane ' paraphrased from ' Master and Commander '
The WG s are smiling on us. Bright , clean and relatively cool
Perfectamundo , senors and muhcachas

Excitement ruled the house , as we talked of Vegas.
We both love being there. Friends have returned and talked of the shows that they've seen. The Grand Canyon tour etc.
Probably , we've been 9 times and seen 5 shows. No Grand Canyon
although our English visitors did the Helo tour of GC.

We walk Las Vegas Blvd. We gamble and eat. We soak up the vibe
Does that sentence look corny on paper.
We do , though.
Love a city that turns on a quarter - although we tip a dollar , mostly now.
Service is job 1. Drinks come fast
In the morning , the cocktail girls come looking for me. Spanish coffee for a $ 1. The bar sells coffee for $ 2.75. But I am standing sitting at a machine playing. Still , its the vibe. Play here ! Free......
Of course , they've got me.
Sold yet ?

Had to change a dentist appointment b/c of Vegas. In the previous , 30 years , I bet you that I changed 3 appointments , the past 3 years , even 2 years , I must've changed 3 times.

BTW - one result of Op Osm , get fit plan.. We are throwing away much more food. All the scaps in the fridge used to go to me.
Now , I by - pass the fridge a lot more.
We try to freeze left - overs but there was always something sitting in a plastic container that just had to be eaten.
As I've said , a whole new way of looking at food.
Good ? Bad ?    We shall see said the Zen Master

Sunday, 7 September 2014

' Hey , You Get Off My Cloud "

figures the Rolling Stones were prescient
An article in the TorStar asks " Is it ethical to look at nude photos of Jennifer Lawrence ". Duh , yeah
 (Recent news claims that individual accounts were hacked not the cloud itself )
Steal them , NO  Look , yes. And feel guilty after
Thats what guilt is for

Weather : looks nice ( thats ethical )Should be nice too !
Temperatures in the 70 s for 3 days , til rain comes

Op Osm - get fit plan  , we suffered a plateau last week 10 # down again.
Weigh in , to -day produced a weight loss of almost 13 # ( 12 . 6 )
How do I feel ?
Comfortable but the thought process for eating is more complicated than before.
Eat more salads Check ! Lots of variety in the salad even pretzel croutons ( crushed pretzel )
Carbs. Way down Check ! This route seems pretty standard
Water. Drink lots Check !

A fellow worker , once said ' its not the carbs , its the protein , have you ever seen a fat B...f...an '  fill in the blanks ( he meant starving )
Now , you can't go saying this anywhere , be careful
His point , the N American diet is replete w/ protein , and much more than recommended. His view cut down on the protein.

A phrase that you'll hear is a ' bread and water diet '. To - day , it would kill you. Back before industrialization , whole wheat bread was whole wheat - wouldn't last more than 3 days but - healthy.

Remember my 7 - 11 story. The manager telling the newbie worker , to rotate the honey buns every 3 months ( but the sandwiches every 2 weeks ).

So ,in my defence , I've reduced the amount of empty calories that I consume

Where is this Op Osm going. dunno.
All the right reasons and got results
However , as stated before , I've got the feeling this will need to be a lifestyle change.

I've reported that I've been drinking beer while on Op Osm. I reasoned that privation is OK , but if you get carried away , you limit your life too severely.

Well , the new DVD player arrived at the Source    ( ex Radio Shack ) store , Friday.
Blu Ray and small. This newbie guy is half the size of the unit it replaces ( also BR DVD ). And we think it produces a better looking picture.
On the home screen as the DVD sets up , the icons fill the screen
- play video
- USB photos and videos ( your own )
- apps for , Netflix and 4 other web film sources

I haven't verified if the thing can sing and dance - it does everything else

We are out of Airmiles. LV used them all up.
We are Airmiles whores , we will do anything for an Airmile - well , lots anyway
To be fair , Airmiles come from grocery shopping , the liquor store ( govm'nt franchise ) , gas. Trust me they make it easy

At the poker table , a back and forth developed when I said if you shop at an Airmiles affiliated store and don't use the card that you are subsidizing the Airmile user. A former manager at a liquor store got almost angry denying this.
Crap - someone is paying   a) the card is free   b) membership is free ( annually ) and we got a BBQ , HD TV and 3 trips out of it
Come on , now Fred , get real

Oops, looking back over this blog , this isn't a world blog 
Its a me blog ....   Duh , he's only figuring it out now
Slow .. real slow

Keep reading and I'll keep blogging ( and won't know anyway )

We shall see , said the Zen Master

Saturday, 6 September 2014

Don't Cry for Me...

from ' Evita ' by Evita Peron
This time its Hollywood. Box office sales are down this summer
The # 1 hit is ' Guardians of the Galaxy ' , M is even saying , maybe we should see this movie. She is not a Sci - Fi fan or creature lover.

Ebola tops 2 100 and w/ a bullet as they say in the music industry
The latest measure is lock downs ( residents are to stay in their homes for , lets say , 4 days ) , the time allows medical workers to isolate and deal w/ patients

Weather broke dull / dreary but should clear.  Generally , the region will see slightly cooler - less summer like temperatures. E.g at noon , the back porch temperature is 67 c.f. yesterday 70 + at 9 AM

Yesterday , I had a passing thought. Let us use Airmiles ( reward program ) to fly to Las Vegas.
If thought gives rise to results , it was yesterday.
For $300 in taxes ( it could choke a goat ) we booked 2 tickets to LV.
For  $120  more , we were able to choose , Emergency row seating ( more leg room )
And Casino Marketing at Treasure Island hotel  started the conversation w/    ' and of course , the first 2 nights are complimentary '. I'm so cheap , they get me right there. FREE
My eyes go big and I'm done like toast. The next 2 nights are $ 40 a piece.
All in $ 500 for 2 for 4 nights
Ahem , not counting what we lose and eat and see
Still , not a bad start.
When we first went , we thought $ 80 a night at Treasure Is / Flamingo / Harrahs wasn't bad. At TripAdvisor , some rates were $ 60 a night. But , almost all hotels throw in a resort fee that is automatically charged.  Casino Marketing allows you to waive the fee ( usually , $ 25 for internet , paper etc )
Wonder , could we get a cheaper rate ????
M will kill me if I try.

We will take the Deuce ( the downtown express bus ). The heart of LV once ,  downtown fell into a limbo state of existence , re - branded the ' Freemont Experience ' etc, downtown LV is surging

See you there , or be square

Computer rumblings. The baby laptop and its slowness.
Spent the morning , searching and pressing buttons.
My fixes for the slow resolve speed
1 ) check what search engines are listed as available - we get bing and yahoo all the time - deleted them

2) Cool the laptop , in my case , a base fan device that plugs into the laptop. Initially , the fan eats a bit of power. However , as it cools the CPU ( hot air exhaust actually cools , perceptibly )
Oh , the fan is noisy , faint whirring all the time but the bottom of the baby laptop is cool.

3) Chose the option of ' visual display ' for optimal efficiency and not the  ' looks the best ' option.
The down side is the print and graphics look a little grainy or you see a bit of fuzzy in the letters ( like now as I'm typing )

Right now , I'm saying the baby laptop is almost 60 % faster in resolve speed ( switching from screen to screen)

World News : nope , not doing it again.
Journalists killed stats and Refugees in Italy ( Italy gets the most form across the Med )  SAD and SADDER
You can read about this if you want

Friday, 5 September 2014

Records Will Fall

So , in this fall period , records will be broken to - day.
If the prognostications hold , weather related records will be set.
The temperature , right now , back deck , in the shade , 70 and its humid
There is a heat / humidity advisory posted for the young / elderly and susceptible people
We shall see said the Zen Master

World news : Dead Mouse , a singer ? ( rapper ) who dons a mouse costume on stage has been issued a cease and desist order from Disney claiming copyright infringement in the USA.
Dead Mouse has his look registered in other countries.

Not much of a story is it ?  Oh well, I could have done the NATO summit bit or ISIS in Iran or the Ukraine
This one seemed a little fun

You should learn something new everyday. I don't.
But , Op Osm ( get fit plan ) has me thinking.
Restraint - seems to be a key issue w/ me  ( and apparently , I'm not good at it.

Yesterday , I ordered the breakfast - sausage / eggs / homefries and toast for $ 8.95 at Amigos.
Looking at the plate , I decided half the potatoes was OK and take the rest home in a doggie styrofoam container. We don't have a dog
just me. Plus , a beer. It  wasn't my fault. The beer tap said ' sub zero ' and I has to try it ( it was freezing cold )

My cousin who is very fit ( rock climber type ) calls it portion control.
Boy , is he conscious of food  and his live in partner ,     too !

Last week , same meal ate the lot and felt bloated.
Last night , I was comfortable and not hungry or feeling anything but good
Lesson learned. Except , you gotta ask ' what were you doing , last week , you knew you didn't need all the potatoes and toast '

I'm guessing its a life time of  ' eat what you want ' going on here.

Will he ever learn - We shall see said the Zen Master




Thursday, 4 September 2014

Coming Home ..........

from the ' bee
Is routine.
No , not to - day
We were adventurous and hit Costco in P'tbro.
The result was the same $ 200 in stuff.
The regular is a stop at  ' Amigos ' , a bar , where we get a bite 
and a drink

A big ticket item at Csotco,  was a CO detector - the other one was destroyed in a freak fall. Well ,the fall was freak not the person

Fishing was a big ' zero ' - I'm in the fishing doldrums. Can't do anything right. TG , its not my job

Weather : warm is back + humidity at least til the week end.

This was a good week. I'm getting sleep or more sleep
Still doing the buds overnight - I 've bee doing this since , I was a teen. Old habits , et al.

The Toronto International Film Festival - TIFF , is in town.
We don't go and we didn't make the Ex this eyar again
Thats 27 yrs and we haven't been

Hope the knee is better



Tuesday, 2 September 2014

?

Jiggers , guys Wrong again !
Summer didn't leave , it ducked down a bit
Its 77 F on the back porch in the shade
Bright sun and humidity hung around all night , not that I would know but it is rumoured to be damp out there

On the buds , a science item discussed music as a human activity.
Traditional , universal and necessary. In terms of satisfaction the brain reacts to music ( especially singing ) as equivalent to sex and food.

" Sing for your supper and you'll get breakfast ,                                    Song birds never lie "         

sing it Mama Cass.

We have no Canadians still playing at the U.S. Open tennis tourn.

Movie world news , you can see naked pictures of me that were hacked off the cloud - NOT. How would I , ever figure out how to reach the cloud ( s ).  Advice from experts   ' put nothing on the cloud that you wouldn't put on your front door '   and nothing about the family parrot - oh , how times have changed.    The parrot is dead ?

On the computer front. The baby laptop was so slooooo...w this morning but after 10 minutes both of us woke up and now we're flying along , typographically speaking

how's your knee , this morning ?

Re - watched ' Pacific Rim ' , basically giant machines ( Jaegers ) fight off invading organics ( Kaiju ) that are also huge and keep foaming out of the ocean floor. 

And Mr Luddite was on line and saw a chance to save 30 % on a Samsung BluRay DVD player.  The cost was $ 85 , all in. The machine comes to our Source store ( ex - RadioShack ) in the local plaza , shipped free ( of course ).
Our first Blu Ray player came b/c I lined up for 45 min at Blockbuster on Xmas Day morning . I got the last BR DVD , after watching staff carry 2 boxes that looked exactly like mine to the back room - right , staff gets dibs on the best stuff. The cost $ 100 and that was a deal - probably 1 / 2 price , what else.

The new machine will replace the little portable DVD player that I bought 7 years ago for $ 80 , yes , plain old DVD player - 80 dineros. The little guy played DVD s while I ' rode ' the elliptical machine. The last 3 or 4 days , the little fellow has been freezing on frame and then shutting down.
Luckily , I had a smaller portable DVD that was to be carried in the car if we travelled to a place w/out TV or internet hook up. The baby laptop , this machine , didn't have a DVD / CD slot. That cost $ 40 at Target , St Petes , Fla.

Ebola in W Africa will cause food prices to rise as farmer find it difficult to reach fields to work. 

We shall see   theZM
Ah , grasshopper

Monday, 1 September 2014

Warning ! Warning

..... danger Will Robinson """" the Robot , ' Lost in Space '

The learning curve is steep sometimes. The big laptop which is our main computer w/ printer access , full USB , disc drive etc kept showing a shut down screen - baby blue w/ flower motif. The 'shutting down ' sign was spinning. The sign and computer  was on all night.
I was going to disconnect the battery instead I read the manual and emergency shut down is ' hold the " on " button for 8 - 10 seconds '.
Yep , it worked.
However , I still need to re - start and see what happens.
I thought you should know about the holding ' on ' button method.

The baby laptop which is what I'm typing on , right now , is working way better than before. Still some slow moments , especially in the initial time when the computer is being used.  Once , it is accessing the internet it starts to go fairly fast.

Weather : grey , close to 70 F in the shade. Weatherboy is dressed lightly and no brolley.

On the buds , no ,nothing nice - Israel will confiscate 400 hectares ( this must be big b/c everyone is going ' wow ' ) in the West Bank
- the Palestinians are not happy , the U.S. is not happy
In the Ukraine or the new Russia South , the Ukraine Army is withdrawing from several contested areas

Canada is OK , we're not fighting anyone except Stephen Harper, our Prime Minister but this has been going on for 8 yrs. Yep , we   re - elected this dude. I know its our own fault.  However , you should know that a party can form the government w / 39 % of the popular vote. Five parties ran for office , Federally , so , there is usually a split vote. And coalition governments are rare , in general
a party will accuse the others of trying to form a coalition which in Canada seems to be the equivalent of molesting the farm animals.
Guess , this more than you need to know. however , learning is good and politics here and in the U.S. is not the same.

I happened to check , the note - worthy bloglist on ' Blogspot ' my blog server. My blog didn't make it. I guess that you need more than 2 readers to make the ' note - worthy ' list.
I will suffer in silence. Please keep reading though.