The Daily Photo (2012-06-09)

The Daily Photo

1.

Today I Learned . . . (2012-06-09)

Today I Learned . . .

1. Over 2,500 left handed people a year are killed using products designed for right handers.

2.  In the southwestern United States, it is possible to discharge an average of 210 USgpm to an evaporation pond and the basin will be functionally empty for 1/3 of the year.

French Connection (2012-06-09)

French Connection

1.  J'etudie français

Blog Question(s) Of The Day (2012-06-09)

Blog Question(s) Of The  Day

1.  Would I save myself a measurable amount of frustration if I ordered everything I want online?

2.  Would I feel different about myself if I had pink blood?

Today I Learned . . . (2012-06-08)

Today I Learned . . .

1.  Basketball's 3-point line was first proposed in 1933 by Herman Sayger to introduce a new scoring system for Ohio high school students.  It was implemented by various leagues after that but did not gain popular acceptance until employed by the American Basketball Association during their 1967-68 season as a way to market themselves against the NBA.

French Connection (2012-06-08)

French Connection

1.  Mon bras me fait mal.

The Daily Affirmation (2012-06-08)

The Daily Affirmation

1.  I finally finished a project that's been lying around my office for over a month.

2.  Minh's Garden for lunch is fast, fresh and fantastic!

3.  I had an exhilarating bike ride on my long course after work tonight

Photo(s) Of The Day (2012-06-08)

Photo(s) Of The Day

1. 

2.  Waffles for supper

Blog Question(s) Of The Day (2012-06-08)

Blog Question(s) Of The Day

1.  Should I buy some Lego Star Wars sets?

2.  Do I have good ideas?

Today I Learned . . . (2012-06-07)

Today I Learned . . .

1. What we know as 'khaki' originated in the region now known as Pakistan/Afghanistan by British-Indian forces. They wished to be clothed in clothes of the region. The original color chosen was a shade of grey, similar to that worn by Afghan tribals. But the grey dye wouldn't work in their leather coats. Instead mulberry juice was used, leading to the drab yellow color we know now as 'khaki'

French Connection (2012-06-07)

French Connection

1.  Je vais jouer Diablo 3.

2.  J'ai besoin de boisson gazeuse.

Blog Question(s) Of The Day (2012-06-07)

Blog Question(s) Of The Day

1.  Should I buy individual stocks in companies, to independently manage wealth?

2.  How do I garner more respect?

3.  Is it possible to like someone based solely on Twitter?

4.  Do I need some khaki pants?

The Daily Affirmation (2012-06-07)

The Daily Affirmation

1.  Happiness is . . . your own mini-fridge under your desk

2.  Its Christmas!

Blog Question(s) Of The Day (2012-06-06)

Blog Question(s) Of The Day

1. What are the qualities of a good Twitter account to follow?

French Connection (2012-06-06)

French Connection

1.  Je vais avoir un mini-Coke

The Daily Affirmation (2012-06-06)

The Daily Affirmation

1.  I am having a mini-Coke

French Connection (2012-06-05)

French Connection

1.  Je veux nager.

Blog Question(s) Of The Day (2012-06-05)

Blog Question(s) Of The Day

1.  Does anyone, anywhere, like auto-preview mode in Microsoft Word?

French Connection (2012-06-04)

French Connection

1.  Je veux etre un écrivain.

Today I Learned . . . (2012-06-04)

Today I Learned . . .

1.  Personne is always a French feminine noun

The Daily Affirmation (2012-06-04)

The Daily Affirmation

1.  Alyssa Milano is an LA Kings fan

2.  When meditation works, it is blissful how clear it can make your mind

Blog Question(s) Of The Day (2012-06-04)

Blog Question(s) Of The Day

1.  Am I not passionate enough in pursuing my goals?

The Daily Affirmation (2012-06-03)

The Daily Affirmation

1.  I cut a wave pattern into my front lawn today

2.  Coke/vanilla-lime Frosters are the best flavour of all-time

Blog Question(s) Of The Day (2012-06-03)

Blog Question(s) Of The Day

1.  What am I going to do in July/August?

2.  Should I move?

Blog Question(s) Of The Day (2012-06-02)

Blog Question(s) Of The Day

1.  Am I too intense?

The Daily Affirmation (2012-06-02)

The Daily Affirmation

1.  Went over and said "Happy Birthday" to my Mom on her birthday

2.  A Coke, vanilla/lime slurpee is nothing short of awesome

3.  I crushed the average time on my jigsaw puzzle today

I get knocked down, but I get up again
You're never gonna keep me down

The Daily Affirmation (2012-06-01)

The Daily Affirmation

1.  She comes into the house, walks around the corner and sees me, her childish smile all wonderment and affection that you can't fake

2.  We won a close soccer match 3-2 on a penalty kick

3.  I got an enormous number of compliments about my fancy new soccer cleats

Today I Learned . . . (2012-06-01)

Today I Learned . . .

1.  It costs more to dry clean a tie than the corresponding shirt

Blog Question(s) Of The Day (2012-06-01)

Blog Question(s) Of The Day

1.  Can I heal my collection of injuries without resorting to completely sitting on the sidelines?

2.  How do I stick up for myself, without releasing the monster within?

The Daily Affirmation (2012-05-31)

The Daily Affirmation

1.  My physical stamina appears to be returning

Blog Question(s) Of The Day (2012-05-31)

Blog Question(s) Of The Day

1.  How do I recover from bitter disappointment?

Today I Learned . . . (2012-05-30)

Today I Learned . . .

1.  The steam from a hot shower can trigger a smoke alarm

The Daily Affirmation (2012-05-30)

The Daily Affirmation

1.  Driving range practice at lunch on a beautiful afternoon

2.  Simply put, I lead a charmed god, damn experience

Blog Question(s) Of The Day (2012-05-30)

Blog Question(s) Of The Day

1.  Why am I unable to inspire people?

2.  Is it a common trait for highly talented people to have less focus and internal motivation than less talented people?

Blog Question(s) Of The Day (2012-05-29)

Blog Question(s) Of The Day

1.  Do I really want shoulder surgery?

2. Should I become a drug addict?

Today I Learned . . . (2012-05-29)

Today I Learned . . .

1.  The ancient Greek word for horse is "hippos"

Today I Learned . . . (2012-05-28)

Today I Learned . . .

1.  There is an "Elective Mode" in Diablo III which allows you to map any attack to any of the keys.  You are not limited to the sub groups of each key.

The Daily Affirmation (2012-05-28)

The Daily Affirmation

1.  Finished another book tonight

2.  Played a pretty vigorous game of ball hockey successfully, while suffering from a cold

Blog Question(s) Of The Day (2012-05-28)

Blog Question(s) Of The Day

1.  Which comes first, confidence to succeed, or success which breeds confidence?

Blog Question(s) Of The Day (2012-05-27)

Blog Question(s) Of The Day

1.  Why does soda pop in a bottle go flat so fast when its opened?

Today I Learned. . . (2012-05-27)

Today I Learned. . .

1. The French word "Cataracts" translates as "Waterfalls"

The Daily Affirmation (2012-05-27)

The Daily Affirmation

1.  I finished yet another book, this one an unauthorized biography of Gordie Howe I've had for several years

Today I Learned . . . (2012-05-26)

Today I Learned . . .

1.  The official Tibetan name for Mount Everest is Qomolangma

The Dive (2012-05-26)

The ball was right there in front of me.  The sphere, white in color, with splashes of blue and blue, lay on the vibrant green turf, just an aching few inches from my foot.  I had to have it.  I wanted to possess it with a passion that I reserve for few things on this planet.

I was not the only person that felt this way.  From my left stepped in an opponent, clad in his black shorts and a ratty looking tee shirt that was modified with an ink marker to have a number ‘20’ on the back of it.  I’d been struggling with this nemesis all half, and it brought a snarl to my lips to see him coming out of nowhere to disrupt my fell plan.

Our feet went for the ball.  Both of us lusted for that ball with the same vicious intensity.  The play was almost at mid-field but in my eyes (and most likely his too, given his intensity) we equated possession of the ball to a clear opportunity to score.

Two feet striking the ball simultaneously quite frequently has the entirely opposite effect to that which you might expect from a kick.  If two people try to pounce on the ball at the same time, most often the result is not movement at all.  Which is what happened this time.  His foot from the left, and mine from the right, simply locked the ball in place.

Even though we were veteran soccer players, and had seen a play like this countless times, it did not come across either of our minds that an aggressive play on the ball like this might result in no motion at all.  Our feet came together, the ball didn’t move, and momentum that was thrown into the cauldron was forced to result in something.

My opponent caved to the reaction of vicious motion, and no action, first.  His knee buckled under the strain and he lost his balance.  Stumbling on onto his left knee, he fell in front of the ball and collapsed onto his back.  Rolling across the ground in front of me, he shielded his eyes for what was coming his way.

While he gave way first, I was not long to follow him.  My knee buckled at the thrust of my kick, and its complete lack of action.  I stuttered on my feet, but all my motion was headed in the forward direction.  Try as I might, I could not bring it to as an immediate a stop as the moment required.

He lay on the ground in front of me.  His roll left him on his back, and he simply looked up at me.  The look on his face seemed to be one of expectation.  Like the result of my tumbling into him was pre-ordained.

I only had one choice.  I was going to go forward, whether I wanted to or not.  There was only one hope to get out of it.

With the last whisper of an instance available to me, I planted my foot and pushed.  I’m no acrobat but I flung myself in the air and dove for the empty ground on the far side of my opponent.  It was a last, desperate hope but there was no other choice.

The time in the air seemed longer than it should have if I’d been watching.  I had time to think about what could happen if I landed wrong.  I was only 1 month back from recovery from a separated shoulder.  The sequence of actions I’d just put into motion could very well take me back to the broken, and crippled state.

I landed, and the moment was incredibly soft.  My weight came down squarely on the space between my shoulders, on my back.  I rolled quickly out of the dive and was back on my feet before I could even whisper.  I’d survived the motion, no greater injury to myself or to the opponent I’d just saved.

Blog Question(s) Of The Day (2012-05-26)

Blog Question(s) Of The Day

1.  How do I upgrade my skills, so I can fulfill a greater role on my team(s)?

2.  What can I do to make myself think more aggressively?

The Daily Affirmation (2012-05-26)

The Daily Affirmation

1.  A pet's affection is unconditional

2.  Had a really great run playing soccer this afternoon

Blog Question(s) Of The Day (2012-05-25)

Blog Question(s) Of The Day

1.  Why can't I convince people to change their outlook?

The Daily Affirmation (2012-05-25)

The Daily Affirmation

1.  I got word today that the herculean effort I put in a couple of weeks ago was completely worth it

The Daily Affirmation (2012-05-24)

The Daily Affirmation

1.  I was tired when I got home tonight but I stuck to my plan, and accomplished a lot, despite my fatigue.

Today I Learned . . . (2012-05-24)

Today I Learned . . .

1.  You can/could get peanut butter in slices, like cheese Peanut Butter Slices

2.  Wearing sunglasses while driving a vehicle in the rain will cut the haze of the sheets of rain regardless of windshield wiper speed

Blog Question(s) Of The Day (2012-05-24)

Blog Question(s) Of The Day

1. Who should my role model be?

2.  Can someone accurately imagine an experience that they have never lived?

The Broken iPad

I hate when an accident is just an accident; a completely meaningless misfortune.  If at least there's a definitive reason, you can focus yourself, and your emotions, towards anything.  When its not based on fault or making a mistake, its harder to take.

I reached into my electronics bag last night, like I have about 1,000 times before.  The iPad is the biggest thing in there, so its easy and immediate to find it.  I clutched it tightly and pulled my hand out.  I wasn't fast or slow with it, but firm.  I definitely wanted my iPad, so I wasn't casual about pulling it up.

I had the iPad by the corner, so it was turned at least 30 degrees from directly oriented in either its portrait or landscape mode.  So there was a corner of it that could catch on the bag's strap as I pulled it out.  Like I said, I pulled it from the bag firmly.  There was no doubt I wanted it.  The result being, when the corner of the iPad caught on the strap, the angle, and my commitment I had to getting it, resulted in the device catapulting out of my hand.  It flipped in the air and did at least one revolution.  Obviously I tried to catch it, but it was an awkward motion and I missed.

I've dropped my iPad before, so I wasn't that worried about it to be honest.  Plus it was still in the spongy case that I have for it.  It seemed like any of dozen other times.  But I'd be lying if I didn't confess to a brief moment of intuition about this.  The sound it made when it hit the base of my chair just didn't sound right.

It was smashed.  It looked like you'd expect if a golf ball landed square in the middle of it.  I circular, central part that was smashed up very small, then outward extending waves of larger and larger pieces.  I believe the image that came to mind last night was "spider web".

So I checked this morning with the local Apple service center.  I asked the girl "can you fix the screen on a first generation iPad"?  She didn't even hesitate and said "not really".  She further went on to explain that you technically /could/ replace the screen but it wasn't worth it as it would cost as much as buying a brand new one.

So I'm getting a new iPad.  I guess I'm happy about it.  It would feel better if it hadn't come under such dispiriting conditions.

The Daily Affirmation (2012-05-23)

The Daily Affirmation

1.  I came back from the bathroom after lunch and waiting for me on my desk was the new company golf shirts I ordered.

2.  I ended the day with a new iPad and a potential solution to fix the old iPad.  Altogether a good way to close it out.

Today I Learned . . . (2012-05-23)

Today I Learned . . .

1.  The expression for condoms, in French, is: "des préservatifs"

2.  7-Up contained lithium citrate, a mood stabilizing drug, until 1950

Blog Question(s) Of The Day (2012-05-23)

Blog Question(s) Of The Day:

1.  Can patience be learned?

2.  Do I like diet Sprite/7-Up?

3.  How do I be more impressive?

Today I Learned . . . (2012-05-22)

Today I Learned . . .

1.  In Diablo III you were acquire various companions throughout the game.  The first is a Templar.  The best approach with these companions is to choose one that complements your character.  Concentrate your efforts on properly equipping the one companion.  Ignore the temptation to fully equip every companion that you acquire.

For example:

If you choose a monk, that battles face-to-face, a wise selection would be to work with a companion that has a ranged attack.  While you battle in close, the companion can be firing bombs from beyond your close attack.

2.  When an spiral wound RO membrane develops a fouling from natural organic material, in some cases, the best course of action is not to chemically clean it, but modify operation to account for the decrease in flux that occurs.

Blog Question(s) Of The Day (2012-05-22)

Blog Question(s) Of The Day

1.  Are there people that go into the public bathroom at work only to wash their hands and then leave?

2.  Can they fix iPad screens?

The Daily Affirmation (2012-05-22)

The Daily Affirmation

1.  My latest jersey order is in Saskatoon

2.  The upside to this day of rain is, my grass looks great!

3.  I am wearing my Coyotes jersey

The Daily Affirmation (2012-05-21)

1.  I saw a problem, thought about it, and took action.

2.  I went slow, took my time, and got a lot of things done today.

Today I Learned . . . (2012-05-21)

Today I Learned . . .

1.  Soccer is a lot like golf.  For a good, accurate shot you have to keep your eye on the ball until you hit it

Blog Question(s) Of The Day: (2012-05-21)

1.  Am I strong enough to stand in the face of the torrid of emotions that are locked up inside of me?

Today I Learned . . . (2012-05-20)

Today I Learned . . .


1.  On this day in 1927, Charles Lindbergh became the first person to fly across the Atlantic (from New York to Paris) in his monoplane, The Spirit of St. Louis.

Blog Question(s) Of The Day (2012-05-20)

Blog Question(s) Of The Day

1. If I wanted to find a version of myself, based on who I was 4-5 yers ago, where should I look?

2.  Should I keep my head shaved every day?

The Daily Affirmation (2012-05-20)

The Daily Affirmation

1.  I beat the average time on the daily jig saw puzzle by almost three minutes

The Daily Affirmation:

1.  I had nothing to do today, so I did nothing

Blog Question(s) Of The Day:

1.  What are my best attributes?

Today I Learned . . .

1.  There's such a thing as, World League Volleyball

2.  If Kobe Bryant had hair, he'd be balding

Blog Question(s) Of The Day:

1.  How can I think less, and do more?

2.  Should I become a poutine connoisseur?

The Daily Affirmation:

1.  We finished an entire proposal in 1 day, in amongst doing a half dozen other things, and got it delivered, in person, by the 4:30

2.  No matter what anguish I may inflict upon myself, for slights, misdeeds, and minor misfortunes, I truly lead a charmed existence

And from the Nickelback concert:

3.  A pretty girl called me 'friend'

4.  After a slow start, my little bar managed to reap $4,475 in sales

5.  I thought I lost my magnetic name tag, only to get home and find it attached to my key ring

Today I Learned . . .

1.  The French expression for 'string bikini' is 'la ficelle'.

This is the funniest thing I've seen all week!

The Daily Affirmation

1.  I get my orthopedic surgeon appointment on May 29th

2.  I scored my first goal of the ball hockey season tonight.  Unfortunately it was disallowed because I was in the crease.

Blog Question(s) Of The Day:

1.  What factor of complexity does a jigsaw puzzle increase by, as the number of pieces increases?

2.  Is it a bad idea to try and push my shoulder back into position so it hurts less?

3.  Is 25 minutes to get some KFC acceptable?

4.  Why would a girl be walking down Primrose Drive in a tight, white skirt and 4" purple heels?

The Daily Affirmation

1.  It was a beautiful night for slo-pitch

Blog Question(s) Of The Day:

1.  I saw a spider in the bathroom.  I let him live.  Did I do a good thing?

I have to tell this story . . .

I have to go to Future Shop after work to get my copy of Diablo III.  I tried Staples first but in typical fashion they have nothing useful.  Why do people shop at Staples anymore?  They never seem to have anything good, and anything they have is grotesquely overpriced.

Bygones.

So I pull into the Future Shop lot, which is not busy, for which I was thankful.  I find a parking spot immediately and am about to pull in.  This old-ish truck comes careening into the lot from the other direction, piloted by one teenage-ish-looking kid, and his two buddies.  I am not harping on his age, I would like to point out, but the fact that he was driving like a drunk squirrel on 6 shots of espresso.

Bygones.

Not surprisingly he cuts me off to the parking spot I was going to take.  I anticipated this and just sat there, waiting for him to finish annihilating all known traffic rules.  With him out of the way I pulled into my spot.  From this vantage point I watched as the truck pulls OUT of a perfectly acceptable parking spot, with space on either side of it so no one has to worry about scratching doors.  He then pulls across the aisle, and with obvious intent, park directly across the line separating two parking spots.

Keep in mind a few things:

1.  The truck is a pile of crap.  I wouldn't pay someone to drink the ugly-ass thing.
2.  The lot is, at BEST, half full, so there's really no concern that someone is going to park next to you, and scratch your pile of crap.
3.  If you need lots of space for your pile of crap, there is a ton of space out there, so it wasn't necessary to take spots for an ugly orange truck.

I swore I was going to retire this sentence but . . .

People piss me off.

Today I Learned . . .

1.  The 4-3-2-1 Rule (my name for it)

The Policy statement requirements are as follows:

4-log removal/inactivation of viruses

3-log removal/inactivation of Giardia cysts and Cryptosporidium oocysts

2 treatment processes, usually filtration and disinfection

1 NTU turbidity (maximum) in the finished water

Be aware that the 1 NTU turbidity (maximum) becomes 0.1 NTU if you use a membrane process.

The Daily Affirmation

1.  I purchased my copy of Diablo III

2.  There really is no way to describe the sense of idyllic satisfaction that came over me, as I looked up during the post-game handshakes, and realized that the epic beating we'd laid on the other team in ball hockey, was against . . . Cameco.

Blog Question(s) Of The Day:

1.  Why am I not eating pulled pork poutine?

2.  How does one maintain faith?

Blog Question(s) Of The Day:

1.  Are all of my daily efforts paying a dividend or am I wasting my time?

Today I Learned . . .

1.  In the 1950 NHL playoffs, Gordie Howe sustained a serious eye injury that could have ended his life if he hadn't undergone brain surgery.

Today I Learned . . . 1. The Avengers was directed by the guy that created Buffy The Vampire Slayer

The Daily Affirmation

1.  The best part of a great Avengers movie was when The Hulk randomly punched Thor after they fought a battle together

Blog Song Of The Day:

1.  Linkin Park - Irridescent
2.  Seether - Broken

Today I Learned . . .

1.  Sleeping for a very long time does not automatically translate into feeling better

Blog Question(s) Of The Day:

1.  Are my goals set too high?

2. Can I learn to want nothing?

3.  What goal is big enough to change my whole life?

4.  Would learning to play the violin be a quality use of my time?

The Daily Affirmation

1.  I enjoyed my Wrapstar

2.  It was a relatively simple task to clean the bird doo-doo off my car

3.  I filled in every cell on my tracking spreadsheet today

Blog Question(s) Of The Day:

1.  What would it take for me to feel 100% healthy?

The Daily Affirmation

1.  Shockers go 2-0 on the week with a 4-2 win today.  I got on the score sheet with an assist

2.  The shower I had tonight was especially refreshing

The Daily Affirmation

1.  I just drove all the way around Saskatoon on the freeway

2.  I led the Ground Pounders with 2 home runs as we battled to a season opening tie tonight

Blog Question(s) Of The Day:

1.  Why is everyone driving so slow lately?

The Daily Affirmation

1.  Shockers win ball hockey game 4-1

Blog Question(s) Of The Day
1. How do I either:

a). Find people that are sympathetic to my agenda
b). Convince the people I already know to appreciate point of view?

Today I Learned . . .

1.  If you stay up all night, you will burn an extra 161 calories

First cut of 2012

Blog Question(s) Of The Day:

1.  Should I take May 15th off to play Diablo 3?

2.  If you're applying granular fertilizer to your lawn do you want to put it down just before a rain, or is dry weather the goal?

The Daily Affirmation:

1.  As of 9:42 AM this morning (May 7) the burning came to an end.

2.  Fixed a problem with one of my video players that had been plaguing me since last week

3.  I think I was the first person on the block to cut their grass

4.  My weekend jersey order has shipped already

5.  The Clippers won in overtime!

Blog Question(s) Of The Day:

1.  Can an ordinary citizen purchase bottled oxygen?

The Daily Affirmation

1.  Bruce solved the AutoCAD interface problem that's been annoying me for weeks