I have to admit, I'm not having the best week. I haven't slept well for several nights and there is a lot on my mind. So, when I looked out the window before leaving the office yesterday and it was raining lightly, it seemed like it couldn't get worse.
I don't mind walking to or from work in light rain. It's a lot better if I have a jacket but on the good bad scale its really not bad. Yesterday I didn't have a jacket and it just irked me. I actually complained out loud to the two people within earshot. We all have those moments. I also knew it would be a rainy day today so I figured it would be better becuase I would be prepared with my jacket.
This morning as I left for my 30 minute walk to work, it wasn't raining at all. I thought I had cheated nature. I figured it was going quite well. About a block before King Edward, I looked at the sky and my heart sank. It was dark on the horizon, coming my way, and I had to walk right into it. By the time I reached the Rideau Centre, it was raining quite hard. my jacket was soaked, my wool pants were drenched and even my feet were starting to get wet. What's worse is it is still about 10 minutes of walking to get to the office. Thankfully the rain let up to a light but very steady rain by the time I arrived at work.
Many people tell me that I'm a glass half full kind of guy. Often I am, there is no point in complaining when that energy can be used to solve the problem. This week I have not been so cheery and I lost a relatively good afternoon to my own grumpiness. If I would have stayed optimistic, I would be in a better place right now.
Time flies, and before you know it you have a lot of stories to tell. The key is to recognize when things aren't so bad and see the upside whenever you can. I lost what would have been decent time because I didn't, I'm sure I will do it again but I hope I limit the occurances to as few as possible.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Dog Days of Summer
I love summer. It has a lot going for it. It is a lot easier to be outside in the summer. You don't have to get bundled up and hope for the best. You wear light clothing and enjoy the weather.
Beyond the weather people seem to be more social in the summer. The pace of life slows down and everyone is more likely to chat. People seem to be more approachable, its probably related to the weather.
A lot of people have told me that if it was always summer I would not truly appreciate how good it is. I suppose if I had not lived through over 30 Manitoba winters that may be true but I could go a long time without winter before I would ever take summer for granted.
Cities come alive in the summer. People are out on the patio enjoying their favourite beverage. It's easier to interact with the people around you. Strolling to the next place is almost a right of passage. It's a good thing.
Not every summer day is perfect. It rains. I think these less than perfect days are enough to make me appreciate the good days even more.
I love summer, it makes life worth living.
Beyond the weather people seem to be more social in the summer. The pace of life slows down and everyone is more likely to chat. People seem to be more approachable, its probably related to the weather.
A lot of people have told me that if it was always summer I would not truly appreciate how good it is. I suppose if I had not lived through over 30 Manitoba winters that may be true but I could go a long time without winter before I would ever take summer for granted.
Cities come alive in the summer. People are out on the patio enjoying their favourite beverage. It's easier to interact with the people around you. Strolling to the next place is almost a right of passage. It's a good thing.
Not every summer day is perfect. It rains. I think these less than perfect days are enough to make me appreciate the good days even more.
I love summer, it makes life worth living.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Let's Go Riot
I haven't been home since the Vancouver riot. Since I live in Ottawa, my worldly possessions were not in peril. Being away I have not had the time to write about what I think on this situation. The delay has allowed me to move past the initial gut reaction so many people felt.
I lived in Winnipeg for a long time. Winnipeg is a rough city. Anyone who lives there knows that. However, there has never been a riot in my lifetime. So why does the apparent forward thinking, cosmopolitan city of Vancouver suffer from this dark cloud?
I don't know.
There are reports that it was started by a small group and a lot of otherwise law abiding people got wrapped up in the moment. I'm no expert but that seems reasonable. We encourage individuality but often do not give outlets for great creativity. So when people se the chance to let their freak flag fly, they jump at it, even if it inappropriate.
I don't know how to prevent these sorts of things. I know I felt sickened, by the images I saw but I can't fix it.
I hope Canadians can move beyond this incident but it's going to take a lot of healing.
I lived in Winnipeg for a long time. Winnipeg is a rough city. Anyone who lives there knows that. However, there has never been a riot in my lifetime. So why does the apparent forward thinking, cosmopolitan city of Vancouver suffer from this dark cloud?
I don't know.
There are reports that it was started by a small group and a lot of otherwise law abiding people got wrapped up in the moment. I'm no expert but that seems reasonable. We encourage individuality but often do not give outlets for great creativity. So when people se the chance to let their freak flag fly, they jump at it, even if it inappropriate.
I don't know how to prevent these sorts of things. I know I felt sickened, by the images I saw but I can't fix it.
I hope Canadians can move beyond this incident but it's going to take a lot of healing.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Powerful Language
I just watched a segment on the long running CBS News Magazine, 60 Minutes about Huckleberry Finn. A publisher updated the text replacing a common racial slur with the word 'slave.' There has been great debate for a long time about the language used by Mark Twain. Many schools will not touch Twain's writing because of the language used while others believe it must be taught because of the same language.
Written and spoken language can be so powerful. We communicate ideas with language but we communicate a lot more. We put for beliefs and emotions with language. It can be very subtle or very bold. You can communicate multiple ideas with a single sentence or say nothing with several pages.
I have noticed I tend to tailor my message to my audience. My workplace is very bilingual. I see this as an asset but I also find that when I speak to people who speak French as their first language, I use a more direct simple language. The people I speak with most of the time work very well in English but I don't want the idea to get lost in translation. They are much better in English than I am in French and it will be like this for quite a while.
I don't know where I really stand on updating literature. I do thoroughly believe in free speech. I think we need to keep the ideas from the past and learn from them or be doomed to fail again. I also understand how racial slurs can make people uncomfortable. It's a type of language that may not be appropriate for all situations or scenarios. That's the hard part.
It seems the last bastion of offensive language is attached to race. There is still too much racism and people get set off very easily about race. It's understandable but we need to keep working to move beyond our current state. Only then will the power of these words be used for good and not for hate.
Written and spoken language can be so powerful. We communicate ideas with language but we communicate a lot more. We put for beliefs and emotions with language. It can be very subtle or very bold. You can communicate multiple ideas with a single sentence or say nothing with several pages.
I have noticed I tend to tailor my message to my audience. My workplace is very bilingual. I see this as an asset but I also find that when I speak to people who speak French as their first language, I use a more direct simple language. The people I speak with most of the time work very well in English but I don't want the idea to get lost in translation. They are much better in English than I am in French and it will be like this for quite a while.
I don't know where I really stand on updating literature. I do thoroughly believe in free speech. I think we need to keep the ideas from the past and learn from them or be doomed to fail again. I also understand how racial slurs can make people uncomfortable. It's a type of language that may not be appropriate for all situations or scenarios. That's the hard part.
It seems the last bastion of offensive language is attached to race. There is still too much racism and people get set off very easily about race. It's understandable but we need to keep working to move beyond our current state. Only then will the power of these words be used for good and not for hate.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Time Off
I took a few days off. My original plan was to attend Bonnaroo in Tennessee but the unstable geopolitical situation in Libya changed that. It's a long story that I won't bother you with. Instead I do want to mention that I am using some of my time to do the rest of the stuff around my apartment that I should have done months ago.
I really don't mind hauling the new furniture up to my place and assembling it (if required) but it sure seems like work.
I now have everything assembled.
The only thing left is hanging the pictures on the wall. This is a daytime activity so you don't disturb the neighbors. I keep starting it but I have no idea where to put the pictures. I think there is about 16 to hank so it isn't too much work but I can't seem to see a good way to lay them out throughout the place. I'm thinking I just need to give it the old college try and beg forgiveness if people don't like it.
I also picked up a kick ass recliner. It makes my living room much more livable when there are a few people around.
I realize this is a bit of a ramble but I do have a great place I just need the accents.
I really don't mind hauling the new furniture up to my place and assembling it (if required) but it sure seems like work.
I now have everything assembled.
The only thing left is hanging the pictures on the wall. This is a daytime activity so you don't disturb the neighbors. I keep starting it but I have no idea where to put the pictures. I think there is about 16 to hank so it isn't too much work but I can't seem to see a good way to lay them out throughout the place. I'm thinking I just need to give it the old college try and beg forgiveness if people don't like it.
I also picked up a kick ass recliner. It makes my living room much more livable when there are a few people around.
I realize this is a bit of a ramble but I do have a great place I just need the accents.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Information Fiend
It seems I lust after information. I try to get as much as I can as often as I can. I know I will never have all the info but I always seem to want more. My latest info source, my new syringe if you will is Twitter. @BACook76 if you want to follow me. I know that's shameless but I do have a BComm in Marketing so it's really to be expected.
Twitter is like crack cocaine. It's instant and addictive. You get info right away. You know before the story is published. It may not be very good for you.
I don't really know where this burring desire to constantly ingest information has come from. It may be from my desire to make good decisions. It could be my hope to appear intelligent, some day the world may prove otherwise but for now I can keep up the charade.
In 2011 the Internet is THE information source but it's coming at you many different ways. We have blogs, tweets, and status updates. History is being captured and written in a digital medium and I want to absorb a lot. Traditional news stories may be more in-depth but they are slow. They often must go through the editor and be approved. It's the complete story but it's not up to the second. I seem to need both. I may not want to be the one who yells it from the mountaintop but I want to know.
If I don't have reliable Internet, I feel a bit lost. How do I get my injection of hot news? How do I know up to the second, what's going down? This has become an issue for me.
It may sound a bit extreme but I want to know. Today I don't know if this craving is a good thing.
Twitter is like crack cocaine. It's instant and addictive. You get info right away. You know before the story is published. It may not be very good for you.
I don't really know where this burring desire to constantly ingest information has come from. It may be from my desire to make good decisions. It could be my hope to appear intelligent, some day the world may prove otherwise but for now I can keep up the charade.
In 2011 the Internet is THE information source but it's coming at you many different ways. We have blogs, tweets, and status updates. History is being captured and written in a digital medium and I want to absorb a lot. Traditional news stories may be more in-depth but they are slow. They often must go through the editor and be approved. It's the complete story but it's not up to the second. I seem to need both. I may not want to be the one who yells it from the mountaintop but I want to know.
If I don't have reliable Internet, I feel a bit lost. How do I get my injection of hot news? How do I know up to the second, what's going down? This has become an issue for me.
It may sound a bit extreme but I want to know. Today I don't know if this craving is a good thing.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
13,000
I don't live in Winnipeg anymore, for the most part I don't miss it. I do miss my friends. That being said, I wish I would have been in Winnipeg last week.
The return of NHL hockey to the Manitoba capital has been nothing short of special. In less than seven days it was announced the Atlanta Thrashers would be relocating to Winnipeg and 13,000 season tickets were sold. There were doubters but the residents of Winnipeg said give us a team and when it happened, they responded.
Anyone who lived in Winnipeg when the Jets left and has been around since knows the city has changed. Enough of the changes are good and I think the Winnipeg citizenry realizes if you want things in your city they must be supported. They also know if you don't have things in your city it is not as good a place to live.
Winnipeg has a sense of community. It has always been strong and will get stronger with NHL hockey. The people will feel like their city matters. They will be known for more than just crime and poverty. They have something else to rally around.
I will admit that hockey is not my favorite sport. Football will always be the game in my mind but I also have a place for hockey.
With NHL hockey in Winnipeg it makes it a place to be, and hopefully it will help a city feel important again.
The return of NHL hockey to the Manitoba capital has been nothing short of special. In less than seven days it was announced the Atlanta Thrashers would be relocating to Winnipeg and 13,000 season tickets were sold. There were doubters but the residents of Winnipeg said give us a team and when it happened, they responded.
Anyone who lived in Winnipeg when the Jets left and has been around since knows the city has changed. Enough of the changes are good and I think the Winnipeg citizenry realizes if you want things in your city they must be supported. They also know if you don't have things in your city it is not as good a place to live.
Winnipeg has a sense of community. It has always been strong and will get stronger with NHL hockey. The people will feel like their city matters. They will be known for more than just crime and poverty. They have something else to rally around.
I will admit that hockey is not my favorite sport. Football will always be the game in my mind but I also have a place for hockey.
With NHL hockey in Winnipeg it makes it a place to be, and hopefully it will help a city feel important again.
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