Distinct

I'm back in Quebec for another week of flying. Overall it's rather enjoyable. However, there are some quirks about this province that go well beyond the language.

My first example. I was at the bank, specifically the cash machine to get some money. A bid diesel burning jacked up truck straight out of Fort Mac pulled up beside me. The only think missing were the truck nuts. I thought I wasn't in Alberta and I was right because, the driver grabbed his man purse, that's right a murse, and went in to get money. This could not be mistaken as a satchel like what Indiana Jones would carry. There was no mistaking this for a man's purse.

Only in Quebec.

My second example. I was driving along and I caught up to a scooter with two people on it. It wasn't two girls it was a girl and a guy and the guy wasn't driving. Scooters are fun to ride until your friends find out but I know a lot of people that wouldn't be caught dead riding a scooter, never mind being the passenger on the back. However, there it was, right out in broad daylight.

Only in Quebec.

Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of nice people I know that live in Quebec and I almost always have fun when I visit. If the taxes were a bit more reasonable I would even consider living in Montreal. The province just has a few quirks. They may make it charming, maybe it could be called annoying but I can say for certain it is distinct.

Reality Distortion Field

I started reading for pleasure again. I hadn't read a book to entertain myself for about a year and a half. That's much too long.being a fan of Apple products it was inevitable that I would get around to reading The biography of Steve Jobs.

This isn't a book review.

There is no doubt the guy was a little crazy but he had a mission to make great products. He wanted them to look great, work great, and feel great. I think he succeeded most of the time. There can always be enhancements and as new technologies become affordable we will see more improvements but overall I think he did well in that regard.

Steve Jobs was a bit of a dreamer. He wouldn't have been successful if he didn't have Steve Wozniak by his side to make the dreams tangible. It was important that he had a very talented tech guy to make it happen in the beginning. Jobs could dream it up and figure out how to sell it. He demanded that it was built right and looked great. Woz figured out how to make it work. He was ahead of his time and could develop new products. Woz wasn't always there and wasn't a top level player very much but he helped. Ate the first product that launched it all, changed the world, and started the cash flow. Every great idea man needs a Woz to get him going.

I don't want to be Steve Jobs. He was brilliant and could get more out of people than they ever realized was possible. He could design products that people didn't know they needed. If he was going to do something he was going to do it right. These are all admirable but he was a bit of a tyrant, he would berate people and lacked basic social skills. That part I'm not so impressed with.

A big part of his magic was his reality distortion field. He could just make you believe the world was as he wanted it to be.

I don't think the Steve Jobs model will produce very many successful CEOs but I think it does prove that if you believe in yourself, are true to what you believe in and don't try to fit someone else's mold, you will be great in the world and a happy person.

Air Conditioning

It was not a wonderful spring in the Montreal-Ottawa corridor. There were several cool days with a lot of rain. As the school age children wrapped up their studies we have fallen into a hot summer. This is the typical weather for the area including it not cooling down at night.


I am lucky, my apartment is air conditioned and it is hooked into the thermostat. My home stays comfortable all summer long. It's great to get home and the place is cool. I can even cook with very little impact on my comfort.


There is a bit of a problem.


I have been in St Jean sur Richileau since the last day of June. The dorm room I have been assigned is not air conditioned. It is hot at night. It has re-energized my respect for a well climate controlled living space.


I'll admit I don't love scorching heat and high humidity but it isn't all that bad if you return to a cool dry space at the end of your day. It gives you a chance to unwind and relax. the heat won't be the reason you don't sleep so well at night.