Demand

On my last day in Winnipeg, as my friends were drifting back to work, I went to eat some Taco Time. If you are from Western Canada you have probably had this once or twice. However, if you are from Eastern Canada you probably have never heard of this amazing Mexican fast food establishment. One trip to Taco Time and you will never even consider Taco Bell as an option. That being said, the quality of the the quick service Mexican food has little to do with what I’m writing about.

If you have been reading this blog for a while (first off I want to say thank-you) you know I gave up drinking Coca-Cola a year and a half ago. A byproduct of not drinking that evil concoction is I don’t eat a lot of fast food. When I was faced with selecting a beverage to go with my delicious Super Beef Burrito Combo I chose water. Other than a bit of fruit juice in the breakfast timeframe or beer, I almost always get water.

Here’s the thing. It cost me an additional forty cents to get a bottle of water over a Pepsi from the machine. 

My initial thoughts were how could you justify charging me more for water than for pop? Let’s be honest, pop is water with several ingredients added. Pop is water with a whole bunch of labour added to it. Pop uses water as the base and builds on it so there is no way that water should cost more.

Then the businessman in me kicked in. If you are good at pricing then you price based on demand and not on input cost. This means that there is a greater demand for water than fountain pop, otherwise the retailer, in this case Taco Time, would not feel they could charge more for unmodified water than the upgraded and modified model (pop).

All this makes me very happy.

If you can demand more for pure water than for the most useless beverage on the planet then that must mean a lot of people are choosing to not drink pop. It means a lot of people are choosing a healthier option. More people are being a bit more conscious about what they are putting in their bodies.

I’m going to be very honest here. If you are eating lunch at Taco Time then your health in not the first item on your mind but if you are not drinking pop then your health is not the last thought on your mind either.

I have read a couple of time in the last six months that beverage companies have been slashing the price of carbonated, sugar laden beverages because demand is weakening. I see this as a good thing. Finally more people, including the author of this piece, are cutting a few of the worst things out of their life.

Don’t get me wrong, if you want to have a can of Coke as a treat once in a long while and can keep it to that, go for it. As for myself, I like it way too much and have come to realize that the only way I can keep my consumption to a healthy level is do not drink any at all.

The demand for pop is going down, this can only mean more people are going to live a healthier life and a healthier life is always a better life.

The CBC Needs a Budget Cut

What I am about to do will work much better if you are a fan of a genera of music where the performers write their own material. If you mainly listen to country or pop, this may not have the same impact.

Think about some of your favourite bands. The one you will go see in an arena. The one that has been making albums for a long time. As you are sitting with your friends having a pre-concert beverage of choice, inevitably someone will say, "I hope they play lots of old stuff." 

Now don't get me wrong, we like the new album, there is probably one song that we are really into but we don't know it word for word, note for note like the old stuff. The new stuff may actually be a better made song but the old stuff is just better.

Why?

The band wasn't comfortable when they made the old stuff. They didn't have vast resources.  They had just enough so they were not starving and it drove creativity. They had to be good and they had to do it quickly. Studio time was at a premium. They probably had to play some gigs while they made the album to pay the bills. There was an edge to life, a feeling of us against the world and it made them be better. Once they were well established and had steady revenue from the back catalogue they still cared about making good music but they were not driven the same way.

What does a band starting out have to do with the CBC budget?

In a short answer, everything. The CBC is subsidized and if they do not produce compelling content, they can fall back on the government to pay the bills. They are not driven to create new, original, memorable, or groundbreaking content. 

The good stuff comes from anyone when they feel like they are up against the wall. Apple almost went bankrupt and rethought who they were and what they do. They were desperate but found a way. The CBC needs to be desperate. They need that feeling that we have nothing left to lose so we may as well do something crazy. Because when the crazy starts, that's when the amazing happens.

The CBC used to do a lot of things very well. They are still pretty good at news gathering but CBC Sports is a shell of it's former self and their entertainment programming doesn't make you want to watch.

If the CBC feels the public has turned on them and they have to do better they will. Big budgets don't make great content, great thought and execution does and a little stress in their future will do a lot to bring that out.

The Slow Down

I have been very busy for the last year and for the most part, I have enjoyed it. My job is going so well, I didn't take all my vacation for the year and will have to roll over a bit to next year. Overall, it's been really good and now I have taken some time off over the Christmas holiday.

It's great to have some time to relax at my parents and visit my friends. We can be leisurely. There are very few scheduled activities. For the most part, it is simply a time to enjoy the company of others.

I can feel my batteries recharging.

However, it seems I can only be lazy for so long. As I become more rested, I find new ideas popping into my head. Ideas on how to make things better, plans on how to work more effectively, and observations of the world around me.

There is a culture shift. The pace of life in Brandon, Manitoba is not the same as Ottawa. People are not in a hurry here. People are not bothered if they hold you up a bit. There is validity to living a slower pace to life and I like to visit this slow sleepy town. However, I may have gown up in a small town but I like the big city life. I like the feeling that people are all around me and the energy that it brings. I like the short walk to get what I need or want. I am a city dweller and I like it.

I will be in Brandon for a few more days, and the slow pace will be nice for the holidays but I'm sure by the last day or so, I will be craving a busy street with horns honking and people chatting about nothing or everything. One of the great things about where you live is when you visit elsewhere, you can enjoy a change, just like I am now.

I Don't Know

If we had a Canadian federal election today, I have no idea who I would vote for. I know who I would not vote for, the New Democratic Party. I am not a socialist and I think their policies would slow development in Canada. I'm sure many of the party faithful are nice people but I live in a nation where it is ok to disagree on how to run the country and when it comes to Canada, I have and most likely will always disagree with the NDP.

Here's the thing, I'm not a card carrying member of any political party but I vote. Like many with no affiliation in Canada I am starting to get Harper fatigue. I don't think he has done a bad job but he's been the Prime Minister for a long time and a change is nice from time to time. It keeps things balanced. That being said, I am not getting swept up in any sort of Trudeaumania 2.0 and as time passes, I'm questioning his ability to be an effective Prime Minister on the national and more importantly international stage.

It isn't the Conservative Party's attack ads. It isn't anything from either propaganda machine. It is simply a feeling that if I had to step behind the cardboard stand, I don't know if I could make a choice.

The Conservatives have been faced with and made some very difficult fiscal decisions and I think that despite what a lot of people may think, the quality of life of the average Canadian is better for it. However, I'm not entirely a dollars and cents kind of guy and some of the cuts have come to programs that provide unique benefits to the community. We can live without them but do we want to?

I don't know what the Liberals stand for these days. They are not saying a lot of concrete things, but they have a very small presence in the House of Commons so they don't really have to say much. I'm sure as the next general election moves closer, they will have something to say. A lot of their popularity seems to be coming from charisma and floppy hair. I hope they are cooking up something a bit better than that for the long haul. They have made some mistakes, to the level that some people have publicly torn up their Liberal Party of Canada membership cards. That's never a good sign and I'm sure it will be brought up in the weeks before we go to vote. You can't give your political opponents those types of moments, especially if they are known for running attack ads.

I don't know if the Liberals were justified in not permitting some people to seek candidacy in specific ridings but if you are going to declare open and transparent nominations in all ridings, it should look like open and transparent nominations. Again, that is low hanging fruit for your opponents. If you can't keep your own house in order how can you run the country?

Ultimately someone will earn my vote. A lot will happen between now and the day we do vote in Canada and my choice will become clear. At least I hope it does, because nobody is impressing me now.

So Much for So Little

Last week I was in South Florida, staying in a very nice resort right on the beach in Broward County. The weather was great and the scenery was beautiful but that is not what this post is about.

It is very apparent that there are not a lot of laws in Florida. I saw several people driving motorcycles, not one of them were wearing a helmet. Drivers using handheld devices while driving was rampant. Florida does not have a state wide prescription database so you can go to 5 doctors on the same day with the same pain symptoms and get a prescription for a narcotic each time and there is no barrier to stop you from getting all these filled at different pharmacies.

So, if Florida doesn't have all that many laws to enforce why did I see so much police?

If I was outside the resort, I would see a member of a law enforcement agency about every five minutes. There was city police, Sheriff's Department, and State Troopers everywhere. There was more police around than you see in the rough part of Winnipeg. 

All this got me thinking about the ideas of regulation and enforcement.

On the surface, it would be reasonable to think that if you have fewer laws to enforce, you should need fewer personnel to deliver the enforcement. This may not be the case after all. It may be possible to have more difficulty enforcing fewer laws because the general populous does not have a tendency to ensure they are in compliance. If ensuring you are compliant is the exception instead of the norm then it is more likely that it will not be the default position.

I'm not advocating more laws, rules, or regulations. Most jurisdictions have too many rules about things that just don't need to be regulated. However, good regulation can help mitigate bad decision making and there just seems to be a lot of that out there.

Some places it may be difficult to set up individuals to make good decisions. If you live in an under-regulated American state and you believe freedom means you can do what you want because nobody is going to tell you what to do, then it may be difficult to lead someone to good decision making. That being said, we need to move in that direction.

Nobody likes to be micro-managed. Everyone likes to feel like they have control of their life but, if you don't know how to make good decisions or you don't see the value in making good decisions for yourself and your community the cycle of bad decisions will continue.

Good decisions are built on the foundation of good knowledge. Good knowledge comes from education and experience. If we can get more people living in a paradigm of good decision making we will need less efforts in law enforcement and that can only be a good thing.

One of the great aspects of travel is it shows you how others do it, there is always something good to take away and always something from the not-so-good file. The more we mix things up, the better we will all be, and better decisions will result.

Foo

In my opinion, one of the greatest rock bands ever is The Foo Fighters. After the death of Kurt Cobain in 1994, the drummer of Nirvana went into the studio to make an album. According to several interviews he really didn't know what would come of it. Twenty years later, one of the best bodies of work is still growing. That drummer's name is Dave Grohl and I think he is one of the most interesting people in the world.

For me, the turning point of Dave Grohl was many years ago when he appeared on the The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn. He sang the Elton John song Tiny Dancer. I have a copy of the performance on my iPod and I never skip the song. It's just a guy strumming a guitar singing off the teleprompter but the honestly in the performance and the how he connected with the audience changed my opinion from just another rock star to someone connects through music.

The latest Foo Fighter project is called Sonic Highways. It's an album and more. The music is great. Attached to the music is an eight part HBO series where the band goes to a different city each episode, talks to some of the local musicians about the local scene and history. From these interviews they write and record each song from the interviews.

The episodes are riveting.

Not only is the series informative but as the series trailer says, it's love letter to American music. It would have been very cool to be a part of the making of the series. The raw honesty and reverence shown by the band as they enjoy the journey jumps off the screen.

Another cool part of this project is during the same week that the HBO episode airs, the band plays a small but important venue from that city. We are talking about cool places like the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville and the Roxy in Los Angeles. Places that matter to music in the cities they stand in.

The Foo Fighters have sold a lot of albums and sold a lot show tickets. I'm sure they have a few extra bucks to take on ambitious and expensive projects. I know not every band out there could do this even if they want to. It's not that they can but that they do things like this. They let us in to see why they love music. Not everyone is prepared to let the public in.

You may not be a fan of The Foo Fighters, you may not have heard of them. That's okay. If you like music and want to see how some seemingly regular guys make it, I suggest you check out the HBO series Sonic Highways. It will grab your soul and not let go. It will make you love music even more. It will teach you something and capture your imagination. It will make you want to create something. It is that good.

I'll be honest, I really liked The Foo Fighters long before Sonic Highways but I find all this so inspiring. It is one of those projects that can change the way people see things. That doesn't come along everyday.

The Long Ribbon of Asphalt

I travel for my job and I make weekly trips to Belleville and Kingston, Ontario. It's a routine drive down freeway highway. There can be a lot of traffic but there is a median, on-ramps, and multiple lanes.

Starting a the beginning of November, regular trips to Sudbury, Ontario have been added to my tasks. Sudbury is about 500 kilometres away down a two-lane, undivided highway. This time of year, a lot of the trip happens at night. It is a very different experience from driving down the freeway.

As I was driving out to Sudbury, I started to think about a long two-lane highway through remote country. I grew up in a small town on the Canadian prairies, I have driven many miles down two-lane highways. Even with traffic all around you, I feel isolated. There are stretches where people don't really live. To access the highway, you simply drive up to the intersection and turn the way you want to go. It has a simplicity you don't experience on the freeway. It reminds me of home.

Although this lifeline for these communities is not at the state of the art, it is still well above a dirt cart path that was probably the first over-land route through this area. When you don't have the width and infrastructure of the freeway, it looks different as you drive between hills and through valleys.

The real key to enjoying a trip like this is to not be hung up on how long it is going to take you to get there. You will be held up by traffic. You will face some weather. You will lose time. However, I have satellite radio and music on my phone, synced to the car. I can find music that matches the mood and enjoy the drive. 

You probably won't be able to use the cruise control for a lot of the trip. For some reason a lot of people in Ontario don't embrace the magic known as cruise control and their speed varies greatly as they travel from place to place. Because you will get trapped behind slower moving traffic, you will have to disengage the cruise control and accept that you will be held up from time to time. 

All that being said, I am nostalgic for the feeling of driving down the two lane highway though vast wilderness. It takes me back to a simpler time and sometimes we need a bit of that in our life.

The Real Leaders

I've been doing a lot of thinking about real leadership. A lot of people disguise behaviour as leadership. Playing hard and going the extra mile is leadership. Standing back and letting the boss be the boss. When it matters you stand up and get it done.

Hogwash.

Leadership is about setting people up for success. It is about empowering people to perform better than they ever believed was possible. The problem with a lot of people is they don't realize to do this long before things get tough.

Great leaders set people up to be successful before they know what the problem is going to be. They empower people so they feel strong and talented everyday, so when the moments that matter happen, all you have to do is tell them this is just like every other day and we can handle it. Being a great leader is about setting things up so extraordinary challenges seem almost routine.

So, how do you do this.

First, you get to know people. You get to know what makes them tick and what's important to them as a person. But everyone knows this.

Then you have to make them feel special. You have to show them why they are great. Not everyone is great for the same reason but everyone has something to offer and you build off that.

Once you make them feel special, you need to show them the way to success. This is not a step by step instruction on how to do the job but an understanding of where you are and where you need to get to. Keep in mind, you are doing this before you know what the big challenge is going to be. You have to make them understand where their strength lies and how to leverage their talents. You also have to make them understand their weaknesses and how to minimize or overcome their challenges.

Now, if you have done this properly, when the time for leadership comes, you have done the hard part. Now, all you do is remind them how good they are and they have been doing this all along and presto, the team is successful.

For all this to work you must admit when you are not very good at something. It's not a sign of weakness, its shows you are honest with yourself and the people around you. It is not easy being the one people are expected to look to for leadership, and admit we are not the best, good, or downright bad. However, you have to. If you want to guide people away from weaknesses to what they do best, you have to know what you are bad at.

If you want to lead, speak up before it matters. Know the people around you. Admit when you aren't very good. Then, you will be a great leader, by anybody's standard.

How Do I Look?

Everybody likes to look good. We do a lot to look good but everyone also seems to have some issues with how they look. Lately, I have seen a lot flying around the internet about body acceptance and body shaming. It is a hot button issue in some circles. Young girls are feeling pressure to reach an unobtainable standard of beauty. That being said, I'm not sure where they are feeling the pressure to come from. 

Is it coming from other girls? Is it coming from young boys? Is it coming from within?

One thing that young women should understand is all women have issues with how they look. Also, women should understand that all people, including men, have issues with how they look. I would venture a guess that most people think they are less attractive than they actually are.

A couple of weeks ago, I was chatting with an sales associate at one of my customer locations. She is young, exercises on a regular basis, and keeps herself very fit. We were discussing exercise and how to get better results. She indicated that she was close to the shape she wants to be in but, it wasn't where she would like to be. I told her I know a lot of women that would think she's nuts for having any body image issues. She saw my point but also said there is a lot of guys that would think I'm nuts if I have body image issues. 

This is what got my attention.

For a long time I have seen myself as rather average. Before I quit drinking Coca-Cola I saw myself as average. I knew I was too heavy for my frame but I I figured it was just a few extra pounds like so many other people. after losing nearly 40 pounds I still see myself as rather average and there is a lot of work to be done. I don't have the body of an underwear model but since I'm not trying to be one, I really don't need it.

As I've been driving all over Ontario, I've been thinking a lot about what really makes someone attractive. Much of my job requires me to deal with the general public and I've been looking at people and why they are attractive.

I've found it isn't one specific shape that makes someone attractive. It's not if you are are tall, or short. It doesn't matter if you are skinny. The number on the scale doesn't matter. What matters (at least to me) is if you look healthy and active. 

To me, healthy and active includes healthy looking skin, bright eyes, and a spring in your step. You should look like you can do something completely out of your routine and not get worn out by it. You should have a clear mind so your conversation is sharp. My mind stays clear when I eat right and exercise. You need the right body for you.

I truly believe that everyone should include regular exercise as part of a healthy lifestyle. With regular exercise some people will end up skinny as a rake while others will end up looking more like The Rock. Meanwhile the vast majority of us will end up somewhere in between. We won't be the perfect specimen but that doesn't mean we won't look good in other people's eyes. What's even better is you will feel better if you exercise and eat right. If you feel good, you will look better. You will be more engaging and someone great to be around.

If you live a healthy life, your body will look good on its terms and who doesn't want to look good on their own terms.

Words and Numbers

I like words. They can describe a lot. They can emit emotion. They can describe something amazing or terrible. If put together effectively they can be amazing.

I also like numbers. Numbers can also describe things. They can put order to what may appear disorganized and help us understand the universe in a way that words cannot.

What I don't like is when numbers are used to replace words.

From time to time, people use numbers when a word is the proper tool to use. I was in the drive through at McDonalds to pick up my usual road meal, a Bacon and Egg McMuffin Meal with an orange juice. That's how I ordered it. When I rolled up to the window to pay for my not-so-healthy breakfast. When the cashier confirm my meal before payment she asked my if I had the number three.

In what way does the number 3 describe that meal?

An arbitrary number was assigned to the meal. It was not the 3rd step in a process. It doesn't have 3, 30, 300, or even 3000 calories. If it is consumed with a Number 2 meal, it doesn't give you something with a value of 5. The number three doesn't have any meaningful use other than differentiating it from the other meals on the menu. However, that's what words are for.

There are a lot of reasons you don't drive an airplane down a freeway. It's not the right tool for the job. So, why has it become acceptable to use numbers in the place of words? There are over four-hundred thousand words in the English language. They can describe nearly every phenomenon humans have ever encountered but some people insist on improperly using numbers to describe things.

There are times when a number is appropriate to use in a description. The Ford Mustang 5.0 is a great example. The number describes the displacement of the engine. The number is used properly. Another good use of a number is Step 3. By using the number you know it occurs between Step 2 and Step 4. The number is used properly.

I realize that some people don't want to think too hard about what they are trying to say but let's move forward and use words and numbers properly. After all there is more than enough words and combinations of words to describe what we want.

Free Stuff

It's not everyday that you get something for free. Earlier this week Apple gave every iTunes account holder a free copy of the new U2 album. First off, I want to say thank-you. I would have bought the album but now I don't have to. I know a lot of other people are grateful because there are a lot of good people in the world.

There is some backlash. 

I can understand if you are not a U2 fan, you probably don't want their new album. However, if you don't want it on your devices, you can remove it. Apple doesn't use personal space in iCloud to store music downloaded from iTunes. There is no cost there to the user. That being said, there are some people who are outright angry that Apple has done this.

This morning on the radio one tweet was read that if a U2 song started playing on one person's iPhone, they were switching to Android. Apple devices are the easiest to use in the world. If you can't figure out how to not have a song play and are willing to switch to another product because of that, I feel sorry for you. You are probably not smart enough to use an Android device. I do believe in choice and that would be your choice. (I tried to find the tweet but since I can't remember the name given on the radio, I was not successful.)

Some people didn't like how the album was delivered. I don't agree that having it available in  iCloud for everyone is creepy but some people seem to think it is. Data and updates are pushed to devices and computers all the time. New icons appear on my work computer's desktop without any input from me. So, an icon to download music isn't so bad in my mind. Maybe a different deployment would have worked better. The 12 Days of iTunes through a free app worked well last Christmas and nobody would have received music they didn't want.

You can't change the past. I'm sure everyone has learned from this activity and if a company  decides to give away something for free in the future, they will do it even better.

I like free stuff and I appreciate the free album I received from U2 and Apple, as I am sure most people are.

This Whole Ray Rice Thing

When I saw the video of Ray Rice knocking out his fiancee, I had the same reaction as everyone else. I felt sick to my stomach and thought how could he hit anyone like that.

There is never an excuse for domestic violence. Ever.

However, domestic violence is a problem in all parts of the world so there must be something that causes it. I want to make it perfectly clear, I am not an expert on domestic violence or its causes. If you take a couple of steps back and look at the world, maybe we can understand why it is happening. If we can understand it, we can start to rid the world of it. We are not going to rid the world of it tomorrow but we have to move towards that goal and even through it will probably take generations we have to get there.

At the time of the incident, Ray Rice was employed as a professional football player. In a matter of full disclosure, football is my favourite sport but, football is a very violent game. To stop the ball carrier the rules require you to knock them to the ground so a body part other than the palms of the hands and soles of the feet touch the ground. This won't happen with a light tap. At the professional level, players build their strength to near super-human levels. Combined with this strength to either hit the ball carrier or ward off the hit and break the tackle, players must aggressively act on instinct. If you can't do this, you will not be employed as a professional football player for very long.

Professional football players have been playing the game since they were young boys. If you are going to make it to the highest level, it must dominate your life for as long as you can remember. Football players are rewarded for aggressive play. Let's keep this all in mind.

I don't know what was said or done to build up to the point that Ray Rice decided to strike another human in an elevator. Ultimately it doesn't matter. He didn't have the tool in the toolbox to keep his aggression and instinct in check when he wasn't on the football field.

No matter why he did it, he was wrong. Maybe the system let him down and didn't prepare him to deal with these types of situations. I don't have the skill set to fix that but if he had the right tool in the box, there may have been a chance this never would have happened.

There are jobs where we value aggressive instinctive behaviour. However, that behaviour is only appropriate in certain situations and over the long haul, it is very difficult to suppress who you are or have become. So, maybe if we groom people to be aggressive at work or play, we need to do a better job at grooming them to use it only when they should.

I don't think anyone wakes up in the morning as says, "I'm going to smack my woman around today." Nonetheless, it happens and it shouldn't. Domestic violence is everyone's problem. We can't turn our back on it, we have to speak up and deal with it if we know it's happening. We have to be there are help when people are headed down the wrong path. 

These are just some of my ramblings but if we all try to make it a domestic violence free world, we will get closer, and we need to get closer for everyone's sake.

The Haircut

Today I got a haircut. I realize this unto itself is not a big deal. I have always kept my hair short and I probably always will. I went a bit over two months without getting it cut. I also know this is also no big deal. Some people go years without cutting their hair. 

As I was sitting in the barber's chair, I started thinking about the whole experience. Not so much why we get a haircut, that part is obvious, but how it all goes down.

Someone decides they need a haircut so they do one of two things. Either they make an appointment or just walk into a barber shop and sit down. Now many people know their barber very well but this is not always the case. They may be a total stranger and after a thirty second conversation they take some very sharp instruments and start waving them around your head and face.

Let's think about this for a moment. To cut hair, scissors must be sharp. From the corner of your eye to your hairline on the side of year head it usually isn't much more than an inch. So if the barber, who you may not have known for more than a couple of minutes, is clumsy, you could end up with scissors in the eye. Let's be honest here, nobody likes it in the eye.

All this being said, we take this whole thing to be quite normal. Nobody really thinks twice about walking into a barber shop, sitting down, and getting a haircut. We are much more concerned about if it is going to look good than if it is safe. If we want to take it one step further, as men get older, they often start to get their eyebrows trimmed. That's even closer to the eye.

I know barbers know how to safely cut hair and considering the frequency that they complete the task I'm sure their skills are maintained to a high level. However, who has really ever questioned the safety of a haircut? My ear did get cut once, not bad but I sure flinched and there was blood. This was a long time before most of the feeling left my ears. I've heard of people getting nicked while getting a shave but we all do that to ourselves from time to time. However, when you sit in the chair, you are pretty much at the mercy of the barber's skill and have you really done your research?

I don't think this is going to change the world and I don't want it to. It's just an idea that popped into my head as a stranger cut the hair on my head to a much better looking length.

Not Back to School

For a whole bunch of people, the end of August and beginning of September is Back to School time. It may be because you are returning to school or you have children returning to school.

Earlier this week I saw school age children getting on a school bus and it caught me off-guard. I didn't realize that time was upon us again. I don't have children and I haven't gone back to school in fifteen years, so even though I knew it was the general time, when I saw evidence of it, I was surprised. 

It made me think about fifteen years ago. I graduated from university in the spring and had started my first full time job shortly after. After a couple of paycheques, i had leased myself a brand new 1999 Pontiac Grand Am GT with all the bells and whistles including a sunroof. Now lets flash forward to about the 20th of September. It was a bright sunny morning as I'm driving to work with the windows down and the sunroof open as I thought to myself, "Another cool morning, it's been like this for a few days now, I hope it warms back up soon."

On September 20th, in Winnipeg, you are not looking at it warming up in the morning for several months but, my mind was still in summer mode. I had not started school in the fall for the first time in seventeen years. In fact, I had not started school in the fall for the first time that I can remember. It was imprinted on my brain that starting class means the weather is going to start cooling down. Crisp morning would become the norm again because I'm back in school and I am returning to normal from what ever adventure I undertook that summer.

Back to school is an exciting time. If you are returning, it means you are going to start a new adventure and learn something. It means you will get to see some people you may not have seen in a while. However, if you have no vested interest in the back to school routine, you won't even notice it pass until you see children boarding a bus or notice that they are not around during the weekday.

If you are going back to school, good luck. If you are like me and currently don't have a vested interest, enjoy the long week-end and live another great day.

Who Says That?

I like my job. I know a lot of people think it's nuts to admit that but I really do. It turns out I'm pretty good at it as well. In a few days I'll receive my first quarterly bonus and I did quite well. Without boring you with the details, basically I finished at 111.9% of the target. I think that's pretty good.

As I grow in the job I realize that it is much more a job about leadership than a job about sales.

Yes, it is a sales position and yes, I sell paint. However, in Canada, Valspar paint is available exclusively through Lowe's. A Lowe's store is open about one-hundred hours a week and I service five stores so that's five-hundred hours of of potential selling time. If you do the math that's almost three times as many hours as there are in a week. So, I can't be there to sell all the paint. What I can do is enable the Sales Associates in the Lowe's stores to sell Valspar paint. I can be there on the phone when they need support or information. I can bring information and assistance.

It also helps that I represent very good paint. It's a lot of fun say you have the best paint in the store. There is no 'it's not quite as good but look at the price point.' Being part of the best leads to the best results.

I have autonomy and flexibility to do it my way. The amazing thing is my way works. It is easy for a boss to try to make you do it their way and a lot of people don't realize that just because it's different, it doesn't mean it's wrong. There have been people I've come across that couldn't seem to figure it out. That's their failure. Now a great company has my services and the results show it.

I've turned some heads, I've made a difference. I'm having fun while I do it and why wouldn't you like a job that gives you that.

Taking a Look Around

A nation's capital is often a very interesting place to visit. Annually, many tourists flock to Ottawa to check it out. Sometimes I get a bit annoyed as they slowly walk and gawk about but, ultimately I understand they are just enjoying the sights of Canada's capital. 

A friend of mine moved to the Washington DC area so I took this opportunity to check out another nation's capital. As I write this I am still in the area and will be seeing more tomorrow before I head back to the Great White North but I wanted to share a few things.

Unlike Ottawa, which was already a community (and many say nothing more than an overgrown logging town) before it became Canada's capital, Washington was designed to be the capital from the beginning. As such, they had the opportunity to make everything work together. For the most part, they got it right. Pretty much everything is purpose built, buildings were not purchased to be used by the government such as the Prime Minister's residence in Ottawa. I'm not saying one way is better than the other but as you move about Washington, you can tell it was set up a specific way.

A lot of time and effort was put into the monuments. I must say they are very impressive. They are big. They make statements. They also work together to make a generally pleasing area to visit. The National Mall is well thought out and the various components work with each other. You can walk from one attraction to another quite quickly and it all ties together well. I was very impressed.

Me in front of the White House

Although I had heard that the White House was a bit understated for where the head of The United States of America lives and works from, when I saw it, I really had that feeling. It by no means is a small building but compared to some of the monuments to Presidents that have been built, it seems rather regular. I know it wasn't supposed to be too grand or opulent but I was taken aback by how it looks. All that being said, it is still much bigger than my living space.

Some of what I saw today made me think while some of it made me dream. A capital can be a very inspiring place to look around. I had those feelings today. Some of it came from looking at the Wright Flyer in the Air and Space Museum while some of it came from looking at the legacy of a nation that purposely tried to define itself. 

Today was a good day and it has triggered some interesting thoughts about what is possible and how to go about making it happen. That is an important aspect of a national capital. It must be a place to make a nation believe it can be great. It must make you see what others overcame and have you root around in your soul to find a better you. If you let it, Washington DC can do that. When you go to any memorial, you can see how some people saw a bigger picture or did more than expected. It will stir something up in you, at least it did for me.

When you get a chance go somewhere and take a look around. Hopefully it stirs something up for you.

Your Veggies

I admit it. I don't eat as many vegetables as I should. There are days I barely have any. I think it's because I didn't like a lot of them growing up. Lately I have been making an effort to eat more plants.

I must admit, the more veggies I eat the better I feel.

We all know eating more plants is a good idea. You can find everything you need to be healthy by eating plants. However, I must admit there are a lot of non-plant foods that I like to eat. many are healthy, all are tasty. I find if I don't keep the ratio reasonable, the next day I feel sluggish.

For about three years I was eating salad as part of my lunch many of my workdays. There was good salad available in the same building that I worked so I filled myself with food that grows out of the ground. Now, through a change in employment I eat lunch in different places and I don't eat salad.

A change in your daily routine doesn't mean I shouldn't eat healthy, I just need to find more ways to eat a lot of vegetables. Don't worry, I'm not going to turn my back on the goodness of meat and cheese. That's crazy talk but I really need to be more consistent at eating my veggies.

Now I have found a lot of veggies that, as an adult, I like. Generally, I find the more I eat raw the more I like like it. Finding ways you like to eat healthy food will result in me eating more veggies. I need to embrace this and do it more often. 

Waking up the day after you eat a proper amount of plants always feels better. I always feel like I can take on the world. I always know this but a bit too often I don't follow my own advice.

The best part is I can always make a change and eat better and I will continue to do so. I will slip up, I will still probably eat a giant pile of chicken wings from time to time but I will do it less often and eat better more often. That way I will feel better more often and life is always better when you wake up feeling good.

Make It Loud

Last night I went to Ottawa Bluesfest. Slash was the early performer on the main stage. In my humble opinion Slash is the best rock and roll guitar player to walk the face of the earth. He is unique. Within about four notes you know it's him, even if you don't know the song. He loves what he does and it shows. It looks like he is genuinely having fun when he is up on stage playing guitar. He doesn't do backing vocals. He just plays and it's loud.

The headline act of the night was the Barenaked Ladies. They have been around since I was in elementary school. I wouldn't buy a ticket to go see them but they are a part of the Canadian consciousness and I was looking forward to seeing them.

As happy as I was to see Slash, I was equally disappointed with the Barenaked Ladies. I was most disappointed that it wasn't loud enough.

I don't expect it to be Motorhead loud but live music must be loud.

At Ottawa Bluesfest, there are concurrent shows going on. One of the smaller stages, known as the River Stage, is located behind the main stage. There were several instances that the Barenaked Ladies were being overpowered by the act on the River Stage. I was having a conversation with a friend, at normal conversation levels. 

At one point I even thought to myself, I wish everyone would stop talking so I can hear the music better.

Yes, you read that correctly. I was at a music event and and I was having trouble hearing the music.

One of the things I really like about live music is it takes over your life. It is in your face and becomes a singular existence. You lose yourself in the moment because you have to. All your problems are suspended because you can only focus on the music.

The Barenaked Ladies didn't give me that experience and I felt cheated.

We did walk over to the River Stage and catch the end of July Talk. They were loud and impressive. If you get a chance, look them up, they are on iTunes and I'm downloading their album as I write this post.

I like my music loud and I want it to be an all enthralling experience. I mean no respect to the Barenaked Ladies but they did not give me what I was looking for, but wow, I loved Slash and that made my night great.

What Does it Take?

Rob Ford has returned to work after a stint of rehab. Along with a recent election in Ontario I have been thinking about the life of a politician. There are a lot of facets to political life. It is very public life but the hardest parts are behind the scenes.

A few days back I was also thinking about my brief foray into the world of car sales and everything I saw in that world.

I'm sure you are wondering what these two may have in common.

If I can't get there by acting with honesty and integrity, I don't want to end up there.

A lot of people get into politics with very good intentions but quickly realize that if you want to have the opportunity to do more than sit on a back bench, you need to make deals you don't want to make. The people who control this system have thrived in the very same system so there is almost no chance for change. Why would anyone change a system that has served them well?

I saw the same thing in car sales. It can be a downright slimy game and the people who are successful like it the way it is. It gives them the opportunity to make money at the expense of others.

So, if you have to be underhanded to get to the position, why would anyone expect it to change once you get to the position?

For me, the more I have acted with honesty and integrity, the more satisfying the results become. I have a greater feeling of accomplishment when it is done right. I feel better about myself and don't feel like I used a short cut. If you can only be successful by taking out the opposition at the knees instead of facing them head on, you are not cut out for what lies ahead. If you are up against me, bring your best because you will need it. If your best includes trying to take me out at the knees, go ahead. Many people have tried that over the years and they find out they are not very successful. Just because I make acting with honestly and integrity a priority, I'm not watching out for those who don't and I will diffuse it. That's the problem with acting in an underhanded manner, once the competition is on to your scheme, you are finished. You have nowhere to go and are obviously not in a position to do it right.

Everyone will live their life how they think it will make them successful. I'm try to do everything with integrity and it works out for me. 

My Cheap Apartment

Through all the changes I have had in my life over the last year I decided I needed to trim some monthly expenses. I lived in a really nice apartment so I moved into a much cheaper place to save a fair amount of money every month. I wanted to remain living in downtown Ottawa so my options were a bit limited. I did find a place in my budget but there are a lot of reasons it is so affordable.

The most obvious thing about my place is it is a basement apartment. With that you don't get a lot of natural light. I have found this to be a huge drawback. I don't have the, 'it looks so nice out - I need to get out' feeling that you get when you live above the ground. Ahh, but it's cheap.

There is only once coin operated washer and one coin operated dryer in the building. There are only six units so waiting for the washer and dryer is not usually a big problem. Where the problem sits is when one of the machines breaks. In the 4 months I have been here, twice the washer has been down for maintenance. This means I may have to wait it out or go to an outside location. Neither option is very good.

the door key is very poorly planned. There is a very deep cut very close to the base of the key. As such, I have already broken one key off on the lock and I expect more to break. It is simple physics, if you put a lot of torque on a small piece of metal, it will eventually fail.

I do have a indoor parking spot that I can secure however, I have to wiggle the car into and out of the spot. There is nothing easy about my parking spot and driving a Nissan Altima, which is a long car. It is not a convenient or quick process to get in and out of the the parking spot. Ahhh, but it's cheap.

The oven is terrible. The temperature control is terrible, I still haven't figured out how to set it to ensure my meals turn out ok. I have to disable the smoke detector or it will go off constantly, from pre-heating to completion. It is no where near level, everything slides to the back.

My landlord leaves a lot to be desired. the damage from previous tenants was not repaired before I moved in. the apartment was not cleaned before I moved in. My keys were left under the front door mat when my lease kicked in. I have rented from both corporations and individuals and this is by far, the worst landlord I have had.

I fully understand when you consider everything I am not doing that bad. I have a roof over my head that doesn't leak and I live in a good neighbourhood. Most of all, it isn't forever. When my lease is up, I can find a place more suited to what I want. In the meantime, i am saving a whole bunch of money and everything will be better in the long run, and that's why I'm going through this exercise.

The Morning Workout

Most of my adult life I have been an exercise after work guy. I hit the gym off and on in university, and it would be either after class or in between classes if I had a long break. When I started exercising regularly at twenty-six, I would hit the base gym after work, do my thing and go home. The same was true when I moved to Ottawa. I would go on Saturday morning, but it was at a reasonable time, when I was ready.

Last summer I started to occasionally go in the morning. I have to admit that I do like it but it is really easy to not go in the morning. In fact, asa matter of full disclosure, I am writing this instead of exercising.

There are some real upsides to working out in the morning. You are done your work-out and know that nothing is going to come up and keep you from getting that much needed exercise. You get to enjoy that post work-out bliss all day long. It puts you in better spirits for your day. It frees up your time after work for other activities. The gym is never as busy before work as it is after work. 

There are also some thing that seem to be preventing me from exercising in the morning. Getting up to a cold,dark, or rainy morning to walk down to the gym is tough to do. If you didn't sleep very well the night before, it may be easier to use those two hours to get some rest. I am always watching the clock to make sure I get out of there on time and I get really frustrated with delays in the morning because I have a schedule to keep.

One thing that is also looming in the back of my mind is how often I have been having a bad day but planning to hit the gym after work. That post-workday time in the gym has always made it better. I'll admit I haven't had too many bad days in the last four months but it's a hard factor to ignore.

Now, let's be honest here. It doesn't matter when you get your exercise in, it only matters that you get your exercise in. As long as you are making time for vigorous, demanding, rewarding exercise, you are doing it right and you will benefit greatly from it. All the benefits are there no matter what time you get your sweat on so find a time that works for you, get out there and be active. If you already are, that's even better.

Photography is Good for the Soul

Several years ago, when my hobby of flying became my job I realized I needed a new hobby. There had to be something in my life that I did for myself, at my own pace for challenge and enjoyment. I decided on photography.

Rusted Anchor at Peggy's Cove NS

There are a lot of things I like about taking pictures but most of all I like how it allows me to show others a bit of how I see the world. It's a chance to capture the beauty of the world around us. We often see beauty and I like to capture it.

I have taken a lot of pictures. A lot of them are bad and are never shared. Some of the better ones I organize and put on the Facebook so others can enjoy.

Moss on a branch at Cathedral Grove BC

Today after work I decided to grab my camera and go for a walk for the first time in a long time. There are a lot of reasons I can give for not getting out and taking pictures. The weather was not very nice for a long time. I have been really busy with changing jobs twice and moving in the last six months. However, I have to be honest, getting out and walking with my camera was a great decision. It was a chance to see some of the world around me and capture some of it's beauty. 

Smartphones have changed photography. If you know what you are doing, you can take good pictures with your smartphone but I don't feel like I have the same control as you do with a single lens reflex camera. Being able to control the focal depth, and exposure gives you a lot of control and can lead to great pictures. You can tell a story or capture something truly unique. It's a lot easier to focus the attention of the photograph.

Colourful trees in Ottawa ON

I have to admit, I have not mastered all aspects of the craft. I still find it a huge challenge to take a good picture of humans. I haven't figured it out. I think it's more luck than anything else when I get a good picture of someone. People are so variable and dynamic. It's hard to capture them in the ideal moment. That being said, not mastering everything yet leaves a challenge to be worked on and I always find a challenge is a good motivator.

For me, photography is a great hobby. It can go with me when I travel. It allows me to be creative and I find it very rewarding. Beauty can be found in the the obvious and unexpected locations and capturing it to share is a very rewarding way to spend my time.

Me

The Strength to Change

About a year ago I wasn't so happy with my work life and it was spilling over into the rest of my life. The program I had been a part of for the last twenty years and had dedicated eleven years of my working life to was falling apart around me. My first instinct was to grind it out and make the best of it. I was going to make whatever was left of the program into the best it could be. It sounds like the right thing to do but it was killing me. It was killing my motivation and I didn't want to dismantle something so important to me. I didn't get a long with my boss and that didn't help this situation. If you don't feel like you can trust the person who should always be looking out for you as you are expected to dismantle the program that made the single biggest improvement in your life.

So, I decided it is time to make a change.

As miserable as I was, leaving a job with all the benefits I had was difficult. I made a lot of money. I had a lot of vacation. These are nice. However, I realized that when you are loathing getting up and going to work, especially on Monday morning, it's time.

I started looking for a job. I applied for a lot of different jobs. I almost got a job I would be good at but I came in number two. That one really stung. I started to think outside the box. Some jobs are a lot easier to get than others.

I secured a position selling cars.

Since the day I started selling cars I can honestly say that I do not regret leaving my old job since that day. There were some things I liked about selling cars and a lot I didn't like about it. However, from that experience I realized that I can change if I want to.

Last January my phone rang one morning. It was from the company that I had applied to the summer before. The position was once again available and they wanted to know if I was still interested. I was. Selling cars, at least in the environment I endured, was not for me. We met, I was offered the job and I accepted.

It was 30 weeks ago that I started selling cars. I sold cars for fifteen weeks, I took a week off and I have been in my current position for 14 weeks.

I am happier than I've been for a long time.

I'm excited to go to work every day. I am making a difference. There are a lot of great people around me and I have a lot of fun.

It was scary to walk away from something you have been doing for a long time. The transition was not all that smooth. I worked through selling cars to get to a better place. At times it was scary. At times it was frustrating. However, once I found my way, life is much better.

If a part of your life isn't good, have the strength to change. I'm not saying it will be easy but once you are on your proper path, life will get better and you will smile a lot more. Let's be honest, who doesn't like to smile.

Accept vs. Respect

Everyone says it. Young people are not the same as they used to be. In my world, this change took place between my grade and the grade behind me in school. I know what you are thinking. Everyone thinks they are part of the good group and the people behind you don't live up to your high standards but in this case it is true.

In the first couple of years after high-school, when I would be back in Russell, Manitoba, some teachers would mention that my class was a much better class than the ones that came behind.

Kids these days are not the same. Throughout history, there have been several instances of youth uprising and change the establishment. However, it seems that kids these days don't do it right.

It all comes down to the difference between respecting an individual and accepting what they have to say.

People deserve to be respected. There may be a few exceptions. Names such as Hitler and Dahmer come to mind, but for the most part you should respect the people around you. You should really respect the ones that have gone before you and are trying to pass their knowledge and experience on to you.

However, that doesn't mean you should accept what is being said. History is full of instances where the establishment has passed on bad ideas to the newest generation. You don't have to dig deep to find some. The world is flat, women shouldn't vote, and the earth is the centre of the universe are a few examples.

Everyone should respect the people around you but you do not have to accept what they are saying. It is good to question and challenge what you are being taught but it must be done in a respectful manner.

This may be a bit easier said then done. It takes skill and tact to challenge and disagree while remaining respectful. You need to challenge and question the idea, not the person delivering the information. This can be hard. People can be very tied to their ideas but you can ask how does this idea fit within the natural world. 

It is important we send the newest generation down this road. It is my best idea to break the current entitled disrespect you see from so many young adults and teenagers. We need to build a society where free exchange of ideas for betterment is a skill held by everyone. Now, to have credibility in what you say, you need to have education and experience to back it up. Education is access to a lot of people's collective experience but you need to have experience to understand how the collective knowledge manifests itself in the world. At that point, you may be able to challenge while maintaining respect.

All is not lost but, we need to make sure that people understand that you do not have to accept what people are saying while you give them respect that they deserve.

I Like Where This is Going

My foray into the world of car sales lasted fifteen weeks. it was not a long time and I quickly realized that although I can do the job I don't like the environment I was in. Since moving on I have been twelve weeks in the new job with Valspar. I love the environment. As long as the culture remains the same, i can see myself at Valspar for the rest of my career.

I have been quite busy in my job. The weeks are absolutely flying by. In my ninth week with the company I went for new hire training in Moorseville North Carolina. This gave me a chance to see deeper into the company and be around other members of Valspar every day. I came to realize that what I was seeing leading up to this trip was not a facade. The corporate culture is genuine and what I want to be around.

People that work for Valspar work hard but are honest about where they fit in the world. We sell paint. If you are late, nobody is going to die and the nation is not going to be invaded. When you are driving around in your company car you are expected to be driving. You are not expected to be doing other work or eating at the same time. Valspar takes safety very seriously. The will fire people who violate safety regulations. I like this. I don't have to worry that a co-worker is going to put my well-being in jeopardy.

Valspar provides the tools and support to be successful. I have a car, a couple of credit cards, a computer, an iPhone, a boss who gets it, and support from every direction. I also represent the best paint in the store. All this makes it easier to do a good job. 

The company is happy with me and they express it on a regular basis. I can see it myself. I was looking at some numbers and business is better in my territory since I started serving the stores. Eastern Ontario has not received the attention is should for nearly a year. I'm getting things back to where they should be. Once that's achieved, I will push to advance the yardsticks.

When you find your self working for the right organization, you will work harder, be more productive, and like it more. That's the spot I'm in these days and I could not be happier.

Searched

Last week I was flying as a passenger in the United States of America. Air travel is so benign that in the dead of winter, people do not feel the need to wear pants while they are in a metal tube, flying so high that if it depressurized they would be unconscious in under a minute. 

I understand the need to keep the travelling public safe. For the most part, I agree with the steps taken to achieve this. Although a nuisance, passenger screening is important. 

When I arrived home, there was a notice in my luggage stating that it had been opened and inspected by the Transportation Safety Administration. As I read this, I felt really uneasy. Somebody had opened my luggage and looked through my possessions while I was not present.

I don't know if there is a better way to do it. I have no problem opening up my luggage for inspection if it is legal and helps to keep everyone safe but, I would like to be present when this happens. If I am present, I am able to ensure all my possessions stay in my possession. 

Americans often want to talk about how they are free but I find it peculiar that they accept their luggage being searched when they are not present. If something was confiscated you would not know until you arrived at your final destination. 

I understand the need for these inspections but I think an x-ray machine is adequate to look at everything and nobody will be touching my stuff when I'm not there. It feels like a minor violation of my privacy. Nobody needs to know what shampoo or toothpaste I use. it doesn't matter and they really don't need to learn this info when I'm not present.

I don't mind the full body scanner. I don't mind the physical pat down but having someone look through my luggage when I'm not around feels different and unpleasant.