Yesterday I took my parents to a hockey game between the Ottawa Senators and the Winnipeg Jets. Overall it was a very cool experience for me. There were several things that made it so good.
First, the Winnipeg Jets were playing. After a 15 year hiatus from the NHL, Winnipeg has returned to the fold. The team needs to get better but after not having professional hockey in the Manitoba capital, worrying about how well the team will perform is a good problem to have.
Second, it was really cool that my parents came to visit me in Ottawa when the Jets would be playing. We didn't plan it that way. It was based on when I could get away from the office but it worked out really well. We could all go to the game together.
Third, I am so happy that I'm in a place that I can treat my parents to a NHL hockey game. Mom and Dad did a lot for me growing up and this was a way I could do something for them.
Fourth, the Senators organization had a very nice tribute to Winnipeg pro hockey as part of the pre-game. It was nice to see the team in the city that I live show a warm welcome back to the league to the team from where I came from. They also had several players who played for both the Jets and Senator in the crowd and showed them on the big screen. (Anne Murray was at the game and introduced but I'm still at a loss as to how she fit into the whole theme of the night.)
The Jets didn't win. They did play well for a lot of the game but they need some scoring power. That will come with time. Right now its about being back in the big leagues.
Last night I went to see the Winnipeg Jets play live for the first time in 15 years. It's one of those moments I will get to remember for a lifetime.
Friday, October 21, 2011
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
iOS Christmas
Today, Apple released iOS 5. I updated my devices and I'm happy with the results. Don't worry this isn't a product review. There is enough of that all over the Internet. I want to talk about the anticipation.
I have not been so excited about an event as I was for this operating system release. It was like Christmas but with a bit of uncertainty.
For a long time, the general public wasn't sure when the latest release would be available. In fact, we could only speculate at what time the software would be available.
Last night I actually had a bit of trouble getting to sleep. I felt like I was 8 years old and waiting for Christmas morning. All this for an upgrade to the software on my phone.
It may seem a bit silly to be this excited to upgrade my phone but this time around I just got wrapped up in it, which is ok when you really think about it.
I have not been so excited about an event as I was for this operating system release. It was like Christmas but with a bit of uncertainty.
For a long time, the general public wasn't sure when the latest release would be available. In fact, we could only speculate at what time the software would be available.
Last night I actually had a bit of trouble getting to sleep. I felt like I was 8 years old and waiting for Christmas morning. All this for an upgrade to the software on my phone.
It may seem a bit silly to be this excited to upgrade my phone but this time around I just got wrapped up in it, which is ok when you really think about it.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Your Winnipeg Jets
On April 28, 1996 I went to what was the last game ever for the Winnipeg Jets. They lost in Game 6 of the first round of the playoffs. Their opponents were the Detroit Red Wings.
It was a sad day for Winnipeg sports fans. It made it harder for me to stay interested in hockey. Without a team to cheer for I became disinterested.
Over the next fifteen years many things happened. I finished my degree, the NHL made some rule changes that make the game more entertaining. I moved away from Winnipeg.
Then the unexpected happened.
Mark Chipman, David Thompson, and True North Sports and Entertainment purchased the Atlanta Thrashers and moved the team to Winnipeg. They renamed them the Jets and sold all their season tickets. And yesterday, through some luck I was in Winnipeg during the first Winnipeg Jets game in 15 years. I couldn't get tickets so I went to The Forks and watched it with a bunch of other fans.
For me, it was a special moment in my life.
The City of Winnipeg has some serious issues. There is a lot of violent crime. A lot of the city is not very aesthetically pleasing. It has long cold winters. Personal income tax is the second highest in the country without an equivalent benefit. All of that being said, it was the place to be on October 9, 2011.
People often debate the value of professional sports and why public dollars should be spent on facilities for these organizations. If you saw the intangible benefit yesterday in Winnipeg you would see why these things matter.
Yesterday, Winnipeg was alive. Everyone was wearing Jets clothing. Some was new, some was old. I'm sure some has been in the back of the closet for 15 years. It didn't matter. It didn't even matter that they lost. For the residents of the very blue collar city of Winnipeg, yesterday was about being recognized. It was about feeling included. It was about knowable hockey fans, getting their moment to shine.
The Atlanta Thrashers were not a very good team last year. There is a lot of work to make the team a real contender but you can't get the girl if you don't go to the dance and this year is all about going to the dance.
Go Jets Go!
It was a sad day for Winnipeg sports fans. It made it harder for me to stay interested in hockey. Without a team to cheer for I became disinterested.
Over the next fifteen years many things happened. I finished my degree, the NHL made some rule changes that make the game more entertaining. I moved away from Winnipeg.
Then the unexpected happened.
Mark Chipman, David Thompson, and True North Sports and Entertainment purchased the Atlanta Thrashers and moved the team to Winnipeg. They renamed them the Jets and sold all their season tickets. And yesterday, through some luck I was in Winnipeg during the first Winnipeg Jets game in 15 years. I couldn't get tickets so I went to The Forks and watched it with a bunch of other fans.
For me, it was a special moment in my life.
The City of Winnipeg has some serious issues. There is a lot of violent crime. A lot of the city is not very aesthetically pleasing. It has long cold winters. Personal income tax is the second highest in the country without an equivalent benefit. All of that being said, it was the place to be on October 9, 2011.
People often debate the value of professional sports and why public dollars should be spent on facilities for these organizations. If you saw the intangible benefit yesterday in Winnipeg you would see why these things matter.
Yesterday, Winnipeg was alive. Everyone was wearing Jets clothing. Some was new, some was old. I'm sure some has been in the back of the closet for 15 years. It didn't matter. It didn't even matter that they lost. For the residents of the very blue collar city of Winnipeg, yesterday was about being recognized. It was about feeling included. It was about knowable hockey fans, getting their moment to shine.
The Atlanta Thrashers were not a very good team last year. There is a lot of work to make the team a real contender but you can't get the girl if you don't go to the dance and this year is all about going to the dance.
Go Jets Go!
Sunday, October 2, 2011
You Can Take The Boy Out Of Winnipeg
Today I'm going to Winnipeg. It's been about ten months since I moved away and I haven't been there in about five months. I went back several times in the first five months and now that I haven't been for a while, I miss it.
I should be clearer. I miss my friends.
I am very happy that I moved to Ottawa. It has provided me with a lot of fun and opportunity. I have met some great people but it will never replace my friends and I don't want it to.
There are a lot of great things that come out of my friendships. They will continue. In this day and age it's easy to maintain contact. The Internet has forever changed that facet of our lives.
As I wait for my flight I am looking forward to seeing some amazing people and that's a great place to be.
I should be clearer. I miss my friends.
I am very happy that I moved to Ottawa. It has provided me with a lot of fun and opportunity. I have met some great people but it will never replace my friends and I don't want it to.
There are a lot of great things that come out of my friendships. They will continue. In this day and age it's easy to maintain contact. The Internet has forever changed that facet of our lives.
As I wait for my flight I am looking forward to seeing some amazing people and that's a great place to be.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
The Status Quo
Today I went and saw the movie Moneyball. It's the story of how the Oakland Athletics took a different approach to choosing players and put together a very successful team with a very small payroll. Besides being interesting because the movie was about sports it spoke to another key idea of challenging the status quo.
Most things are the way they are because somebody has found a level of success doing it that way. Others see the success and try to emulate it. Eventually, it becomes the accepted norm.
Now here's the interesting part. Once everyone adapts the methodology, it's benefit is neutralized. The systematic advantage has disappeared and the determining factor is once again how well everyone does their job. So, to obtain an advantage based on how you do something instead of how well you do something you need to challenge the status quo and do it differently.
This is most important if you are under-resourced and can't compete directly on a level playing field. To be able to tilt the game in your favour, you have to do it differently. You have to approach the problem in a different way. You have to change what you believe to be important and move towards that goal.
The hard part of challenging the status quo is it requires change. It requires you to take a risk and do things differently from what is generally accepted as the best way to do it. If you try to change the game and doesn't work the consequences can be significant. Much more than if you do it the accepted way and fail. That doesn't mean you should just go with the accepted norm. If you can't get the job done by following the rules, you must work to change the game.
I know it's not as easy as it looks in a Hollywood but if you are not getting it done, change what you are doing. You may be surprised how well it can work.
Most things are the way they are because somebody has found a level of success doing it that way. Others see the success and try to emulate it. Eventually, it becomes the accepted norm.
Now here's the interesting part. Once everyone adapts the methodology, it's benefit is neutralized. The systematic advantage has disappeared and the determining factor is once again how well everyone does their job. So, to obtain an advantage based on how you do something instead of how well you do something you need to challenge the status quo and do it differently.
This is most important if you are under-resourced and can't compete directly on a level playing field. To be able to tilt the game in your favour, you have to do it differently. You have to approach the problem in a different way. You have to change what you believe to be important and move towards that goal.
The hard part of challenging the status quo is it requires change. It requires you to take a risk and do things differently from what is generally accepted as the best way to do it. If you try to change the game and doesn't work the consequences can be significant. Much more than if you do it the accepted way and fail. That doesn't mean you should just go with the accepted norm. If you can't get the job done by following the rules, you must work to change the game.
I know it's not as easy as it looks in a Hollywood but if you are not getting it done, change what you are doing. You may be surprised how well it can work.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Ride On
As I was reading the news online on the CBC today I came across a story indicating that a lot of people are unhappy with the route changes implemented by OC Transpo. To that I have a couple of things to say.
First, if you think there are problems with public transit in Ottawa you should try to take the bus in Winnipeg. Ask anyone from Winnipeg, they will fill you in.
Second, since one of the big complaints is overcrowding it should be noted there are a lot of people using the bus that really don't need to. I have witnessed this every time I have been on an OC Transpo bus, people wait for the bus, get on, go two stops and get off. I am not talking about elderly people, or parents with small children. I am talking about able bodied people.
There are two things that are not right with this.
This behaviour makes the bus more crowded. There are a lot of people who have to travel a great distance each day and are not in a financial position to drive. Be it they can't afford a car or can't afford to park, it really doesn't matter, they need the bus to travel a long distance.
Additionally, if you are able bodied, you would benefit from the short walk. With the wait to get on the bus and the slow speed it travels you are probably only saving a minute or two. You will also see the health benefit of being active. That's a whole different entry.
I don't take the bus very often. If the weather is very miserable, I will consider it. I took it home from work one day when I seemed to be coming down with the flu. It was also raining that day so it seemed reasonable.
Travelling by transit bus is affordable but most affordable options don't come with convenience. It is a trade-off. I understand how a change to a routine can be upsetting and if you had your system worked out and it was changed on you that is definitely frustrating but if you choose to rely on the bus you have to live by their whims.
I do see public transit as a viable means to get around and compared to many cities, Ottawa has a good system, however if you don't need to use it, consider leaving the capacity to someone who does.
First, if you think there are problems with public transit in Ottawa you should try to take the bus in Winnipeg. Ask anyone from Winnipeg, they will fill you in.
Second, since one of the big complaints is overcrowding it should be noted there are a lot of people using the bus that really don't need to. I have witnessed this every time I have been on an OC Transpo bus, people wait for the bus, get on, go two stops and get off. I am not talking about elderly people, or parents with small children. I am talking about able bodied people.
There are two things that are not right with this.
This behaviour makes the bus more crowded. There are a lot of people who have to travel a great distance each day and are not in a financial position to drive. Be it they can't afford a car or can't afford to park, it really doesn't matter, they need the bus to travel a long distance.
Additionally, if you are able bodied, you would benefit from the short walk. With the wait to get on the bus and the slow speed it travels you are probably only saving a minute or two. You will also see the health benefit of being active. That's a whole different entry.
I don't take the bus very often. If the weather is very miserable, I will consider it. I took it home from work one day when I seemed to be coming down with the flu. It was also raining that day so it seemed reasonable.
Travelling by transit bus is affordable but most affordable options don't come with convenience. It is a trade-off. I understand how a change to a routine can be upsetting and if you had your system worked out and it was changed on you that is definitely frustrating but if you choose to rely on the bus you have to live by their whims.
I do see public transit as a viable means to get around and compared to many cities, Ottawa has a good system, however if you don't need to use it, consider leaving the capacity to someone who does.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Vertical Visibility
There is a funny thing that happens when you live on the 21st floor. When it's foggy you may not be able to see anything on the ground when you look out the window. I don't think there is anything wrong or even right with this but it does tend to mess with your head a bit.
This morning was an example of this unique phenomenon.
It was foggy in the Nation's Capital this morning. I looked out the window. I saw absolutely nothing. If I looked straight down I could faintly make out the river below. I think this prepared me for a trip to work with very low visibility and very high humidity. When I walked out at ground level, the visibility was rather good. I was just a bit confused.
Nothing I'm writing today is going to change the world. It's just a observation of one of the little things in life. I think it's the little things that make a typical day a little more interesting. If each day has a bit more to offer, life can be really good.
This morning was an example of this unique phenomenon.
It was foggy in the Nation's Capital this morning. I looked out the window. I saw absolutely nothing. If I looked straight down I could faintly make out the river below. I think this prepared me for a trip to work with very low visibility and very high humidity. When I walked out at ground level, the visibility was rather good. I was just a bit confused.
Nothing I'm writing today is going to change the world. It's just a observation of one of the little things in life. I think it's the little things that make a typical day a little more interesting. If each day has a bit more to offer, life can be really good.
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