What and who is making news today

While the commuters shift from buses and trains to work to buses and trains to the malls, the earth rotates its last few trips around the sun for 2009. Newsmakers are making news and newspapers are still printing them regardless.
On December 21, 2009,
A village in China uses pig excrement as a source of energy.



A couple of researchers from UofT School of business have found that the more committed to buying green products and saving the planet, the more likely we are to cheat, lie, steal and be selfish. They indicate in their paper, to be published in the journal of Physiological Science, that, “…when we engage in actions that give us some kind of moral, warm glow –let’s call it that –that afterwards we are more likely to transgress.”


Sadly Brittany Murphy, fell to her death at the age of 32. She was famous for being in Hollywood movies such as: Clueless, 8 Mile and Sin City.


And in Toronto, the street car service on St. Clair Avenue West resumes. This is great news for the residents who have been living the construction havoc for the past years.

Why should we know history?

He raised his hand. Someone passed him the mic. Now we could all hear him loud and clear. "Why do so many people know about the massacre of Jews by the Nazi Germany and only few know about Japan's atrocities in China during the Japan-China war?", he asked her.

She answered with a question. "Why do so few people know about history? Why is history not taught in school any more?"

The crowd seemed to agree. Many shook heads disapproving the current wide-spread ignorance towards history.

But, how has the knowledge of history helped us along the way. Having the experience of two world wars, two nuclear bombs explosions, apartheid, and the cold war has not made the world a more peaceful, more secure, more accepting and respectful of differences.

The past has not taught us anything. Many of the today's problems are residues of old unresolved, grudges.

I propose :) we forget about learning and teaching the history since thus far this knowledge has not brought us happiness.

I am an extraordinary person aspire to be ordinary

Wednesday 10/29/09 - 12 PM The Lab Z4-029 - Toastmasters meeting running backwards, from future, the end, to present, the beginning. A bunch of us were there. Some had roles, some had to deliver a talk. I had to deliver a talk. My first talk, the Ice-breaker in Toastmasters' lingo. Since everything was going backwards, my talk was last of the three. It was so painful to wait. Finally, I was introduced. I went up and faced my biggest fear. Public speaking!

"Fellow Toastmasters, dear guests. Today, I am here to tell you about my extraordinary life and how I aspire to be ordinary. I live on Avenue Road, in a two story house. I drive a CLK320. I am married. My husband is a university Professor. I have two kids, twins, well-behaved. They are 10 years old. I am a CIO, Chief Intelligence Officer. My job is to put intelligence back into products. The product that my team and I work on is called IComp. IComp stands for Intelligent Compiler. IComp takes the user specification, requirement orally or in written form and translates it to an efficient, high performing executable for the target hardware architecture. There is no need for the user to write high level, abstract, unintelligent program. In fact, high level languages such as C, C++, or Fortran are so yesterday. Today IComp supports 143 languages and is widely used around the world. It's perfect. Except there is one problem. IComp doesn't exist. IComp, the gorgeous house in the posh neighborhood, the Mercedes, the professor is all in the future!
Today, I am a software developer. I develop code for the compiler back-end. If you ask me what does the compiler back-end do. I'll tell you short and sweet, it does everything that the compiler front-end doesn't do. The effect the long and detailed description of the back-end of the compiler has on people is, let's just say, not good! One of my hobbies is to learn new languages. I have a feeling that it may come handy in the future, given that compilers may one day support up to 143 languages. I know German, ein bisschen, and French, un peu. I live in a condo that I call home. I have to admit, I do prefer houses over condos. But, I can never see myself living in a posh neighborhood, I am far too logical to feel comfortable with showing off. ;) I take public transit to work. It's far better way of getting to and from work. I am a book fetish. Public transit means more time to read. My boyfriend is a PhD student. I do believe teaching is a good profession for a man. It's amazing how extraordinary my life has become now that I have lived it backwards. I do have to say one thing though, no matter how ordinary I sound at present, I feel extraordinary. Thank you.
Madam, Toastmaster."

Done. Complete. Sigh.

Time for speech evaluation. Let me know what you think. :)

How can you write your resume in 10 minutes or less?!

A dramatic shift in the topic chosen for this blog; it clearly demonstrates that play time is over! :)

Each time I have done my resume I had to go through (re)learning the trends and techniques of resume writing. I find this exercise extremely inefficient and superbly time consuming.

In order to make this process a bit easier and the future iterations much faster, (claim is 10 minutes or less), I decided to summarize and record my interpretations of the rules, design the template that is flexible to upcoming trends and future changes.

First the resume type: there are four types (as far as I know) of resume. These formats are only suggestions and do sound old school. I can select and apply (conservatively) a bit of each to my resume. After all, I want my resume to survive the 30 seconds glance.

The Chronological: in this format I will list all the positions I have held starting with the most recent to demonstrate my depth in the knowledge area and breadth in the industry that I have been applying my professional self to.
If I have been consistent in choosing employment positions (breadth) and projects and responsibilities within each position (depth), the finished chronological resume should show continuity, growth, advancement and accomplishments.

But what if I was hit by a resource action, or decided to voluntarily retire, resign, quit, there are so many ways to describe the same action; or I have decided to start fresh in a new knowledge area; what then? In that case, the chronological format cannot demonstrate and highlight my abilities and convey my true worth.

Functional format emphasizes on skills, abilities, credentials and qualifications first. Later in the resume I can insert opportunities that I have had to apply the qualifications to or develop and improve the skills and abilities. The message here is to let the audience know that I have a defined career goal, I have given the return, or the change careful thought; and I have a set of skills and abilities that can assist me in achieving it (the goal).

The next resume format is CV. This type is used by select group of professionals, such as doctors. The CV consists of a list of credentials such as medical schools, residences performed, internships, fellowships, and hospitals they worked in.

---

What I need to learn next is how to position facts and information about myself through out this document.


Introduction: I like to always start with an introduction that summarizes my qualifications, skills, and abilities relevant to the job I am applying. This section should be crafted intelligently. The best way to do this, in my opinion, is to use brainstorming techniques: a piece of paper, a pen, a few keywords from the job description and an open mind is all that I need. Avoid Google!!


Qualifications: Depending on the resume type, functional, chronological, etc, I will enclose a history of positions and education or certifications after the introduction.


Closing: I close with the miscellaneous: awards, volunteer activities, and hobbies; stuff that can show a bit of personality.

That should be all that goes in my resume.

---

Once the organization of the resume is clear, I have to think about vocabulary, grammar, and punctuation.

A quick tally on time, I have spent 2 days so far on writing my resume; it is definitely not a 10 minutes task!

Madrid, Valencia, Barcelona ... 3 Cities 9 Days

Reino de España
Capital City: Madrid
Official Language: Spanish (some regions have their own language, such as Catalan, Basque, Galician, Leonese, Portuguese, and etc.)
Most important cities: Madrid, Barcelona, Cordoba, Valencia, Seville, Zaragoza, Malaga, Murcia, La Palmas de Gran Canaria, Bilbao, Valladolid
Currency: Euro

Man, what a work out!! I had to drag and lift the luggage up and down many stairs; luckily they were not too heavy. To get to the hotel we took the metro. Madrid Barajas International Airport, MAD, is connected to the Merto line 8, pink line. For 2 euro a ticket it is an affordable alternative to taking a cab to get to any place in the city. (Madrid Subway Map)

The hotel is in a perfect place, in the heart of Old City. The room and most importantly the bathroom is spotless clean. There is air condition, a must have in summer, an LCD TV and a laptop that comes with a free internet in the room. The furniture is trendy, contemporary. The hotel is called, High Tech - Petit Palace operated by the High Tech Hotels company. (Visit their site)

Jet lagged, exhausted and constipated, we made a short trip to a few places around the old city Madrid, had an unforgettable ice-cream ceremony, washed, and slept.

We stayed 3 nights in Madrid and enjoyed an array of activities such as sight seeing, shopping, eating and the unforgettable Fiesta de La Paloma.

The La Paloma festival, August 6-15, honors the La Paloma Virgin, one of the three loved *Virgins* known to be the protector of the Madrid dwellers. The extravagant, loud, fun festival in the height of the summer is very real. Men and women dressed in colorful, traditional outfit of a Chulapos or Chulapas dance, walk and have and create fun in the streets surrounding La Latina. For the more contemporary, the youth, the Madridians, Spanish and international tourists the casual clothes will do, so long as you join in the dance, enjoy the loud music (different on each street), and drink limonada, tequila, or etc. (Have a look at the Chulapos and Chulapas getting ready to celebrate the La Paloma Festival, Madrid 2009)

On the fourth day we packed and left for the Madrid bus station to continue with our trip in Spain. The bus station was not too far from the hotel. Again we chose to get there via the subway line. I found the Madrid subway extremely organized, clean and easy to navigate. All the stations display the next train arrival time; the next station is both announced and displayed on screen in the train. The Mendez Alvaro bus station is on line 6, gray, and accessible via line 1, light blue, and line 3, yellow. The avanzabus company connects Madrid to all the regions in Spain. When I booked, they had 2 for 1 deals on their web site. I saved 20eurnos by booking on-line. (Check them out)

Madrid money and time saving tips:

• Stay around Sol subway station to save on transportation cost; all sites are within walking distance; wide range of traditional and fast food restaurants in this area.
• Navigate the Museo Del Prado museum using their Masterpieces plan.
• Take advantage of free or reduced admission, if you qualify, to Museo Del Prado (Sunday - Tuesday 6-8 PM)

The capital of Valencia Province, the city of Valencia has been an agricultural and industrial center throughout its history. It is located on the Mediterranean Sea at the mouth of the Turia River in a region surrounded by orchards. It is Spain's third largest city. (source: student.britannica.com)

Four and a half hours later we were in Valencia. Situated in the middle of the Spanish Mediterranean coast, Valencia is the third largest city in Spain. For us Valencia meant a three days opportunity to rest and relax under the sun before we head to the next big city. Or so we thought. Intentionally, we reserved a hotel close to the beach. But on the ride to the hotel far distance from the bus station, (total cost 10euro), as our eyes became more familiar to the palm trees, wide streets (unlike Madrid) and contemporary architecture (especially the L'oceanographic museum) we were determined to sight see as much as possible. But, first we had to indulge in the food we so much heard and read about. They said we could find the fancy restaurants by the sea. We see the sea in the far distance but there was no sight of any restaurants. To make matters a bit more challenging most roads were blocked and cars were being redirected to detours, while the city was getting ready for the next weekend's, August 22-23, Europe's Grand Prix Formula 1 race. When we finally got to the beach we were too tired, too hungry to shop around for restaurants. We walked into the second restaurant because the first one was closed. Al Coso was its name. Great place. They have the most delicious Spanish mixed rice. They even treat you to fresh oven baked bread while you are waiting for your food to arrive. Satisfied, we left Al Coso to take walk on the sandy beach.
Valencia's city bus transit ticket is 1.35 euro, paid to the bus driver. It's best to have the exact change or amount close to it. The next buses are announced on most (but not all) buses. Bus 19 goes to the city center, Ayunmiento. Once there, all the historical places are in walking distance of each other. There are a variety of souvenir stores in that area that offer unique works of art, and jewelry at a very affordable price. It was hard to leave this charming city. It was hard to see the last days of this, so far fantastic trip is arriving.

Essential Valencia:

• Bioparc
• Jardin del Turia
• Torres de Serranos-Torres de Quart
• Catedraly Basilica
• Lonja
• Mercado Central
• Mercado de Colon
• Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias
• Marina Real Juan Carol-I-Paseo Maritimo-Playas
• Parque Natural de l'Albufera

Barcelona, was unlike any other place. It is said to be the seventh city in Europe in number of tourists it receives. Given the city structure and the situation of the important sights, we got ourselves T10 metro pass, (more economical than buying one ticket, 2.80 euro, at a time), and started our journey at the La Sagrada Familia, (Antoni Gaudí1882). It took Gaudi 43 years to bring it to the stage that we see today. He finished the two facades; the birth and crucifying of Christ. The characters, in each story, are meticulously carved to the extent their emotion is obvious. I would not been surprised if you spend at least an hour outside the church. It is worth every minute the time you spend or every picture you shoot. Inside, you can see Gaudi's innovation; his use of geometry and incorporating natural light into his design. In designing the ceiling, the pillars and the windows, Gaudi was inspired by nature. As a result, his creation is by far like no other church! It is unique in every sense of the word. La Sagrada Familia is work in progress! The plan is to have the third facade based on Gaudi's design completed by 2050. The story is based on Christ's rise from dead.

Madrid Valencia Barcelona Spain August 2009

FSBO

Long gone the days were houses served only one purpose: providing a place to dwell.

Today a house is considered an investment. It is widely believed that unlike other commodities, the value of the house will appreciate over time and bring in a nice return on investment. Those who have jumped on the wagon of buy low, sell high have made it rich and comfortable.

Work in progress ...

Love and hate by the five-cent bagful

Back in the days when plastic bags were not invented yet, my grandmother never needed one. After all, life was simple those days. No need to clean after the pets, since they didn't have one. No need for garbage bags, since a) they didn't produce that much waste b) they dumped all the waste in the garbage bin.

When the plastic bags came into picture, in early 20th century, they were to replace paper bags which back then were known as inefficient and number one contributor to killing trees. Plastic bags were light, water proof, and only took a small storage space. They became popular and soon gave new shape and color to the way we shop.

It took us 50 odd years to realize that plastic bags are indeed as inefficient as the paper bags, if not more. They use up another natural resource, oil; they don't disintegrate; they end up in the landfills; they are a known hazard for the marine life.


Time for a change? You bet.

We have since welcomed the new, the reusable bag, eco-friendly alternative to the plastic bag in our consumer driver lives. We know that manufacturing these bags uses scarce, expensive energy. However, durability will make the average cost of energy used per bag lower than plastic or paper bags.

Holding a chic reusable bag is more than making a fashion statement. It's regarded as responsible! While we are gradually buying into the idea of purchasing our first and second R-bags and reducing our plastic bag footprint as a result, our city decided to pull a plastic bag tax on us to hasten the process.

Many took issue! Many are unhappy. It's added insult on injury, to be asked to pay an extra 5c per bag after you spend $$$ in a store. It's understandable. Especially, for some of us, the free plastic bags served a variety of purposes in our households.

In a consumer driven culture a moral lesson can be taught only by attaching a price tag to it. Only then we realize the value of what we have taken for granted. The point here is that, the reusable bags are great and they are a good solution to our over a century old quest for efficient, environment friendly packaging and storage. But, a coup de tat against plastic bag was not necessary.

Each of the products we switched from/to had their own set of pros and cons. Perfect has not been discovered and/or invented yet. We could continue using plastic, paper, and/or reusable and our environment will still be fine, if only we learned the art of moderation.

If each party involved did its part, the impact will be effortless and huge. If we used one less bag on each trip to the supermarket, we could reduce the usage by a lot!

The imposed tarrif or in the case of Inida the $2000 fine are just measures to curtail the wasteful behavior and culture.

(Who cares) What others think/feel?

Two minutes into the ride to work, I hear it. I dare not to turn around, but I am dying to sneer at the one who is so oblivious of his surroundings and has his music so loud!

In the evening, at the gym: guy walks in adjusts the lights, walks to the T.V. system changes the channel to TSN; he completely ignores the rest of us who are happy with the lights and are enjoying the program playing on T.V.

• *Don't burp, blow/pick your nose, and break wind at the dinner table, lunch table, break fast table --don't do any of these in public space, period.
• *Don't put your feet up on the table
• *Don't speak loud in public
• *Don't stare

I am not giving you advice. I am just remembering the rules of etiquette that I was taught to follow when I was growing up.

Today, for various reasons, it is more of a choice than an obligation to follow these rules. If you feel like being loud in public space, you could because no one will stop you (I am always tempted to raise the issue, but the cons of doing so out-weights its pros.) I take all the unpleasantness in --patiently, quietly, while my teeth are grinding against each other. :)

Work in progress ....

What should we call it?

For starters, I have to think of a new title for this blog. To some extent the name should provide a sense of direction, for me as well as the (possible) reader. I love feedback. (If you are reading this and/or glanced at a few other posts in this blog space, let me know what you think is suitable. I appreciate it.)

I kept my promise

I am ready to put pen to paper and start writing again. It's two weeks short of six months. I arrived early but I feel it went by much quicker than expected. I am not done with priorities --not thoroughly. But, I am more disciplined. Being able to scribble something useful, (or satisfy the urge to vocalize thoughts), at least once at most twice a month is a possibility.

Taking a 6 months hiatus!

Through out the day, ideas come rushing to my head unannounced, but there is not much time to put them down into quality writing and when there is time the inspiration has disappeared. Therefore such abysmal activity during the past couple of months. Pity!

So, I am taking a short, 6 months, hiatus from blogging here to concentrate on priority items 1-5. As the days get longer and the weather warmer, I shall find more time to dedicate to writing, which has turned from a hobby to a passion.

During this hibernation period, I will have the opportunity to extrapolate the thoughts into notes and drafts and find my (writing) niche.

Meanwhile, if you are interested in special topics of various C/C++ issues and information, visit my blog here.

In a nutshell, I shall be back!!

Can you be a secret Santa?

http://secretsantaworld.net/

The message is too powerful to further comment on.
Pass it on!

Can we save the World Economy?

The guiding light of capitalism that is not having any form of state intervention in society has proven to be flawed. The first signs of this flaw ironically became obvious around the time that societies with heavily state regulated economy were going through a revolution, (Revolutions of 1989 and end of the Cold War). We bid socialism, communism and fascism farewell and claimed that they are dysfunctional systems. Almost two decades later we find ourselves dealing with another dysfunctional system.

We have come to a full circle.

Despite all the human intelligence at our disposal and coupled with all the state of the art technology we have failed to build a sustainable, peaceful, healthy and prosper society for ourselves and for our future generation.

The calamities of the past year, reminds me of Ayn Rand's masterpiece, Atlas Shrugged. Society fails due to ever increasing influence of state in market. One may notice, that the calamity that we are experiencing are due to the complete opposite reason --lack of governance.

In a panel discussion organized by Columbia University Earth Science Institute, (http://www.earth.columbia.edu/worldeconomy/), George Soros, Financier and Philanthropist, described systems imperfect he then added that human beings are imperfect as well.

In the past few months, all of us, more or less, have followed politics (more than ever, I would say) despite the fact that over the years our hope in them has diminished. (Case in point: less than 59% of Canadians voted in the past election.) We have seen governments that are inefficient, self-serving, bureaucratic --simply put-- good for nothing.

Therefore, it is in the hand of you and I; simple, ordinary, hard working citizens, to build a sustainable present and prosper future in our communities. Although, we may be imperfect, but we have witnessed enough mistakes to know right from wrong, I believe.

Key Promises 2008 Federal Election Campaign

A list of key promises in the 2008 federal election campaign

Mon Oct 13, 5:48 PM

By The Canadian Press

OTTAWA - Key promises in the federal election campaign, with projected costs where applicable and available:

CONSERVATIVES

• -Two-cent-a-litre cut in taxes on diesel and aviation fuel over four years. $600 million a year once fully implemented.
• -Reinstate veterans' benefits for Second World War veterans who have lived in Canada for more than 10 years; $9 million a year.
• -A near-complete withdrawal of Canadian troops from Afghanistan in 2011.
• -Allow 49 per cent foreign ownership of airlines and foreign ownership of uranium mines.
• -Maternity, parental leave benefits for entrepreneurs who pay into EI. $150 million annually, financed by EI premiums.
• -Tax credit for first-time homebuyers to claim up to $5,000 in closing costs for a rebate of up to $750. $200 million a year, fully implemented.
• -Ban kid-friendly flavours and additives from tobacco products and require cigarillos to be sold in packages of at least 20. No cost provided.
• -Increase the Senior Age Credit by $1,000, saving those in the lowest tax-paying income bracket about $150 a year. $400 million a year.
• -$85 million in tax breaks for families where one spouse forgoes full-time work to care for a disabled family member.
• -Introduce maximum life sentences for offenders as young as 14 convicted of first-or second-degree murder; maximum 14-year sentences for youths who commit violent crimes.
• -Teens over 14 who commit serious crimes would no longer have their identities protected.
• -End conditional sentencing, also known as house arrest, for 30 serious crimes, including robbery, theft, and arson.
• -$113 million over five years to crack down on environmental crime, including maximum penalties of $6 million for companies and $1 million for individuals.
• -A consumer protection package including an Internet anti-spam law, a ban on charging for unsolicited text messages and a crackdown on gas-pump tampering. No cost provided.
• -Prohibit the export of bitumen to countries without carbon-emission targets equivalent to Canada's.
• -$24 million to foster development of international cruise destinations along the St. Lawrence Seaway.
• -New tax credit for parents of children under 16 enrolled in eligible arts programs; $150 million a year.
• -Let charities and not-for-profit groups set up RESPs for kids from low-income families.
• -$2,000 incentives for apprentices who complete eligible training programs to ease shortage of workers in skilled trades. $60 million a year.
• -$400 million more over four years for the repayable Strategic Aerospace and Defence Initiative and Automotive Innovation funds.
• -Abolish industrial tariffs on imported machinery and equipment. $345 million.
• - $10 million over four years for 50 new teaching-hospital residencies.
• -$5-million incentive fund to attract Canadian doctors working abroad.
• -$5 million over three years for pilot projects to recruit and retain nurses.
• -$15 million over four years for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's research, plus $10 million over two years for the National Lung Health Network.
• -$50 million for the University of Waterloo's Institute of Quantum Computing, for research and teaching in quantum information.
• -$500 million over five years to expand broadband Internet access across Canada.

GREENS

• -A Guaranteed Livable Income supplement for the poor. No cost provided.
• -A new carbon tax of $50 per tonne and new taxes on toxic chemicals.
• -Forgive 50 per cent of student loans for successful graduates. No cost provided.
• -More money and research grants for post-secondary institutions that focus on renewable energy and conservation. No cost provided.
• - Shift consumption taxes to environmentally harmful products and services and away from income and products, activities that do no harm. No cost provided.
• -Cut corporate tax by $50 for each tonne of carbon-emission reductions. No cost provided.
• -Increase GST to six per cent to finance infrastructure improvements, with expanded exemptions on food, children's clothing and books. No cost provided.

LIBERALS

• -"Green Shift" carbon tax on fossil fuels, offset by income and business tax cuts. Income tax cuts of up to 10 per cent. Cut the small business tax rate to 10 per cent from 11 per cent. Lower the corporate tax rate to 14 per cent by 2013. Overall, $90 million in lost revenue for the treasury over four years.
• -$70 billion over 10 years for municipal infrastructure.
• -$1.2 billion over four years to help farmers adjust to green technologies.
• -Restore the $3-billion contingency fund abandoned by the Conservatives.
• -Create $1-billion Advanced Manufacturing Prosperity Fund to help manufacturers retain and create jobs.
• -Add $350 to existing $1,200-a-year child-care allowance. Create a new supplement for the poorest families with children, worth $1,225 a year per family.
• -National daycare program with 165,000 spaces. $1.25 billion a year, fully implemented.
• -End military mission in Afghanistan in 2011.
• -Restore the Court Challenges Program and double budget to $6 million a year.
• -$50 million to upgrade Canada's food safety system.
• -$10,000 per household in refundable tax benefits for energy-saving home retrofits. $600 million.
• -More robust energy efficiency standards for building codes and home appliances.
• -$250 million over four years to curb the spread of the mountain pine beetle.
• -$250 million to modernize and "green" fishing vessels and protect fish stocks in Canadian and international waters.
• -$100 million to improve Canada's small-craft harbours.
• -$420 million over four years to help increase the number of doctors, nurses and medical technicians across Canada.
• -$900 million over four years to create a new plan for catastrophic drug coverage.
• -$500 million more a year for university-based research and a $100-million research fund for scientists, researchers and grad students.
• -A poverty plan to reduce the number of people living below the poverty line by at least 30 per cent and the number of children by at least 50 per cent.
• -Reverse the immigration measures brought in by the Conservatives and spend $800 million to help new Canadians and reduce the immigration backlog.
• -Bring back the Kelowna Accord and work with aboriginal peoples, provinces and territories to improve native health, education and housing. $2 billion.
• -Increase the Guaranteed Income Supplement for seniors by $600 a year for low-income seniors.
• -200,000 student bursaries of up to $3,500 per year over four years, and guaranteed eligibility for $5,000 student loans, regardless of parental income.
• -Simplify the tax system for post-secondary students, providing most students about $1,000 a year.
• -Restore cuts made by the Conservatives to arts and culture funding and double the budget of the Canada Council for the Arts.
• -$75 million to bolster security at ethno-cultural centres and places of worship across Canada.
• -Restore $6 million in funding for Quebec's National Optics Institute.
• -A summit meeting on the economy with economists, regulators and premiers within 30 days of forming a government.
• -Finish mapping the Arctic seabed by 2013 and re-instate an ambassador for the North, to strengthen northern sovereignty. No cost estimate available.

NDP

• -A moratorium on expansion of Alberta's tarsands; require oil companies to reclaim land strip-mined for petroleum production. No cost provided.
• -$8.2 billion over four years to create, protect and foster growth of "green-collar" jobs and manufacturing.
• -A "cap-and-trade" system to create incentives for big business to reduce their emissions. No cost provided.
• -Slash greenhouse gas emissions by 80 per cent by 2050. No cost provided.
• -A price-monitoring agency to investigate price spikes and consult with provinces about regulations. No cost provided.
• -Cap credit-card interest rates at five per cent over prime.
• -Outlaw automated banking machine fees, saving consumers at least $104 per year.
• -$120 million a year in additional funding for women's groups.
• -$1,000-a-year grant to all undergraduate or equivalent students who qualify for student loans.
• -$1 billion over five years to expand medical and nursing schools, increasing the number of student spaces by 50 per cent.
• -$125 million a year to forgive student loans for medical-school grads who spend 10 years as family physicians.
• -$100 million for skills training and job creation.
• -Comprehensive review of Canadian banking regulations. No cost provided.
• -Income averaging for artists and a $20,000 annual tax break on income generated by copyright and residual revenue. No cost provided.
• -Scrap Canada-U.S. softwood lumber agreement within six months of forming government.
• -A new Ministry of Consumer Protection to investigate and prosecute gas-pump gouging and collusion. No cost provided.
• -$1 billion a year on a new catastrophic drug plan.
• -Reverse corporate tax cuts, raising rate to 22.12 per cent from 19.5.
• -Monthly cheques of up to $400 to replace existing child benefits, including the Conservative payment of $100 a month per eligible child. No cost provided.
• -$5 billion over five years to improve health care, housing and infrastructure for First Nations communities.
• -$1-billion national home-care program for seniors.
• -A national child-care program calling for 220,000 spaces annually in the fourth year. $1.4 billion in the first year.
• -Raise $2.5 billion a year in carbon auctions and reinvest the money in public transit and other green initiatives.
• -Re-introduce a national minimum wage and immediately set it to $10 an hour.
• -Direct one cent per litre of federal excise tax on gasoline into public transit; $400 million a year.

That's Canadian, aye?

Work boots are piled up yesterday in front of Finance Minister Jim Flaherty’s campaign office in his riding of Whitby-Oshawa.

Hundreds of Canadian Auto Worker union members gathered to present Flaherty with work boots collected from laid-off workers from across the province.

Source: http://www.metronews.ca/toronto/

Re: How to give our elections more pop?

Andrew Chung, Toronto Star columnist, writes in his recent post:

The razzle-dazzle U.S. campaign offers some tempting lessons on how to jazz up our own. The question is, do we really want to learn them?

God no! We don't need to jazz up our elections American or any other Style!

Events like the US election campaign is a production of media to build rating and sell advertising. Hardly any useful fact about leadership style and strategy is transferred to the audience during an event like this. Those millions of dollars that (you suggest) Canadians should consider spending, I doubt result in electing a leader that can face the problems head on. Bottom line the razzle-dazzle, pop, all the jazz, etc. is not what we lack or need to attract public attention and talent. For that we need to come up with better solutions.

What do you think?

Travel Stories from St. John's!

My life has been in the fast lane for the past couple of years. So, when I came across the full page ad of air travel to St. John's, NL; that promised tranquility to visitors; I was curious! The ad featured nothing but sprawling green. That same day I looked the official tourism web site of Newfoundland and ordered a free guide. Flipping through pages of the guide, when it arrived, reading about the natural peace and beauty this province offers, I knew I had to go there some day. What I didn't know that my rendezvous will be so early --this summer.

St. John's, Newfoundland --August 29 - September 2, 2008

St. John's welcomed our arrival with abundance of rain. Our inn keeper, we stayed at The Bluestone Inn, a B&B located in downtown St. John's, welcomed our arrival with urgency and promptly left us to go look after a sick friend. We were left in our room, on the second floor of a 1900 building. We counted there were 38 stairs to our room. Suddenly, I had much more appreciation for elevators. The room was furnished with stuff that could have also dated to the time when the building was built. No kidding! Everything about the place screamed antiques.

I was feeling completely out of place, calculating the number of hours left of the trip, thinking maybe I should change the departure date and grinding my teeth with frustration at the thought. Last thing I wanted to do (on my vacation) was to spend hours on the phone talking to the airline's customer service and feeling helpless.

They say, "Never judge a book by its cover." In my moment of snap judgment, I had decided that my visit to St. John's was ruined, however a couple of hours and a few dozen camera snaps later, I had a totally different view about this.

Welcome to the Far East. Where people have been living since the 1620s. Where Newfoundland and North America begins. Here you can indulge in (hi)story and natural beauty.

Don't be surprised if people on the streets say hi to you and ask how you are doing today. Don't be shy to reply and ask the same questions from them. We found the newfie accent endearing. It's a mix of Irish and Scottish English with a little bit of drawl.

The art and culture may seem unfamiliar. If you are a traveler and have visited many art galleries, museums, etc., brace yourself for a refreshingly unique art. This I think is because people in this area have lived here for generations and established their own way of expression and art. You can see nature has a lot of influence on the art works.

Renting a car, even for one day, to see the seaside settlements and wildlife (beaver and caribou) is a must. We didn't get around to do it this time round (yes, we are planning to go back). We spent our time exploring almost all the St. John's sites, culture and people.

We did most of our touring using either public transit, metro bus, or on foot. Taking the Route 10 bus is a must. The bus travels through some of the major streets, Freshwater Rd, Elizabeth Avenue (the one and only flat street in the city), it passes by the most significant landmarks, City Hall, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Health and Sciences library and Pippy park, a 3400 acre land reserve right in St. John's. The bus rides are $2.25 and can be paid, exact fare, on the bus. Make sure to ask the driver for a transfer if you have to switch buses. Stopovers are not allowed, though.

You must hit the trails, you must! Walking to the top of the Signal Hill and then hiking along the Atlantic coast was an exhilarating experience for me. Besides amazing view of the Atlantic ocean, I relived Marconi's moment when he received the first transatlantic wireless signal.

Places you are likely to visit:

• Signal Hill Road
  
• The Battery
  
• The Rooms
  
• Basilica of St. John's the Baptist
  
• George Street (Enjoy the nightlife of St. John's here --for best experience go on the weekend)
  
• Cape Spear (easternmost point in Canada --beyond this point is Atlantic Ocean)
  
• Geo Johnson Center (Built deep into the earth with only the large, glass-encased entryway protruding above ground, this geological is literally embedded in Signal Hill, which is made up of 550-million-year-old rocks!)
  It offers three very unique exhibits:
  
  
  
  • The Titanic Story (did you know that Titanic sank 350 miles away from Newfoundland?)
    
  • The ExxonMobil Oil and Gas gallery (go there if you want to learn why oil is nicknamed black gold.)
    
  • Earth's geological showcase (story of earth --going back to over 4.5 billion years ago)
    
  
  

Visitor Information Centre is located on 384 Water Street

I bet you are hungry to know about St. John's restaurants and bistros. I have one word for you: Coffee Matters, Go there! I crave their creme brulee!

St. John's was an unforgettable destination for us. There is something simple and sincere about this place. Go there if you are looking for a quiet spot --it gives you a whole new perspective!

Those countries that don't have it and their governments don't have a greed for it and have been able to curb their dependency on it, enjoy peace.

For the rest of us the saga of fretting over the peaks and valleys of its price, the fight between the suppliers and the cartels will continue.

I am talking about oil!

Pro Choice or Life : What do you think?

"You f@#$ sick!", she said loudly. I turned in the direction of the voice. "You f@#$ sick!" She said it again with such vengeance in her voice.

Who is she talking to? As I am trying to figure this out, a man holding a big poster of gross, bloody looking figure which resembled a head of a human being connected to an umbilical cord is walking towards me. He is wearing a patient smile. His hand is stretched out and he is holding a flyer. Does he expect me to take the flyer from him? He says, "Pro Life". He says it in such a tone that leaves no doubt; he believes that I am Pro Life.

I have to make up my mind quickly. Am I "Pro Life" or "Pro Choice"? Take the d#@$ flyer and walk away from all this, I say to myself. But, I can't just take the flyer for the sake of it.

I don't hear the young, angry voice of the girl any more. Has she left the scene?

He is now closer. He smiles. I smile back. But, my hand stays firmly at my side. He walks passed me and I continue my way to catch the street car.

Am I Pro Choice, then? The answer, as I think about this on the street car, is more complicated than a simple, "Yes".

Coincidentally, the young girl is riding the street car with me. She seems very angry. She must be Pro Choice.

But, isn't that an irresponsible way out of a situation that could have been avoided to begin with?

I believe advocating choice or life is not the right solution to the problem. Those who coined the term and formed the movement, created a rift between us. Taking the life of an unwanted child is not any better than giving life to it and abandoning it in this world.

If reason dominated, neither us nor our dependents would need to be in the situation to decide whether they are "Pro Choice" or "Pro Life".

On this, I choose to abstain.

Press for change! Signing up for epost...

Adieu to receiving bills in the mail. I am open to change and trying something new. I am motivated to help the environment. One less printed bill means one less reason to cut down a tree. I am going to sign up for epost!

I don't want to think about why epost is available in 2008 and not in 1950 when early signs of forest depletion and global warming became visible. I know better; it's better to arrive late than never. I don't want to speculate Post Corporation's intentions that they are thinking "green" now because if they don't they may become extinct (companies have started sending their customers the Estatements, we email more than we mail.) I am just glad they thought of it; it's better to arrive late than never.


For Post, going green is a fundamental change. It uproots a 4 century old tradition of delivering to the door of millions.
If the future of the mail is electronic. There are things I shall miss. I shall miss the stamps and the taste of the sticky glue after I licked to stick it to the envelope. I shall miss the friendly smile of the mail carrier. I shall miss a hand written note.

There will be books and pictures to remind us of the history. I know better; to gain something I need give up something else. I am all for change!

What is the oil price driven by?

The motivation behind this blog comes from the eye catching full page car advertisement that appeared in the daily Toronto Newspaper every single day during this past week.

What are the big shots behind these ad schemes thinking of, if at all? Presumably, they believe with incentives such as gas cards or cheap gas they can encourage consumers to buy more of their fuel inefficient, gas-guzzler cars.

These offers reek with greed. These short sighted auto industry movers cannot think of better ways to keep their pockets full of money.

I am sure they can for example spend portion of their money on improving the fuel consumption of their existing models but I suppose that is going to delay time to market and impact their share of market value!

While we all are anticipating worse news from the oil market, we are being encouraged to waste more of it and be content that someone else is going to pay for it.

Well, the good thing is for every yin there is a yang. If we have full page ads to lure us into buying cars, we have other tools to research about them at the same time.

Take this site for example. If you are looking to buy a new car this is a place to get you started. Here you can find gas mileage (MPG), greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution ratings, and safety information for new and used cars and trucks.

After visiting this page nothing, not even cheap gas for 3 years, can change my mind in what make/model I want to buy. (This is just a rhetoric. I have been using public transit and my bike for the past 3+ years now!)

From Forbes network:

The world's proven oil reserves were essentially flat in 2007 while production fell by 0.2 percent, the first decline since 2002, BP reported on Wednesday, when it launched its 2008 Statistical Review of World Energy.

On Tuesday, the International Energy (otcbb: IENI.OB - news - people ) Agency, the energy adviser for the world's industrialised countries, sharply lowered its projection for supply outside the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries.

Concern over long-term oil supplies has driven the recent spike in oil prices and prompted Wall Street banks to raise their price forecast to about $150 and $200.

"For sure, banks tend to focus on supply. It is easy for them to make assumptions of $200," Olivier Jakob with Petromatrix said. "On the other side, we have to look at price impact on demand. That's why the market is so volatile."

Maybe is not as important to know how we got here as it is vital to know we can separately or collectively free ourselves from dependence on fossil fuels.

Getting there by bicycle

I am thinking, if each business adds the direction to its location by bike to its web site more people will be motivated to leave the cars behind. I am thinking malls, shopping centers, banks, pharmacies and etc.
With the price of oil on the rise, with no slowdown in sight, it is becoming imperative to conserve.
Although we knew this was going to happen, after all we hit the $99 a barrel mark 2 years ago, we still feel we have been caught off guard.
Farmers driven by market are selling their crops of corn to producers of bio-fuels. This, along with high cost of energy, has shot the price of food up by 10-20%. There is no hard evidence to prove that bio-fuel is green alternative to fossil fuels.
I digress.
The point is, facilitating commuting by bike by providing information on the bike routes is an easy way of showing commitment to being green.

The nice part about being a pessimist...

I am not a pessimist. But I like the irony in this quote:

The nice part about being a pessimist is that you are constantly being either proven right or pleasantly surprised.
- George F. Will

People believe I am what they see Me as!

I have a perception-phobia --that is I am most concerned of how I am perceived in the eyes of the others. This trait shows itself time and again and creates bizarre moments. Recently, I joined a new team where I have to start from scratch building relationships. This is much harder (and by far much more important) than the actual job. Even, if I do an excellent job on the project, if my team dislikes me, my accomplishments will fall on deaf ears and blind eyes --that is no one will care to notice and recognize them. I definitely need to do some serious thinking about this topic and come up with practical strategies to achieve this. Any thoughts?

on Dance

Dance is transcending ones inner most feelings into movements.

Redeem (your cell phone for $$$)

Along came a company (apparently they've been around since 1999) that buys your out dated old cell phone that you have been itching to dump for a better model (maybe even an iphone). Check them out if you have one!

Earth Hour 2008!

The hour I spent with a group of Columbia Alumni to clean up the small habitat for spawning fish and birds by Lake Ontario and turning out all the lights at my house between 8-9 PM sounds insignificant compared to my (un-intentional) daily contribution to climate change. So, how can I distribute the impact of Earth Hour over a year? Why not declare an Earth Year?!

In privileged places such as North America success of each cause relies heavily on how well people behind it can make the cause look, seem, sound cool and fun. Image is everything. Look around you, Green as a color, Green as an adjective, or being Green as a verb has become trendy. So, it should be easy to instill a Green culture.

Not so easy.

We are used to the "Good Life". Partly due to this, conserving, unless for short period of time, such as 1 hour per year, may not be something that comes naturally. Unless the media does its part and brain washes us. With the unlimited band width in our daily lives, media can turn us into Green junkies. I doubt they do that, for reasons that make an interesting topic for another time and blog.

All in all we will continue splurging.

Life goes on

There are people in one's life that drive one insane and there are people that keep one sane. Paradoxically they could be the same.

From quirky to avant-garde

When Rolf Paloheimo first built his Healthy House back in 1996, he was regarded as a scientist with a strange experiment. Today he is considered, thanks to Al Gore's "Inconvenient Truth", an avant-garde environmentalist. His house is disconnected from city water and electricity grid. There is a zero-tolerance for waste; everything from water to human waste is recycled.

It's a fact that we are producing more waste than generations before us. Little attention is given to where does the waste go.

In 2000, Toronto households created 920,000 tonnes of waste or about one tonne per household. Only 24% of this waste was composted, recycled or reused. The rest went to landfills.

An exaggerated case of using landfills is shown in The Simpson's Movie; dumping the silo that Homer has been keeping his pig crap in, in the Springfield landfill is the last straw sort of speak to make the landfill overflow and cause hideous side effects. The aftermath of that event made us all laugh. But in reality this is no laughing matter.

How can we divert more of our waste from the landfills?
The immediate answer is to recycle and reuse. Why not reuse that old shower curtain as cover for items in the pantry or the outdoor furniture or reuse the old toothbrush to scrub stain from the household items or reuse it to wax the shoes.

After the dance class

Dance is this exciting thing that sharpens your perception of yourself within the space around you!

Sunday morning coffee shop and OLIVE

I went down to get coffee. As I was waiting in line I over heard two people exchanging job leads. I got my coffee (and doughnuts of course ;)) on my way out I noticed a mature looking guy wrapping up a job interview, which seemed to have gone very well!

The face of how we conduct business is changing, it is a change for better --I think. We are making an effort to look outside of the box --jobs advertised in the newspaper (a very dry and impersonal approach) vs career discussions over coffee on a Sunday morning.

As I was sipping my coffee, I leafed through pages of January edition of IEEE Spectrum magazine. The first few sentences of an article caught my eye:

"CODE THREE! Code Three!" shouts a police officer over a radio. "There's been an explosion at Global Financial Trust!"

I looked for the author's name. David Kushner. I know him, not personally, but through the articles he occasionally writes for Spectrum magazine. Just last month, he wrote a piece on making (serious) amount of money through on-line video games.

This article, is about SimHospital, a simulation used for medical training through the application: On-Line Interactive Virtual Environment, or OLIVE.

"The answer is simple", Kushner writes, "in a simulation you can learn to drive a car with out crashing, trade securities without breaking your company's bank, manage complaining customers without alienating them, treat patients without killing them."

Or perform a job interview without bombing it!

Next stop is report on COG, "Canadian Organic Growers", and Toronto's 3Rs Working Group.

2007 review and 2008 preview

Reflecting on the year that passed, the 365 days that were granted and what was done with each day ... personally I achieved an intangible goal. The world of knowledge around us condition us to look (not necessarily see) hear (not necessarily listen) at many things in a short span of time. To be in control of the stimuli around, was my number one priority in the year that passed. I can say that I have become 10% better. Less clutter has created clarity and focus for me.

Professionally, I strived to experiment with different technologies directly affecting the product that I am working on. The most eminent was to improve consumability of the product by adding a customer perspective to any new product feature. The number of products loaded with features but unable to properly function the basic operation attest to loss of feedback during the product development and design cycle. If Agile methodology achieves the theory that it is based on --LEAN-- we may see a boost in hours spent on creating rather than maintaining. In short it will create a happier (less disgruntled by having to debug problems that should have been detected) work force and less stressful work environment.

Artistically, I continued dancing. It was an honor to be able to learn from the talented artists this city contains for yet another year.

In the coming year, as a system we will continue to make mistakes. The world around us will continue to suffer from another year of lack of respect and tolerance for differences. The only hope for us, global village dwellers, is project green. Being conscious of the environment and nature can provide all a neutral platform to make peace amongst us and with the planet.

Wishing you all a GREAT 2008!

The other travel story!

The second leg of the trip was Tehran, Iran. When the plane landed the commotion amongst women was noticeable. The head scarves were flying out of the bag, spun in the air and hung around the neck. Then they were pulled over the head and tied tightly. A group of foreign women had the hardest time completing this procedure. They were frustrated by the ordeal and unable to keep the scarf on. Why do we all have to conform? No idea! Who am I to contend? No idea, again!

The streets of Tehran are crowded. To get to their destination, people patiently wait hours for the bus, taxi, metro or in cars stuck in traffic. I don't know if these words are compelling enough to convey the really chaotic condition of the traffic in Tehran. The side effect: you've got a city that its air pollution level is unacceptably high. Elders and children should wear mask.
Like any other big city, Tehran has to accommodate its exponentially growing population. Unfortunately, this has translated into tearing down houses and building 5+ story apartments. The city used to boast beautiful fruit gardens in the northern part; now there is only a few of those left. Space is hot commodity and greed a trend.



But, I can't say enough good things about the taste of produce. The tomatoes, cucumbers, the sweet lemon (yes there is such thing as sweet lemon), the fresh pistachio and so on; it's all so very good! Going to a house of kebab is a must. There are many restaurants spread through out the city that serve traditional food.



They say action speaks louder than words. In Tehran the reverse is true. Visit a bank and you may see what I mean. From the time you stand at the counter, in front of the teller, in what seems to be a line, but in fact it is more like a congregation, to the time your business is completed and you leave the bank you observe the teller engages in greetings with more than a dozen of the customers, shaking head and/or hand while working. It's amazing how much personal relationship is mixed with professional. Be prepared, because you never know who will open up to you and tell you her life story/problems or offer advice! Here people are engaged and involved in each others lives. It's an insult moreover futile to say "butt out". Good or bad?

With its fantastic geographical location, abundant resources, growing educated population, unique business and personal culture; Iran remains an interesting enigma to me. Regardless, I will unconditionally love it because that's where I was born!

Travel Stories from Paris!

I truly shone in using my French. My teach yourself French book didn't leave my sight during the flight, okay so I dozed off a few times, spent some time eating my meal, which by the way I had to choose al a carte from le menu provided by the elegant Air France air host and was distracted a few times by the in flight movie, License to Wed, which was a ridiculously futile attempt at creating a romantic comedy --apart from all this I was studiously and diligently studying my French. Needless to say that on my first day; at Chateau de Versailles and in need to find a washroom, I asked "Who is the toilet?" instead of "Where is the toilet?". Fabulous! I have to admit though, it is very true that learning a language where it is spoken is more effective. From pronunciation to sentence structure, all can be learned more efficiently, and in my case memorably, while interacting with and/or listening to native speakers.


The "Top 10 Paris" book, Mike Gerrard & Donna Dailey, was my number one --the best-- asset on this trip. Thank you Lisa, for lending your book to me. 10 is the magic number when you are spending a limited time there, because the number of things to see and do in Paris is just overwhelming. We spent 5 days, I am telling you we squeezed every minute in an hour, and thanks to this book, efficiently rode le Metro but still we ran out of time. Pick up the latest edition, because admission fees and hours of operation change on a yearly basis.

When is the best time to travel to Paris? The number one inhibitor in seeing the sights is the wait time in the queues to get ticket, except for du Musee du Louvre which has efficiently turned its ticket kiosks to ticket dispenser machines. Before traveling I heard and read horrifying stories how can this gobble up one's time; we are talking about hours of wait time. I guess traveling during off season saves one both money and time. We were there the first week of October and the maximum time we spent in any line was 45 minutes and that was to get to the top of Eiffel tower. Besides the weather was not too bad. It rained only once in the evening and the rest it was partly sunny part cloudy with temperatures in the 20C/68F range.


Where to stay? Every provision has been made to make a tourist's stay both affordable and memorable. After all, this city has not become a major tourist attraction yesterday; they have years and years of experience and have perfected the art of accommodating tourists of all ages, tastes with different budgets. It is helpful, however, if you decide on where you want to stay before looking for "accommodation Paris" on the Internet, hit the travel section of your public library or walk in any travel agency. le Seine has divided this city into the right and left bank. Top destinations on the left bank are:

• Eiffel Tower
  
• Musee d'Orsay
  
• Napeleon's Tomb and Hotel des Invalides
  
• Musee du Louvre
  
• Basilique du Sacre-Couer
  
• Arc de Triomphe
  

Top destinations on the right bank are:

• Champs Elysees
• Avenue Montaigne
• Place de La Concorde
• L'Opera
• Montmartre

We stayed at one of Cistadines Apart 'Hotels, equipped with a kitchenette. I'd say this setting is more suitable for longer duration visits. Nevertheless it worked well for us. We had a grand breakfast, crepe, baguette, croissant and delicious very fatty French fromage, every morning.

What is the best way to get around? Given that we arrived early in the week, Tuesday, our best bet was to purchase Carte Orange for 32.10 euro. We conveniently hopped on and off train and/or bus without having to worry about zones and exact change. Carte Orange Covers zones 1-6. This includes CDG airport and Chateau De Versailles.

Why visit Paris? Paris is viewed by many as the most splendid and attractive city in Europe, if not the world. No matter if you go for business or pleasure, your visit to Paris will leave you with deep impressions, from the fashions of the Champs-Elysees to the arts of the Louvre; from the rich history of the Notre Dame cathedral to the modern design of the Centre Georges-Pompidou to the relaxed air of a small cafe -- Paris truly has something to offer everyone.

Viva La Paris!

ParisFranceOctober2007

Saturday morning musing

The 60 year old who took an early retirement and has been running a farm in Vermont for the past 12 years, talked about it being 14 hours a day work --more or less like the corporate world he retired from but much in a different way. Here he can stop and relax, alongside his wife, for a taste of cheese they make on the farm. Although, the routine repeats everyday but he feels happier and healthier --less stressed.

I admire people who take a leap of faith, open a new chapter, turn their life upside down and start fresh.

For me the days turn into weeks, weeks turn into months too quickly to spare me moments to think about the future in a profound, focused way --that famous (rather out-dated interview question) where do you see yourself in 5, 10, 15 years.

Just this past month I spent many unaccounted hours on promoting a series of seminars on communication and softskills. The launch was a significant event so was the positive feedback of attendees! It was a desirable outcome for 6 months of brainstorming with Vicki, Manager of Professional Development and Career Services at Ontario Society of Professional Engineers, about the course, instructor, logistics, PR and etc. TV producer, Stacie Overton, of Ivanhoe Broadcast company, found the idea interesting enough to do a show for their Smart Women series. This idea is still being discussed between Stacie and Ayla Tezcan the instructor but I very much hope it takes off.

I am going to wrap up my Saturday morning musing with a funny quote from Mickey Rooney:
"Always get married early in the morning. That way, if it doesn't work out, you haven't wasted a whole day."

Operation Green Ontario

Ontario will invest $79 million in planting 50 million trees--this is the largest pledge to the UN campaign to build a billion trees world wide.
It is estimated that adding this many trees will reduce Ontario's CO2 emission by the amount generated by 172 million cars for 100 km by 2054.

Startup weekend

If I told you that a company was to be established from ground up during a weekend would you be intrigued to know more? Or would you casually dismiss the idea as impossible! Well, if you are in the second group I have news for you --that it is possible. Check out www.vosnap.com. This is not the whole story. There is more to come.

Bjarn's visit

The room was packed and yet people were still arriving. They were sitting on the floor in whatever space available between the seats. No one considered leaving. The C++ enthusiasts were adamant to see and hear the father and inventor of the language.

There are always a few who rise to occasion. They brought down the projector from their labs, found a bigger lecture room. Thanks to the help of a few students and T.A.s of University of Toronto, 15 minutes later a 140 people capacity lecture room was filled with eager listeners and the lecture was under way.

Dr. Stroustrup's visit was part of C++0x standard committee meeting. He spoke about the good, bad and ugly of C++ programming language.

With billions lines of code and 300 million C++ developers around the world there is an enormous range of features that can potentially become part of the language standard. How can the standard keep all happy?

There are plenty of suggestions for new features to be implemented in C++0X standard. "We shouldn't just implement new features. We should first ask what kind of problem does this feature solve and how it is going to be useful to the general users," Stroustrup said in his presentation.

Support for a memory model for parallel programming, communication protocols, safe STL, more generic programming and etc. are all being reviewed by the committee. Fans of garbage collection will be disappointed, as chances of this feature making it in this revision is slim.

The committee promises completion by the end of the decade, hence the name, C++0X. Although, there is a possibility of using hex values --that is if they don't make it by 2009. One way or another this is an exciting event for all C++ developers.

As a C++ compiler tester I am equally interested to see how fast we get these features implemented in the products we support.

It is going to be an interesting ride for many of us. So better stay tuned.

The event was made possible by IEEE Toronto Computer Chapter.

Note: Photo is courtsety of Evgeny Polkovnikov, Software Developer, certicom

Bottled water no longer hot

Bottled water is being added to the list of things bad for the environment. After being around for as long as I can remember they are being criticized for their adverse effects on environment. Considering the amount of green house gases produced and amount of energy consumed for their production and distribution, it is hard to drink water out of a bottle without the guilt feeling of the damage they cause the environment. Watch out for cities like San Francisco and Salt Lake City that are jumping on the vagabond of banning the bottled water. The bottle water industry has to find creative ways to survive the bad rap.

CN Tower Illuminated

Just when every major city in North America, including Toronto, is trying to conserve, NY City has a mandate to convert all its yellow cabs to hybrid and San Francisco is cutting greenhouse gas by 25% by 2020,we hear CN Tower, the world's tallest building today (553 m), is getting a face lift which involves being outfitted with LED lights that shoot up the elevator shaft over the "bubble" and straight to the mast. Just how much watts per day are we talking about? But, wait! Apparently the LEDs are high tech --they consume 60% less than when the tower was last fully lit in the 1990s. I think it's okay then?

Here's a green ... there's a green ... everywhere's a green

People have gone completely "green mad". Every other page of a recent issue of a local newspaper contained one or two articles on environmental friendly topics. From green fashion to green spring cleaning tips and ideas, you name it; it was covered!

Later, I heard on BBC radio, that people are lining up to buy, get this, a designer shopping bag, that says, "I am not a plastic bag". They drive their not so environmentally friendly cars to the stores that have these bags on sale--5 pounds each--and then drive back home. All stores are now sold out of this item!

Don't get me wrong. I am a true believer that it is our duty to utilize natural resources responsibly. If we don't run out of the resources we have available, in our time; our children and children's children more likely will.

But, what surprises me is how majority of us advocate a cause only if and when the image is "cool".

World Laughter Day

Not too long ago a friend stunned me with existence of Hot Yoga, and today I learn about Laughter Yoga which is so difficult to imagine, considering some of the yoga positions are so hard to sustain that it actually brings tears to eyes. But, that is not the whole story, with that came the realization of World Laughter Day, which is on May 6--next Sunday. I take laughter or a genuine smile over a blank, expressionless or serious frown every second of every day. It's amazing what a difference it makes when you smile and laugh from your heart.

Paper or plastic?

Taking public transit to work could be such fun but at times irritating, I mean how many of you have had the pleasure of listening to someone else’s eating or ipod--these are the two I have experienced--while traveling to work and probably trying to catch up on your sleep or meditate about the day ahead.

Today the guy behind me was having his breakfast as if he is having it in front of a loud speaker. It reminded me of Lynn Truss’ book, Talk to the Hand, saying that many people have adopted the self-absorbed attitude of the worst role model in the world, Bart Simpson –My bubble, my rules and if you don’t like it, you know where to go!

On a different note, it was in the news that San Francisco is imposing a ban on plastic bags. The law passed 10-to-1. I wonder what the one person opposing the law had to say. Well, this wasn’t mentioned, very typical journalism style. Why waste the precious space to talk about the 1 opposing. It’s great that we are trying to conserve but let’s just not be too hasty. In the 80’s the paper bag was replaced by plastic bag. Ever asked why? Well maybe the following data from www.plasticbag.com can shed some light:

“When it comes to reducing solid waste, bigger definitely isn't better. The less material you use to make a package, the less waste you have to recycle or dispose of after you've used (and reused) it. Take a look at how the facts stack up for plastic bags.

• The smaller volume of plastic bags can help conserve landfill space. Nothing degrades fast enough to extend the useful lives of modern U.S. landfills...not paper, not plastics, nothing, according to Dr. William Rathje of the University of Arizona Garbage project.
• 30 percent less material is used to produce today's plastic bag than the bags made just five years ago
• Compared to paper grocery bags, plastic grocery bags:
• Consume 40 percent less energy than paper
• Generate 80 percent less solid waste
• Produce 70 percent fewer atmospheric emissions
• Release up to 94 percent fewer waterborne wastes “

Today is Eddie's Birthday..

Five people five lessons narrated beautifully in an engaging story.

As I flipped the pages I learned to anticipate—eagerly, patiently—who Eddie is going to meet next.

Eddie “Maintenance” is the stronger of the two sons who would have done anything to get his father’s attention; in return for a bit of a fatherly love. Eddie’s story unravels in three time eras, Eddie’s present on earth, his present in heaven and his past. You bond with Eddie and perhaps often find yourself identifying with his story –shaking your head—you’ve been there, done that, felt it! No life is wasted. There is meaning and purpose to each and every one of our lives. We might not know it at this time. Does heaven, after life, exist to help us make sense of it all?

Mitch Albom’s “The Five People you Meet in Heaven” is a great read!

Another free trip around the sun is complete!

Image converter

Recently, I needed an image converter to convert gif to eps format. 2 out of 3 applications I tried didn't work.

First I tried Doc-Print v3.3 provided on VeryPDF.com. The binary was relatively small and downloaded in few seconds--on a broadband connection. The set up was fast and within few clicks the software seemed to be good to go. The application needed a machine restart to complete installation --although a nuisance but shutting down all windows and open applications deemed to be a very small price to pay to achieve the goal. After restarting the computer, I tried it out anxiously. To my surprise the application didn't start. The window flashed and disappeared. So, I used the uninstall exe provided by the software to uninstal --I had to manually remove a config.ini from under the program directory and then remove the program directory.

I moved on to my ImageMagick, next link on the Google search result page. This one took a while to just load up the mirror sites. I quickly moved on.

The third link, however, was the winner, Advanced Batch Converter 3.9. The downloaded took a few seconds. Installation was quick. It didn't require a machine restart. The application was user friendly. Under 5 minutes, I had my gif image converted to eps! :)

.. what do you know?!

... especially if someone tries to knock you down a peg or two; as long as you are respectful of other people, defending your position is the right thing -- even a noble thing -- to do.

An Inconvenient Truth

It was so pleasant hearing the birds chirp on my way to work yesterday. But, it struck me that how odd it is to have this lovely experience early February in a city that is notorious for its long and rough winters.
What is portrayed in the eco-documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, made my hair stand on end. It is too much to take in 90 minutes but the irony is what Al Gore presents eloquently and with excellent visual effects in 90 minutes is the consequence of our doing in the past 90-100 years.
We have come to believe that terrorism is the 21st century's biggest threat. But what we will be facing as a result of global warming is far more serious. We notice the unusual changes in weather, the arrival of invasive insect species, the extinction of some of the species and the spread of disease all around us.
The good thing is we can reverse the effect of green house gases by controlling the emission of carbon dioxide.
As individuals we are contributors to the global warming hence we can be part of the solution. Become part of the solution today!

2007!

It finally arrived ... with neither a warning nor a delay ... as always on time. So, we have to start getting used to starting our letters and signing our checks with 2007 dates ... that's a challenge. Other than that ... hmmm ... I don't know ... are we supposed to feel any different ... I mean other than the fact that we are now officially one year older ... which could be both good and bad :)