Conference Bike

This is interesting -- it's a bike that is pedaled by 7 riders sitting in a circle, with one person steering. According to the website, it's been used in team building sessions, as a tour bike and for helping the blind and elderly enjoy biking. I have to admit, I didn't see this one coming.

Kerry or Bush for Canada?

Does Canada have a preference for the next US president? James Travers of the Toronto Star thinks so, and makes a convincing argument for Kerry -- not that I didn't already share his opinion, being a devout Bush-hater. If Bush wins the election on Tuesday, we can expect a repeat of his first term in office -- where the relationship with Canada is strained, despite our strong economic ties. Squabbles will most likely continue, and Washington will most likely have little interest in resolving them. Bush would most likely continue to treat global issues with the blunt instrument of military diplomacy, while Canada will continue to blunder forward with the decimation our military. With Kerry in power however, it is expected that Canada will be called upon to assist the US in rebuilding Iraq. Cooperation on the economic front would probably benefit from stabilization -- but the price would be hefty. Canada's participation in restoring Iraq will cost lives and require us to have a robust military. Rebuilding our military wouldn't be a bad thing, but it won't be easy, and won't happen fast. Martin would have his chance to deliver on the new order he's been speaking so eloquently about -- it would be put-out or shut-up time.

George David

BusinessWeek has a lengthy introduction to United Technologies (UTC) CEO, George David -- an unknown, in the shadow of such celebrity CEOs as Jack Welch and Lawrence Bossidy. The 62-year-old, is due some recognition, based on his accomplishments. For the last decade at the helm of the $31 billion company, profits have grown steadily, with net income reaching 25% in the first half of this year. Shareholder return has risen to 600% in the last 10-years, compared with the 400% achieved by GE. UTC made these accomplishments while making some unlikely investments for a predominantly manufacturing firm -- under David, they've made long term investments that drain the bottom line with not direct returns. David's philosophy however, is what makes him a standout in the field of CEOs who are driven by short term ROI. He makes no excuses for running a company that will respond to global economic pressures, including firing of hundreds of employees, or getting out of businesses that are no longer fit. Instead, he takes care of employees by giving them the tools to manage in the global economy. UTC spends $60 million a year on an employee education program that funds continuing education in just about anything an employee may have an interest in. When an employee obtains a degree, they're eligible for up to #10,000 in company stocks. Now that would inspire loyalty.

New Photos

My wife's expressive hands.  We were in a Second Cup, enjoying a coffee -- and I was enjoying the entertainment provided by her hands.	I do a lot of scribbles -- which are not sketches -- everywhere.  My work journal especially.  Here are some samples of my wandering mind.	My wife and I visited UofT's St. George campus.  They have some nice old buildings.  We were enjoying them.
This is overlooking the Don Valley Parkway.  I only took a couple of shots, but they are breathtaking -- so was the view.

Sex in Toronto

The Everything To Do With Sex Show has landed in Toronto. It actually started yesterday at the Automotive Building of the National Trade Centre, and will run until Sunday, Oct. 31st. It promises "a weekend of entertainment, comedy, seminars and shopping that celebrates all aspects of sex and intimacy," according to show manager, David Stein. The Second City Comedy Troupe, as well as comedians from Yuk Yuk's will be on hand for laughs, and dancers from the Canadian Men International and Red Storm Burlesque will be taking it all off. Seminars with such titles as 'Ways to Empower Your Sex Drive', 'Keeping it Hot' and 'Sensual Games for Partners' will sure to be informative for the Sex for Dummies crowd. On Saturday, the show will take on a Halloween theme, which ought to scare the #$% out of you! Check it out if you're not a prude!

Stupid Dreams

[A response to Ray Kurzweil's comments in CIO Magazine.] Ray, Ray, Ray. You want to replace our gene programming with those concocted by people? Ray, for every smart thing we do as a people, we create hundreds of mistakes -- but unlike evolution, we don't get rid of our mistakes. Our genes contain the programs that allow us to deal with the today, as well as a historic record of everything we've been. That gives us a everything we need for the future. It's a system that has been working well, refining itself and propagating for millions of years. You want to replace that with programming skills we've only acquired in the last few decades? Ray, you're suicidal. We would re-write our genes to get rid of sleep and when we get bored with all the time we have, we would re-write our genes to get rid of boredom -- we'd solve one 'problem' and create another -- and instead of fixing the first problem, we would move on the fix the resulting problem from our first fix. Just like evolution, except we'd be doing it so fast, we would eventually end up switching our heads with our asses -- then we'd re-engineer our washrooms to accommodate our new physical design. As for the old -- we need them. More and more, the realization is occurring that if it wasn't for the old, society wouldn't have developed. While Mom and Dad went out to fend for the family, grandparents stayed at home and reared the kids -- they passed on the experiences and values of the previous generations. That allow us to move beyond the grunting and bashing-things-in-the-head stage to one where we've just about automated our whole world. Machines won't replace grandparents or the social network that's needed for society. No thanks Ray. I'll stick to the old way of doing things -- and the old washroom design is just fine too. (And Ray, one thing you're stuck with for being human, is the chance of going senile as you age -- and there's nothing your 250 'reprogramming' supplements is going to do to change that.)

Disgruntled Housewife

Just found this site. It's funny. Not just the title, but the contents. It's got a 'dick list,' which the site describes as having

"a twofold purpose: 1) promoting girly solidarity through bile-spewing; and 2) reminding us that certain guys were real dicks."

You can make your own submissions to the sites, for guys you'd like the world to know, are dicks. Then there's the 'naked ladies' section -- it's a female's perspective on 'girly' magazines and their pictorials. Not the hardcore, porn stuff -- but the stuff that could almost past for art, if it wasn't for the fact that it was, well, softcore porn. This is also funny -- I'm not going to spoil it by telling you anything about it. There are other sections of the site -- quite easily explorable -- just be sure you've got some time.

Pee Mail

Check out this juvenile site. It opens with a cartoon character chugging back some cola. When he's ready, he unzips and waits for you to guide his pee on the snow. Like your creation? You can then mail it to a 'loved' one. The site is by a group of designers, who do illustrations, animation, games and other designs for a living. They're working very hard to be hip. Check them out.

Women in Science

Five years ago, MIT admitted that it discriminated against women scientists [PDF]. It paid women less, gave them fewer resources, treated them as if they were 'invisible' and even though it was graduating more women with PhDs, women's numbers in the science faculty hadn't changed in 10 years. Then in December of last year, MIT named their first first woman president -- Susan Hockfield, formerly of Yale's provost. While women's numbers are now catching up, or even surpassing men's, they're not being equally rewarded. The biggest problem is that if women decide to have a family, it is often equated with them not being serious about their careers. Coupled with long hours that compete with family accountabilities -- and let us face it, women DO do most of the work in the home -- the lack of female mentors and the 'old boys' network, it's impossible for women to progress in their careers and receive their equal share of the rewards. Read this BusinessWeek article on how Susan Hockfield is changing MIT and perhaps setting an example for other schools. There is also an interview with Hockfield -- yes, there's still hope for our daughters.

For a comprehensive study of Women in Science in Europe, check out this European Commission site.

This AWIS (Association for Women in Science) page also contains quite a bit of statistics of women in science.

U2 iPod

You gotta to hand it to Steve Jobs -- he's always on the leading edge of the curve. In a surprise today, Apple annouced the launch of the U2 iPod. It's a 20GB player, coming in black with a red click wheel and the signatures of the band members engraved on the back.

bOiNgbOiNg

Boing Boing: A Directory of Wonderful Things is a great blog to waste away idle time. Check out the site, and add it to your favourites. There's always something cool on the first page -- you don't even have to wander to the archives to get lost. (And they support Kerry for President -- they must be smart as well.)

US Election -- World Vote

If the world could vote in the US election, what would they say? Well, most would say that they don't want Bush. Some would say Kerry, others Nader. Surprisingly, Nader. Not surprisingly, the world would like Bush to leave the planet. Wired has a short online article, giving Americans a world perspective on their election. My favourite is 'Drunk Against Bush' -- a site that encourages visitors to register their alcoholic consumption in denouncing Bush. I think the world should be able to influence the American election. The president, especially the current one, has done just as much to screw his own country as he's done to screw the world. I bet there are a bunch of Afghans and Iraqis who would vote 'no' for Bush -- especially some of the dead ones.

Carlos Ghosn

Japan is in love with Carlos Ghosn. So is Nissan. And Renault. The CEO of both Nissan and Renault (on April 2005) stars in mangas. He speaks five languages. He's a workaholic, and drives his employees by watching metrics and sticking to targets. His employees mob him for autographs, and those who fail him, recognize him as being ruthless. Why? He's a turnaround king. He turned Nissan from a failure to the No. 2 carmaker in Japan, and a global powerhouse, with hot cars rolling off the assembly line, nonstop. Renault owns 44% of Nissan, and if they were a combined company, they would be 4th largest automaker in the world. Since Renault bought into Nissan in 1999 and enthrone Ghosn, ties between the companies have been growing ever stronger. Where DaimlerChrysler failed to capitalize on their shared assets, Nissan and Renault are succeeding. The companies are working slowly to share technology and knowledge -- across both companies and across their global operations. They've become so successful, that there is even thoughts of having Renault explore the global arena again. BusinessWeek has an in-depth article on Ghosn and where he's taking his companies. Read more.

Fuzzy Numbers

BusinessWeek has a cover article on how companies post profits, and some of the games they play with the numbers -- generally resulting in total confusion when investors and analysts try to determine if earnings indicate a healthy company or one with underlying problems. The biggest problem comes from accounting rules that give companies the ability to estimate their earnings -- the estimates were supposed to help companies more accurately reflect their true value -- but that's not always the case. By estimating, companies try to properly allocate income in specific periods during which they were earned. Similarly, expenses are allocated to specific periods, and not necessarily when the money was spent. Making sense of the numbers can be near impossible -- and not only for those external to the companies -- internally, companies income, balance sheet and cash flow reports can all tell a different story. What's a company really worth -- even its assets, can be legally manipulated. Remember Enron? Check out the article.

Savage Love

Dan Savage authors a sex advice column in Now. Usually, it's great entertainment. Entertaining to read what people are writing in asking sex advice for, and extremely entertaining to read Savage's blunt advice. Savage Love is usually direct and x-rated. Not a word is spared. Nothing is taboo. This week's column however was slightly different for the last letter it contained. It's a complaint letter in response to one of Savage's previous responses, in which he gives advice to a Saudi man, who was asking if it's OK for him to have a sexual relationship with a 'girlfriend' he's met on the internet. In his response, Savage claims the moral superiority of Canadian society over Saudi Arabia. This letter of complaint, took offense to the Savage's claim. Savage response to the complaint letter is a beautiful thing. Check out it if you wish to read a somewhat conservative Muslim being verbally bitch-slapped by a gay-man. (A conundrum however: what's a Muslim with moral scruples doing, reading the Savage Love advice column? He should be flogged!)

Toronto Dollar

This concept is new to me -- I found out about it in Now. The Toronto Dollar concept, is actually about real money -- Toronto dollars, instead of the Canadian money. The concept aims to keep local spending local -- to make the local economy vibrant and prosperous -- because Toronto dollars can't be spent anywhere else except in Toronto, at businesses that support the currency. How it works? You can exchange 1 Canadian dollar for 1 Toronto dollar, but there's a catch. 10-cents of the purchase price of the Toronto dollar goes towards the Toronto Dollar Projects Fund. You can use the Toronto dollar in local businesses that support it (there is a $25 registration fee for new businesses), and even pay part-time staff with it. Businesses basically agree to a 10% discount on their goods and services -- but in return, they get local community loyalty. Check out other local currencies here.

Habitat for Humanity

I was just reading about this organization, and found an amazing statistic: they build a new home every 26 minutes, around the world. Habitat for Humanity is non-profit, Christian organization, that builds homes for those less fortunate, around the world. All the homes are built by volunteers -- and the homes are resold, with no profit made -- homeowners payments for their new homes are put back into the program to build new homes.

Roman Vishniac

Children of the Vanished World -- some 70 photographs from Roman Vishniac's 16,000 collection are dramatized at Toronto's Leah Posluns Theatre -- part of Holocaust Education Week at the Bathurst Jewish Community Centre. On November 9, 1938, as Germany enacted their Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass) program -- which is now seen as the beginning of the Holocaust, where the German government launched an onslaught against its Jewish citizens -- Roman Vishniac was starting to document the Eastern European children of the shtetlekh. He took some 16,000 photographs, before he and his family fled to the United States, where he tried to get help for the children -- but was met with indifference. Today, his photographs are the only surviving documentation of vanished people and culture. To think, even after what the Jewish people suffered, the world has learned nothing -- from Africa, Israel and elsewhere on the globe, we continue our indifference, as those in power continue to try and destroy other groups. It's enough to make you not want to wake up in the morning.

Companies that abuse the public trust

BusinessWeek carries an article on American International Group (AIG), and the predicament it is now finding itself in as US regulators close in. The international empire spans 130 countries, selling just about financially related, including insurance. Last year, they brought in $9.3 billion on $81.3 billion of revenues. They're being questioned specifically on a retroactive insurance policy they've been selling, that has helped companies hide millions of dollars of losses. How does it work? AIG would sell the retroactive insurance policy to companies, for which they would have to pay monthly premiums -- but, when those companies were expecting a loss a fiscal period, AIG would issue payments on insurance claims to offset the loss. The companies would record the payments as insurance receivables. In effect, the insurance policies allowed the companies to hide their losses from shareholders and investors. When the SEC came calling, AIG at first lied. They blamed the whole thing on a low ranking individual within the company with improper training. When the SEC got evidence, AIG then produced relevant documents and gave a sworn certification that they had handed over all documentation. When the SEC issued another subpoena, more documents showed up however. The SEC has gotten more aggressive in the post-Enron world. They're taking this new approach with AIG.

Marketing to Kids

Marketing to kids has gone bad -- not that it was ever good. This BusinessWeek article points to a new, disturbing trend -- turning toys into stories, clothing line and media entertainment. I suppose Disney has been doing for years, but it doesn't make it right. Check out mediachannel.org to see the twisted minds at work on your children.

Solar Minimum

Sunspots are normal -- they're regions of dark, cool and highly magnetized regions on the Sun's surface. Normal solar activity accompany sunspots -- such as flares, which give us auroras, knock out power supply and fry astronauts. Last week however, sunspots disappeared. There were none. This apparently is the signal for a solar minimum, a period when solar activity subsides. It could last anywhere from 9-14 years. If you ever wanted to go spacewalking, now's the time to do it!

Orionid Meteor Shower

Tomorrow morning, just before dawn, look toward the east, and you may see the Orionid meteor shower. The annual event occurs as Earth passes through debris left behind by Halley's Comet.

Gun Owners

I read this commentary in BusinessWeek magazine about the opinion of gun owners in the US presidential election. As a Canadian, this commentary says a lot about our perception of Americans -- even though I know fully well that gun owners are not representative of the American people. The fact that America has an elected president that share these ideals, and a candidate for the office that is will to cater to them is disturbing. Have we not progressed as a civilization? Apparently not.

It's a Wiki World

BusinessWeek has an article about software wikis -- focusing on JoySpot, a company started up by the founders of Excite. JoySpot aims to offer software to help tech-savvy end-users assemble their own software to enable their own processes. JoySpot isn't alone in this play field -- it has become so serious that even Microsoft has a small entry: FlexWiki. Others of note: Socialtext Inc., and TWiki. So what's a wiki? Glad you asked!

Our Kids Are in Big Trouble

I just read Lawrence Lessig's latest Wired Magazine commentary -- 'Our Kids Are in Big Trouble.' I don't need the argument made to me -- I've been convinced for some time now -- we are bankrupting future generations with our 'me first' attitude. Lessig makes a convincing argument for the obvious, however, he directs his wrath on the government -- although he doesn't forget us -- but I think the focus really need to be on us -- every single one of us. If we're not part of the problem, we should at least be part of the solution -- but how many of us are? I for one know that I'm being hypocritical with that statement -- and like most of you out there, I use the same excuse -- what difference can I make? Well, if enough little voices shout together, can you imagine the thunder we would all cause?

Our Kids Are in Big Trouble

I just read Lawrence Lessig's latest Wired Magazine commentary -- 'Our Kids Are in Big Trouble.' I don't need the argument made to me -- I've been convinced for some time now -- we are bankrupting future generations with our 'me first' attitude. Lessig makes a convincing argument for the obvious, however, he directs his wrath on the government -- although he doesn't forget us -- but I think the focus really need to be on us -- every single one of us. If we're not part of the problem, we should at least be part of the solution -- but how many of us are? I for one know that I'm being hypocritical with that statement -- and like most of you out there, I use the same excuse -- what difference can I make? Well, if enough little voices shout together, can you imagine the thunder we would all cause?

Globus Consortium

I was reading this short BusinessWeek article on Grid Computing -- nothing really new -- just the formation of a group made up of some heavyweights in the software and hardware industry to exploit grid computing technology -- specifically, the Globus standard. Among the companies are, HP, Intel, Sun and IBM -- noticeably absent from the festivities is Microsoft, who have chosen give a finger to the standard and create their own, called Dynamic Systems Initiative, which of course, works only on grids running Microsoft Windows. Duh! Doesn't this defeat the purpose of grids? The linking of disparate computing power to fill processor demand? No one should be surprised of course. For too many papers on Grid Computing, click here!

~toXic~ Angel

Check out this amazing digital artist -- he uses Poser and Photoshop primarily. Some of the cool stuff: Forgotten Tombs [13MB AVI], and other Art.

Understanding Bonds

My head hurts ...

Understanding Bonds [PDF] -- this seems to be a good primer for the investor. It explains the real world of bonds. It doesn't however, delve too far into the mathematics. So, good for an overview -- or just to ground your understanding.

Bond Basics [PDF] -- from Bond Markets, this is an Investor Guide to Bonds. Bond Markets also has a number of other high level publications that attempt to explain bonds and investing.

Understanding Bonds -- another good generalist site that explain bonds and investing in them.

Vegan Leather?

This is just bizarre. Some people with too much time on their hands are trying to concoct a 'victimless leather' jacket. They're growing leather in the lab -- a combination of human and mouse cells are being used. This is more disturbing to me than killing an animal for its skin. I can see the horror movie -- jacket takes over dumb-vegan that's wearing it and makes him/her eat meat! Eeek!!!! [Thanks for the link Darren: Monday, let's victimize Janine with this!]

Guiana 1838

Guiana 1838 starts in Toronto this week, but only runs for 10-days. It's about the indentured servants (that's supposedly better than slaves) that arrived in Guyana from India, only to be turned into slaves by the British in their sugar plantations. It's not going to be a happy movie, so I'm not really interested in seeing it. I already have enough to dislike colonial England for -- I don't need new reasons. If you're interested though, it runs at the Albion cinema in Etobicoke. Check out the trailer.

Long Arm of the International Law

The Inquirer has a commentary by Wendy M. Grossman on how countries ganged up to bring an Internet site down. The prevailing myth is that being on the internet gives some intrinsic freedom from a single country's law. If for instance, you're in China, and would like to have public dissent discourse, using anonymizing websites to get your message out, gives you more freedom than your country grants. You'd be hard pressed to find most western democracies cooperating with the Chinese government to bring you down. That's not the case however, if you're on the radar screen of most western democracies -- say the US for instance -- then, it's just a matter of time before you're royally screwed -- especially if you're being hosted in the UK. It used to be impossible for a nation to extend their laws internationally -- but read Grossman's commentary and think again. Indymedia was raided and had their servers taken. Why? Indications are that their Italian arm was being investigated, and that lead to a US court order to have their UK assets seized. The British police complied. To date, Indymedia don't know why their assets were taken, who accused them, or what those accusations were. It's a scary world, when those in power in a democratic system, operate in mystery, with total disregard of the public they serve.

Yelp!

Another web service has been launched. This one is like a social network and search engine combined. The Register has a verbose article on how it works -- but the gist of it goes like this: Say you want to find a good Indian restaurant to take your so-called mother-in-law out to -- one that's not too scary, have people that speak some English and will not serve her extremely hot food, despite your emotional pleas. Give Yelp! your requirements, tell it where you'd like this restaurant to be and plug in some email addresses of friends you really trust. Yelp! then does the rest. It emails your friends for you, with your request. If your friends come up short, Yelp! then asks some friends of your friends, and so on -- exploiting the resources of the social network it has built. Over time, Yelp! would become an authoritative source on just about everything. Not a bad idea.

MP3 Player & Linux Boot

Shinco, a French portable DVD maker, has produced a medallion-shaped MP3 player that also comes with an embedded version of Linux. The device can be used to boot any PC that's capable of being booted by an external USB drive. Once booted into Linux, the device brings a raft of Linux applications, including productivity and file management apps. This is really cool. It's like walking around with your PC around your neck.

When Evil fights Evil ...

Only the good guys can win. Evil in this case is Wal-Mart -- which I consider an evil organization -- and Evil is also the Record Companies that steal from your wallet while they sue you for your spare change. Seems like Wal-Mart's "everyday low price" mantra is even affecting the music industry. Wal-Mart wishes to sell sub-$10 CDs, but the record companies have always resisted. Last year, Wal-Mart got the record companies to deliver some CDs to their $9.72 program. Wal-Mart liked it. Liked it so much, that they want it for all the CDs they sell. Wal-Mart if now the largest retail peddler of the record companies smut -- selling 1 in 5 of their CDs -- it has clout. Will the record companies concede? Wal-Mart also has a growing online music business ... ah, what sweet entertainment when evil fights evil ...

Exposure to second-hand smoke: Are We Protecting Our Kids?

Here's the OMA position paper [PDF] on the topic of second-hand smoke and the impact to our children. (I mentioned on Wednesday, that this would be released shortly.) Their recommendations are as follows:

If you work with kids, quit smoking or get on the patch (or some nicotine replacement therapy).

The government should fund nicotine replacement therapies to wean the smoking population off cigarettes.

If you transport kids in vehicles, you should not be allowed to smoke. It should be against the law.

The government should have programs in place to educate and encourage foster parents to not pollute their kids lungs.

Public education on second-hand smoke and the impact to children should be stepped up.

Smoking should be banned in daycares and nurseries.

Medical and legal information on second-hand smoke impact on children should be made available to lawyers and judges that work on child welfare cases.

The government should provide adequate funding for public health departments to take the Breathing Space campaign provincewide.

The education of health care professionals should include intervention training to help them in their interactions with smoking parents.

On the whole, nothing revolutionary -- but, this is just another step in getting Ontario to become smoke-free. And it's a damn good thing!

Oxford Compact English Dictionary

This one is for you Janine. The entire 20-volume Oxford English DIctionary comes in this compact volume -- yes, one book, 2,416 pages has it all. This is a dictionary that has its own user guide -- 80-pages worth of guidance. Since they had to photo-reduce the original 20-volume set to get it to fit in just 2,416 pages, the compact volume ships with its own magnifying glass. After reading the user guide, you'll need the magnification to find the words -- and there are lots of words: definitions of 500,000 words, 290,000 main entries, 137,000 pronunciations, 249,300 etymologies, 577,000 cross-references, and over 2,412,000 illustrative quotations.

Blood Moon

A total lunar eclipse is coming on October 27th. The lunar eclipse will last three hours, as it bathes in Earth's shadow -- and the effect will be startling. The moon will change from being pale white to becoming blood red. In Ontario, the eclipse will start at 9:14PM, peaking between 10:23 - 11:45PM.

Video Game Ratings

This is amusing. The Retail Council of Canada, the Entertainment Software Rating Board and the Entertainment Software Association of Canada will tomorrow launch new efforts to educate and enforce ratings on video games being sold in Canada. Like that's going to do any good. The video game industry is just looking to self regulate themselves to avoid the growing backlash coming from advocacy groups. Both sides are playing a game of trying to determine who can fool themselves better than the other. The video game industry in thinking complaints will stop because they've put rating labels on their products, and parents, who think that ratings can protect their kids from indulging in content no suitable for them. Both sides seem to forget one thing -- ratings don't parent children. Parents do. And if parents need regulation to assist them with their parenting, they need to examine some basics.

Exposure to Second-Hand Smoke: Are we protecting our kids?

The Ontario Medical Association (OMA) will be releasing their position paper regarding the exposure of second-hand smoke to kids tomorrow. The publication is not available online as yet, but it should be accessible from their site. The OMA represents the medical practitioners of Ontario, and as such, is a pretty influential group. This is going to be another nail in the coffin of smoking in Ontario.

Calling All Heroes!

Superhero Hype is a site that tracks the Hollywood activities of your favourite superheroes. Want to know the latest? The rumours? The facts? The stuff in between? This site tries to keep up with the latest movies being made on Elektra, Ghost Rider and their ilk.

Thanksgiving Weekend Photos

This past Thanksgiving weekend, I went out with the family. On Saturday, we found ourselves in Balls Falls for their Thanksgiving festival. The annual event has been held for years, and the usual suspects are there just about every year. There was music, arts, crafts and various other vendors peddling their wares and food. We purchased a few things, but nothing major. They Birds of Prey sanctuary was there. It was sad seeing the majestic animals secured to the ground -- a couple struggled to fly away. It's a sad to think that the only way some of these species survive is in captivity. On Sunday, my wife and I went up to Belfountain, to the Forks of the Credit. There are a couple parts to the park up there, and we usually go to the smaller one. After walking through the smaller one, we decided to walk along Forks of the Credit road, and cut into the bigger part of the park. We tried our luck on the Dominion and Bruce trails and got ourselves good a lost. Well -- I knew we were in Ontario at all times, so I wasn't lost -- and wasn't about to ask for directions either, even though my wife insisted. Yes, the guy thing. We eventually got back to where we came in and made it home safely! On Monday, we went up to Barrie to visit my wife's Aunt. My wife and I went for a short walk, and I took some more photographs. (The cat is Tiger. He belongs to the Aunt.) Below, you'll find links to the galleries on Webshots.

Balls Falls	Birds of Prey @ Balls Falls	Forks of the Credit
Forks of the Credit	Forks of the Credit	Tiger
	Barrie

Annex 2001

The 10 Great Lakes governors and premiers have embarked on the development of an agreement to govern the bulk removal of water from the Great Lakes. Their goal: protect the Great Lakes waters. Noble goal. Too bad the governments are creating an agreement raft with loopholes, shortsighted and may eventually pose more harm to the Great Lakes. An issue for Canadians, is the control of the waters that the US is gaining. Read more in Now.

Is Bush Wired?

I was alerted to this site by a friend (thanks Darren) -- no, it's not a site examining the Dopey Dubya's lack of technology intelligence -- rather it's a site that is chronicling the latest dumb adventures of the Bush campaign team. The evidence speaks for itself -- Bush has been wearing an electronic earpiece and receiving verbal prompts from his campaign team during speeches and, more importantly, during his televised debates. Now, we all know how dumb Dubya is -- but this is a new low. Did he not think that people would find out eventually? What a maroon!

Zoo Trip

My wife and I went to the zoo -- back in mid-September. Here are some of the photographs from that trip.

New Photographs

I took some photos last month -- you'll find them below. They're from San Francisco and Toronto.

Intelligent Design

"Dumb fucking people!" That's how we would say it in the 'old' country -- and that was my reaction when I read Wired's October issue cover story. Creationists are at it again, and the sheep that is the general populace are following -- sorry, the dumb fucking sheep -- cause they're a special breed you see -- normal sheep know they're being are led -- DF sheep don't know they're being led, and actually think of themselves as intelligent. Hence intelligent design. It's the new fangled banner under which evolution is being attacked by creationists. Get this -- 'evolution can't be right because life is so complex and the evolution process could never have created it in such a short period of time' -- to paraphrase the whacked out morons. So in the court of public opinion, they've taken on a new tact -- they attack evolution on 'scientific grounds' -- until you actually listen to what they're saying and realize that they're saying absolutely nothing. Oh yes, they use big, scientific sounding words -- but they talk in circles and really don't say anything. They don't attack evolution from a science perspective -- that's been going on since Darwin came up with the crazy idea -- and the fact that evolution has survived that level of scrutiny tells you something about the theory -- no, intelligent design -- or as I will now call it -- dumb fucking design -- relies on the general populace having enough doubts so that DF design can be accepted and taught as an alternative. What does DF design want to replace evolution with? Well, some 'higher power' had to have purposely designed life on earth -- they don't question the process of species adaptation as described by evolution, just the idea that evolution may have kicked it all off.

St. Michael's College Booksale

Uh-huh -- another UofT college is doing it. St. Michael's College Booksale is on from Oct. 28th - 31st. That means the last three weekends of October have booksales at UofT.

Toronto's Vital Signs

Toronto's annual check up on the well being of the community will be released later this morning, at George Brown College. The report looks at the state of the environment, health & safety, housing, transportation and education. The publication is from the Toronto Community Foundation -- a charitable organization, and has been working for a better Toronto for more than 20 years. Check out last year's publication [PDF].

University College Book Sale

Another UofT College is having a book sale -- University College: Oct. 15-19th.

Going Organic

BusinessWeek asks, 'Does pay to buy organic?' with this article. The answer is hardly simple. First you have to understand what it means to be an organic certified product. The rules are pretty lengthy. Generally speaking, being organic means that there were some form of regulations employed to govern production that limited or eliminated the use of synthetic pesticides [PDF], fertilizers, antibiotics, growth hormones and feed made by animal parts. The regulations depend on where the food is coming from. In Canada, we have our own national standards [PDF], but they may be complimented (or complicated) by provincial regulations and enforcement mechanisms. If the food is originating from outside Canada -- and really, our food supply has gone global [PDF] -- it gets more complicated. Bottom line: youngsters are the highest at risk. Their bodies are still developing, and as such, accumulation of chemicals in their systems can be harmful to their mental and physical development. This risk is greater for pregnant women. To stay on top of it all requires deep pockets to pay the higher prices for organic food or education to determine how best to lower your exposure. Here are some links that will provide more information:

Organic Center for Education & Promotion

USDA Pesticide Data Program

Effects of Environmental Pollutants on Birth Outcomes [PDF]

The Health Effects of Pesticides

CDC's Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals [PDF] or see the Summary [PDF], which is only 6 pages.

Eco-Labels -- will help you understand product labels.

Report Card on Pesticides in Produce

World Toilet

At first, this may seem like a joke. On second look however, you start to get very scared. The toilet has reached the internet. This site from Singapore, represents the World Toilet Organization -- it's serious -- but they have a sense of humour. There are health and safety concerns that they address; as well as hosting an annual conference to discuss toilet issues -- heck, there is even a 'World Toilet Day.'

Movies

Shark Tale -- I saw this one with my wife on Sunday. It was no 'Finding Nemo' -- not by a long shot. Something was missing. It seemed too busy. Too loud. There was little connecting you the characters -- nothing endearing. I was disappointed. I think Dreamworks knew this, that's why the hyped the movie so much.

Sky Captain & the World of Tomorrow -- I saw this with my youngest on Saturday. It was quite an entertaining movie. Retro-SciFi! The movie showed the future from about 50-60 years ago. The design of the technology was all retro, however, the time was mid-20th century. It's both SciFi and mystery -- and at times will come across as a cross between Dick Tracy and Flash Gordon. It carries a bit of that innocence -- when heroes always saved the day; when the good guys did work for the government; and when the bad guys were scientists that had lost their minds. I would watch it again. Heck, I would get the DVD too!

Shaun of the Dead -- I saw this with a friend from work last week Friday. That's how I kicked off my weekend -- foot still attached. This movie bears repeated watching. Part horror, part comedy and totally entertaining -- it's quirky, it's British, and, did I say funny? I was howling throughout the movie. You don't need to be a fan of horror movies to enjoy the movie, although a grasp of the archetypes of the genre does preclude the hilarity. If you want to brush up, rent some serious zombie movies first, then see Shaun of the Dead.

Solar Power

There is one very good reason solar power hasn't taken off -- cheap fossil fuel. In North America, we've been cursed with the low costs and ready supply of fossil fuels -- in the form of coal, gasoline, diesel, etc. In Europe and Japan, the story is slightly different [PDF] -- fossil fuels are more expensive. Necessity is the mother of invention and all that means that solar power technology is more advanced and enjoys a bigger market (although that's only relative) than in North America. Solar power is viable, not necessarily as a full replacement for fossil fuels, but as a compliment -- and perhaps a way of lowering our dependence on the polluting fuel. The two basic concepts for harnessing the Sun are: 1) Solar-thermal [PDF] -- using mirrors to concentrate sunlight from a large area into a smaller one, heating up a fluid that can in turn boil water, producing steam, that can turn a conventional generator; and, 2) Photovoltaics [PDF] -- using a semiconductor to capture photons from the Sun, giving off electrons and producing electricity. Read a summary of the state of the competing technologies in North America, and what the future holds for solar power in BusinessWeek.

Screw the Music Companies

From BusinessWeek, yet another argument extolling the virtues of using the internet as a medium to share music. The article uses the band Team Love, as an example of how indy bands are making it, and making money, by giving away their music, and still making sales. Too bad the record companies haven't figured out that the internet is the perfect distribution channel for their crap.

Behind in Broadband

Another BusinessWeek article -- this on the state of broadband deployment in the US (and similarly in Canada). In South Korea and Japan, broadband users can enjoy up to 100-megabit-per-second -- speeds that have spawn a myriad of new technologies and product/service offerings. This has put these countries ahead of North America in the new economy -- in everything from new entertainment offerings, to the leveraging of high speed, ubiquitous computer connectivity for business. Why is North America behind? The telcos and cable giants have used their monopolies to stifle competition and growth for their short term gain -- and in the process, they're hurting their long term growth and that of the economy. Check out the statistics from Point-Topic [PDF]. While the US continues to lead the world in broadband deployment, with Canada coming in at 6th place, it lags behind in growth. China has seen explosive growth in broadband deployment in the last year -- and it certainly won't take long for them pass North America. For Canadian statistics, checkout the latest from StatsCan [PDF].

Extreme Leadership

BusinessWeek magazine has an article on PWC's extreme leadership training [PDF] for promising partners. In preparation for potential leadership positions in 5-10 years, PWC is sending off their top talent to help third world countries with problems. The Ulysses program parachutes in partners into developing countries for 8-week stints -- technologically handicapping them -- but reinforcing the notion that it's not the technology that solves problems, but people. Along the way, the partners develop a social responsibility, an international outlook, and learn to work in diverse cultures. A gruelling adventure for sure, but one that would stay with most people for the rest of their lives.

Kodak vs. Java

The Eastman Kodak Co. has won a patent infringement lawsuit against Sun Microsystems for a piece of functionality within Java. The patent in question describes a method by which a program can ask another for help in order to perform a function. Interestingly enough, Microsoft also uses the same method in its .Net implementation.

Vivisimo and Clusty

Vivisimo, created by some Carnegie Mellon scientists, is known for their categorizing (or clustering as they would like it to be known) engine -- software that automatically makes sense, and organizes, textual information. They've launched Clusty, a search engine that exploits their software -- yes, another search engine. Clusty allows you to search information on the web, news, encyclopedias, and interestingly enough, gossip. Will this be a Yahoo/Google killer?

Gates' Crystal Ball

This past Friday, Bill Gates shared his crystal ball gaze into the future of technology at the Computer History Museum. In the appearance, Bill Gates touched on many topics, amongst them: 1) Linux -- Microsoft doesn't have much fear of the upstart OS, as they've seen would be Windows-slayers of the past come and go. However, in 10-years time, Gates expects that Windows and Linux will dominate the market, with no other OS left on the battlefield; 2) Grid Computing -- Gates doesn't think grid computing will strip Windows of its power -- however, Microsoft is building grid features into their web services capabilities; 3) Malware and Security -- Gates is concerned, but thinks they will be beaten -- of course, Microsoft will be there to charge for the stick.

Sexism in the EU

Women get a raw deal everywhere, including in the EU. This BusinessWeek article chronicles the latest sex-bias lawsuits launched by women of Britain, where the going has been tough for women to get their cases to court. An EU ruling that took effect in 2001 however, is making it easier for women, as it moved the burden of proof from the employees to the employer. Some of the accusations of the cases have to make you wonder about the ridiculous old boys club:

Stephanie Villalba vs. Merrill Lynch -- suing for sex discrimination, unequal pay, and unfair dismissal. The former head of Merrill Lynch's European private banking earned less than her male counterparts, was bullied and belittled by her boss, who told her serve drinks and "sit in the stewardess seat" on a business flight.

Elizabeth Weston vs. Merrill Lynch -- sued and won for having endured unwanted sexual attention and lewd remarks; she had to listen to a senior lawyer comment about her breasts and sex life.

Sian Heard & Sian Fellows vs. Sinclair Roche & Temperley law firm -- the case was heard by an employment tribunal that ruled in the women's favour. The women asserted that the environment at the law firm kept them under a glass ceiling and stunted their careers. One senior executive told some female employees that they should be fired "to get in better-looking recruits rather than you old bags."

Julie Bower vs. Schroder Securities -- sued and won for receiving a smaller bonus than male counterparts and being blocked from advancement. Her boss described her in an email as "had cancer, been a pain, and is now pregnant."

Arianna McGregor-Mezzotero vs. BNP Paribas -- sued and won after receiving a smaller bonus and reduced responsibilities after returning to work from maternity leave.

Britain's Equal Opportunities Commission has a wealth of studies showing the discrimination women work under. The pay gap between women and men [PDF] are tremendous -- and the statistics haven't improved significantly over the last 20 years. In the management field [PDF], women still make up less than 25% of the executives and only hold 10% of board positions. On continental Europe, women are worse off [PDF]. In France for instance, a man sued for wrongful dismissal after he was fired for groping two female colleagues on a business trip. He won, and received $616,000. In the same year, Florence Buscail sued IBM France for sex discrimination after being passed over for promotions and being paid 30% less. She won, but was awarded $37,000. The further in on the continent, the worse it seems to get. In Germany for instance, 80% of the cases filed under sexual harassment, are filed by men. These are men who were accused of sexual harassment and punished by the employers, and are fighting it. Sex discrimination just isn't taken very seriously in the continental EU.

Prelude to Terror

BusinessWeek magazine has book reviews on two books that explore different sides of the terrorist threat. The books: Jonathan Randal's Osama: the Making of a Terrorist; and, Steve Coll's Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001. Osama chronicles the life of bin Laden -- his early days, his family, his mother, and how the son of a family of 54 children from the 20 wives of Mohammed bin Laden, came to manipulate the billionaire family and the House of Saud. bin Laden, a very religious man, saw minor action in the jihad against the Soviets in Afghanistan, and returned home to meddle in the affairs in Yemen and wanting the Saudis to do something about Saddam Hussein -- a man he called an "apostate." bin Laden wanted to take some mujahideen veterans to battle Saddam when he invaded Kuwait, but the Saudis decided to bring in the US to deal with the problem. bin Laden, it appears, has never forgiven them or the US for that. Ghost Wars picks up right where Osama leaves off. Ghost Wars deals with the making of bin Laden, and provides insight into the terrorist he became. The book follows bin Laden through Asia and northern Africa -- from Sudan, to Afghanistan and Pakistan. The book benefits from the insight of the CIA agents who knew the danger bin Laden posed in the 1990s, but were unable to get the support needed in Washington to do something about it. The CIA repeatedly warned the White House of the dangers bin Laden posed, and repeatedly planned missions to take him out throughout the late 1990s, but at every moment when it came to make a decision, the White House came up short. These are both going to be on my list to get eventually.

85 Broads

85 Broads is an organization of some very smart and business savvy women. Originally something of an alumni of Goldman Sachs women, the organization expanded to include a broader audience of women. This is all nice and dandy, but they've got my attention because they're about to demonstrate women's purchasing power and its impact on the economy [PPT] -- and hopefully get some recognition that women shoppers do have power. In the US, women buy 2 out of every 3 cars, make 50% of all business trips and control 50% of the personal wealth. Women are also starting new businesses at a faster rate than any other segment of entrepreneurs (and there are more stats). But for all their economic power, women still only hold 15% of all board seats in Fortune 500 companies, and make up only 5% of the top earning corporate officers. The 'We Don't Buy It' campaign is asking women to put away their wallets for one day -- and just demonstrate the economic power women wield. The day is October 19th, and if you're a woman, don't buy anything!

Webcam Astronomy

There's more to webcams than their popular use today of useless video chats and equally useless homemade porn -- there's webcam astronomy! Astronomy cameras can range in prices of $2500 - $7500 today, but a few enthusiasts have found a way cheaper way of getting their extraterrestrial fix -- webcams. With little modification to today's webcams, they can be turned into a not-too-shabby astronomy camera. Check out the links if you want to become an astrophotographer!

Car Comics

BMW did it first. Films where their cars co-star with actors, directed by some big name directors -- product placement taken to the next level. Then they went with a comic book insert to promote the Mini. Now the Mini comics are going to be making it into mainstream comics, via such artists as Matt Wagner & Karl Kesel, from Dark Horse Comics. Toyota is also following suit with comics to promote their new Celica.