I did not sleep well last night. Summer has finally arrived and the nights are no longer a comfortable cool. Last night was so hot that I had the air conditioner on, as well as a small desk fan.
That was not the cause my insomnia, though. You see, I purchased a new webcam so that I can use a video creation program and I spent the entire evening as giddy as a kid in a candy shop. The net result is that I only slept 3 hours and I am now too tired to use my new program.
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Friday, May 26, 2006
An Unfortunate First
Earlier today, friends and family said goodbye to Captain Nichola Goddard. Captain Goddard was the first female combat arms soldier to die in combat.
By all accounts, Captain Goddard was a model soldier and a remarkable human being. Her commanding officer praised her skills and dedication. Her comrades in arms refered to her professionalism. Her father is quoted as saying that the country is divided into those who knew her and those who wished they had known her.
There is a temptation to say that losing such a person is too high a price to pay, but I rather suspect that Captain Goddard would disagree. The captain seemed to understand that some things are worth taking a stand for, even at the risk of one's life. Then again, it seems that all of the soldiers who have given their lives in Afghanistan probably believed the same thing.
Cynics may say that I have been duped by a pro-war propaganda campaign, but I don't think that is the case. I am thankful for the with men and women who feel that serving their country in the military is an honourable calling. This much I know is true: this year's Remembrance Day ceremonies will be emotional in a way that we have not seen for many, many years.
By all accounts, Captain Goddard was a model soldier and a remarkable human being. Her commanding officer praised her skills and dedication. Her comrades in arms refered to her professionalism. Her father is quoted as saying that the country is divided into those who knew her and those who wished they had known her.
There is a temptation to say that losing such a person is too high a price to pay, but I rather suspect that Captain Goddard would disagree. The captain seemed to understand that some things are worth taking a stand for, even at the risk of one's life. Then again, it seems that all of the soldiers who have given their lives in Afghanistan probably believed the same thing.
Cynics may say that I have been duped by a pro-war propaganda campaign, but I don't think that is the case. I am thankful for the with men and women who feel that serving their country in the military is an honourable calling. This much I know is true: this year's Remembrance Day ceremonies will be emotional in a way that we have not seen for many, many years.
Thursday, May 25, 2006
The Dandelion is Also a Flower
It has been a wonderful year for dandelions around here. I am not sure if this is because the municipalities are not spraying this year, or if it is just because growing conditions are optimal.
I do know that empty fields are covered with a thick carpet of the flowers. Two weekends ago, I was driving in the countryside around Cookstown when I came across a sea of dandelions growing in a farmer's field. Closer to home, the empty lot behind my apartment building has also seen a lush covering of yellow (now grey) dandelions.
I am torn. On the one hand, I know dandelions are detested as weeds. On the other hand, the dandelion is also a flower -- and a beautiful one at that. I guess I will just have to accept the allergies as the price for seeing the beauty of the flowers.
I do know that empty fields are covered with a thick carpet of the flowers. Two weekends ago, I was driving in the countryside around Cookstown when I came across a sea of dandelions growing in a farmer's field. Closer to home, the empty lot behind my apartment building has also seen a lush covering of yellow (now grey) dandelions.
I am torn. On the one hand, I know dandelions are detested as weeds. On the other hand, the dandelion is also a flower -- and a beautiful one at that. I guess I will just have to accept the allergies as the price for seeing the beauty of the flowers.
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Another Monkey Story
There was an interesting news item this past Friday. Apparently, yet another monkey species has been discovered, this time in the Atlantic rainforest of Brazil. Or perhaps, a known species was simply rediscovered.
Professor Antonio Rossano Mendes Pontes scientists announced that he discovered the monkey in the vanishing rainforests of the country's northeast coast. The monkey is just over 30 inches from tip to tail and weighs slightly over 6 pounds. According to Pontes, his team identified approximately 30 individuals living in 500 acres of swampland.
Other biologists argue that the new species is merely a member of a species that had been discovered by a German scientist in the 18th Century and not seen since. The modern version has similar, but slightly different, markings, but some argue that this could be due to the age of the subject.
Part of the difficulty in identifying Pontes' monkey lies in the fact that he did not kill a specimen to deposit in a museum because of the small number of individuals. I guess this is a situation where the "bar code" system of classification could really come in handy. In the meantime, it feels good to know that a relatively large species could live in such a small area.
Professor Antonio Rossano Mendes Pontes scientists announced that he discovered the monkey in the vanishing rainforests of the country's northeast coast. The monkey is just over 30 inches from tip to tail and weighs slightly over 6 pounds. According to Pontes, his team identified approximately 30 individuals living in 500 acres of swampland.
Other biologists argue that the new species is merely a member of a species that had been discovered by a German scientist in the 18th Century and not seen since. The modern version has similar, but slightly different, markings, but some argue that this could be due to the age of the subject.
Part of the difficulty in identifying Pontes' monkey lies in the fact that he did not kill a specimen to deposit in a museum because of the small number of individuals. I guess this is a situation where the "bar code" system of classification could really come in handy. In the meantime, it feels good to know that a relatively large species could live in such a small area.
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Of Critters and Classification II
I have been reading Singing Whales and Flying Squid by Richard Ellis. The book is an examination of the discovery of marine life from ancient times to the present. One of the most intersting sections discussed a new system of classifying living beings.
Under the so-called "barcode" system, the current taxonomy system would be replaced by a specific DNA sequence that would serve as the marker for the species. Apparently, the barcode system has already been tested to differentiate between two hundred closely related butterfly species.
Among the benefits of the system:
Under the so-called "barcode" system, the current taxonomy system would be replaced by a specific DNA sequence that would serve as the marker for the species. Apparently, the barcode system has already been tested to differentiate between two hundred closely related butterfly species.
Among the benefits of the system:
- less chance of confusion caused by different life stages
- less possiblity of misinterpretting physical characteristics
- no need for taxonomists to have a "high level of expertise"
The scientists who are proposing the barcode system believe that a database that includes up to ten million animal species could be created within twenty years at a cost of about one billion dollars. In fact, there are already two initiatives aimed at barcoding bird and fish species by 2010.
Friday, May 12, 2006
Of Critters and Classification
There was an item on the CBC today concerning a monkey that was recently found in Tanzania. Scientists actually discovered it in 2003, but they only announced the discovery last year. According to today's story, some scientists suggest giving the monkey its own genus.
On the one hand, this is a fascinating story. After all, primates are on of the best studied groups of animals in the world and scientists are proposing a new genus. That hasn't happened to a living primate in over 80 years.
On the other hand, it seems rather silly worrying about classifying the monkey when its very existence is tenuous. When the species was originally revealed, the population was estimated to be less than 1,000 and much of its habitat is under threat from humans.
On the one hand, this is a fascinating story. After all, primates are on of the best studied groups of animals in the world and scientists are proposing a new genus. That hasn't happened to a living primate in over 80 years.
On the other hand, it seems rather silly worrying about classifying the monkey when its very existence is tenuous. When the species was originally revealed, the population was estimated to be less than 1,000 and much of its habitat is under threat from humans.
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
A Green (and Red) Conundrum
Like a lot of other people, I am concerned about the environment. I believe that global warming is a fact, not a theory. I understand that water is not the unlimited resource that most Canadians think it is. I have reconciled myself to the fact that $1 a litre gas prices are here to stay. And of course, I favour municipal bans on spraying pesticides.
It is the last one that is causing me some inconvience at the moment. You see, like a lot of other people, I suffer from allergies. They are not as bad as some people's allergies -- so far they have not resulted in trips to the emergency room -- but they the worst I have experienced in 20 years.
At first, I could not figure out why my eyes were constantly puffy and red, but then someone reminded me about the pesticide ban. I should have been able to figure it out myself -- after all, the empty lot behind my apartment is covered with the thickest blanket of dandelions that I've seen in the five years I've lived here. I guess I just didn't really think about it.
Luckily, my allergies are more of an inconvenience than a potentially fatal disease, but it make me think about bigger questions. As the earth's population continues to grow, we will eventually all be called upon to make sacrifices for the greater good of us all. At least, those of us in the sheltered, spoiled West will have to adjust our lifestyles. It may mean walking more or riding more buses. It may mean using less water and reducing the amount of garbage we generate. Somehow, though, I think it will involve a bit more than putting up with a bit of hay fever.
It is the last one that is causing me some inconvience at the moment. You see, like a lot of other people, I suffer from allergies. They are not as bad as some people's allergies -- so far they have not resulted in trips to the emergency room -- but they the worst I have experienced in 20 years.
At first, I could not figure out why my eyes were constantly puffy and red, but then someone reminded me about the pesticide ban. I should have been able to figure it out myself -- after all, the empty lot behind my apartment is covered with the thickest blanket of dandelions that I've seen in the five years I've lived here. I guess I just didn't really think about it.
Luckily, my allergies are more of an inconvenience than a potentially fatal disease, but it make me think about bigger questions. As the earth's population continues to grow, we will eventually all be called upon to make sacrifices for the greater good of us all. At least, those of us in the sheltered, spoiled West will have to adjust our lifestyles. It may mean walking more or riding more buses. It may mean using less water and reducing the amount of garbage we generate. Somehow, though, I think it will involve a bit more than putting up with a bit of hay fever.
Monday, May 08, 2006
Silence
Sometimes, I get tired of talking.
You see, my job entails me talking with people on a daily basis. I talk when I am conducting training. I talk when I am in meetings. I talk as I run into people in the office. I talk to vendors and clients. Occasionally, I get weary of hearing my own voice.
When I get into these moods, I like to keep quiet in my off-time. I try to work on tasks that I can do on my own, like cleaning up filing or washing the car or painting my model soldiers -- tasks that I can do without speaking to anyone.
I doubt I could ever become a hermit -- I like people far too much to isolate myself forever -- but I have to admit that I cherish my periods of silence.
You see, my job entails me talking with people on a daily basis. I talk when I am conducting training. I talk when I am in meetings. I talk as I run into people in the office. I talk to vendors and clients. Occasionally, I get weary of hearing my own voice.
When I get into these moods, I like to keep quiet in my off-time. I try to work on tasks that I can do on my own, like cleaning up filing or washing the car or painting my model soldiers -- tasks that I can do without speaking to anyone.
I doubt I could ever become a hermit -- I like people far too much to isolate myself forever -- but I have to admit that I cherish my periods of silence.
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Melting Pot or Blast Furnace?
I was born in the Prairies, but I spent 6 years of my childhood in the United States. As a result, I like Americans and. in some cases, understand how they think. That is why I am watching the current flap over the Spanish language version of The Star Spangled Banner with such interest.
Canadians, being who they are, may not understand the passions that are being inflamed. We have created a culture of inclusiveness, in ideology if not in actual consistent application, so we tend to side with Hispanic Americans who wish to show their patriotism in their native tongue. And that, in a nutshell, is the problem -- Spanish is their native tongue.
Spanish may be widespread, but it is not an official language of the United States. That honour belongs to English. Nor is it likely to become an official language any time soon. And since the national anthem is an official song, the traditionalists feel that all citizens should sing it in English, regardless of what language they speak at home.
What Canadians forget, or perhaps what they have never known, is that a large part of American society still believes in the "melting pot". They not only believe; they want it to be true. Canadians, on the other hand, prefer our "cultural mosaic". If we must use a vessel-analogy, we think of our society as a stew pot, where discernable chunks float in a flavourful broth.
Perhaps the problem lies in the image. I propose that from now on Americans replace the phrase "melting pot" with "blast furnace", for when American society works according to the ideology, it refines ore from disparate veins and produces a single pure alloy. It may not give one such a warm and fuzzy feeling, but it is way more accurate.
Canadians, being who they are, may not understand the passions that are being inflamed. We have created a culture of inclusiveness, in ideology if not in actual consistent application, so we tend to side with Hispanic Americans who wish to show their patriotism in their native tongue. And that, in a nutshell, is the problem -- Spanish is their native tongue.
Spanish may be widespread, but it is not an official language of the United States. That honour belongs to English. Nor is it likely to become an official language any time soon. And since the national anthem is an official song, the traditionalists feel that all citizens should sing it in English, regardless of what language they speak at home.
What Canadians forget, or perhaps what they have never known, is that a large part of American society still believes in the "melting pot". They not only believe; they want it to be true. Canadians, on the other hand, prefer our "cultural mosaic". If we must use a vessel-analogy, we think of our society as a stew pot, where discernable chunks float in a flavourful broth.
Perhaps the problem lies in the image. I propose that from now on Americans replace the phrase "melting pot" with "blast furnace", for when American society works according to the ideology, it refines ore from disparate veins and produces a single pure alloy. It may not give one such a warm and fuzzy feeling, but it is way more accurate.
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
Monday, May 01, 2006
Random Acts of Role-Modeling
Last Friday, I walked up St. Clair Street to the subway station on Yonge. There was the usual mix of people you find on a sunny spring afternoon: couples out walking their dogs, mothers pushing children in strollers, teenagers chatting about their weekend plans, and workers enjoying their coffee breaks outdoors.
One young lady stood out from the crowd. Where everyone else, myself included, walked with purpose towards their destinations, she stopped every so often to smell the flowers in front of the office buildings. Sometimes it was a cursory little sniff; other times, she stopped and took in the aroma like a connoisseur taking in the bouquet of a fine wine. It didn't seem to matter that she was adding valuable minutes to her journey.
I don't know if anybody else noticed what she was doing, but her actions made me stop and think. It has been said that time is the most valuable resource because once its gone, it's gone. Taking the time to smell the flowers took up a little bit of time, but it seemed to add so much to how the young woman experienced the day. In my books, that is an excellent return on investment.
I have no idea who the young lady was, and I doubt I would recognize her if I bumped into her again, but she had an immediate impact on my day. For the rest of the day, I looked at things with an artist's eyes, noticing beauty in the every day world I normally just rush by.
One young lady stood out from the crowd. Where everyone else, myself included, walked with purpose towards their destinations, she stopped every so often to smell the flowers in front of the office buildings. Sometimes it was a cursory little sniff; other times, she stopped and took in the aroma like a connoisseur taking in the bouquet of a fine wine. It didn't seem to matter that she was adding valuable minutes to her journey.
I don't know if anybody else noticed what she was doing, but her actions made me stop and think. It has been said that time is the most valuable resource because once its gone, it's gone. Taking the time to smell the flowers took up a little bit of time, but it seemed to add so much to how the young woman experienced the day. In my books, that is an excellent return on investment.
I have no idea who the young lady was, and I doubt I would recognize her if I bumped into her again, but she had an immediate impact on my day. For the rest of the day, I looked at things with an artist's eyes, noticing beauty in the every day world I normally just rush by.
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