When it comes to outdoor Christmas decorations, we are not exactly the Griswold's.
We string a few lights along the roof, the trees and some rope lights around the rails. I still have not gotten up on the roof to get our lights up, perhaps tomorrow. Getting the boxes with the outdoor decorations out of storage, testing the lights, deciding what goes where - it takes time and some planning.
So, I can not imagine the planning that went into this cooperative display of Christmas lights in this neighborhood.
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
WHEN YOU SLEEP IS AS IMPORTANT AS HOW LONG YOU SLEEP
I am a worrier. I seem to worry the most at night which results in a lot less sleep than I need. I rarely, if ever get my eight hours of sleep. Poor
sleep can lead to fatigue. With fatigue, you exercise less and that
leads to a decline in your fitness level. It is a vicious cycle that
causes both physical and mood-related symptoms.
I used to be a morning person. Up at the crack of dawn, coffee in hand, surfing the net, checking the latest news before the kids stumbled out of bed and the morning rush began. Lately, I have had trouble sleeping. I am up at dawn because I failed to sleep at all.
If you are like me, you might be interested in a study out of Binghamton University that concludes that when you go to sleep matters when it comes to fending off "repetitive negative thinking."
The researchers say that people who are night owls wake later in the day tend to obsess about their problems more than people who keep more regular sleeping hours. "Making sure that sleep is obtained during the right time of day may be an inexpensive and easily disseminable intervention for individuals who are bothered by intrusive thoughts," says one of the researchers for the study published in Cognitive Therapy and Research.
Apparently it is all tied to the brains natural sleep rhythms and when it is best suited to handle high-level cognitive processes. When the lights go out, our brains start working–but in an altogether different way than when we’re awake.
I envy those of you that go to bed by ten and are up by six thirty.
I used to be a morning person. Up at the crack of dawn, coffee in hand, surfing the net, checking the latest news before the kids stumbled out of bed and the morning rush began. Lately, I have had trouble sleeping. I am up at dawn because I failed to sleep at all.
If you are like me, you might be interested in a study out of Binghamton University that concludes that when you go to sleep matters when it comes to fending off "repetitive negative thinking."
The researchers say that people who are night owls wake later in the day tend to obsess about their problems more than people who keep more regular sleeping hours. "Making sure that sleep is obtained during the right time of day may be an inexpensive and easily disseminable intervention for individuals who are bothered by intrusive thoughts," says one of the researchers for the study published in Cognitive Therapy and Research.
Apparently it is all tied to the brains natural sleep rhythms and when it is best suited to handle high-level cognitive processes. When the lights go out, our brains start working–but in an altogether different way than when we’re awake.
I envy those of you that go to bed by ten and are up by six thirty.
PIRATE BAY SCUTTLED?
The worlds most enduring illegal file sharing torrent has disappeared following a raid by Sweden authorities to protect intellectual property. Reports say that the police raided a server hidden in a remote mountain location and in Stochholm.Several other torrent related sites including EZTV, Zoink, Torrage and the Istole tracker are also down.
In October, Pirate Bay’s co-founder,l Gottfrid Svartholm, was found guilty in Denmark and sentenced to 3.5 years in prison. Although the conviction this time was unrelated to file-sharing, it follows a previous 2009 conviction on copyright violations related to the file-sharing service. Svartholm had been convicted on the copyright charges along with his Pirate Bay co-founders, Fredrik Neij, Peter Sunde, and Swedish telecommunitations owner Carl Lundstrom. Neij was recently arrested at the Thailand-Laos border on the 2009 conviction. (Wired)
Founded in 2003, The Pirate Bay has been accused of facilitating copyright violations throughout its existence, yet despite the efforts of creative industries, governments and anti-piracy groups it has consistently managed to stay afloat.
It is much too early in the game to write an obituary for The Pirate Bay as a return to one of its previous addresses could only be a matter of time. If that happens it will underscore how ineffective website blocking is.
Privacy expert and GMAC Internet Solutions owner Gerard McDermott tweeted: “It’s cute how they think shutting down The Pirate Bay will stop piracy. Only easy, wide, inexpensive availability of content will stop it.”
WHITE CHRISTMAS
White Christmas" was written in 1940 by a Irving Berlin for
the 1942 movie "Holiday Inn" starring Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire.
Apparently, Berlin's assignment was to write a song about each of the major holidays of the year. But Berlin, who was Jewish, found that writing a song about Christmas was the most challenging. He drew upon his experiences of the holiday in New York (including Christmas Trees erected by neighbors when he was a boy) and Los Angeles, but still felt that the end result was wanting. However, when Bing first heard Berlin audition "White Christmas" in 1941 he reassured Irving that he had created a winner. Bing's preliminary evaluation turned out to be a gross understatement.
The success of the song led eventually to a movie based on the song. The movie "White Christmas" was released in 1954 and became the leading box-office draw of 1954.
According to the Guinness World Records, the version sung by Bing Crosby is the best-selling single of all time, with estimated sales in excess of 50 million copies worldwide.
Apparently, Berlin's assignment was to write a song about each of the major holidays of the year. But Berlin, who was Jewish, found that writing a song about Christmas was the most challenging. He drew upon his experiences of the holiday in New York (including Christmas Trees erected by neighbors when he was a boy) and Los Angeles, but still felt that the end result was wanting. However, when Bing first heard Berlin audition "White Christmas" in 1941 he reassured Irving that he had created a winner. Bing's preliminary evaluation turned out to be a gross understatement.
The success of the song led eventually to a movie based on the song. The movie "White Christmas" was released in 1954 and became the leading box-office draw of 1954.
According to the Guinness World Records, the version sung by Bing Crosby is the best-selling single of all time, with estimated sales in excess of 50 million copies worldwide.
TORIES FAIL TO SILENCE DEMPSTER
The silly rules of the House of Assembly.
Is there anyone in the province outside of those in the incredibly shrinking government backbenches and those that benefited from the Progressive Conservative's preferential treatment of Humber Valley Paving that would disagree with Liberal Lisa Dempster's statement in the House of Assembly that the Humber Valley Paving controversy "smells of corruption." ?
The tory deputy speaker threw the Cartwright L'Anse au Clair out of the house of Assembly for refusing to withdraw the comment. Tory MHA Eli Cross ruled that she used unparliamentary language and punished her for refusing to withdraw the comment.
The people of Cartwright L'Anse au Clair lost their voice in the House of Assembly for a day because their member echoed the opinion of the majority of the province on the Humber Valley Paving fiasco.
The action, coming in the wake of eight consecutive by-election loses and yesterday's eighth consecutive negative opinion poll paints a picture of an illegitimate government that can not be trusted with power.
It is high time that the opposition proposed a vote of non-confidence in the government demanding that the governments incompetence and corruption has created a democratic emergency that can only be resolved by a general election.
Is there anyone in the province outside of those in the incredibly shrinking government backbenches and those that benefited from the Progressive Conservative's preferential treatment of Humber Valley Paving that would disagree with Liberal Lisa Dempster's statement in the House of Assembly that the Humber Valley Paving controversy "smells of corruption." ?
The tory deputy speaker threw the Cartwright L'Anse au Clair out of the house of Assembly for refusing to withdraw the comment. Tory MHA Eli Cross ruled that she used unparliamentary language and punished her for refusing to withdraw the comment.
The people of Cartwright L'Anse au Clair lost their voice in the House of Assembly for a day because their member echoed the opinion of the majority of the province on the Humber Valley Paving fiasco.
The action, coming in the wake of eight consecutive by-election loses and yesterday's eighth consecutive negative opinion poll paints a picture of an illegitimate government that can not be trusted with power.
It is high time that the opposition proposed a vote of non-confidence in the government demanding that the governments incompetence and corruption has created a democratic emergency that can only be resolved by a general election.
MOTHER HUBBARD & M KING HUBBERT
Remember the shock when gas bars across the province began adapting their signs to display post $1 per liter prices? It was a mental adaptation to the arrival of so called "Peak Oil" predicted by geophysicist M. King Hubbert.
In Newfoundland and Labrador the surge in oil prices was a tough hit for the average consumer. The cost of filling up our vehicles, our oil tanks and out grocery carts went through the roof. The province began offering oil rebates to assist the most vulnerable adapt to the new reality.
The impact on the provincial government's coffers was like day and night. A somber 2004 province wide "Mother Hubbard" address by than Premier Danny Williams declared the cupboards were bare.
The province was nearly broke. We were spending beyond our means. The civil service was too large. Expenditures on government programs had to be reduced to fit the economic reality of our high debt levels verses our revenues. Than world oil prices surged and those coffers filled with bonus petro dollars.
Over the next decade the government doubled expenditures as it milked the golden cow and failed to look after the other farm animals. One by one other industries fell by the wayside and the government became more and more reliant on those petro dollars.
The province forgot that lower government revenues follow from lower commodity prices like “night follows the day." Anyone who challenged the spending spree was deemed to be negative. Talk that the economy would not continue to soar was called "bull". The good times were here to stay. Government austerity was forgotten and any rainy day fund was deemed unnecessary.
The price drop is an unexpected turn of events for an industry that for decades has operated under the assumption of Peak Oil. Our government has been caught completely unprepared. It turns out that all of the chest beating about being good fiscal stewards was hollow.
As oil consumers begin to feel the benefit of lower prices our government's revenues are beginning to tank. The long vaunted concern of our auditor generals regarding unsustainable spending has proven true. We feasted on ambrosia, bought into the narrative of strong, proud and independent with no concern for the future.
Gas prices may slip below $1 a liter this week. While you are enjoying the break on filling your gas and oil tanks start preparing for the very real hard choices that your government is going to have to make as the reality of living by it's staple means sets in.
Brace yourself for another "Mother Hubbard" speech. Hubbert’s peak, at least in the short and medium term, no longer applies.
In Newfoundland and Labrador the surge in oil prices was a tough hit for the average consumer. The cost of filling up our vehicles, our oil tanks and out grocery carts went through the roof. The province began offering oil rebates to assist the most vulnerable adapt to the new reality.
The impact on the provincial government's coffers was like day and night. A somber 2004 province wide "Mother Hubbard" address by than Premier Danny Williams declared the cupboards were bare.
The province was nearly broke. We were spending beyond our means. The civil service was too large. Expenditures on government programs had to be reduced to fit the economic reality of our high debt levels verses our revenues. Than world oil prices surged and those coffers filled with bonus petro dollars.
Over the next decade the government doubled expenditures as it milked the golden cow and failed to look after the other farm animals. One by one other industries fell by the wayside and the government became more and more reliant on those petro dollars.
The province forgot that lower government revenues follow from lower commodity prices like “night follows the day." Anyone who challenged the spending spree was deemed to be negative. Talk that the economy would not continue to soar was called "bull". The good times were here to stay. Government austerity was forgotten and any rainy day fund was deemed unnecessary.
The price drop is an unexpected turn of events for an industry that for decades has operated under the assumption of Peak Oil. Our government has been caught completely unprepared. It turns out that all of the chest beating about being good fiscal stewards was hollow.
As oil consumers begin to feel the benefit of lower prices our government's revenues are beginning to tank. The long vaunted concern of our auditor generals regarding unsustainable spending has proven true. We feasted on ambrosia, bought into the narrative of strong, proud and independent with no concern for the future.
Gas prices may slip below $1 a liter this week. While you are enjoying the break on filling your gas and oil tanks start preparing for the very real hard choices that your government is going to have to make as the reality of living by it's staple means sets in.
Brace yourself for another "Mother Hubbard" speech. Hubbert’s peak, at least in the short and medium term, no longer applies.
Monday, December 8, 2014
THE CONSOLE ODYSSEY ENDS FOR RALPH
Sony started selling limited special editions of the PlayStation 4 with similarly-colored editions of the PlayStation 4’s controller, camera, vertical stand and headset over the weekend to celebrate the game machines 20th anniversary. Frankly, I missed the console wars of the 90's. Never owned a Nintendo, Sega, Saturn. Frankly, I do not even recall much top 40 music of the period. I was a computer gamer. Give me a keyboard and a mouse, a fast graphic card and a decent modem connection and I was set! It was not until 2001, with the release of the X-Box that I purchased my first console. Even than what attracted me was not the gaming but the modding. It was my first Apple TV of sorts!
Whether you were a computer, console or arcade gamer you might be saddened to know that Ralph Baer, who invented, patented and released the first television videogame console passed away on Saturday.
Baers invention of games that could be played on a
consumer television directly led to the creation of today’s
multi-billion-dollar home video game industry. In 1972 his invention was licensed to the television company Magnavox, which released it as “Odyssey. I never owned one by my cousin Paul did. We played this simple tennis game for hours. That game was later inspired Atari's first game - Pong.O yea, Atari was sued for copyright infringement, and ended up sharing profits with Baers.
Just because I am a bit of a geek and feeling old, I decided to do a little research on my own to determine how far we have come since the Odyssey by comparing it to my kids X-Box One.
Off the top I was impressed with it in 1971 as the boys are today with their favorite console. However that is where the equality ends. The Odyssey did not have the ability to play a Blue-Ray, CD, DVD or even an 8-Track. It had no storage. It was an analog device so it did not contain a CPU or RAM, and it certainly was not HDMI compatible. However, in 1971, owning one was probably cooler than owning an X-Box One is today.
Wired has a great story chronicling Baer's life and accomplishments.
Sony, 20 years sounds great but the grand daddy of the consoles was the Odessey and that is an incredible 43 years old.
UNSAFE DRINKING WATER A TORY LEGACY
Folks keep telling me that Progressive Conservative M.H.A Calvin Peach is going to be hard to beat no matter how strong the Liberal Tsunami of 2015 is going to be.They cite his common man approach, his ritualistic attendance at high school graduations and fireman's balls (he usually comes with a government cheque) and the unconvertable fact that he is a gentleman. His biggest strength in the past two elections in the traditionally liberal district has been that he was on the government side.
The results of the past eight-by-elections has certainly turned that political equation up-side down over the past twenty months. If he is re-elected he will not be on the government side and it looks as if people are tired of being bought with their own money.
However the fact remains that Peach enjoys a good reputation as a constituency man. How well earned is that reputation? It is certainly no secret that I have been approached by some liberals and friends to consider running on the Burin Peninsula. One of the seats that was of interest to me was Bellevue, after all my home town is there and after 12 years of tory rule, one of the most significant issues in many communities throughout the district remains unresolved.
If there's one thing we can take for granted in Canada it's that the water coming out of our taps is clean and pure. Right!
In fairness, the issues are not the creation of the Progressive Conservatives, but their abject failure to address the primary issue of good, clean drinking water for a majority of the residents in that district astounds me and borders on neglect.As the era of plenty comes to a close with those petro dollars squandered, The Federation of Municipalities has released a 92-page report, Exploring Solutions for Sustainable Rural Drinking Water Systems which paints a particularly bad picture of the condition of drinking water systems in communities located Trinity, Placentia and Fortune Bays.
How can that be, after all don't they have a great constituency man?
LESLIE IN AFTER POLICE BREAK-UP SCUFFLE AT GRIT NOMINATION
On Saturday night retired Canadian Forces general Andrew Leslie was acclaimed. The adviser to Liberal leader Justice Trudeau was not the only candidate to seek the nomination - he was the only candidate to be green lit.
Ottawa lawyer David Bertschi claims the party acted undemocratically last month in disqualifying him from seeking the nomination. When he and some supporters protested at the meeting police were called to settle things down.
The party refused to provide the green light for his participation based on his alleged failure to comply with a plan to pay down outstanding debts from his 2013 bid for the Liberal leadership. There was also a question about whether he had properly informed the party about a defamation action he had launched against a U.S.-based gossip website.
Candidates for provincial and federal Liberal nominations must submit answers to detailed questions about their taxes, incomes, employment history, financial history, publications, legal history and political history to a green light committee. That committee determines if a nominee is eligible to run as a candidate in a Liberal nomination process.
The most interesting clause is a question acknowledging full-disclosure which asks the candidate to confirm that he or she has disclosed any, and all facts, that could cause the electoral chances of the candidate or the party to be jeopardized. There is a grey area that is certainly open to interpretation.
Breaking the law by puffing a marijuana cigarette or creating tax shams are okay but one has to watch those law suits against gossip rags.
I guess Danny Williams would never be green lit!
SETTING OUR OWN PERSONAL EXIT DATE
The right-to-die with dignity movement has been gathering steam and acceptance throughout the world. There appears to be a growing acceptance that the terminally ill should have the right to end their lives – to die with dignity.
For religious institutions it is the the thin edge of the wedge. Compassion yes, but could the criterion of “dying with dignity” not apply to all of us, regardless of age or medical condition? Should we not all be able to determine our own best before date, or more aptly put, our personal exit date?
Every single time that someone I know has ended their lives, people close to them have been profoundly affected. Have they been more affected than if that persons life had been ended in a sudden car accident or a heart attack? Many argue yes. Suicide, they say is selfish. The person ending their life is thinking only of themselves, not those they leave behind. It is a cowardly act of the self-absorbed, the weak, the uncaring, the lazy and on it goes. However what we are really upset about is that we have lost someone, and they are the ones who have done this to us - we have no control.
Ironically, everyone acts so surprised as if they care so much after people commit suicide. Where were those same people when these people were suffering and destitute? In fairness, the signs are often internal and impossible to see.
THOUGHTS ON DEATH
"Ordinary
people seem not to realize that those who really apply themselves in the right
way to philosophy are directly and of their own accord preparing themselves for
dying and death. If this is true, and they have actually been looking forward
to death all their lives, it would of course be absurd to be troubled when the
thing comes for which they have so long been preparing and looking forward."
—SOCRATES,
PHAEDO
Sunday, December 7, 2014
SNOW ANGEL: CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS WITH SHALLAWAY
Newfoundland and Labrador Youth in Chorus kicked the Christmas Season into high gear tonight at Cochrane Street United Church in St. John's Downtown. The bright red ribbons, colorfully decorated trees and the lush greens of the garland in the dim lights makes for intimate venue. This was the first year that Kristine and I have managed to snag a seat on the main floor. We normally watch from the balcony.
This year's Shallaway concert was entitled "Snow Angel: A Celebration of Traditional Christmas Music featuring a special guest, Alison Nicholas, soprano. She is an accomplished Shallaway alumna who thrilled the choir and the audience with Handel's Come Unto Him, which is from Messiah.
Aidan is in his eighth year and Conor is in his fifth year as choristers with Shallaway. The annual Christmas Concert is a family tradition. It marks the start of our Christmas season.
While I really enjoyed the entire show, in particular the opportunities provided for the audience to join in, the most memorable performance of the night for me was Edward Elgar's - The Snow that featured festive violins.
Cochrane Street United is an incredible venue, the high ceilings and the Wesleyan architecture make for beautiful and joyful sounds. The four-manual Casavant pipe organ is the largest in the province and is recognized as one of the finest in eastern Canada.
It seems that the need for repairs grows every year. There is much evidence of leaks, chipped paint and in the past after a heavy rain parts of the balcony have been cordoned off. The small congregation is challenged to pay the bills, let a lone find the funds needed for restoration.This year they announced that the they wish to convert the church's annex into 10 affordable housing units. It is hoped that the income from these units will help meet the fiscal challenges of continuing to operate.
For over a hundred and thirty years Cochrane Street United has made an incalculable cultural and community contribution to generations of people, of many denominations and faiths. Consider making a donation to the restoration fund, small or big, every nickel counts towards conserving this incredible example of our rich and irreplaceable built heritage.
Liam has been requesting we play Christmas music to get into the "mood" all weekend. Thanks to Cochrne Street Unite, we are all there now. Do your part this year and give away some of your treasure to ensure this venue remains for many generations to come.
MAKE HEALTH LAST
Time waits for no one. We can count on the fact that at some point we will all face our immortality.
We may be living longer but are we living healthier?
Canada’s Heart and Stroke Foundation recent study shows that many are not as healthy as they could be. They point the finger at excess weight, lack of physical activity and smoking as key culprits.
Healthy living has become even more important to me due to my Type II Diabetes diagnosis. It is even more important for older members of my family - like uncles, aunts and parents who crossing into that threshold of being in their 70's.
The foundation offers an assessment that takes about 10 minutes to complete. When you have completed it you receive suggestions about health factors you can control, such as getting more exercise or limiting high-fat foods, and prompts you to set goals
Take the assessment at makehealthlast.ca
We may be living longer but are we living healthier?
Canada’s Heart and Stroke Foundation recent study shows that many are not as healthy as they could be. They point the finger at excess weight, lack of physical activity and smoking as key culprits.
Healthy living has become even more important to me due to my Type II Diabetes diagnosis. It is even more important for older members of my family - like uncles, aunts and parents who crossing into that threshold of being in their 70's.
The foundation offers an assessment that takes about 10 minutes to complete. When you have completed it you receive suggestions about health factors you can control, such as getting more exercise or limiting high-fat foods, and prompts you to set goals
Take the assessment at makehealthlast.ca
CHRISTMAS TV BUYING
Tis the season for big gifts.
A common purchase at this time of the year is a new television. My brothers and I are in the market for a new one for our parents. Choices galore. There are many formats, manufactures not to mention tech options. Trying to determine the best choice for our non-techie parents is quite the challange.
It is not a matter of what we can afford or buying the biggest TV we can afford, it is a matter of not handing them something that is complicated to used, leading to frustration. We also have to pick something that fits the space available in the TV room.
They currently have a 36 " TV that fills up the entire corner. Flat TVs take up much less space than you might think, so I know the TV is going to may end up a foot or two further away from thier traditional viewing position, making the picture appear smaller. Apparently Use room size dictates the size of screen you should choose—the ideal viewing distance from the screen should be about twice the screen size.
A common purchase at this time of the year is a new television. My brothers and I are in the market for a new one for our parents. Choices galore. There are many formats, manufactures not to mention tech options. Trying to determine the best choice for our non-techie parents is quite the challange.
It is not a matter of what we can afford or buying the biggest TV we can afford, it is a matter of not handing them something that is complicated to used, leading to frustration. We also have to pick something that fits the space available in the TV room.
They currently have a 36 " TV that fills up the entire corner. Flat TVs take up much less space than you might think, so I know the TV is going to may end up a foot or two further away from thier traditional viewing position, making the picture appear smaller. Apparently Use room size dictates the size of screen you should choose—the ideal viewing distance from the screen should be about twice the screen size.
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