No sales tax

The Super Store has a no-sales-tax promo this weekend. The problem is that all the non-perishable sales items that I wanted to buy, such as light bulbs and detergent, were sold out. Anyway, the tax I save today comes to abt six bucks. Oh well, it's better than nothing.

A belated gift

A marriage gift I had bought long time ago was finally delivered earlier today. I joked that if the bride had waited long enough, it would have become a baby shower gift.

Pianist and Conductor - Part 2

Hurray !!! Our choir now has a pianist and a conductor ! It was a good session. I brought 20 cupcakes for all to enjoy :)

Canadian Generosity

Here are some numbers from Statistics Canada, as reported by CBC National tonight:

* Canadians donated $8.19 billion to charities in 2008 — a 5.3 per cent drop from the previous year — as the recession led people to contribute a little less to good causes.

* It was the lowest annual donation figure since 2005's $7.9 billion.

* Median charitable tax claim is $250

* Volunteer work are excluded.

Sarah Palin Unplugged

She was interviewed by Oprah and reported by media, but there are also lots of groaning. I assume the sold-out book is meat-and-potato stuff for the US Bible Belt. Palin gave no clear signal whether she would put her name forward for President, or Talk Show Host.

Pineapple Express

CBC National reported just now that the North Vanc Grouse Mountain gondola is shut down because of high wind and wet weather from the Pineapple Express warm front that is hitting the BC coast. Let's hope that Mother Nature will replenish the snow on Cypress Bowl, Whistler, and Blackcomb before the Winter Olympic !!

This is IT for Michael Jackson + A Second Chance for Amy Winehouse

While I listened to Michael Jackson's music (including songs he had sung in his boyish Jackson-Five voice), I did not follow his performance and career closely. I feel sorry for the 50 years old performer who had wanted a strong come back after all the ups and downs in his life. Unfortunately, he was never given the chance.

I am more a fan of Amy Winehouse who is also planning a come back after several years of bad relationships, booze, drugs, and high-profile public incidents. Unlike MJ, Amy Winehouse is only in her late 20's and time is on her side, at least for now. Hopefully, she will clean up her act and the fans, DJs and recording industry will give her a second chance to prove herself.

The Man Who Stares at Goats (movie)

Tuesday is half-price at the local cinemas. So, K and I went to see "The Man Who Stares Goats". It was an all right movie, funny but also weired. But what I did not realize is that some of the characters are actually "real", with one John B Alexander who actually affiliates with Canada's National Research Council (NRC) here in Ottawa. I'll be darned !!

++++++++++++++++++++++++

Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_B._Alexander

John B. Alexander

John Alexander is a retired US Army Colonel and a leading advocate for the development of non-lethal weapons. He was born in New York in 1937, and obtained a PhD from Walden University in 1980. Col. Alexander figures prominently in journalist Jon Ronson's book The Men Who Stare At Goats which examines the subject of New Age ideas influencing the military.

Career

He Joined the army in 1956 and retired in 1988 after serving among other things with research and development, special operations, and served as a Special Forces commander in Vietnam and Thailand. During his time in the army he showed interest in esoteric techniques similar to those explored by Lt. Col. Jim Channon in his First Earth Battalion manual. For example neuro-linguistic programming with which he hoped to create "Jedi warriors". (according to himself in his 1990 book The Warrior's Edge).

Colonel John Alexander, US Army Intelligence & Security Command, TDYed to the NSA, obtained his "Ph.D." from non-traditional New Age Walden University, was head of Las Vegas billionaire Robert Bigelow's NIDS organization investigating paranormal sites, member of the Aviary group involved in UFO cover-up matters as orchestrated by the global power group, The Cabal.

After his retirement Col. Alexander joined Los Alamos National Laboratory where he developed the concept of Non-Lethal Defense. He conducted briefings on non-lethal warfare at the highest levels of government, participated in a Council on Foreign Relations study of non-lethal weapons and chaired the first major conference on the topic.

Currently he is a member of the (Canadian) National Research Council Committee for Assessment of Non-Lethal Weapons Science and Technology.
Alexander is a past President and a board member of the International Association for Near Death Studies, and he is a senior fellow with two DOD universities.

Chinese Kung Fu Stories

On April Fool's Day in 2008, Space was talking abt how he, as a young reader, was surprised by all the cheating, tricks and deceptions in Chinese Kung Fu stories.

Here are the exchanges in his blog article "倚天屠龍記～四月一日愚人節"

Space: ... 年少時初讀金庸的武俠小說，其中之一本『倚天屠龍記』，就頗為震堪了，因為全書都是充滿着『呃人』、『瞞騙』、『騙人』的把戲。

Haricot: ... 童年有「追」武俠小說,但印象最深的卻是金庸的《神鵰俠侶》,楊個和小龍女最終也是沒有欺騙大家的情感。反視今時今日的世界,『呃人』、『瞞騙』、『騙人』的把戲卻不只是四月一日上演!!!

Link: http://mindnecessity.blogspot.com/2008/04/april-fools-dayfool.html

A gamble is a calculated risk

Here are my comments re Horace's blog article "Dream kitchen almost comes true" in which he mentioned abt paying $5000 membership fee to get a deal from his local Direct Buy.

" ... No I do not have any concrete evidence for or against. I would assume Market Place had the resources to do the necessary research and come up with the report. I also checked up Wikipedia (some of its articles have been known to be biased and written by authours with alternate motives) which suggests Ottawa’s Direct Buy was good for blinds and shades. I don’t think I will pay $5000 membership fee to buy that. I would suggest that the integrity of the local franchise is a key factor in your decision and you should contact the local Better Business Bureau to verify. In principle, I never like pressure sales and don’t like to entertain “deals”, esp when the dealer makes the rules and controls most of the cards. Bottom line: A gamble is a calculated risk."

Link: http://www.horace.org/blog/2009/11/05/dream-kitchen-almost-comes-true/

Inflating Grade 12 marks by some private schools, for a fee

Horace posted a Macleans magazine report abt some Canadian private schools that inflated students' marks so they could inflate their Grade 12 average before applying for admission into universities.

Macleans: “... She got a 40 per cent class mark in my course and a 90 per cent course mark from Century. She failed the provincial exam, but after her exam marks were blended with her mark from Century she received an overall 70 per cent in the course. She ended up in a prestigious science program at UBC."

Here are my comments:

The last sentence sums it up: “She ended up in a prestigious science program at UBC.” But: Did she flunk out after 1st year?

While some private schools are reportedly abusing the system, post-secondary education institutions too could find themselves in a potential conflict-of-interest situation. Many Canadian universities and colleges want to attract international students to boast shrinking local enrolments. So, it might be tempting to take the path of least resistance by not taking on the arduous tasks of investigating the admission marks. Perhaps, once the students are enrolled, then the universities’ own exam systems would be able to weed out those with inflated marks, theoretically.

References:
* "If you need better marks, some private schools are happy to oblige—for a fee" by Sandy Farran, Macleans, November 6th, 2009
* "Can high school grades be trusted?" Hevangel/Horace, http://www.horace.org/blog/2009/11/06/can-high-school-grades-be-trusted/comment-page-1/#comment-72293

The Informant (movie)

K and I went to the AMC to watch The Informant. Matt Damon's acting was pretty good and the story quite entertaining. The cost was $25 for two, and I resisted the temptation of spending another $11-12 for a pop corn and drink that I didn't need anyway.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Informant!

The Final Twist

This evening, K and I went to the Gladstone Theatre to see the play "The Final Twist". Actually, the murder plot was fairly straight forward. The real surprise was reserved for the unfortunate audience who had parked on the street and found tickets on the windshields after the show.

Sensationalism in Media

There are always shock-jocks and tabloid newspaper reporters who will deliberately make outrageous and sensational statements to increase sales. For these ppl, making money is obviously more important than maintaining professional standard or integrity. They will continue to supply junk news, as long as there is a demand for it and libel risks are manageable.

(The above were comments I left at Fresh Designer's blog re: a HK newspaper's report on the Disney Theme Park to be built in Shanghai)

Link: "玩完"香港的不是迪士呢? http://freshdesigner.blogspot.com/2009/11/blog-post_05.html

Bed Time

Must not stay up late !!!!

Rest On My Laurels

It seems to me 48 hours is the time limit beyond which I will start losing the training effect of running, weight lifting, etc. And, if I rest on my laurels for a week, it becomes a struggle to do what I normally would consider as routine.

取他人之長補自己之短

Here are the comments I left at Michelle's blog on 26 October 2009

Michelle: 我不喜歡找到這麼多不喜歡香港的事情

Haricot: In a way, we are lucky to be able to talk abt "dislikes". In many other countries, there are no rooms for political, religious and/or gender dissent, period.I always believe in learning from others' strengths to improve my weaknesses「取他人之長補自己之短」, as opposed to "self aggrandisement" e.g.「大香港主義」"Hong Kong-centric"。

(Link: Michelle 「兩周一聚」(24) : 香港二十 (續) 20 October 2009)

Pianist and Conductor

I just learnt that our conductor/pianist has resigned :(

Update: 2009-11-20 http://strongcedar.blogspot.com/2009/11/pianist-and-conductor-part-2.html

Agree to disagree, then move forward !!!

There were some heated discussions at today's teleconference. But in the end, cooler heads prevailed and we agreed to disagree. More importantly, people were willing to move forward instead of beating on a dead horse.

Seeing is believing?

A relative in HK said to me once: "Why do I need to travel when I can see the world on TV?"

I mean it is his free choice. But, seeing the Great Wall on the screen is not the same as standing on top of it in person.

I am biased. I like traveling !!

(Link: Fresh Designer http://freshdesigner.blogspot.com/2009/10/blog-post_29.html)

You Are Supposed to Know !!

Exile from HK: ... I also find it hard communicating with “some” Hong Kong people. Sometimes they say one thing but they really mean something else and they won’t tell you. I hate the whole “you are supposed to know” game. Make you want to scream “no, I don’t know how you feel, just tell me!”

Haricot: ... I agree w Exile that many ppl from HK (and mainland too) are not as "upfront". Perhaps that's why some of them have difficulties adjusting to the N American work environment.

Source: http://gwenzilla.wordpress.com/2009/10/15/hk20/

Flowers inside a Greenhouse

Fresh Designer: 如今這一代就是這樣長大的，要快、要方便，最好不用自己動手，有時候，惡果是大人自己造成的! // The next generation of kids grow up with a sense of entitlement. They expect their wants to be served or satisfied in a timely and convenient manner with little efforts required on their part. The adults who shield the kids from hard work are not doing anybody any favour.

Haricot: 在溫室內長大的嬌花,總不及在野外的粗壯。// Delicate flowers growing up pampered and protected in a greenhouse will never be as strong as wild flowers that have endured hardship out in the real world.

(Source: http://freshdesigner.blogspot.com/2009/10/blog-post_16.html)

Running Round and Round

When there is a rainstorm outside, my half-marathon training has to be done on treadmills at the Y gym. I used to run around the indoor track there, but with its distance shortened by half after renovation, it is not practical to run 32 rounds to a mile, or 192 rounds to 10K. Just thinking abt it makes me feel dizzy.

The Autumn Leaves (and my Dad)

For many years, when the leaves turned red around this time of the season, my father would come and help rake all the fallen leaves in the backyard into nice little piles, then tirelessly put them into paper bags for pick-up by the city's yard-waste truck. I miss you Dad !!!

Preparation for the Fall Colours Race

I managed to have a 2-hour work-out at the Y gym, but no aerobic exercise which I need in prep for the Fall Colours race in October.

Battleship Galactica Season 4.5

I have been following the TV series Battleship Galactica on and off. So, I bought Season 4.5 just to find out exactly how the story ended. The 13-hour long DVDs set is on sale for $39.99 at both The Future Shop and Best Buy.

I do like sci-fi stories from time to time.

Rest Day

Because of chores, I was not able to do any exercise today.

Coming down with a cold, by still up and running literally !!

Despite all precautions, I still caught some bugs somewhere and am coming down with a cold. But my body is strong and am fighting it. Some fresh fruit with vitamin C and a few decongestant capsules should do the job. Meanwhile, I am still preparing for my second race in less than a month (the Army Run half-marathon was on Sep 20 and the Fall Colours race will be on Oct 10).

I ran on the treadmills for 65 minutes earlier today. My max heart rate was around 150 bpm, with an avg of 131 bpm.

Cape No. 7

K and I went to National Library and Archives this evening to see this award-winning Taiwanese movie. The music and storyline are both quite good, and the movie enjoyable.

Mid-Autumn Festival Banquet

I accompanied my Mom to the mid-autumn festival banquet hosted annually by the local Chinese seniors association. As a guest, I was invited to sing on stage, but alas the restaurant owner could not find my song on the Karaoke machine. That was too bad because a lot of the seniors there might have enjoyed this golden oldie, "The Ding Dong Song", which I recalled was being blasted out from loudspeakers at every record store in Hong Kong when it had hit the top of the pop chart. The Chinese version was called 第二春.

Gosh Golly !! Time Flies !!!!!

As predicted back on August 18, 2009, I have been extremely busy. I wrote my last article here on Sept 5, went on a business trip Sept 7-10 inclusive, and have not had an entry for almost 19 days!!! By Golly, I must retrace my steps and fill in the blanks in btwn !!!!

(Thus, all articles from Sept 6 to 23 inclusive will be written and posted retroactively.)

Encounter of the raccoon type

See article posted on Lotusandcedar on Saturday Sept 5, 2009.

Dancing in Unison, Singing in Unison

Both the teleconference at noon and committee meeting in the afternoon went well. In the evening, I tried Line Dance for the first time and it was a lot of fun. The challenge was trying to follow the instructor's fancy footwork and to dance in unison with other participants. Afterward the dancers and the rest of the group sit down and sang some songs together.

Ikea at Pinecrest Mall

Ikea for ideas - so many neat things, so little space and money !!!

Go over the report with a fine-tooth comb

I spent all yesterday evening and this morning going over the Annual Report with a fine-tooth comb. It's amazing how much I missed the first time. I have my own professional standard for report-writing and must be satisfied with the product before it goes out.

Busy Bee

After spending most of the afternoon revising the Annual Report, I went w K to the Y gym at 18h30 for a workout. Due to time conflict, I was not able to attend the Running Room's Wednesday evening practice session.

World War Two started September 1, 1939

Germany invaded Poland 70 years ago, thus starting World War Two (WWII) that would burn the world for the next five years, with loss of many lives.

2weeks1gather Article "If I were a book ..." + Stressful Day

Having slugging it out with Margaret Atwood's "Survival - A Thematic Guide to Canadian Literature", I finally completed and posted my 2weeks1gather article on the due date Aug 30, 2009 (see Lotusandcedar). Was I ever tired today zzzzzzz !!!

Anyway, I picked up K at Trail Head after work hours and we went to the gym at 6 pm only to find out J was at the Jewish Recreational Centre !!! We left the gym early. K had some "comfort" food at Dick's to console the stress and disappointment. I dropped K off and went back to the gym to finish my exercise.

Miserable Sunday Weather

The weather had turned cold and rainy since last Friday. It's hard to believe, but I turned the heater on last night. The day time high was in the teens, and at night single digit !!! We had a long cool spring, tornado weather in August, and now this. I feel robbed. Anyway, complaining abt the weather is very Canadian.

Machine-Human Interfacing

The Y Gym was re-opened Saturday Aug 29, 2009. Finally, I no longer had to do my weight training and machine-aided aerobic exercises in little rooms. But my favourite in-door track (16 rounds to a mile) would be replaced by one half its size :(

I tried out the brand new machines. They were not bad once I had figured out how to use them. As well, the body which had been conditioned by the old machines, would need re-adjustments, a process that I called "machine-human interfacing".

Mom II

We went to Lincoln Field again and there were hardly anyone there today. Yeah !!!

Mom I

I went w Mom to Lincoln Field but was advised to come back at 09h30 on Saturday. She said the suggested time would be too early. Okay Mom, let's try 11h30.

Last Zumba lesson

We had a small group this evening in the Fitness Room for Women, as the Y gym itself was under renovation. K didn't come and wouldn't continue with the next session :(

Marathon Training - Farlek Run

I showed up in a crowded Running Room with over 30 people milling around. There were the parents with their young kids for their first family run, beginners who would like to run but would likely walk towards the end, and veteran runners with belts decorated with gel packs like ammunition around their waists.

When it was time to head out, I found I was the only one in the marathon group. The instructor was a twenty something young man who was in top shape. I preempted by making statements that began with "I used to ...." and sprinkled it with " ... but not anymore (grin!)" It worked !! Well, actually he was a nice guy and would have let me run at my own pace anyway.

So the two of us ran all the way out to the Ottawa River parkway, did a 10 K loop around the bicycle path and I finished my one-on-one farlek/interval training in fairly good time - at least that was what I thought.

Back at the Running Room, I caught my breath, gave my "personal trainer" a high-five and thanked him for the run. Upon giving me a smile, he took off like a gazelle. To him, my "hard" farlek training was just a warm-up run for him.

What a Headache

As the Chinese say:

If you have a headache, check your head.
If you have a foot-ache, cure your foot.

In reality, cause and consequence do not always have a simple one-one relationship.

Staycation in "Cuba"

This blog article was posted on Lotusandcedar

Jewish Recreational Centre

I must say the weight machines were not top of the line, but their small 25-metre salt-water swimming pool was quite relaxing during off-peak, laps-swim hours (w/o the crowd and kids thrashing about). The free passes are good for a week.

YMCA/YWCA Renovation Closure

Because of the renovation at the Y, the training session will be held in another recreational centre. The good news is: There is free use of swimming pool and hot tub after !!

Dancing lessons on YouTube

I found out there are quite a few good YouTube video clippings that provide dancing lessons from the basic to the competitive styles. Interesting !!!

Swing dancing this evening

K and I went swing-dancing 8-10 pm and we quite enjoyed the challenge (see also Aug 22 2009 blog article at Lotusandcedar).

Annual Blood Test & Workout

After going for my annual blood test, I bicycled to 3BAAB and as soon as I parked my bike the sky just opened up. The downpour lasted for almost 15 minutes c/w lightning altho it was not as bad as the weather that had hit Durham and Vaughn in southern Ontario Thursday. I took a good nap before going to the Y at Argyle for a 2-hour weight/machine workout. I am saving my energy for the 18 k LSD run this coming Sunday.

Half-marathon training: Easy Run

The Zumba class was cancelled today. So, I went with the Running Room crowd and did an easy run (abt 60 min, avg 7:15 min/k) via side streets to Woodroffe and then back via bicycle paths to Maitland/Merivale. I even sprinted the last 75 metres !! They plan to do on Sunday an 18 k LSD (w/ 1 in 10, i.e. 1 min walk after 10 min) and then a 20 k the week after, before tapering off in prep for the Army Run half-marathon on Sept 20.

After the run, I went to the Y but found out they closed at 9 pm due to renovation. I managed to squeeze in some sit-ups and machines. For the next 7 days, I will have to use the Y on Argyle.

Half-marathon training: Nine Hills

I spent part of the day finishing the AC's responses to deal w/ issues and procedural options. At 6 pm I went for Running Room's free session and did nine hills (total distance abt 10K avg 7 min/k) w/ the half-marathon crowd. I did not go w/ the full-marathoners cuz they were training for the September race in T.O. and were planning to run to Mooney's Bay 3.5 k away, do 10 hills, and run back. I am just not there yet. By the time I finished my work-out at the Y and grocery shopping, it was almost 22h30.

Embracing Change

SCK called me from Vancouver and we had a one-hour telephone discussion re Embracing Change. All panellists will need to make an approx 1 minute presentation followed by Qs/As from the audience.

The Professional Gardener

I have to admit he did a very thorough and professional job of cleaning up and making the backyard look like a public garden downtown. I almost wanted to take a photo of it for the record (while saying to myself: Look, here is the standard, try to keep it up eh?)

Today, I committed myself to running the half-marathon. Went to the Y for weights and machines, plus an hour on the Elliptical (max 139 bpm only). Bought Mediterranean and bison burgers with home fries for supper!!

I looked at my Sept and Oct calendar: Will be busy !!!

Backyard Jungle Issue

Today in btwn rain showers, I managed to mow the front and back lawn as well as taking down some of the thistles and junk plants in the backyard. The air was 30+ and with the high humidity it felt like 40 deg C. I was drenched in sweat !!! Hopefully, my effort would reduce the overall cost of hiring the professional gardener. The backyard jungle issue was dealt with.

Went with K to Y for personal training session in the evening. Did not go to Dick's after. Went to bed at around 1 am.

Dealing with Issues and Allergy

I did not sleep well last night at all. Leaving the relaxed life at the cottage, I was back to dealing with city-living and other issues as soon as I woke up !!! It all comes down to priorities in life. What are important and how much? Refusing to drive, I spent some time this morning doing the task myself, but had to stop and wash my forearms with soap to rid of the itchy bumps. Not too happy abt the whole situation. Sigh !!

Back to the City

At almost 16h30, I managed to swim (with goggles and flippers) across the lily pond to the north end of the island where the open water was much cooler than that on the bay-side. There were schools of big fish in deeper water and lots of little sun fish in the weeds. At one point, I came face to face with a line-up of four or five palm-size ones, wondering who this lake creature was swimming thru their lily-pad neighbourhood. I did not make it around the whole island because of the cooler water temp and of my lack of training this summer. Before leaving the cottage, I soaked in the outdoor jacuzzi for abt an hour.

The return trip was stressful for many reasons, one of which being the highway traffic jam. I had to drive thru some back roads to get back to the city.

It was not a good ending to an otherwise relaxed 2 days at the cottage.

Cottage Life

I had to do grocery-shopping and other chores before heading out to the cottage. The weather was sunny and 30 deg with a nice breeze. I had almost a 2 hr nap on a folded down lawn chair under the shade in the open !! Even tho I had been grazing on roasted peanuts all afternoon, I was still able to down a BBQ T-bone, 2 cobs of boiled corn with butter, some potato salad, followed by a big slice of chocolate cake with vanilla ice-cream. Yum !!! But with a full stomach, there was no skinny dip at night.

"Empties" the Movie

Went to see "Empties" at the By Towne Cinema. Unlike the many North American movies catered to a younger audience these days, there are no explosions, no car chases, no sex, and no violence. Will, there is a bit of sex, but it is of the "matured" type with more fantasy than actions. I find "Empties" not a bad movie, considering that the original plan tonight was to go dancing !!

University of Ottawa

When I was living in the Sandy Hill area, I used to swim at the University of Ottawa's Olympic size pool. I also took a course in Eng Lit to improve my writing skill. Now, I have a new relationship with U of O :)

Dick's

Went to Dick's and tried out their buffalo burger. Well, I like the beefy one better.

Losing Marbles (Part 2 of 2)

Yes, I left the device on the floor at 3BAAB. I will have to be more careful keeping track of those marbles !!!

(see Part 1 posted on 20090812)

Going to Bed Early - 8 hours sleep

Pete asked me at the gym this afternoon whether I still go to bed at 5 am. Well, let's say the situation is getting better, but still not ideal (which is to have 8 hrs sleep on average).

Updated 20090813:

Made it -> Went to be bed before mid-night and had 8 hours of sleep!!!

Losing Marbles (Part 1 of 2)

What happened? This careless lapse might cost me money. I hope the device was left at 3BAAB and not stolen from the vehicle. NEVER leave brief case, packsack, laptop and other personal items under the table or on the floor. Losing something once every two yrs is still once too many (not counting the camera I misplaced near the window)!!

(see Part 2 posted on 20090813)

Two People Charged

The two people allegedly implicated in the incident on 20090802 have been charged. I drove S this afternoon to Elgin Street to help with the investigation.

Running Room Run

I had always wanted to do it; and I did it this evening. I joined the Running Room crowd slightly after 6 pm and ended up running six hills, which is abt 400 metres each at 2-3% inclination, with the group training for the Army Run half-marathon. All things considered, I wasn't doing too badly in the 45 min. Now, if I can trim 2-3 kg of fat off my tire .....

Rest Day

Didn't do any exercise today :(

Feeling of Hunger

Many North Americans are obese or obsess with food. I think it is good to have that empty stomach feeling from time to time, just to remind ourselves what hunger is like for the rest of the world.

Glebe Video

I always enjoy going to Glebe Video, which is located on Bank Street. Unlike Rogers, Blockbuster, and other bigger chain store, it caters to folks who prefer the classics, foreign-language films, and other specialty movies. The shop is on the upstairs of a converted old apartment building. One room is dedicated to VHS and the other, DVDs. The owner still relies on pen and paper instead of a computer for bookkeeping, and your receipt is hand-written instead of printed - all to make the rental experience more nostalgic.

Note: My blog article abt my encounter with the ATM earlier today was posted at www.lotusandcedar.blogspot.com

YMCA/YWCA Equipment Auction

The YMCA/YWCA fitness centres at Carlingwood and Merivale had their equipment auction sale on August 9 at 6 pm. While there were lots of good deals on used exercise equipment, the machines were just too bulky for home use. I was told the next day that the auction lasted till 11 pm and that the Ys sold all their listed goods. I am glad for the charitable organization of which I have been a member for many years.

Training for the Army Run

Today, I walked with K to downtown where we stopped at the Parliament Club for lemonades and a burrito before buying some French books and magazines at the Byward Market. However, instead of walking back, we took the bus. It doesn't look like K will be doing the half-marathon at the Army Run.

Work Planning

I completed the draft Work Plan and emailed it out today for next week's teleconference discussion!!!

A Near Car Accident

Driving out of the Y gym parking lot, I saw the traffic light changing green (in my favour) and was about to enter the intersection when a car coming from my left ran through the red light without even slowing down. Had I pulled ahead just a few seconds sooner, I would have been side-swiped on the driver's side and seriously injured or even killed. I horned madly at the driver but the car just kept on going and quickly disappeared into the night. Frankly speaking, I am not ready to die, or have the time to be hospitalized.

Jerk !!!!

Starry Starry Night

There are times when I may find nothing interesting is happening. It is as if I am going through a void deep in the universe. One way of keeping myself from "sleeping at the switch" is to mark down events during an otherwise uneventful time period. I must not forget the beautiful starry starry night of the Milky Way - just look up!!

The Top Secret of Dieting

Since coming back from Morocco in November 2008, I have not been able to shed the weight I gained from gorging all that yummy Moroccan food. While I am only abt 4 kg over my 'ideal' running weight, the extra load does add up over the 42.2 km distance of a marathon. The secret to dieting is very simple and you don't have to pay big bucks for this advice: Don't eat when you are not hungry !!

Private Time

I have pretty well gone non-stop for almost 15 hours (06h30-21h45) of which 2 hrs were my own personal time (coffee and gym). Well, I am going to cook supper, watch the news till 23h00, and then call it the day!!!

Every Parent's Nightmare

I told K yesterday that the incident on Aug 2 (*) was every parent's nightmare. While street crime could happen to anyone, it's shocking when it's someone you know. A token of appreciation should be given to the neighbour who came to the rescue of the young man in distress. Some nice flowers perhaps.

* Please see my comment on "A Sleepless Night" posted on Aug 2, 2009 http://strongcedar.blogspot.com/2009/08/sleepless-night.html

Windows Sorrow

Ever since the reinstallation of Windows XP Home Edition (version 2002/Service Pack 3) by Best Buy on July 8, 2009, I had not been able to use the Input Method Editor (IME) Writing Pad for Traditional Chinese. I tried to download the IME from Microsoft Download Centre, but it did not work. Today, Geek Squad ended my Windows sorrow by installing physically disc 2 of "Service Pack 3" and I am back in business.

For future references:
* Open Control Panel/System to verify the version of Microsoft Windows, and other system information.
* Go to Lotusandcedar and search under "IME" for my blog article on the Chinese Writing Pad.

Bright Eyes and Bushy Tail

I wake up and feel good!! It's sunny and warm outside. Today is a holiday but some stores are open. Perhaps I will have the Geek Squad fixed my computer's Chinese IME problem. But first, a cup of freshly brewed coffee at Bridgehead. See you later alligator!!!

The Sleep Account

I slept for 3 hours this morning and again from 4 to 10 pm later today. Sleep is like a bank acct. Lack of sleep due to insomnia, blogging, games, and other all-nighters will eventually take its toll on one's health. As sleep deficit accumulates, it's better to pay now rather than later with a heavy penalty.

A Sleepless Night

I am still up at 06h25. Gotta get some shut-eyes!!!!

(Please also see my blog article "Every Parent's Nightmare" posted on Aug 4, 2009: http://strongcedar.blogspot.com/2009/08/every-parents-nightmare.html)

Running on Momentum

July 31 was a productive day, plus I had a good work-out at the gym (including a 3-mile run). Now I need to maintain the momentum in August !!!

Time Management

A time management consultant once advised me abt career-family life balance:

"People always say they don't have enough time, while in effect they are not prioritizing their available time. I mean if you are going to die in a few hours, will you still go to the office or stay home with your family?"

Time management is not abt time, it is abt priorities in life.

On-line Life

I need to structure my weekly life better !!! Too much time is spent on blogging - ironically that is exactly what I am doing at this very moment. It should be the blog serving me instead of I serving the blog. This sounds simple, but one can get addicted to on-line life instead of the real one!!! Gotta go and get some REAL work done in the REAL world !!!

兩週一聚七月專題：接龍估香港街名 (謎底答案#2) / 2weeks1gather: Guess Street Names of Hong Kong (Answer#2)

兩週一聚七月專題：接龍估香港街名

猜香港島街名: XXX

謎面: 孫福煕 【夏天的生活】 有云『綠蔭樹下,蟬鳴聲中,我們最好(去「XXX」先) ....』

謎底: 答案是北角「書局街」

孫福煕 【夏天的生活】全文:

綠蔭樹下，鳴蟬聲中，我們最好讀書。

如果春天好像少年的發育，那麼，夏天是壯年的力行。春天用陽光的溫暖，用雨露的滋潤，鼓勵萬物的發芽、開花；而夏天以赤熱的火球，努力於結實的工作，培育果實的長大。

我們青年要像夏天的太陽一樣，有一顆赤熱的心，要勤奮，要勇敢，還要堅忍，除去偷惰怯弱與不肯吃苦的習慣。到成年的時候，才能負擔責任，創立事業。

我們單就眼前說，夏天的清晨是何等舒適而快樂。我們應該早起，可以運動，可以看書，可以在花間、樹下行走，看看植物的生活狀態，看看天空變幻的雲影霞彩。

偷惰怯弱與不肯吃苦的人，總有他們偷懶的理由：夏天太熱，不好讀書；蚊子咬人，不好讀書；清晨最好的時候，最好是睡在床上。如睡眠是人生的幸福，那麼，終日睡眠，何必生活呢？

大家來利用壯年一樣的夏天，思考自己在這社會中的前途。

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Original link:

2weeks1gather: 七月專題：接龍估香港街名, 大家一起留言玩！

http://2weeks1gather.wordpress.com/2009/07/10/%e4%b8%83%e6%9c%88%e5%b0%88%e9%a1%8c%ef%bc%9a%e6%8e%a5%e9%be%8d%e4%bc%b0%e9%a6%99%e6%b8%af%e8%a1%97%e5%90%8d/

兩週一聚七月專題：接龍估香港街名 (謎底答案#1) / 2weeks1gather: Guess Street Names of Hong Kong (Answers#1)

兩週一聚七月專題：接龍估香港街名

Haricot 的謎底答案 ....

1. 旺角亍名:『開門七件事!!』 柴米油鹽醬醋茶, 鼓油街 Soy Street, Monk Kok
2. 香港亍名: 『上氣唔接下氣!!」, 樓梯街Ladder Street, HK Island
3. 紅磡區街名: 『官樣文章!!」借音,蕪湖街Wuhu Street, Hung Hom

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Original link:

2weeks1gather: 七月專題：接龍估香港街名, 大家一起留言玩！

http://2weeks1gather.wordpress.com/2009/07/10/%e4%b8%83%e6%9c%88%e5%b0%88%e9%a1%8c%ef%bc%9a%e6%8e%a5%e9%be%8d%e4%bc%b0%e9%a6%99%e6%b8%af%e8%a1%97%e5%90%8d/