TypeRacer

Wanna improve your typing speed AND kick some butt?

Then check out TypeRacer!

So what do you have to do? Just type. You can either practice by yourself to improve your time or race against friends and other users to see who's the fastest typer.

Go ahead, play a few games and start reducing your time spent typing!

Get off the couch!

Any idea how many times there's an Everest College commercial on TV during the weekday?

I bet it's hundreds ... at least it seems like it!

This guy's my favourite! I love his disgusted look at the end. Ha!



When I was looking for a place to write my Excel exam a couple months ago, I left them a couple of voice messages ... but they never called me back.

Buh-bye!

Remember the wasps' nest we discovered in the tree in front of our place a couple weeks ago?

As of ten minutes ago, it's gone. Yay!!

The landscaper came with wasp spray, then our Super got a bag around the nest and the landscaper cut the branch.

Book ~ "The Canadian Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine" (2008) Sherry Torkos

From www.sherrytorkos.com ~ The Canadian Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine is a definitive resource on complementary health care, combining everything you need to know about diet and lifestyle, supplements and nutrition with reliable medical information. This handy household reference contains sound, unbiased, scientifically grounded information you can trust, written in a friendly, easy-to-read style by one of Canada’s leading health authorities. In this book you will find:

* A thorough A to Z listing of the most common health conditions: from colds and ear infections to arthritis, cancer, diabetes, heart disease and osteoporosis
* A comprehensive guide to vitamins, minerals, herbs and other dietary supplements including recommended dosages for children, teenagers, adults, pregnant women and seniors
* Easy-to-follow exercise, sleep and stress-management tips that really work
* A natural prescription for each health condition outlining safe and effective dietary, lifestyle, and therapeutic supplement recommendations
* Tips on safe supplementing including information about potential drug, nutrient, and herbal interactions and how to create an effective supplement program

I saw Sherry on CP24 a couple weeks ago and she was talking about how we should be adding Chia seeds to our diet ... so I did!

And she talked about this book so I thought I would check it out.

It's an excellent resource to have if you want to know how to treat ailments naturally.

Book ~ "Before I Wake" (2008) Robert J. Wiersema

From Robert J. Wiersema ~ Tragedy can strike at any time. In a single moment of distraction, in one instant’s miscalculation.

On a beautiful spring day, three-year-old Sherry Barrett is injured in a hit-and-run accident. Her devastated parents, Simon and Karen, wait by her bedside, hoping for a miracle ... one that doesn’t come. Told that she will never recover, they agree to remove her from life support. And then the miracle occurs. Sherry doesn’t die. But neither does she wake.

Meanwhile, Henry Denton, who was driving the truck that nearly killed Sherry, attempts suicide. Unable to die, he finds himself in a place of darkness, somewhere between this world and the next, invisible to all but a group of mysterious and downtrodden men. Haunted by his own guilt, Henry struggles to understand this limbo and what he must do to free himself.

Under the pressure of caring for their child, the fissures in Simon and Karen’s marriage become gaping wounds, and the family is pushed to the point of collapse. And then pushed even further by the undeniable fact that their little girl, trapped in her living death, has become a healer.

As the world turns its lens on the family, and the sick and dying arrive to be cured, Simon and Karen must decide whether or not to allow these “pilgrims” access to their daughter. At the same time, a larger battle is brewing – one that has been raging for close to two thousand years, and one that might yet claim the lives of Sherry and her family.

Weaving together disparate voices, Robert J. Wiersema’s brilliant debut novel sheds light on the inner lives of characters struggling against tragedy, finding each other and themselves, in the darkness. In exploring how hope can be renewed in the face of unimaginable sorrow, Before I Wake reveals the power of forgiveness, and the true nature, and cost, of miracles.

I picked up this book because a woman is the focus group I did last month raved about it ... she couldn't put it down!

I liked the writing style. And it was interesting to read each person's point of view.

And I didn't mind the story of Karen, Simon and Sherry ... though I found Karen rather pathetic and bland.

I wasn't buying into Sherry being a healer ... or that Henry was visual to some but not to others ... or the battle that has been brewing for thousands of years ... and there was way too much religion in it.

So would I recommend it? If you are looking for something different and buy into some of this stuff, then yes.

But it wasn't my kind of story.

Niagara Falls

Gord and I went to Niagara Falls today. It was a Single Horizons event and there were 55 of us on the bus.

Gord and I tried the computerized roulette game ... it was good because the minimum bet is only $2 (compared to $15 at the tables). I played and lost $40.

Then we walked to the Falls. Alas, it was raining so we didn't go too close.


We walked up Clifton Hill and had a late lunch/early supper at Yank's Old Niagara Bar & Grill. The food was good and cheap.


Then we headed back towards the casino and stopped for a drink at Taco 'n Tequila.

The Cock & Tail

Gord and I walked home from work this evening and stopped in at the Cock & Tail for some drinks.

It's a fairly new bar in our 'hood and the attraction to Gord is their microbrew drafts.

Here's Erica, the bartender. She was very friendly!


And we met Carla, one of the customers.

Book ~ "The New Influencers: A Marketer's Guide to the New Social Media" (2007) Paul Gillin

From The New Influencers ~The New Influencers is a book for corporate marketers and executives who want to understand and engage with the vast new channels of influence that are emerging online.

It's a book about the people who are using online media to drive what may be the greatest change in market dynamics since television. Internet-based communications platforms like weblogs (blogs) and podcasts are giving individuals the power to reach global audiences without the restrictions of conventional channels or editors. These “social media” are changing markets in dramatic ways.

I find the whole of concept of social media and how far we have come in so little time fascinating!

And this was an excellent book which covered the subject very well.

The various topics include blogging and podcasting, standards, enthusiasts, the power of influence, how big business is using it, viral marketing and next steps.

Even if you just have a personal blog, it is still an interesting read to discover how businesses are using social media to change the way they provide information to us and how we are willing to accept it.

Kitchen Nightmares

Kitchen Nightmares started last week with a "where are they now" show. Alas, we missed it because we didn't know.

But we caught it tonight.

Whoohoo!

Glad to have Ramsay back!

Project 2996

Two years ago, I was part of an initiative to honour the 2996 victims of 9/11.

I'm remembering them again today on the seventh anniversary.

David Barkway, 34, Toronto, ON
Managing Director, BMO Nesbitt Burns
Died: World Trade Center

David was a rising star in the Toronto financial world but was not all business. He was known on Bay Street in Toronto for his determination to improve his golf game, his cigars and his practical jokes. Colleagues would return from lunch to find a flashing message on their computer screen that was impossible to delete.

When he wasn't working, David — or Barky, as his friends called him — was on the golf course. So, it's fitting that a patio off the trading floor at BMO Nesbitt Burns,was turned into a putting green named Barky's Way.

He became engaged in 1996 on a ski slope, presenting a diamond ring to Cindy McLennan after they had both taken a spill in the snow. Mrs. Barkway, who was pregnant with the couple's second child (who she named David), accompanied her husband on his final business trip to New York and was on her way to SoHo when the World Trade Center was attacked.

David was was visiting a client atop the World Trade Center's north tower when the first plane hit. He was on the 105th floor when the tragedy took place and sent an electronic message to his office in Toronto for help.

Update: September 11, 2011 Toronto Star tribute.



Bernard Mascarenhas, 54, Newmarket, ON
Chief Information Officer, Marsh Canada
Died: World Trade Center

Bernard was a zealous bridge player, an executive who had risen steadily up the corporate ladder, and a man who liked to take it easy on weekends with his wife and two kids.

Deeply committed to education, Bernard used to make anonymous donations to a number of different charities, in particular to scholarship funds. Among his causes, he would send scholarship donations to his native Pakistan, to assist Roman Catholics, a religious minority in that country. He also believed in giving back to the community. On major holidays, Bernard would drive the family Jeep to the grocery store to pick up donations for the Daily Bread Food Bank, his kids often in tow. He never failed to help people who fell upon hard times.

Bernard was in New York for a meeting on September 11. His work on computer systems at the company was known as particularly innovative and wound up being used not only in Canada but in Marsh offices around the world. "He made sure everything he worked on was a first-class product," said Thomas J. Grimes, managing director at Marsh Canada.

Bernard was survived by his wife, Raynette, and a son and daughter, Jaclyn and Sven.

Vladimir Tomasevic, 36, Etobicoke, ON
Vice President of Software Development, Optus e-Business Solutions
Died: World Trade Center

Vladimir had been working so hard, he hadn't had time to play tennis. And tennis "was his love," says Steven Webster, Tomasevic's boss. A born athlete, he had competed in singles tennis on Yugoslavia's national league as a teen, eventually coaching tennis while he worked on an electrical engineering degree at the University of Belgrade.

While tennis might have been his sporting love, he gave his heart to his wife, Tanja. The couple met while holidaying in Montenegro, fell in love and moved to Canada to start a new life.

Vladimir would find a way to offer a compliment even when a compliment might seem a bit of a stretch. For instance, he always enjoyed Tanja's cooking and for good reason. She cooked well. But like anyone, she had her bad moments. "One time I oversalted some potatoes that I was baking," she said. "He ate them all, even though I couldn't. He even complimented me on the potatoes. My father was there at the time, and he said, 'You are so lucky.' Another time, it was a new recipe and I put in too much hot pepper. It was really hot. He said, 'It's a bit hot but it's good.' He was my best friend and a part of him will always be with me."

This was Vladimir's first trip to New York. He was attending a Risk Waters Group conference on information technology at Windows on the World.

Click here to view tributes by bloggers to the other 9/11 victims.

Want to build your family tree?

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Camera woes

Remember back in May I bought my Olympus camera when I had to leave my Cybershot in the shop for a couple weeks?

Since then, I've used both depending on where I was going and what I needed ... for example, the Cybershot is much bigger but has a longer zoom.

I noticed lately that some of the pix I was taking with the Olympus were not crisp. It was just one here and there. I assumed it was me not doing something right ... perhaps focusing on something in the background rather than what I wanted.

I would turn the camera off and on and it seemed to be okay.

But now it's happening all the freakin' time!

I took a bunch of pix last night. Only one was crisp.

Not crisp

Crisp

See the diff?

I changed the batteries, played with the settings, took it off auto, etc. but it didn't matter.

I had to adjust the other pix manually once I loaded them onto my computer.

Very annoying!

I just called Black's and asked if they will take care of returning it or do I have to send it back to Olympus ... they do.

Where did I put the receipt?

Julie's Cuban Restaurant, Toronto, ON

The Boxing Babes went out for supper tonight. It was my turn to pick and I chose Julie's Cuban Restaurant, which is just north of me.

Trish and Teena

Yvette and Jen

Alas, Monica, Shawna and Susan couldn't make it.

Yvette, Jen, Trish and Teena

What did we have?

I had Puerco Empanizado (breaded pork cutlet is seasoned with garlic, herbs & spices, served with rice and ripe plantains). It was huge and yummy!


Yvette and Jen each had Tostones Rellenos ('green' plantain cups stuffed with avocado).


Yvette also had this ... I don't know what it's called but it was plantain with beef.


Jen also had Potaje de Frijoles negros (black bean soup, Cuban style).


Trish had Tostones (twice fried 'green' plantains with salsa)


And a salad.


It was great to see them and boy, did we laugh!

Everything is A-OK!

I had a check-up with my doctor this afternoon. I had blood work done in July.

She is happy with me.

My weight is down.

My blood pressure is down.

My cholesterol is down.

Yay!

The umbrella test

What Your Orange Umbrella Says About You

When faced with adversity, you are able to come up with a creative solution. Problems don't ever get you down. You see them as an opportunity to think outside the box. You are playful and light hearted. You make the dullest tasks interesting and lively. You are curious about the world around you. You take every moment as an opportunity to learn. On a rainy day: you should get out there and play in the rain

The Umbrella Test

Book ~ "The Story So Far ..." (1997) Sheldon Currie

From Amazon ~ These stories take the reader from the sparse, tense writing of the prequel to Glace Bay Miner's Museum, through the author's other stories drawn from his Cape Breton home.

This book is 11 bizarre short stories by a former English prof I had at St. F.X.U back in 1982-83.

One is The Glace Bay Miners' Museum on which the movie Margaret's Museum is based. Another story is Lauchie, Liza and Rory on which the play we saw in August is based.

What felony are you?

You Are Kidnapping

You love to be in control. You are incredibly dominant. A part of you even likes to make people suffer. It's all about power! You love to take risks, especially if the potential payoff is huge. But you wouldn't be in crime only for the money. You're twisted enough to just enjoy screwing with people.

What Felony Are You?

Book ~ "Lauchie, Liza and Rory" (2004) Sheldon Currie

A whimsical comedy about loyalty and misplaced love set in 1940s Cape Breton and centers around Lauchie and Rory Macdonald, identical twins who share a love for the same woman, Liza.

Gord and I saw this play, which was written by a former prof of mine, in August.

I enjoyed the play and it was interesting to read this.

FitDay

I joined Weight Watchers online in April 2004 and was very successful on it. I lost a lot of weight ... I needed the strict yet flexible points system to keep me on track.

It's $20 a month and I've kept paying for it since then. Most of the last four years I've been on and off program ... alas, mostly off. The last couple years I've just used it to keep track of my weight. I know the points system so haven't been tracking my points there ... I do it in my head.

Did it make sense to spend $240 for a fancy Excel sheet?

No.

Tonight I signed up for FitDay, which is free, and set up my profile.

After finishing The Fiber 35 Diet tonight, I wanted to be able to track my fibre intake, etc. and Weight Watchers doesn't do that.

FitDay does.

In fact, FitDay provides reports so I can view my calories, nutrition, weight loss and lots more.

Have you checked it out?

Alas, my fibre intake for the day was woefully low at 7.5.

Book ~ "The Fiber35 Diet" (2007) Brenda Watson

From Fiber35Diet.com ~ The Fiber35 Diet is based on scientific research and clinically proven methods and is undertaken in three gradual phases. The first two phases help you restrict calories by controlling your appetite with fiber while you learn the transformational way that Mother Nature intended for you to eat. High in fiber-rich fruits and vegetables, The Fiber35 Diet puts the right carbohydrates back where they belong—on your kitchen table. With lean proteins and whole grains, The Fiber35 Diet is a complete, delicious, and satisfying way to eat, and it is loaded with disease-fighting phytonutrients.

A nice reminder that we should be eating more fibre in our diets and the benefits of doing so. We should be striving to have at least 35 grams of fibre every day. There is lots of information if you want to know why we should be eating protein, carbs, fibre, etc. along with recipes and suggested meal plans.

The problem I had with this book is that she wants you to have shakes and bars rather than natural fresh food for two meals a day. And guess what? So is she writing about it because she truly believes in the power of fibre or is it just to sell her products?