Day After Gifts

I committed a major faux pas on Valentine's Day this year by arriving home after work without any gifts or a card for my wife. She had prepared a sumptuous dinner including wine, and presented me with a gift and card. Despite my offering of lame excuses I knew she felt slighted by my lack of consideration and selfishness this year. This added salt to the wounds, because she is usually very understanding about the occasional missed gifting on Valentine's Day. We managed to get through the dinner with our emotions in check, and I made a silent vow to never forget important marriage dates again.

The next day I decided to make some amends by purchasing a nice flower arrangement, and beautiful card at a local greenhouse. There were no line ups, a good selection of valentine themed arrangements, and everything was half price! The clerk was even glad to see me as business was slow. It was absolutely painless, and it caused me to think - what if my wife and our immediate family agreed to start purchasing all gifts for various occasions a day or so after the event? The time and money saved would be fantastic. This could even work for Christmas. Have your normal Christmas celebrations and festivities, then everyone could go on a shopping spree for gifts a few days later - missing line ups and getting some great deals. Buying online gifts would also be cheaper and more hassle free (don't believe the myth perpetrated by retailers about vanishing inventory as the big holidays approach). We would all have a knowing smirk watching the herds of sheep like shoppers scrambling to buy gifts on time while anticipating our own low stress post event purchases. For now I'll start by getting my wife to agree that February the 15th will be our Valentine's Day regardless of tradition. Wish me luck.

Tags:
Valentine's Day, Gifts, Presents, Holidays, Humor, Marriage, Romance, Shopping, Budgets, Love, Thrift, Spouse, Relationships

The Illusionist

The Illusionist is a cinematic spectacle. It's a great mix of romance, suspense, and mystery with a rich visual texture set in early twentieth century Vienna. Edward Norton is superb as the mysterious Eisenheim, an enigmatic purveyor of the "dark arts" who seems to have taken the skill of magic beyond mere tricks into the realm of the supernatural, spiritual, and mystical worlds. He is backed by a talented cast that includes Paul Giamatti as Chief inspector Uhl, hired by the corrupt and jealous Crown Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell) to discover the secrets of Eisenheim's illusions. Jessica Biel is more than credible as the beautiful Sophia - caught in a triangle of amorous intrigue between her childhood friend Eisenheim, and the calculating, evil Leopold. There are enough plot twists to provide intrigue, but they only serve to enhance the grand crescendo of events leading to the final scenes. The early childhood scenes border on being overly sentimental, but do not detract at all from the screenplay. It would be fascinating to discover if any of the more elaborate illusions depicted in the movie could actually be done - then or now. For my taste, one of the best movies of the decade.

Tags:
The Illusionist, Movies, Cinema, Edward Norton, Paul Giamatti, Rufus Sewell, Jessica Biel, Magic, Entertainment, Culture

Personal Aircraft On The Way

Will it be another toy for the super rich, or the coolest way to commute? The Skywalker VTOL (Vertical Takeoff and Landing) personal aircraft coming soon from the folks at Mirror Image Aerospace could be the next elite way to fly for a mere $200,000 or so. This compact, two person, helicopter style craft will fly at 95 MPH using premium grade pump gasoline, have a gross weight of less than 900 pounds, and have a range of 250 miles with a ceiling height of 8,000 feet. Among other safety features, it will sport a ballistic BRS designed emergency parachute to deploy in 4 seconds, so the aircraft can land in an upright position while the occupants stay inside the craft. No need for a runway - it will fit in a standard sized garage. It will require a pilot's license, and as a Kit-built VTOL the anticipated assembly time will be approximately 300 hours. No mention yet of optional accessories, customized kits, or color choices, but you'll be the envy of every luxury car owner in your city as you cruise over the gridlock. It will also give new meaning to the phrase Fill 'Er Up!


Tags:
Skywalker, Personal Aircraft, Experimental Aircraft, Helicopters, Flight, Flyers, Flying

Sick Day

Between dislike of corporations, resenting our jobs, and general laziness creeping into our work ethics you'd think there would be advice out there on how to miss work. Of course there is! From the category of lame advice check out this WikiHow page titled How to Call in Sick When You Just Need a Day Off. If you need this advice - your employer would likely be better off without your services - you are probably an imbecile at work - you should get a new job - or worse yet, you are a chronic, habitual liar. Does this sound harsh? Not when you consider the huge economic costs when people avoid work for frivolous reasons, and the disrespect for those at your job who have to pick up the slack. Even when somebody has a legitimate illness they should be honest with themselves about their ability to work. You shouldn't spread a contagion around the office, but is having the common cold really a good reason to phone in sick? Perhaps it depends on your occupation. On the other hand, if you are an arms/drug dealer, or your job harms others in some way, then by all means find every reason under the sun to call in sick.

Tags:
Absenteeism, Missed Work, Work Ethics, Culture, Work Lies

Skeptical Inquiry Filter

We live in societies bombarded by information, and this data is received through multiple technology channels and media devices. The growth of this info storm is exponential, derivative, and mutative, so how can we filter out the true facts of any subject or event? All of this is compounded by biased, and sponsored media reports on diverse topics. The Question Technology Blog authored by Kevin Arthur in San Francisco puts a skeptical lens on many claims in the technological arena. His articles could appeal to Luddites, or those with an anti-technology bent as well, but they also promote critical thinking and inquiry, so the reader will be challenged to dig for the real facts themselves. Competing ideas on a technology or science presented in the media may be heavily biased by paid sponsorship, or special interest groups.

For example, in a recent post by Kevin Arthur entitled The Deception Behind "Sense About Science" he challenges the industry connections behind the so called non-profit group Sense About Science, and the legitimacy of their bashing celebrities who supposedly promote bad science or make controversial claims. A good illustration of possible truth distortion on both sides of an issue by those who may have ulterior motives, whether they be celebrities or a "non-profit" organization.

I heartily recommend a visit to the Question Technology Blog for a dose of healthy skepticism on many science and technology related subjects.

Tags:
Technology, Luddites, Skeptics, Culture, Science, Consumerism

Who Needs Shaving Cream?

After making bold statements about not using shaving cream any more in the previous post, it was time to update those legions of razor shavers on this ongoing experiment. As mentioned previously in Why Use Shaving Cream? my shaves without cream were quite successful and essentially nick free. This was done with a used (?dull) blade in conjunction with keeping my face and the blade wet. I finally worked up the courage to slap a new blade into my MACH3 Turbo razor, and try a creamless shave. It was fantastic! There was no razor burn, although I did inflict a few slight, almost imperceptible nicks with the new blade. The apparent irony here is that I was inflicting far more nicks on my face when I used shaving cream. Obviously this experience might be different for other faces. However, my theory is that a wet, but creamless face offers better resistance, and makes for better razor contact on the skin. In other words you don't slide the blade quickly across a layer of cream and suddenly nick an uneven spot on the skin. I suspect that this will work with many different brands of razors even though I happened to use a broken (battery power not working) MACH3 Turbo razor that does have a lubricating strip. This is not a plug for any razor brand or model such as the MACH3, but it just happened to be the type used for my series of no cream shaves. If you want to save a few bucks, and possibly get a better razor shave, then get rid of the cream.

Tags:
Shaving, Razors, Shaving Cream, MACH3 Turbo

Why Use Shaving Cream?

You don't need shaving cream to get a close, nick free, blade shave, so why do men spend millions of dollars on it? Jeffrey Tucker describes shaving cream sales as a Racket. Is it basically a glorified soap? I have now completed a few no cream razor shaves making sure to keep my face and the blade wet with warm water. I DIDN'T SUFFER ONE RAZOR CUT DURING THOSE SHAVES and they were just as close. Now the blade I used was somewhat dull, but I was suffering recurrent cuts previously using the same blade with cream. In a piece entitled Razor Blade Blues I pondered the poor performance of hi-tech razor blades, but now I question the cream more than the blades! One absolute in blade shaving is to decrease the tensile strength of hair by keeping it wet, but what role does cream lubrication play? Supposedly the cream "softens and prepares" the skin (easier to nick?), prevents razor burn (wet face and razor should stop that), and skin irritation. I suspect it may actually cause skin irritation especially after the skin is nicked, and some may be allergic to it. I may experiment with a few different brands and types of razor blades, and the jury is out on using brand new blades with water only, otherwise shaving cream is history for me.

Tags:
Shaving Cream, Shaving, Razor Blades

Consumer Choices

Do most people in North America and other developed countries really believe that having loads of cash, and material things will make them happier and healthier? If not, then why do many people suffer needlessly in the pursuit of material goods well beyond what they need to live comfortably?
Couldn't we use purchasing power to improve our living standards, and our neighbors by buying responsibly, so that consumerism might achieve a greater good? If we consume thoughtfully wouldn't that create a ripple effect throughout the global economy allowing scarce resources to be used responsibly with less exploitation of third world countries? Should we care about these issues? Does responsible consumerism have to be at odds with free enterprise and entrepreneurship? If we promote ethical consumer decisions can we help protect the environment, stop labor abuses, alleviate animal suffering, and push corporations to be more responsible? The making of every consumable product involves ethical decisions that impact human health and the environment, so our purchase choices have the same implications.


I marvel at my own hypocrisy as a consumer, since most of my purchases are made on a whim, out of habit, and without serious regard to their consequences. I haven't been able to divorce myself from our mass media culture that worships at the altar of material gain. Perhaps this post is a step in the right direction. Do you have a consumer philosophy that you live by?

Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's need, but not every man's greed. ~Mohandas K. Gandhi, quoted in E.F. Schumacher, Small Is Beautiful

Tags:
Consumerism, Materialism, Ethical Consumer

Edmonton Adventures 2007

Edmonton, Alberta is a great Canadian City with much to offer its citizens and tourists alike. A few of the great attractions to see in the city are listed below. If anyone would like more information on sights, attractions, and upcoming events in the Edmonton region please leave a comment with your query, and I will do my best to post an answer or respond by e-mail promptly.

The largest shopping mall in the world is situated in Edmonton. It boasts a huge indoor water park, casino and amusement park with the world's largest indoor roller coaster.

Edmonton is known as the Festival city throughout the year, but especially in the summer months with world renowned events such as the Edmonton Folk Music Festival and the Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival

The Edmonton Oilers rank as one of the all time best NHL Hockey franchises having won five Stanley Cup championships in their glory years with the likes of Mark Messier and Wayne Gretzky. Go see one of their games in the building that started it all.

Edmonton has the largest urban parkland in North America stretching along the North Saskatchewan river with 22 parks and over 150 kilometres of trails to enjoy.

Tags:
Edmonton, Edmonton Oilers, Edmonton Festivals, Stanley Cup

Global Warming: Is it too Late?

Is it time for the silent majority to take a stand on global warming?

Few would argue that the science of climate change is complex, but despite potential flaws in scientific methodology the evidence seems convincing that we are in a period of dangerous global warming - possibly exacerbated or even caused by human activity. We have receding glaciers, rapid melting of Greenland's ice sheets, new vast expanses of the Arctic ocean without ice, disappearing permafrost, ocean acidification, dying coral reefs, more extreme weather, and documented rises in global temperatures and atmospheric carbon dioxide etc. This doomsday scenario could result in loss of water supplies from glacial melt, species extinction, and unprecedented coastal flooding with submerged cities from rising sea levels, etc.

Al Gore presents a compelling case for the facts and consequences of global warming in the movie An Inconvenient Truth even though some of the scientific evidence he describes may be taken out of context (e.g. despite his case for new, documented, profound glacial melt on the Antarctic Peninsula, the British Antarctic Survey has determined from climate modeling that for at least the next 50 years; snowfall on the continent of Antarctica should continue to exceed glacial losses from global warming).

As in many issues there are also compelling arguments against the hypothesis of global warming. An article entitled Myths of Global Warming authored by the NCPA in 1997 attempts to debunk various global warming scenarios. Of course scientific evidenced gathered since that time could also debunk claims made by the NCPA. It is up to each one of us to educate ourselves on the issue, and decide our course of action.

We can effect change, but is it too late?

The movie doesn't delve into that issue. There are some potentially devastating positive feedback loops that come into play with global warming that might thwart our best efforts to reduce the trend. Methane is a much more powerful greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. Huge tracts of newly melting permafrost in Western Siberia and other regions will release many tonnes of methane, more forest fires will release more stored carbon, and the water that replaces melted sea ice will absorb more sunlight. All of these effects and others will likely increase the rapidity of global warming possibly beyond our ability to contain it. On the other hand, there may be other science yet to be discovered that debunks the worst case global warming scenarios.

Mr. Gore I am nearly convinced (despite all of the controversy). I will attempt to reduce carbon emissions. I will exert political influence where possible. The stakes are extremely high and we have to try regardless of the final outcome. Better late than never as they say. We can only hope that human efforts and political will can change the tide - Mars won't likely be fit for human habitation until the next century.

David Friedman of San Jose, California presents an interesting discussion on the various, confusing practical and philosophical arguments relating to the debate on global warming entitled "Global Warming: Confusing Moral and Practical Arguments".

For the naysayers who say that global warming is a myth, and that proposals to limit greenhouse gases might actually harm the environment or the welfare of mankind please see the Petition Project signed by more than 17,100 applied scientists who agree with that sentiment.


Tags:
Global Warming, Climate Change, Doomsday, An Inconvenient Truth, Al Gore, Environment

My Seasonal Affective Disorder

Author's Note:
Since the original publication of this post, some scientific consensus has developed regarding the link between Vitamin D deficiency, brain chemistry and mood disorders.  A combination of adequate Vitamin D intake and blue light box therapy may be the most effective means of combatting SAD in addition to other general health maintenance measures.

It's no surprise that many people who live in Northern climes suffer from sunlight deprivation in the Winter. If you happen to work day shifts you may only catch glimpses of the sun rising and setting, or never see the sun at all depending on your latitude. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is essentially unheard of in those who live near the equator indicating its strong link to lack of daylight exposure. Unfortunately normal indoor lighting is simply not intense enough to have the desired positive physiological effects that sunlight does.

Depression has stalked me off and on for years - negatively impacting relationships, productivity and peace of mind, but I know it has taken a much greater toll in others. I have a close friend with a severe affective disorder dominated by depression who is unable to work, relies on a subsidized income, and has become alienated from family and friends. At his worst he has suffered hospitalization, and bouts of electroconvulsive (shock) therapy to regain some grip on reality and his moods. Obviously, severe depression or SAD can have terrible consequences including suicide, and so we should take every measure to adequately treat milder forms and prevent their progression.

It took many years to realize that my worst bouts of depression were usually in the winter, and more specifically the month of November. Of course SAD explains this pattern nicely. The onset of this SAD is so rapid that within a few days I can go from highly functional to a fairly depressed state as though the shrinking daylight in the fall suddenly triggers a switch in my brain. Fortunately my sister convinced me to start taking antidepressants during one severe November episode a few years ago, and after a few weeks I felt better than I had in years. After being on the drugs for a year or so I decided to stop them because of the side effects, and decided to try other measures to combat depression. Having said that I wouldn't hesitate to use antidepressants again if an episode of depression became too severe, or didn't respond to other measures. My depressive episodes have also been linked to a mild obsessive compulsive disorder, and that also improved with the medication, but again I sought other methods to deal with that. Through better understanding of these conditions, I can now effectively fight off the blues and OCD by getting proper rest, using cognitive behavior therapy, staying active, seeking good nutrition, and more recently by employing blue light therapy to combat SAD. If I am disciplined enough to use my light box regularly at the first signs of SAD I will experience a definite improvement in mood.

Of course like most treatments there can be side effects to light therapy as well(Saeed and Bruce):

Photophobia (eye sensitivity to light)
Headache
Fatigue
Irritability
Hypomania (a mental state characterized by excessive excitability, optimism, hyperactivity, talkativeness, heightened sexual interest, quick anger and irritability and a decreased need for sleep)
Insomnia (if light therapy is used too late in the day)
Possible retinal damage (though this side effect has not been proven)

Despite these considerations I prefer to use light therapy rather than travel the road back down to taking antidepressants again. If you have free time during the day, then going for a walk of reasonable duration is a good alternative to using a light box. If you experience significant "winter blues" that might be related to SAD you should seek a medical opinion. If you are diagnosed with SAD, then your purchase of a light box to treat it might be one of the best investments you ever make. Not all light boxes are created equal though, and you should consider blue spectrum 470 nanometer LED lights as they are probably more effective while using much less light intensity than full spectrum boxes (easier on the eyes with less side effects).

Tags:
Seasonal Affective Disorder, Depression, Light Therapy, Antidepressants, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder