#weeklyroundup April 23 - 28, 2012 | Android in Canada Blog:
'via Blog this'
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Friday, April 27, 2012
Am I becoming an Android douche? [10/16]
So, today I stopped by the Tbaytel store to check out the One X, as HTC hasn't responded to any of my emails about getting a demo unit to play with.
The deal with Tbaytel would mean not only $20/month cheaper on my plan (but I'd lose picture MMS) but the phone would practically be free.
Anyhow, as I was checking out the phone, I wanted to test the NFC on it (and couldn't get it to work) a bloke behind me who must have been all of 16, or 18 or so ... obviously he knows his stuff say to his mom that "that's the phone to get... IT'S THE BEST PHONE OUT THERE"
[note, that aside form the Galaxy Note, it's the most expensive]
"I compared it to the Nexus, and it's better".
That's when I should have walked away... but I didn't. I turn around and ask for clarification: "you're saying that this One X is better than my Nexus?"
"Oh, yeah, I've read ALL the reviews out there... the Nexus has only basic Android, whereas the One has the latest."
Again, should have just walked away. But I gave him a quizzical look and just said "well, I write for an Android blog, and actually, the Nexus devices are meant to have the latest, versus HTC bloat. Plus, you can't compare the Qualcomm processor of the One X to the OMAP processor in the Nexus. I'll say mine is faster."
I conceded the camera may be better, but left it at that and walked away. I had too much spilling around in my brain to try to educate this redneck on... oh look, it only has 4.0.3, whereas mine's running on 4.0.4... what's that? HTC has the WORST track record for firmware update? Oh, yeah bigger screen...
I could have gone on, but I didn't. So I left it at that. I'm still kinda miffed... but at the same time a little embarrassed about myself that I acted so "hipster-ish" or like an iSheep-ster.
Was I wrong?
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10 / 16 ... had to drive today as I got a chance to supply at Hamm for the afternoon...
62.5% not bad!
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update on my dad... still haven't really digested the whole thing and I'm scared to ask questions, but my mom was mentioning something about it being stage 3 colon cancer, of which there's a 73% survival rate.
that's supposed to be good right?
The deal with Tbaytel would mean not only $20/month cheaper on my plan (but I'd lose picture MMS) but the phone would practically be free.
Anyhow, as I was checking out the phone, I wanted to test the NFC on it (and couldn't get it to work) a bloke behind me who must have been all of 16, or 18 or so ... obviously he knows his stuff say to his mom that "that's the phone to get... IT'S THE BEST PHONE OUT THERE"
[note, that aside form the Galaxy Note, it's the most expensive]
"I compared it to the Nexus, and it's better".
That's when I should have walked away... but I didn't. I turn around and ask for clarification: "you're saying that this One X is better than my Nexus?"
"Oh, yeah, I've read ALL the reviews out there... the Nexus has only basic Android, whereas the One has the latest."
Again, should have just walked away. But I gave him a quizzical look and just said "well, I write for an Android blog, and actually, the Nexus devices are meant to have the latest, versus HTC bloat. Plus, you can't compare the Qualcomm processor of the One X to the OMAP processor in the Nexus. I'll say mine is faster."
I conceded the camera may be better, but left it at that and walked away. I had too much spilling around in my brain to try to educate this redneck on... oh look, it only has 4.0.3, whereas mine's running on 4.0.4... what's that? HTC has the WORST track record for firmware update? Oh, yeah bigger screen...
I could have gone on, but I didn't. So I left it at that. I'm still kinda miffed... but at the same time a little embarrassed about myself that I acted so "hipster-ish" or like an iSheep-ster.
Was I wrong?
--------------------------------
10 / 16 ... had to drive today as I got a chance to supply at Hamm for the afternoon...
62.5% not bad!
--------------------------------
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update on my dad... still haven't really digested the whole thing and I'm scared to ask questions, but my mom was mentioning something about it being stage 3 colon cancer, of which there's a 73% survival rate.
that's supposed to be good right?
band commitments [10/15]
Another Thursday night, and another fun filled band practice.
I get a little scared at how well we'll sound for the centennial... or am I just being cynical?
It's not that many practices away and we have some engagements that will remove us from regular Thursday nights... I worry.
Or do I expect too much?
And then today, an opportunity comes up that I immediately want to pounce all over, but then my PC side tells me to hold up... but in waiting it may be an opportunity lost.
But in pursuing it... will it be a motivator or a demotivator?
Also, do I have the time?
oh peanut butter sandwiches
I get a little scared at how well we'll sound for the centennial... or am I just being cynical?
It's not that many practices away and we have some engagements that will remove us from regular Thursday nights... I worry.
Or do I expect too much?
And then today, an opportunity comes up that I immediately want to pounce all over, but then my PC side tells me to hold up... but in waiting it may be an opportunity lost.
But in pursuing it... will it be a motivator or a demotivator?
Also, do I have the time?
oh peanut butter sandwiches
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Bikin' up a storm [9/14]
So, starting to bike up a storm lately... 3 for 3 this week thus far.
It's still a little chilly with slightly below freezing when I leave, but warms up on the bike home.
...except for today. It's supposed to rain on the way home; but I'm committed. And besides, biking HOME in the rain isn't an issue as it would be biking TO WORK.
9/14 = 64% It's climbing!
And nothing's really holding me back for Thursday/Friday.
It was a lot of fun to take Dean out for a bike the other day to the corner and back. He REALLY wants to go for a bike ride with me... not sure how I'll do that without having to just walk the bike.
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On the poorer side of things, last night was pretty rough. I'm not putting this stuff in the title, because I don't want people reading it as my topic, and most likely folk aren't reading this, so it'll be my chance to vent.
I hadn't really talked about this, I don't think, as I'm not one to really talk about my family. Dean, sure. But anybody else... no.
My dad has had some health issues ever since he retired. There was his quintuple bypass, his hernia, his complications (?) with his prostate, etc... He and my mom are on quite the regimen of pills and supplements. Druggies we joke with them.
Well, with all these issues, I've seen him deteriorate... not a lot. But this was the man who ran nearly every day, did the 10 mile road race every year, could paddle 30km a day, biked to work every day, etc... etc... etc...
Anyways, the most recent is he had appendicitis come on pretty quickly and had it removed. While having it out, the doctor found a 'growth' on his lower intestine, and removed that... that complication really slowed his recovery and he was very weak after that operation.
Last night the biopsy results came back in. It was cancer. I don't remember much else of what my mom told me, and rightfully it's still early right now to get any real answers. Lots more questions than answers at this time.
But something about 3 out of 12 nodes, and something about liver.
This is rough. For those of you that really know me, I don't deal well with death or stuff like that. I'm not sure I'm even over Alister's death at the moment.
And to add on top of it that this is a man that I've admired all my life. He's been a strong support for me, and a pillar of what I should be in my life... despite all my attempts to ignore that fact.
And as he's been the 'healthy' one in my life, and yet has had more to deal with in the last few years than many of his less healthy counterparts. There's a portion of me that is upset with the 'unfairness' of it all.
I think my li'l bro said it best. He's more willing to speak publicly than I...
It's still a little chilly with slightly below freezing when I leave, but warms up on the bike home.
...except for today. It's supposed to rain on the way home; but I'm committed. And besides, biking HOME in the rain isn't an issue as it would be biking TO WORK.
9/14 = 64% It's climbing!
And nothing's really holding me back for Thursday/Friday.
It was a lot of fun to take Dean out for a bike the other day to the corner and back. He REALLY wants to go for a bike ride with me... not sure how I'll do that without having to just walk the bike.
------------------------------------
spacer
--------------------------------------
On the poorer side of things, last night was pretty rough. I'm not putting this stuff in the title, because I don't want people reading it as my topic, and most likely folk aren't reading this, so it'll be my chance to vent.
I hadn't really talked about this, I don't think, as I'm not one to really talk about my family. Dean, sure. But anybody else... no.
My dad has had some health issues ever since he retired. There was his quintuple bypass, his hernia, his complications (?) with his prostate, etc... He and my mom are on quite the regimen of pills and supplements. Druggies we joke with them.
Well, with all these issues, I've seen him deteriorate... not a lot. But this was the man who ran nearly every day, did the 10 mile road race every year, could paddle 30km a day, biked to work every day, etc... etc... etc...
Anyways, the most recent is he had appendicitis come on pretty quickly and had it removed. While having it out, the doctor found a 'growth' on his lower intestine, and removed that... that complication really slowed his recovery and he was very weak after that operation.
Last night the biopsy results came back in. It was cancer. I don't remember much else of what my mom told me, and rightfully it's still early right now to get any real answers. Lots more questions than answers at this time.
But something about 3 out of 12 nodes, and something about liver.
This is rough. For those of you that really know me, I don't deal well with death or stuff like that. I'm not sure I'm even over Alister's death at the moment.
And to add on top of it that this is a man that I've admired all my life. He's been a strong support for me, and a pillar of what I should be in my life... despite all my attempts to ignore that fact.
And as he's been the 'healthy' one in my life, and yet has had more to deal with in the last few years than many of his less healthy counterparts. There's a portion of me that is upset with the 'unfairness' of it all.
I think my li'l bro said it best. He's more willing to speak publicly than I...
Monday, April 23, 2012
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Let's get you caught up [6/11]
So I figured this was going to be a write off week for biking, but I did fit in 2! Yay.
The work aspect of catching you up...
...hectic work on getting the programme, and certificates all in order; plus, having to still try to wrangle in all the nominees to attend the event. So it's been a wee bit stressful.
Oh, and it was After Business this week, which meant a little more hectic-ness thrown in for good measure. This After Biz drama was that the tables weren't delivered on time, and when they got there, there was just one guy struggling to get them off the truck, and then into the building, fumbling to fit one in the elevator at a time (we needed 20).
So, John and I rolled up our sleeves and sweated it out to get it done.
As for piping...
we found a really good deal on some used chanters that I can buy as backup / for students. So finalized that, and have the cheque ready to send out.
Rory took all the odds and sods from the back room and went to his Father in Law's to try to put some repair work on them. Got us 4 sets in all (1 good, 2 not so bad and 1 franken-pipe). We put together the set for Charne, and are just waiting on bag covers now.
I also got to fix up Murray's pipes again as there was a bit of a leak. Dang, those are nice pipes. If anybody is still looking for some suggestions on a present for me... I just heard Donald MacPherson's pipes are now up for sale.
Anything else?
Just got the Zeemote in for review from Tom. Not a bad 'gadget', we'll see ... might do a Hangout with it tonight. Which reminds me, I need to formalize up my review of the Blu Studio 5.3".
Well, like I said, I said 'stuff it' to the execs meeting on Thursday and biked to work anyways. That was a bit cold and slippery after that sleet we had earlier this week. And then for Friday, even though I had said that I couldn't on Fridays because of Dean's daycare, we just dropped him off earlier and then I drove home to get the bike and make my way into work
That helps keep me above the half-way mark of biking.
The work aspect of catching you up...
...hectic work on getting the programme, and certificates all in order; plus, having to still try to wrangle in all the nominees to attend the event. So it's been a wee bit stressful.
Oh, and it was After Business this week, which meant a little more hectic-ness thrown in for good measure. This After Biz drama was that the tables weren't delivered on time, and when they got there, there was just one guy struggling to get them off the truck, and then into the building, fumbling to fit one in the elevator at a time (we needed 20).So, John and I rolled up our sleeves and sweated it out to get it done.
As for piping...we found a really good deal on some used chanters that I can buy as backup / for students. So finalized that, and have the cheque ready to send out.
Rory took all the odds and sods from the back room and went to his Father in Law's to try to put some repair work on them. Got us 4 sets in all (1 good, 2 not so bad and 1 franken-pipe). We put together the set for Charne, and are just waiting on bag covers now.
I also got to fix up Murray's pipes again as there was a bit of a leak. Dang, those are nice pipes. If anybody is still looking for some suggestions on a present for me... I just heard Donald MacPherson's pipes are now up for sale.
Anything else?
Just got the Zeemote in for review from Tom. Not a bad 'gadget', we'll see ... might do a Hangout with it tonight. Which reminds me, I need to formalize up my review of the Blu Studio 5.3".
Well, like I said, I said 'stuff it' to the execs meeting on Thursday and biked to work anyways. That was a bit cold and slippery after that sleet we had earlier this week. And then for Friday, even though I had said that I couldn't on Fridays because of Dean's daycare, we just dropped him off earlier and then I drove home to get the bike and make my way into work
That helps keep me above the half-way mark of biking.
Monday, April 16, 2012
Playing for a funeral with terrible weather [4/7]
So I had been asked to play for a funeral today. I thought why not, as it sounded as tho it would just be a simple, march from the hearse to grave-site. Easy money... but it would mean I couldn't bike to work.
...then I found out it was near my house (sorta) and I could drive there, do the gig, stop off at home and bike into work after.
Except last night it decided to rain... then ice up that rain and turn it into some nasty sleet/snow for this morning.
I made a quick call to the funeral arranger to see if I couldn't play inside somewhere. Turns out the church is very tiny, and not much room... but there was a balcony I could play on. That was nice.
However, I ran late to get out of the office and only gave the pipes a quick blast in the basement stairwell... then I got there earlier than needed to be... so the tuning would have been long gone.
I ran outside quickly to do a quick tuning, but it was freezing, so it was hard to tell; and then just going back inside ruined any shot I had of being in tune.
It was bad... but not horrible. Ah well... made some money!
4/7 as of today... and I know Wednesday I have to drive, and same as Thursday, and with the awards and printing I may have to as well other days too... boo urns. This might be an entire write off this week.
...then I found out it was near my house (sorta) and I could drive there, do the gig, stop off at home and bike into work after.
Except last night it decided to rain... then ice up that rain and turn it into some nasty sleet/snow for this morning.
I made a quick call to the funeral arranger to see if I couldn't play inside somewhere. Turns out the church is very tiny, and not much room... but there was a balcony I could play on. That was nice.
However, I ran late to get out of the office and only gave the pipes a quick blast in the basement stairwell... then I got there earlier than needed to be... so the tuning would have been long gone.
I ran outside quickly to do a quick tuning, but it was freezing, so it was hard to tell; and then just going back inside ruined any shot I had of being in tune.
It was bad... but not horrible. Ah well... made some money!
4/7 as of today... and I know Wednesday I have to drive, and same as Thursday, and with the awards and printing I may have to as well other days too... boo urns. This might be an entire write off this week.
Friday, April 13, 2012
Not a perfect streak... but close [4/6]
Well, previously I had said I wasn't going to bike on the Wednesday as I was feeling a little sick.
I slept in purposefully and then just sucked it up and biked in (I literally have so much work, my desk can't hold it -- so no time to be sick).
So that made it 4/4... then Thursday I had a lunch meeting to go to, and today with Dean going to the daycare, there's no option to bike either. That leaves me with today's count of 4/6... 66%
Not perfect, but ah well. I'm trying.
I'm also realizing that with Dean at the daycare that at best I can only bike 4/5 days of the week... I can never get above 80%, and will never get there as I've never been above it.
I slept in purposefully and then just sucked it up and biked in (I literally have so much work, my desk can't hold it -- so no time to be sick).
So that made it 4/4... then Thursday I had a lunch meeting to go to, and today with Dean going to the daycare, there's no option to bike either. That leaves me with today's count of 4/6... 66%
Not perfect, but ah well. I'm trying.
I'm also realizing that with Dean at the daycare that at best I can only bike 4/5 days of the week... I can never get above 80%, and will never get there as I've never been above it.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Another day, another windy bike ride [3/3]
Yeah... I biked again. Wasn't so bad. A little child in the AM (I think -3, feeling like -6), and not so much wind.
The easy back home was not so good as it was pretty windy. Or I'm just really not in shape to do this.
At least my legs aren't screaming art me and preventing me from sleep today...
...just got some killer indigestion out something... Maybe I should easy more than just a granola bar all day.
I think if I go to work tomorrow (still really queasy) I'll drive. I'm allowed a day here or there... Right?
Tomorrow will be 3/4, Thursday will be 4/5, and then I have to drive Friday do ending the week 4/6.
Less than my desired average, but the early days the number can really fluctuate anyways.
Monday, April 9, 2012
Biking again... [2/2]
Yay... 2 days out of 2.
It was a tough call, it said it was going to snow today... and it did, but I was banking on the timing of the weather forecast, that it would say the snow would end by 2ish...I had a dentist appointment to get to, and I didn't want to bike in ANY snow
I get to work, and it's not too bad... only -3, and my ear wasn't bothering me so much (I have this nagging ear ache, and getting it exposed to cooler temperatures for about 20 minutes probably doesn't help), and soon thereafter it starts a little snow...
... then it flurried ... and it flurried.
It was pretty nasty, and I was really second guessing my decision today, but by about 3 when I was about to ride out to the appointment it started to slow. 330 and it was shining... not bright, but enough that there was no snow on the ground.
Yay me!
but now I ache... oh man, do I ache. A. LOT.
I don't remember it being this sore last year... but ah well. Keep at it!
It was a tough call, it said it was going to snow today... and it did, but I was banking on the timing of the weather forecast, that it would say the snow would end by 2ish...I had a dentist appointment to get to, and I didn't want to bike in ANY snow
I get to work, and it's not too bad... only -3, and my ear wasn't bothering me so much (I have this nagging ear ache, and getting it exposed to cooler temperatures for about 20 minutes probably doesn't help), and soon thereafter it starts a little snow...
... then it flurried ... and it flurried.
It was pretty nasty, and I was really second guessing my decision today, but by about 3 when I was about to ride out to the appointment it started to slow. 330 and it was shining... not bright, but enough that there was no snow on the ground.
Yay me!
but now I ache... oh man, do I ache. A. LOT.
I don't remember it being this sore last year... but ah well. Keep at it!
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Yay, first day biking [1/1]
I had been meaning to bike for almost a month now. A few weeks back it was utterly GORGEOUS! Should have started back then, but my bike wasn't in road condition quite yet...
then it snowed... a lot
So I waited, and bided my time. I meant to all this week, but several things at work kept me bopping back and forth across town, so no biking then.
At least I took the time to make sure there was air in the tires.
Then there was today... I was a little slow getting out the door when I wanted to, so I was a bit rushed. And I never really 'acclimatized' myself ... but I did it. I'm biking now.
My hope is to maintain at least a 75% average. I'm debating about posting my weight on here as well, just to see if there's any correlation (didn't find any last year).
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So far, 1 out of 1
then it snowed... a lotSo I waited, and bided my time. I meant to all this week, but several things at work kept me bopping back and forth across town, so no biking then.
Then there was today... I was a little slow getting out the door when I wanted to, so I was a bit rushed. And I never really 'acclimatized' myself ... but I did it. I'm biking now.
My hope is to maintain at least a 75% average. I'm debating about posting my weight on here as well, just to see if there's any correlation (didn't find any last year).
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So far, 1 out of 1
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