Uptown Near Sixth and Sixth

We got home from our winter travels on March 16th. In the short time here, it surely seems as though we experienced a whole Lower Mainland winter. Today was the first day which finally feels as though spring might actually show up. The weather was bit clear this afternoon but that means we can expect a low temperature of 3°C tonight. 

Also, the trees have barely budded and things continue to look pretty dreary. This weekend, however, our region's cherry blossoms may begin to provide a more determined demonstration.

   

This picture was taken from the roof of the Royal City Mall this morning. We park up there as there are seldom many cars and it's rather fun driving up the spiral ramp! Our city's main library is right across Sixth Avenue.

NW Public Library

This morning I visited the New Westminster Public Library. I'd received an email that a book was coming due later in the week and also that a hold put on a travel book had been saved for me.



Over the years, I've mentioned our city's public library here a lot. I do find it a tranquil space even when full of patrons. It is quite a hike from downtown and because the weather is behaving a bit like January, I drove up today. One area where our lovely library falls short is its lack of available parking. There's just not enough area around the building! I did manage to sneak into a spot today though.

I realized I've not been inside as often this summer as in the past. I really have to make an effort to duck inside more often.

Staying Informed is a Choice

I can learn more in twenty minutes with an e-copy of The Economist magazine than I could by watching any TV news channel for a solid week.

A big thank you goes to the New Westminster Public Library for providing me access via the library version of Zinio for my tablet.

Why Run When One Can Walk?

I look forward to errands a lot now.

Early retirement is awesome as nothing ever requires rushing around. I love having enough time to do whatever whenever. I'm sure this total lack of stress is good for our health.


We drove to both Queensborough and uptown today. The uptown Walmart Superstore opened when we were away. It is really big and now if I want a little exercise I can buy nearly anything without needing to get in the truck. There was room to park at the library and I had remembered to put my card back into my wallet.

A few people probed when they heard I was going to stop teaching. They asked incredulously what I going to do with all my time. I answered, "Live." I will wholeheartedly stick with that answer.

Loading e-Magainzes - Day 102

One hardly needs to think about storing reading material from the Internet as WiFi is generally always on tap.

Yet, during our 2014 Nile cruise, the promised Internet access on-board was practically non-existent. I do have enough credit on my pre-paid Egyptian Vodafone account for all our necessary Facebooking.

I might not have, however, enough MBs of data to sit by the pool just browsing from this upcoming Tuesday to Friday. Being ever prepared, I've loaded up some magazines on my tablet early.

Most probably I will not be able to even glance away from the fascinating rural scenes of life on the riverbanks. Yet, during down time, I am pretty sure I have enough to read during the three short nights we'll be away.

Thank you, New Westminster Public Library!

Embracing the Ability to Hug

I'm not much of a hugger.

I don't know why that is. I feel a little uncomfortable during a hug, much less initiating one. It must have to do with one's personality but I feel there's more at play than that.

Are New Englanders or, in particular, New Hampshirites, a little less prone to demonstrative greetings? Could it be a family thing? I did have a conversation about this with a cousin via Facebook once. I think she commiserated. In fact, I just searched my collection of over 14800 images on Flickr and I only came up with one image involving a hug. Interestingly, it was with that very cousin but after not seeing her for around four decades, I should add.


The reason I bring this situation up is I was surprised by my own, recent behaviour. I was checking out a book at the library yesterday and a voice from beside me said, "Dennis?" I looked over to see a familiar face. It was a former supervisor, Nargis. I'd not seen her in years but she was probably most responsible for me getting my first teaching assignment at the British Columbia Institute of Technology. Wait, there's a little story behind that:

Back in 1996, I had just purchased a new modem for my computer. That was a few months before first tasting broadband. The modem had a built in fax card. One could send a document from within Microsoft Word by choosing to print to the card instead of a printer. Then, the computer card would dial the number and I could hear the screeching as the devices completed their handshake. Anyway, I needed to test out this new newfangled facsimile facility, so I looked up a list of potential employers. BCIT was on that list. One class needed an instructor and I started teaching right away. I used to use this story with my students when we studied, cause and effect. You know this includes lots of language structures such as ... due to, because of, and as a consequence of.

Back to the cause for my surprise. It must have been a decade since I'd seen Nargis but I rushed over to hug her! It only felt a little odd in retrospect.

I'm generally not much of a hugger.

A Single HD Video File

I think less than half of our personal videos are on YouTube. Last night, I found and ripped two, major missing vacations during 2010 and 2011. They were added to my mobile drive for eventual uploading too. At present, these new files add up to nearly 80 GB. I keep running up beyond my Telus Internet's plan of 150 GB/month, as it is. It'd also take hours and hours to upload all the mp4s at the pathetic 4 or 5 Mbps upload speed.


I'd been thinking of running to a computer lab at BCIT someday to make use of the fast Internet speeds. Today, though, I thought maybe I could just try to see what the speeds were at the New Westminster Public Library. So, I walked up the hill with a mobile drive in my pocket.


The uploads speeds were about 5 times faster than from the apartment. Yet, I only managed to uploaded one file in 40 minutes. I chose the most recent file from last month. We drove down to Snoqualmie Pass via US Route 2 and Levenworth, WA. We went down on Thursday, August 20th in order to help set up for Ben and Larissa's wedding near Lake Kachess. The wedding was on Saturday, the 22nd.

The video only contains a bit of the story of our weekend there. It's surely not a definitive video of the events during those days. Yet, as this type of raw video does, it will help us to remember the weekend. We can check Jay's videos on YouTube anytime and from anywhere.

A Warehouse for Paper

New Westminster, BC City Hall
I walked uptown because it was sunny and warm.

I rested in the library and noticed ads on the catalogue-computers touting a New Westminster Public Library app. There literally is an app for everything. I've always thought that designing a mobile-optimized website would make more sense than going to the trouble of creating and maintaining an iOS and Android app.

I have to admit it was fun to sign-in to the NWPL app. I did a phone search at the shelves rather than returning, all of 10 meters, to check the catalogue on one of the library's computers. The scanner wouldn't read my library card barcode from my phone, so I had to get my physical card out of my wallet. I did verify on the phone that the chosen cookbook was checked out when I was on the other side of the main doorway.

Ironically, an hour or so later, while comfortably sitting on the sofa at home with tablet in hand, I downloaded Water for Elephants: A Novel using the same library card number.

Issuu for You

I used to read a lot of periodicals. I will admit even though it was easy to set up free access on my tablet through my library, I seldom bother looking at Zinio. I probably consume the majority of written media through Flipboard nowadays. My tablet is always within reach when I'm home.

I realize there is a place for the actual copy of some local newspapers and various other publications. Now I'm using Issuu and it is quite great. The web version works well, but this type of reading should be down with 'pinch and zoom' on a tablet. My personal feed is lined up with about six or eight titles. Every time I open the app, the newest issues are waiting at the head of the queue and all devices stay in sync.

Surely, I will glance at the headlines of Vancouver Metro on our upcoming month-long vacation to the Near East.

Link: Metro Canada - Vancouver April 25, 2014

Comfortable in My Own Skin

As I often do, I walked uptown today for the pleasure of the exercise. I had on my orange, ugly headphones, listening to Songza on my phone. The playlist was Timeless Pop / Rock Hits. The sonic background may have helped to contribute to a strong and sudden realization of ease.

I felt a lot more like a younger, even teenaged, self. Maybe this is just something that happens to people who achieve my age. I look back on my 30's and 40's and wonder how I wandered so far. It could have been the stress of obligations, but I'm sure they were mostly self-imposed.

I stumbled through uptown stores and then on to the city library. The breeze was brisk but it was obvious that it was summertime.



I felt profoundly comfortable, realizing the day was my own and I could do just about as I pleased. Not only in the moment, but I have options to do just about anything I wish in life as well. Finances may play a role but the security of that is just a mental construct. No, I felt very happy to be my age and be me.

Those must have been pretty powerful tunes I was streaming ...

---

While looking out the library window, I spent this entire track trying to figure out the meaning of the lyrics.

CPP and OAS

This morning, we went up to our public library for a free lecture. Human Resources Development Canada put on a two hour informational meeting on Canada's public pensions. The title doesn't seem like an alphabet soup now.

Then, when driving to BCIT for my afternoon I was struck with a rather unknown feeling for me. I realized I was really mature. For years I've felt I had a lot of experiences. Yet today, it seemed weird to be really thinking of retirement in such concrete terms.

Cool!

Still Life in the Magazine Format?

When I logged on to my city's public library site, I was surprised to see that they were offering e-magazines through Zinio. I had downloaded that Android app and had even purchased a few subscriptions almost exactly a year ago. I found I didn't often open it as I'd only paid for several subscriptions and much of my tablet time seemed to be spent reading news via aggregation services such as Taptu and Currents.



Seeing how, my library was going to let me check out magazines for free, I thought I'd give it a second and third look. I even ran uptown to replace my library card as somehow along the way I'd switched over to a city of Burnaby one which could only be used for the circulation of physical materials at New Westminster.

As I already had a Zinio account getting my new issues proved to be a breeze. In fact, my card and a screen image of a British Columbia Magazine was yesterday's daily photo. Yet, I am happy enough to have decided I should make a whole blog entry about this and include the new photo of my tablet's screen with issues waiting to be read.

I am especially grateful for the timing of this as I will have my Toshiba on our flight over the Pacific at the end of the month. I'd much rather read periodicals then try to pay attention to a long book or movie.

I want to offer my thanks to the New Westminster Public Library.

Postal Service Not Required

I got the email this afternoon. It said that my November issue of the Smithsonian magazine was ready for tablet viewing. The sensation was slightly different than opening the postal box and seeing a wrapped magazine, but it did usher in an identical level of excitement.

Today, I noticed that the magazine area of our city library carries this periodical, so if I get a real longing to touch paper, I can. The newest issue isn't yet on the shelf at the NWPL though. Sitting by the window in the comfortable space on the second floor is nice on a rainy day. I opened my electronic version as I had my tablet with me. So far, I am pretty happy with my experiences at Zinio.com.

No Old Book Smell

Even in high school I was a more avid reader of periodicals than fiction. I loved magazines and once had, literally, thousands of National Geographic magazines stashed in my attic bedroom. I remember my grandmother buying me a subscription to The Smithsonian when was in school and it was very welcomed. There were always Popular Mechanics or Popular Science lying around the house. I think I used to like Time better than Newsweek. US News & World Report was fine as well. Then, during the 80's I could hardly wait for each issue of PC Magazine.

The fact that I used to read about computers on paper seems quaint and a bit ironic. Of course, except for the daily newspaper, during the last decade I've hardly picked up a book or magazine as I have gotten my fill of words via computer screens.



Due to these reasons, e-books are somewhat of an unknown entity to me. A notebook PC or netbook just doesn't seem like an object with which to snuggle with for an extended read. My phone was even a less likely place to squint with my 50 year old eyes. Yet, yesterday's purchase of a tablet has got me thinking that I have a lot of catching up to do.

I loaded the Kindle application as well as the software necessary for downloads from our BC Libraries eCatalogue.

Witnessing a Major Shift

Right now, I'm in the BCIT library. I always give a one-hour project when I teach COMM 0004. That is what's happening. My fifteen students are working in pairs in various places around the building. They walked around the entire facility and are now planning and writing a description of one particular location. It's always interesting to have an activity take place outside the usual classroom. After this, we will walk back across campus to NE1 to finish the remaining three hours. Some of this will be spent studying new material, some writing an assignment, and we'll also spend a bit of time in the computer lab.

I didn't even mention to the students that today is my birthday. I don't want to have any fuss over the fact I'm fifty years old today. It might be due to the occasion which marks the passing of years, but my idea of libraries has certainly changed. Honestly, walking between stacks of yellowing paper seems very anchronistic. I am sure that during the centuries between the great libraries of the Roman Empire and a few years ago, these items on the shelves constituted a collection of the sum total of man's knowledge.

I have nothing against regular, old books. They are a terribly efficient way of carrying around information. They are portable, light-weight and can be produced cheaply. I always sort of laughed at those who talked about the demise of the library. That was, until today. The rushing tide to electronic storage and access will continue unabated. I'm sure that in another fifty years there will be a campus building called a library. I do not expect, however, that its function or layout will be recognizable.

Notebooks and Umbrellas

I am now teaching COMM 0004 at the British Columbia Institute of Technology. It is my favourite level in our program's courses, so I often request it. During the fourth week of class, without fail, I schedule a project that takes place in the BCIT Library on the Burnaby Campus. I've been doing it for years and years. We always meet in the library lobby at the start of class. Then, we spend an hour on tasks before walking across campus to our regular classroom. You have to remember that I've done this, quite literally, dozens of times.

It never ceases to amaze me that whichever day I choose, it rains. In fact the only record to the contrary is the picture above. This scene is looking north from the library steps. It was taken in July of 2006.

We are set to meet at the BCIT library at 1:00 pm today. It is raining.

Another Auditory Experiment

Today, I'm revisiting whether I will further explore the world of audio books. I have not even considered them in about a year and a half. On the other hand, I am aware how greatly my 'must-hear' news and technology podcasts affect my life. I have always known I'm something of an auditory learner.

I was prompted to return to my city library's page after listening to This Week in Tech. One of the guests talked about how very nice it is to be read to. It may invoke nostalgia for those whose parents or teachers read to them. Or it may hearken back to the more primitive human aspects of storytelling around a fire.

It seems that British Columbia Libraries maintain a centralized website for e-books and audio books. I just loaded some proprietary software and entered my library card number. I checked out a book and downloaded it to my laptop. From there, I was able to easily copy it to my Creative Zen Stone.

Sunrise Alley
Edition: Unabridged
Author: Catherine Asaro
Read by: Hillary Huber

Whereas many of my podcasts are about twenty minutes, this book will take over eleven hours to complete. I'd better get crackin' because it's only checked out until the 30th of the month. After that, the files self-destruct, hopefully not in Mission Impossible style.

Borrowing over the Net

I rather think of audio books as cassette tapes for people who have a long, boring, daily commute. I can still be so eighties.

Today, on this rainy morning, after returning from weekly grocery shopping, I explored something new for me: digital audio books. I had briefly played with free classic audio books years ago when I used my ancient iPAQ. I just never made much time for listening. Today, however, I accidental stumbled on real offerings though my public library. Many British Columbia libraries have banded together and are implementing new opportunities.



The system is quite interesting as one really checks out the digital files by using one's library card. It's due back in 14 days and due to Microsoft digital rights management, it will expire. There's software that needs to be downloaded for each computer by Overdrive. That company seems to be positioning itself well for a future in all aspects of digital media.

There's now 60-minutes of survival Czech playing. It'll probably be of little help when we spend a few days in Prague but gosh! Maybe I have to cave in and pick up a $50 mp3 player!

On the Fly ...

For decades, I've been doing school work on my home computer, but only recently have I been doing the reverse. I am logged onto the BCIT network now.

I first bought a $300 Radio Shack TRS-80 in 1980. I don't think that I would've even dreamed there'd be so much hardware on the planet in just two and a half decades. Bill talked about having one of these suckers on every desk, but it's obvious we surpassed that goal. How many personal computers are there per capita in North America? (That's a question I can probably answer in a matter of minutes after I exit www.blogger.com and get to a search engine.)

It is time again for my library exercise. I'm down in the COMPUTER COMMONS. I take every class for an hour-long project in the library on the Burnaby campus. As I generally teach 5-week, intensive courses, I find myself here nearly every month. I do like the atmosphere in libraries.

A few of my Communications students would never set foot in this building were it not for this assignment. At this point in my course, we hit materials that emphasize the use of comparative structures. They are here to observe a location that meets some criteria for successful studying. In this week's assignment, they will compare their notes written here with those from another studying location.

Being a Traitor

Okay, it's hardly treason, but this morning I do feel a bit like I've run away from something important.

I've mentioned the word, library in no less than 26 unique weeks of my eJournal and images archives. I've often bragged about my municipal library as being the first in British Columbia. I have made mention of numerous books, CDs, and DVDs I've borrowed there. I've even taken a number of pictures of the New Westminster Public Library.

Yesterday, on the way home from BCIT, I stopped at the Edmonds branch of the Burnaby Public Library. It is easy to pull off and park there. I am eligible to use it as a long-time resident of a city in the InterLINK system. Rather than abandoning my local, little library, I should consider I'm just gaining another card for my wallet ...