What's wrong with this picture ?

Indeed, one might wonder... after all, it's just a backroad among many on Cape Cod...

There are lots of "For Sale" signs.

In the America of George Bush, running a costly war on the credit card, their currency gets devalued.

Since oil is *imported*, it's no suprising to see gas at $4 a gallon (even $4.25 !) . Since the economy runs on oil... and also on many other imported goods...

And to make things worse for a place like Cape Cod that thrives on tourism, the Bush administration did everything to close borders... so the tourists aren't there anymore.

If you are European, who wants to go to the leeeeeenghty visa process and to top it all, to get fingerprinted like a criminal?

If you're Canadian, do you love spending hours at the border, not to mention spending a lot of time in very unpleasant interrogations with a US custom officer? There you go.

And this is on top of the housing market own woes, and those loans that banks knew too well that people could barely afford to pay.

I was cycling on these backroads, and couldn't help but thinking of the drama going on...

-E

Deafness and privacy...

Why the silence on my blog? Oh, I spent a week and a half of vacations on "the Cape" and around, err... I mean Cape Cod, and then I venture to Boston and to the Lowell Folk Festival before going back home.

While on the Cape, I went to the beaches, and I cycled along the backroads of Eastham (and on their great Rail Trail). I had a great time.

While cycling on one of these backroads (notice the traffic "congestion". It sure beats Route 6!), I encounter that sign: "Deaf Child Area".

I had to pause. There's always a good intent in everything, but the way good intents percolate into reality, things go awry and miss the target.

Maybe I'm fussy because of my own work, I see privacy issues everywhere, but if I were parents, I wouldn't like to advertise the fact that I've deaf children. It's not a matter that my neighbours would know (I'm sure they would know!!!), but about people passing on that road, period. That's none of their business... and that might even giving ideas to bad people who might take advantage of my kids *because* they are deaf.

Yet, I can see the good intent behind that sign, for drivers to pay attention that there are kids who won't hear you coming.

The problem isn't with deafness, the problem is the road. The problem is the crazy drivers on that road! The problem is that there's no one enforcing the slow speed limit on these roads!

As you can see, this is a fairly deserted road and it parallels busy Route 6, the main thoroughfare on the Cape. So, the temptation to bypass the heavy traffic and to floor the gas pedal on these winding roads is there. So whatever is on the side of the road, kids, adults, deaf or not, walking or cycling... they all are in danger.

As a cyclist, my ears are my rear view mirrors. Problem is, when there's a car facing me, its engine noise covers everything else. I might not hear a car behind me. Or that car behind me makes so much noise, that it hides the fact that there are *several* vehicles behind that car.

A few times there have been very close calls, everytime because of vehicle speeding in excess of 60mph on these winding roads, and at that speed, they were just too busy attempting to stay on that road without hitting anything to even notice your presence.

I consider these backroads, while to be enjoyed (and *I* enjoyed cycling on them!), as far more dangerous than a busy street in downtown Montréal as a result. And I am a hearing person!

A sign that reads "Deaf Child Area" won't do much to vehicle speeding on that road. The driver doesn't care, and even to hearing people, things happen so fast there's no time to do anything.

And in the week and a half I've been cycling on these little roads, I haven't seen a single police cruiser. They were all busy ticketing motorists on Route 6. Maybe that's where the problem is...

Cheers,

-E

Where is George? The strange travel of a dollar bill...

<--- To avoid problems with the law, I hide part of the serial number.

As some of you already know, next week I'll be back in the US! Just a tiny week of vacations that I could slice in. Given the situation at home, it's the best I can do for now. So I take all the respite I can.

So I figure it's time that I should check how much US money in my waller and when I'll have some spare time, I'll go to the bank and get some more before I leave Canada.

Checking closer those US bills, I stumbled on a strange looking $1 bill. (See both photos)

Stamped a few places on the bill, it said: "Track this bill", and then the url of a web site.

Oh dear, I thought I got a bogus $1 bill. At least I didn't lose much. :)

Apparently, this is legit. I learn this is a project that started 10 years ago, and thousands of $1 US bills have been tracked. Enter the serial number, and you'll see where your US $1 bill went.

Apparently, mine went from Ohio to Washington State. Not sure where I got that. Maybe during the time I was in California last May? Or it went back to the east coast and I got it at Blogadelphia (the bloggers' gathering in Philadelphia) ? Or in Boston?, both in June?

(Gee whiz, it looks like an STD, however with an happier outcome: Where and from whom I got that!!! ).

Fascinating to track the whereabout of a dollar bill. Already a round trip from the east to the west coast, it now has crossed the US border, now in Canada, and soon it will return in Massachusetts during my vacations.

The site is wheresgeorge.com .

I'm hesitant to let that $1 bill go, it feels like I met a friend who has traveled a lot and still has a lot to say.

On the other hand, the very purpose of these marked bills is that they continue to travel all over the continent....

So when I'll be on the Cape next week, I'll let that little guy goes, and I'll check its whereabout on the web site. :)

Out of curiosity, have you ever received such a marked bill? If so, did you know where it traveled?

Cheers!

-E

Cellphone monopoly...

Sometimes, I wish our CRTC has teeth, like its US counterparts, the FCC. The airwaves belong to the public domain, and like radio and TV broadcasters, cell phone operators are given a privilege to use some of that precious resource for commercial purposes.

In return, they should make good use of it, and this is on that principle that both CRTC and FCC do rule.

Two frustrating news went on yesterday. It reminds you that these cellphone operators operate as a monopoly in Canada and therefore they are laughing at you big time, since the CRTC doesn't want to intervene...

1) Bell *AND* Telus, 2 of the 3 cellphone operators both announced *at the same time* that not only outgoing text messages are billed, you will also be billed for *incoming* text messages.

Since text messages are likely to come from either their own network or from the other network, you really want me to believe that Bell and Telus didn't talk to each other, and it was just sheer coincidence that they both come to the conclusion they must bill incoming text messages as well and also a coincidence they made the announcement... on the same day, yesterday?

Hello?

What about Rogers (who also own Fido)? No plans to do double dipping like Bell and Rogers. On the other hand, since it costs twice as much to send a text message.... Bingo! It's a monopoly (or more technically an oligarchy, or a triopoly, since we have just 3 cellphone operators in Canada).

2) Rogers announced that they have "listened" to the uproar of protests from their customers about the iPhone and how insane it is priced here in Canada. Ah.

They'll now offer a data plan for $30/month. Rogers is making a lot of publicity that they are slashing the costs of the iPhone by half, initially priced at $60/month.

Where's the gotcha? Actually there are several of them. First, it's a time limited offer (until the end of August).

Second, it's a *data plan* (therefore no voice) at $30/month. Since monthly basic cellphone (voice) service is about $30. ... we're back to $60/month, so there's no savings at all. Gotcha!

A footnote: A data-only plan isn't that bad, and it would make sense to deaf people. This is what T-Mobile in the US offers for their Sidekick. However, the Sidekick has applications for the deaf people, such at internet relay, a service which we don't have in Canada, nor VRS, thanks again to our government procrastinating. Since we have a Bush-like Conservative government, don't expect anything good coming from them anytime soon.

So a $30/month data plan for the iPhone won't bring much benefits to the Canadian deaf communities... except of a better rate, and even there, the plan will be available only for two months. Not much to cheer about.

About myself? For the time being, it's no, I won't bite at the bait. Later? Maybe.

Since I'm often in the States, I'm still thinking of buying a US phone and I'll cough out the roaming fees when I'm in Canada. :) It would still be cheaper.

Besides, I'm still debating about the Sidekick vs iPhone. The one key feature missing on the iPhone is a *real* keyboard, like on the Sidekick. Other than that, the iPhone would be the perfect phone for me!

That being said, I have ZERO sympathy for Rogers, Bell and Telus. The only 3 cellphone operators in Canada, they are merrily price gouging the market, knowing that they can do so with total impunity from the government.

Like its wired counterpart, those wireless cellphones have become so useful that you can't think of getting rid of them. That's the bet the 3 Canadian cellphones have made. Grrr.... :)

Cheers nonetheless!

-E

Donor card... worthless ?

Indeed. This is what a colleague of mine, besides the grief of losing a sibling, discovered.

Personally, it's the *third* time I'm seeing this, so it comes as not a surprise, but everytime, it angers me the most, for many reasons.

You have certainly heard in your area some campaigns to donate your organs. In most provinces and US states, it is usually on the back of the driver's license, or healthcare card, or even specifically carrying a donor card,.

You can sign those cards, stating that you have indeed given your consent to donate your organs.

Usually, when there's a campaign going on, they'll make you feel guilty for not signing such cards, reminding you of so many lives that could be saved if everyone did.

So, you probably do like what I've done, and like thousands of people, including the colleague's *brother*, we all have signed those cards.

If it's the end of the road for us, what is more noble than agreeing that parts of us would help to prolong someone else's life? Conversely, if on one day we are at the receiving end, wouldn't we be thankful to that brave soul who did sign his donor card?

Usually, campaigns for signing such cards go along these terms. Except they forget to tell you one *key* ingredient... or if they address it, they voluntarily tone down its importance... and yet, this is the whole point which explains why such donor cards / transplant cards... are essentially *worthless*.

Have you realized that your signature on the back of these cards is in *no* way an authorization to do anything with your body? Yup. That's what my colleague found out the hard way.

Authorities have to contact members of your family. At this time of the year, everyone is on vacations.

Bingo.

Impossible to contact the family in a timely fashion... So the signature on the back of his donor card WAS NOT HONORED... since no one could be reached in a timely fashion.

And that was the end of the story, and in a tragic irony, a brother who was a very active proponent of those donor cards.

But it's the law as dumb as it is, even if you sign your card, someone ELSE has to give an ok.

And when you dig this further, you realize that the shortage of organ transplant is *NOT* because there are lacks of donors, in fact, they are indeed plentiful, but it is in contacting the family in a timely fashion that is the problem.

So the next time there will be a campaign, or when a volunteer, in his or her good will is seeing you in person to persuade you to sign that card, card that you have probably signed by the way, would you tell that person to redirect his or her good will to where it... matters?

To change the law, so when you sign a donor / transplant card, that there should not be time wasted, nor even a glimpse of an hesitation in questioning your signature?

Think about it.

On all the documents you have signed during your entire adult life, say from a credit card purchase to your yearly income taxes, even something as important and life binding as a marriage contract, no one ever came *later*, asking someone *else* whether it was really you who signed those documents, and whether you really intended to sign those documents?

So... why is it, when at the most crucial point in life, when it is literally giving life to someone else, even more so when time is a critical factor ... why anyone would purposely question your signature?

Nonsense.

You really want to hear from me on how to really make organ transplant working ? Do you really want to help to save lives?

Do help change the law.

Cheers,

-E

Post travel notes: When they didn't know they were geeks: Le musée mécanique in San Francisco

The Musée Mécanique is located at the end of the Embacardero, a few minutes of walk from Pier 39 as well as from many hotels, including mine.

(Notice the traffic: Pedestrians, cyclists and ahem... seagulls. Definitively, we're in San Francisco, here. :) ).

On arrival in SF, I was intrigued. What a French sign, with the proper accents at the right places, in the USA ? Wow... By the way, In French it means literally "The mechanical museum". How curious...

One of the fun of traveling is to let your curiosity guides you. So, I got guided. :) Besides, how curious to enter a museum... through the mouth of a woman. Definitively sexist, if you ask me., Heehehe! ;)

(A little footnote on the timestamps of some of the photos: For some reasons, my digicam reverted to year 2007. Those photos were really taken in May of *2008*).

Entering the museum, you'll be greeted by these machines. From another time, where mechanical parts ruled.

Grandma who will draw tarot cards for you, and the machine on your right will tell you about your personality. See? I'm a sexy guy. I knew that, of course. ;)

Has it occurred to you... that we do the very same things today? There are web sites that will draw tarot cards and supposedly predict your future. Also all of those online questionnaires, telling you a bit about your personality...

I've been thinking that those people who crafted these machines, if they live today, they would be called geeks. Don't you think?

The sign on the right cracks me up. It reads: "To be happy, see what every married woman must not avoid!". How funny. :)

The machine on the left gives a clue. In the second half of 1800s through the early 1900s, the gold rush was going on. Cities like San Francisco were largely inhabited by men... who left their families on the east coast to become rich quickly and then to return home.

Men being men, and away from their official spouse, do I need to elaborate? It was the early era of moving pictures, so with the privacy of these "viewfinders", one could see some dirty pictures.

Dirty pictures which by today's standards are pretty tame. By the way, all these machines are functional. Toss a nickel, a dime or a quarter, and bingo!

There was a set of beautifully restored mechanical piano players. All functional. Drop a coin, close your eyes, and it feels that you're in a saloon!

(A bit on digression, a few days later I was on my way to Yosemite National Park. In the Sierra Nevada, we stopped briefly at what is considered to be the very last saloon standing, at least in California. And it feels like in the movies. To a point you have to pinch yourself. Where the De Loreans, I'm traveling in time, here! :) )

It was difficult to take the photo because of the poor lighting. I had to use a flash, but this is an entire village that got "mechanized".

Animals, people, over 150 moving "objects".

It was eerie to see this in action.


This has nothing to do with the museum, but a trip in San Francisco isn't complete without a trek on its famous bridge.

It was just two months ago...

If you ask me, I'd return there right away.

Sigh. :)

Cheers,

-E

Deaf world: Some debates that will never end...

I was reading DeafPulse (which you get the 10 most recent headlines on this blog), and reading other Deaf web sites...

CI, aka Cochlear Implant. It's a big thing in the deaf world. I guess that it is alike to a Christian seeing Satan in person. :)

I'm fighting all I can on behalf of my dad, and the last thing on top of many illnesses is deafness... it goes without saying, pun not really intended that I have to rely on Sign Language to get understood. Or words on a piece of paper, but even then you have to write in big letters, as his eyesight is also getting worse. Also a miracle that my dad was able to remember a few signs and to make use of them.

On top of other illnesses, it feels like the last straw. At least for me. But it's no use to get angered, frustrated, or anything. It's life as it unfolds, with the best and the worst and you have to take that.

One thing I notice how the world, so wide and infinite, gets narrower for him. While I have also my own 'bouts (I hear well, but decoding human speech is a nightmare for me, so I sometimes appear to others as if I were deaf), but I haven't realized what it means being deaf.

We're in an audible world, from the doorbell, the telephone, radio, even television, when all these audible infos become out of reach, you live in a strange narrowed world, because all those audible you depend on during all your life... are no longer there, and you realize the sheer void.

I had that in mind when I was reading several heated debates about CI. Whether parents who took decision on behalf of their children, or as a grown up, to go for cochlear implants.

For my dad, it's way too late of course, but I have been thinking that in the very audible world that we live in, if I were in that situation at my age, I'd seriously consider the option.

Which doesn't mean I'd stop using Sign Language, far from it, but I have to realize that 99% of the people around me, from friends to neighbours to colleagues haven't learned it. So I have very little use of Sign Language (but I continue to wish that Sign Language should be taught at school, just like other languages, because it *IS* a full fledged language, with its own culture. It's *NOT* a sub-standard language, just for the "disabled", with the double quotes! )

I'm a fervent partisan of "Vivre et laissez vivre". It's a French phrase to just say to let people decide for themselves. I feel in cases like that, there's no right or wrong choices to take. These are just... personal choices.

But in the deaf community, it isn't different than other communities. There are always some outspoken (?) people monopolizing as many means of communication as possible, and claiming high and low that we should all go their way.

When there's a language, there is a culture. There IS a deaf culture. The dilemma is when you are a minority, then you are in survival mode.

Incidentally, this is the debate we keep having in my province (Québec). Anyone who wants to understand the language debate there, the key to do so is to view from the angle that we're a tiny minority in North America, even in our own country. 24% of Canadians speak French. Stated otherwise, that's 76% who does NOT speak French, and the numbers have been steadily declining since Stat Can began to do statistics, a hundred years ago...

So I see in the deaf community the same patterns of self-defense. The debate against CI is also that. It is perceived as removing people from the deaf culture, which is not entirely false, but it isn't entirely true.

It is my understanding that the deaf culture while being a minority and having to beg from the majority for its needs, is far from going extinct.

The geek in me, who sees technology progressing, I have to say: Who could have thought a few years ago that there would be plenty of "vlogs", video blogs, people signing merrily in ASL? there are web sites in ASL, and already movies in ASL? Who would have thought there would be plenty of materials on the internet to feed things like DeafPulse?

Aren't these things... an expression of a *culture*, that is vibrant and dynamic? I would think so, and thanks to the technology, for providing a support for which a language can be transmitted. In this case, *visually* transmitted.

I was looking at the millions of channels on digital cable. I was joking a bit, but I am serious, what about an ASL channel? I'd sign for it right away. What about newscasts, game shows, sitcoms in ASL? There are millions of deaf and hard of hearing people across the US and Canada. Sorry, but closed captioning doesn't cut it.

There are TV channels that are on the air with an audience less than that. Besides, there are already linguistic channels, Spanish, Greek, Portuguese, German.

I think it's a matter of time someone who has the money will come up with a nationwide ASL channel? (and put closed captioning for the NON-hearing impaired? ;) )

I'd be the first to sign up, that's for sure.

So it seems that debates like against CI are so futile and such a waste of energy... it's being at standstill while the world keeps moving forward.

What else to say, or sign for? PEACE and ILY? Maybe...

That's a way to sign Vivre et laisser vivre, I'd say...

-E

Blogatus interruptis ?

<--- Hugfest at Blogadelphia. You should recognize the guy in kilt. I think. Oh that, and the Fluevog shoes worn by the huggee. :)

It's been a month I haven't blogged here (and not much on FC either) except for the "Blogadelphia" reports.

When things move on professionally, when you have also to parent your own parents, sometimes you just appreciate... some time off.

Also, life as a single for this long, and I'm not eager to go back to the dating scene for as long as I barely have time even for myself... it does compel for more time off... and to enjoy the sweet feeling of being alive.

On the other hand, I *do* have things to say, and it's piling up! About my stay in San Francisco in May (such as the Musée Mécanique, or about geeks who didn't know they were geeks when they crafted these incredible machines)... and also geeky stuff while at Blogadelphia, as well in Boston, and a few things in between.

I'm just back home, right in time for Oh Canada (July 1st is Canada Day). I saw blurbs from Rogers and Fido about the iPhone. This is from the same guys who a few years ago have nuked the Sidekick, the iPhone's ancestor (and still a very apt competitor today... everywhere else in the world, *EXCEPT* Canada. Grrrr.... )

So it goes without saying from people who don't understand what these devices are all about, nor the huge market for those devices, the fact they delayed the arrival of the iPhone in Canada by a year, and the rumors flying high that Apple officials were royally pissed off at Rogers and Fido for the GSM monopoly they have in Canada...

Those are hints that as a customer, Rogers and Fido will scr*w you royally. In other words, paying top dollars for a brain damaged iPhone... unless you are willing to pay even more $$$ to get... essentially what eveyone else in the world do get from their iPhone, at a fraction of the cost. Sigh...

I was in the US just days ago... and sigh! Ok, I'll go with big with stereotypes, but it's like women with flagrance (I'm tempted to add Fluevog shoes as well. Tee hee!!! ;) ).

I'm a geek who can't resist electronic toys. I saw the iPhone in store in Boston, also the newest (and coolest!) Sidekick at a T-Mobile store in Hyannis...

One word: Sigh!!! :) Even more sigh that these guys were willing to sign me up right away, even after I told them that I'm Canadian and live most of the time in Canada. How *TEMPTING* is that? :)

Other little silly news I've heard: VIA Rail is not able to keep its trains on time. Mhhh, ok, they call that... news? :)

The worst line? Toronto-Ottawa. The 2nd worst line? Ottawa-Montréal. There must be something with Ottawa, I guess. ;) Seriously, it's all single track upthere, and freight trains always get priority... so no wonder. The day the Canadian government will get serious, things will change.

While in the US both in May on the west coast and June on the east coast, I rode Amtrak a couple of times. Now I feel good about VIA Rail. :)

On the geek front, I was surprised, even in first class, that there's no Wi-Fi access on their train. On the west coast, I rode between LA and Sacramento a few times, then from Sacramento to Vancouver BC.

On the east coast , I was on their popular "corridor" section, between Philadelphia and Boston. (This would be somewhat equivalent in Canada with our corridor service between Montréal and Toronto). So we can badmouth VIA Rail on many things, but we're one step ahead of the Americans by providing Wi-Fi access on all their corridor trains. Besides, with all those delays I've just mentioned, isn't it fun to kill time on the internet? Wise move for VIA Rail. ;)

Happy Canada Day everyone (Also a belated Saint-Jean Baptiste Day... a week ago! :) )

Cheers,

-E

Greetings from Yosemite, California!

Leaving Québec, welcome California! Leaving damp grey weather, welcoming, enjoying, treasuring... sunny California weather. It is H-O-T! Around 100F even in supposdely cool San Francisco, and 85F here in cool Yosemite Park, at an atltitude of 4000'.

Leaving San Francisco and its clogged freeways, it's California route 120 all the way to Yosemite Park.

Route 120 is a fascinating road.

Past the glow of San Francisco and its urbanity, the scenery flirts with the desert.

Of all times, men have been fascinated by wind, and how to harness it.

A common sighting on route 120, are those modern windmills.

It is a hot debate in Québec, while in California, they're doing it.

Ugly? Who defines beauty? The Eiffel Tower was once deemed by many Parisians as the most ugliest pile of steel.

To me, it is an eerie sight. Neither ugly nor beautiful just... mhhh... well, with the desert and the blazing heat, just eerie. It is *also* audibly eerie. Wind turbines are a tad noisy. The sound they make is difficult to describe.

On the way to Glacier Point, at some 8000' of altitude. Notice the tall trees...

Oh, my digicam is working all right, it is S-N-O-W on the ground. Snow at an ambient air temperature of 80F.

Got a problem? Not me. :)

After driving through the desert, now those tall trees. Going through snow during a California heatwave makes sense, right? Right. ;)

Life isn't a string of contradictions?

The view at 8000', at Glacier Point.

Doesn't it inspire... respect, serenity, peacefulness? Away the craziness and ugliness of the urban city? Before your eyes, the wonders of nature, in her full beauty.

Time to dream... of a better world, isn't it?

One would wish to stay for a little while. However, hiking in altitude, every little step reminds me... that I'm a sea-level creature.

While hiking, this little guy zoomed by just before me.

Hey my friend, be careful!

As if he understands what I'm telling him. Oh silly me. :)

He's now basking under the sun, I think he got it right. It's good for reptiles, it's good for humans too. :)

A trip to Yosemite isn't complete without a photo of its famous waterfall.

Not appearing clearly on the photo was a rainbow at the bottom of the fall.

If you're planning a trip to Yosemite, they'll tell you the best time to see the waterfall is now, in May. In the summer time, the waterfall dries up.

You know what? It's been a few days that I'm in California... I'm not eager to return to Québec. Naw... :)

(I hope that I've made you jealous. :) )

Cheers from Yosemite National Park, California!

-E

Artificial deafness...

If you are reading my other blog on FC, you know that I'm about to travel. A tour of the west coast, as far south as San Francisco, and then the slow ride all the way to Vancouver. From the coast to the desert. An Eskimo in the desert definitively strikes my imagination. ;)

Suffice to say that I had it rough for the past couple of months, and taking a break from Montréal is definitively welcome.

On this blog, I'd rather like to focus on the geeky aspect of travels...

In case one wonders, San Francisco is 6 hours of flight from Montréal. Just as far away as... London, England. Add 30 minutes and you're in Paris. :)

And I wonder whether it was from excessive travel by plane (I completely max out last year), tinnitius (aka "ringing ears") has become an unwelcome guest, and the more I flew, the more it lingered.

Last summer in Seattle, I spotted this pair of headsets at an electronic store. "Quiet Zone" from Koss. It can act like a regular headset, plugged to your iPod/MP3 gizmo or like here with the adapter, plugged to the plane's PA system. But you wouldn't shell US $100 + a pop for these headsets. Besides, I'd say the sound quality is just average.

In fact, the best way to enjoy these headsets is when they are *NOT* connected to any sound device. Not bad eh?

Enter the wonderful world of active noise cancellation. In other words, artificial deafness. :)

Sound travels in the air as a sinewave. Like any sinewave, if you apply to that sinewave another sinewave that is 180-degree out of phase, both sinewaves cancel each other. The result? Silence.

Short of implanting an on/off switch onto my ears, this is the next best thing, at least in theory. (oh sweet dreams! I could be deaf to politicians and not just figuratively when they do speeches during an election. Neato, n'est-ce pas? :) )

In reality, these headsets cut down the noise considerably, but they fall short of the promised artificial deafness.

Also with the Koss, supposedly for my own safety (?), the headset will allow the human voice to go through. This is partially true. It filters the higher pitch voice of women, while male voices tend to get through in a bit muffled state.

Nonetheless, they cut down noise enough to make a long flight trip enjoyable. Enough to finally enjoy that in-flight movie, news bulletins or whatever is coming out of your iPod-like gizmo without having to boost the volume to the max, if you want to hear anything.

I lend my "deaf ears" to a few colleagues who had to travel by plane, and they all love it. The drawbacks, because there are always some, the thing is bulky (because it has to cover each ear completely) and somewhat heavy to wear. The battery doesn't last long. Just a few flights. All in all, a small price to pay to avoid tinnitius and major headaches.

These headsets also work very well on buses and trains.

On a philosophical side, isn't an irony that there are lots of research done and money spent in hearing aids and cochlear implants to help deaf and hard-of-hearing people to hear... and on the other hand, there's also a lot of big bucks invested to help hearing people... to become deaf.

All in all, my idea of an on/off switch implanted onto my ears isn't all that far out. :)

Cheers,

-E

My feet are dry, and it's a good thing. :)

Things have been quite hectic (what's new?!?) and I'm awfully behind my mail. I'm wondering how you guys manage to spend hours answering your mails. I can't !!!

Anyway, just to report that... my feet are dry. My house too. :)

As friends know, I live next to the Rivière-des-Prairies, the river that seperates Montréal from Laval.

You've probably heard of the big floods affecting Eastern Canada.

This week has been New Brunswick's turn, but last week, it was our turn... and we got out of this mess fairly lucky.

Sometimes a drought is a good thing. :)

I'm pleased to report there were just *minor* floodings in Montréal, and on my street, we all stayed dry.

Sure, it's a fantasy to have an indoor pool, to live like the rich and famous, but you don't want *that* kind of pool...

Cheers,

-E

PS: If I can find some times to update this blog. OLPC links to add (thanks Clevergirl!), a few links to fellow FC bloggers, etc...

PPS: I can't believe that in about a week, I'll be in Saint-François. What? Ah ok.. That's French for... San Francisco. California, here I come! Hehehe...

Gotta see the Golden Gate one of these days. ;)

The iPhone is coming to Canada...

youpi. You see my enthusiasm. :)

I was surprised when I've heard the announcement( CBC: Rogers says iPhone coming to Canada this year).

I haven't forgotten that Fido once carried the Sidekick (called Hiptop), which is the ancestor of the iPhone, and the very first thing that Rogers did when they bought Fido... they squashed the Sidekick and at the same time, they torpedo their low-cost unlimited internet access.

Rogers is carrying the competing Blackberry, and many many users have been complaining for years how Rogers was charging insane amount of money for the use of the Blackberry on their network.

Of course, if you use your Blackberry as a phone... it costs no more than a regular phone. But who is crazy enough to buy a Blackberry and to use it strictly as a phone?

During my travels in the US and in France, I was given the opportunity to play with the iPhone. The geek in me was shouting: I want one! I want one! Hehehe...

As a traveler, I carry... a cellphone, an MP3 player, a laptop. That's a lot. I'm also carrying their chargers and cables. That takes a lot of space in my luggage and they add some weights . So to have all these devices into one... oh, what a dream!

And traveling half a spin of the world, and many flights later... I don't want to have so many gizmos tied on my belt... and I also realize how an iPod-like gizmo is paramount. Music, music, music! :)

About the iPhone, In January I had a chance to play extensively with the French version. I love the way to navigate, using finger gestures. It's intuitive and easy.

I also love its web browser! I think it would be doable to surf the 'Net without my laptop. The big big drawback is what makes the Sidekick so desirable: The keyboard. On an iPhone, the keyboard is "painted" on the screen. On a Sidekick, you flip the screen and bingo, you have a *real* keyboard. That makes the difference. The drawback of the Sidekick is its clunky interface and a somewhat small screen (when compared to the iPhone).

So, I should be thrilled about an "all-in-one" device, and a device that is small, powerful and lightweight. So, why I am less than enthusiastic about the iPhone coming to Canada?

I suspect some foul plays from Rogers. Especially since they bought Fido a few years ago, they act like a monopoly.

First, the dataplan. Will they give *unlimited* internet access at a *reasonable* cost, like iPhone users around the world currently enjoy? After what they did to Sidekick users in Canada and the price they charge for their Blackberry? I want to see that.

(Beside I'm curious. I want to see what they'll do with their Blackberry line, in this context).

Secondly, there should be the next generation of iPhone coming in a few months. These phones will be 3G, meaning a lot faster internet connection than the current EDGE technology.

So what kind of iPhone we will have in Canada? The older slower iPhone that no one will want, or the new one? It's funny, knowing Rogers mhhh.... I've a good hunch at the outcome.

Beside the data plan, it remains to be seen how they'll price the iPhone. Our dollar is on a par with the US dollar. It will be tough to justify a huge price difference, but knowing Rogers, nothing would surprise me. :)

A colleague of mine was mentioning recently that Ottawa is about to allocate new frequencies for cellphone services, and apparently the Canadian government isn't too allergic to the idea to allow other operators to invade the Canadian market. Wow. I wish it's going to be true. Time will tell.

So would it mean the end of the current near-monopoly... and for that reason, Rogers finally has locked that exclusive deal with Apple... before someone else? Mhhh... I'm skeptical, but I like the theory.

Seeing is believing, so I prefer to wait... and see and then I'll believe... and get excited. :)

Cheers,

-E

What a difference a month makes...

Well, like past summers, I'm blogging from my patio. Aren't laptops and Wi-Fi great? :)

First real weekend of decent weather. 23C (mid 70s F) with a mix of sun and clouds.

After the absolutely whacky winter we had...

I have absolutely no shame whatsoever. Global warming? Nawww...

Besides, where it was for the past 6 months, when it mattered the most? Heh. :)

I'm planning... some trips, now that my vacations have been approved. It's funny, I am taking some vacations around some gatherings.

Mid May: The California forumfest in San Francisco. I'll be arriving a few days early, so I'll have time to visit the city. The highlight is a 2-day trip to Yosemite Park. You know what? I think that I'm going to like this.

Late June: Blogadelphia. If you are from FC, you already know what it is. We'll be a bunch of bloggers gathering in Philadelphia. Actually, I planned to do, almost like a pilgrimage, a visit to Cape Cod first, then Boston and from there... Philadelphia.

I know little about Philadelphia (after all, I'm a Canadian, I don't have the chance to live in the US 12 months a year :) ), so it's my chance to see the city.

Philadelphi, like Boston are historic towns in many ways. For one, part of the history of the United States got written over there. Instead of reading it in history books, you'll see it as you walk in the city.

On a more down to earth consideration, I love trains, and it occured to me that I never had a chance to ride Amtrak's high speed Acela trains (and what a shame, since these trains are Canadians!). Since Amtraks offer direct train routes to Philadelphia from Boston, and everytime I go on the Cape, I have to spend a day in Boston... I'd say that things are lining up pretty well. :D

(Not lining up well are reservations, as it begins to be their high season, but I'll figure out something).

Finaly,
Late July: Lowell's blogfest/music festival. There are some bloggers which I've been chatting and corresponding for two years, I figure we ought to meet in person. Lowell being half-way of many cities, from Montréal to Portland Maine to Boston to NYC... On that one, after the blogfest, I'm tempted to visit the Berkshires instead of returning to the Cape. I'll see how things will go

Anyway, all these vacations planning... on such a summery day today...


This was the scene just a month ago, from the infamous "bedroom webcam".

What a difference a month makes!!!

Cheers,

-E

Must be something in the air in Afghanistan...

View Larger Map
Mhhh...

I was a little bit busy this week, so I didn't have much time blogging, but I was taking notes!

I was amazed by the diplomatic blunder of Minister Bernier, openly complaining that corruption is so widespread especially in a province in Afghanistan, that its government should replace the governor of that province.

As a diplomatic faux pas... this one is hard to beat. The next day Bernier, in a laconic press release, just said that we got all wrong and he didn't say what he said. The usual flip-flop of clueless politicians caught pants down. Okay.

About at the same time frame, a Canadian army general, who was so outspoken for the war in Afghanistan... all of a sudden has called it quit. He resigns from the army... and we're told we shouldn't read between the lines and see things that do not exist. Okay.

Must be something funny in the air in Afghanistan, don't you think?

Radio-Canada and TV5 for the past several months have greeted us with thorough reports from Afghanistan, sending their journalists in the population... and of course way way *outside* of army camps.

There are some glaring consensus: Massive disillusion. The hopes we gave them have been blown away. Also the fact that NATO troops are going for a massive defeat if things continue the way they are.

In a way, Afghanistan is our Iraq, in a sense that what seems to be a just and noble cause... and a war that would be an easy win and by some magical wishful thinking everything would be back in order... well the reality has settled in. Even NGO people are now perceived not as liberator, nor helpers, but as occupants, even squarely as enemies and are being targeted.

There are more and more people thinking that during the time of the Taliban regime, things weren't _that_ bad. People had food, a house, a living. Infrastructures were there and the country was running ok. Not so today.

We should have known better. In the current news, there's a lot about the upcoming Olympics in China ... and of course, Tibet. Have we forgotten that we, people of the western world, and that include us, Canadians, we have boycotted the Moscow Olympic Games in 1980... because the Soviets have invaded... Afghanistan? Have we also forgotten how the big mess the Soviets went...

Now, it's our turn... and we're all that... surprised?

In his better days, my dad loved to comment about Afghanistan. His pastime was history and mostly about WW2, for a good reason, since he was in France when WW2 began in 1939. He went into the French Army, then demobilized in 1940 and from then, suffered like millions of French people the occupation of the German Nazi. Once the war ended, he became curious and wanted to know more, and how a passion for history was born.

At first glance, it is a bit of a stretch to draw parallels between the liberation of France and Afghanistan, but somehow, looking at how things are going today, my dad was right on the money, then.

It has fallen a bit into oblivion, but France's future, as a country was extremely uncertain for many years after 1945 (A reason why my dad went to Canada in 1952).

There were several mistakes made.

Liberating France was of course the main goal. However, little thoughts and even less $ were given... to rebuild France, figuratively and literally.

When the enemy was there, it was running the country, it kept things going, and carrying the essential things the population needed. When you storm the place with the power of a war, you oust the enemy, then it becomes *YOUR* burden to keep that country running.

And you should put at least as much effort to oust the enemy in rebuilding the country, in infrastructures, in having a stable government, in everything.

And of course, the colossal cost of WW2... it was utopic to think of that.... and that was France's problem. There was also France's national pride, which didn't help too.

So at first there were the immense joys and dreams of Liberation, with a capital L.

Then as time goes by, people understood that there will still be lots of sacrifices to do, before there will be better time.

Then, as years passed by, came disillusion. When infrastructures are still in shamble, life stops. Difficult to have a job, therefore to afford a roof, get heat during winter for that home. There were many restrictions. Food supply was iffy and unaffordable.

The seed for anarchy settles in, and civil war becomes a real possibility. The foe back then was the Communists. Things happen for the better eventually, but it is simply by sheer luck, and not because of anything concerted or coordinated.

However, in the meantime, France has lost millions of its youngest brilliant people... in exile. My dad is one of them.

(I'm speaking from France's perspective because of my family ties, but the same could be said of many war stricken European countries like Italy for instance).

When I see the war in Afghanistan, it seems obvious (like Iraq), there were no exit strategy. Storm the place, and all things were supposed to happen, "automagically". It didn't happen that way.

There is also that nonsense that you can NOT rebuild and fight a war at the same time.

And as the war drags on... disillusion settles in...

And when disillusion settles in, when the infrastructures are in ruins making impossible to do anything, whether having a job, affording a roof and being able to eat everyday, when "we" as western people we fail on our promises...

Bingo.

We repeat the errors of the past...

Cheers,

-E
Links:
Cyberpresse: La bourde de Bernier soulève un tollé
The Kingston-Whig Standard: Talking to the Taliban
CBC: Hillier refuses to talk legacy despite ongoing efforts to help soldiers' families

Hospital, technology and being given a chance...

Since it's been a while that my dad is at the hospital, I couldn't help... The geek in me is eyeing those cool gadgets they have.

Sacré Coeur hospital, besides being my neighbourhood hospital (which at one time or another saw all of us, dad, mom and I for various ailments), it's also one of the best trauma hospital in the province. My dad couldn't be at a better hospital than this one.

It is also for this hospital that last September, I ran for a good cause. Little did I know... that it would pay some dividends.

Just a few weeks ago, the hospital opened its new ER (Courrier Bordeaux-Cartierville: Nouvelle urgence à Sacré-Coeur).

Since my dad spent several days there and they were in transition from the old emergency to the new one, I also saw the contrast!!!

Ultra modern multi-functional equipments of course. Also real rooms for patients. (At the old emergency, it was just a large hallway that got converted as an emergency. A pudic curtain delimits your "room" in the hallway. :)

So... I was looking at that monitor and the different wires. Howdy, an RJ45 jack. Wait a minute, this is a CAT5 cable? Is this... Ethernet?

A nurse came by... and caught me examining those wires closely. I explained that I'm a computer programmer and my unofficial job is to play with multi-million dollars technology. She chuckles. :)

Yup, Ethernet. All the fancy schmancy stuff are on a local LAN. She said that from her office, she can see on her computer the data coming from all these monitors. She can even reprogram them remotely if she wants to.

In the old emergency (as well in the rest of the hospital), where it would cost a bundle to run CAT5 cables... if you look closely at the ceiling, at regular intervals (say 100ft) you'll see... Wi-Fi antennas.

They have multi-purpose carts with laptops on it which obviously use that Wi-Fi feed. Some of their electronic gizmos also seem to run on Wi-Fi.

Quite a contrast when I was there the last time (in August 2000 for my mom). Also quite a clash, high tech in a century-old hospital... that is otherwise showing its age glaringly. Mhhhh...

(In case one is wondering, while there are still some big big question marks whether there will be any permanent aftermats of his fall, my dad is recuperating well... and he should leave the hospital by the end of the week).

----

Now the giggle part...

My mom and I were at the Montréal bureaus of the Régie de l'Assurance-Maladie du Québec, aka the RAMQ. The mighty powerful people who will decide whether my dad will be insured again by the government... or not.

My mom noticed the music was playing in the background. A '60 oldie. "Donne-moi ma chance" (literally "Give me a chance") by Richard Anthony. We both chuckle. Indeed, gives us a chance, oh mighy bureaucrats!!!

I found this clip on YouTube so you could hear the song. What is striking, like many of the oldies of that era... They would play it over the radio again and again, and I'll never grow tired. I'll dance on it non-stop! Probably it's the same for you. :)

It's sad that today's songs... are so... forgetful, shall I say? Too mainstream? Mhhhh...

Let's dance! Donne-moi ma chance!


(*) I'm not _that_ familiar with the American culture. I've no idea whether that song existed in English first. However, if you listen to the piano, it's clearly Chubby Checkered and Fat Domino-esque, shall I say. :)

We would twist and twist and do the twist non-stop, I think. :)

Go Habs Go !

It's been a long long time I haven't seen that in Montréal.

Montréal *IS* a hockey town. Now that the playoffs have begun... and for us, it has begun between two rival hockey teams. Our mighty Canadiens against... the Big Bad Bruins (Boston).

I had to do some shopping downtown...

Wow, you should have seen Ste.Catherine street! Absolutely crazy. Many cars waving a Canadiens flag and honking their horn full blast. There were also many festive pedestrians (probably with the help of ahem... alcohol) wearing the red "CH" jacket, some had a blue-white-red "CH" painted on their cheeks, even on their hair and probably elsewhere but I won't dare to check. :)

It reminds me when I first met Clevergirl in Ottawa last May. Ottawa is also a hockey town and they all got crazy when their Senators went into the semi-finale rounds.

Yeah I know, it also shows that Ottawa is the capital of the country. Only in Ottawa that its citizen would get excited about their "senators". Harumpf! ;-)

I remember that it was a warm evening and we were at a restaurant which had set tables outside. It was calm and cozy. So what could happen?

All of a sudden... Boom! Cars honking, people roaring LOUDLY... it got to a point we couldn't hear each other. It was amusing to see that.

It was like that in downtown Montréal, the other evening.

The craziness has even hit the workplace. A colleague of mine was all excited. He got tickets for the first game, Canadiens-Bruins. Price? $800.

I'm speechless.

Ooooooookay, I'm a Canadiens fan too... but up to a certain ahem... financial limit, you know? :)

So... if the Canadiens go all the way to the finals... We'll hear (in many ways!!!) about the Canadiens from now to mid-June. Whoppy. "Go Habs Go" indeed!

Oh my poor ears!!! :)

I'm thinking that life is sometimes way way way too serious...

... and sometimes, it is *very* healthy to get silly. Even collectively silly. 3 millions of Montrealers, in fact. Yikes!!!

Cheers,

-E

Dalai-Lama in Seattle...

Even though I'm not a Buddhist and I tend to stay away from religion, there are some people which... I would feel being blessed, if I were able to meet.

Such as the Dalai-Lama. He's currently in Seattle, a place I visited a few times and where I met great friends.

(one such friend who had her marriage blessed by the Dalai-Lama no less, years ago. Such a small world. :) ).

Not a word about China nor about Tibet, nor I would expect that he would. Contrary to China leaders, the Dalai-Lama got class. :)

His conferences in the US? About compassion...

Given the hell I am going through, this topic certainly strikes a chord.

Also how the minds of kids are shaped by the experiences and early relationships.

Sigh... I wish I were in Seattle.

Cheers,

-E

PS: You can read more from the CBC web site.

Monsieur, je voudrais le laissez-passer A-38!

If you have seen Les 12 travaux d'Astérix or in English, The 12 tasks of Asterix, you know that Astérix needs a certain permit... à la maison qui rend fou, the "house that sends you mad".

Hello bureaucracy!!!

Yesterday, I took a day off and I went downtown with my mom in order to get my dad registered again with the Quebec's healthcare system.

We understood that his "Carte Soleil" lapses... but we did learn there that he was somehow running on a 6-month "grace period" which ended... shortly after he was admitted at the hospital. Talk about timing. It sucks...

While I still don't understand why I haven't seen any renewal notice in the mail, it at least explained a mystery: Why my dad had at home all the free help from the public healthcare... and why all of a sudden, once he got hospitalized, the hospital would balk.

If you're curious, as of yesterday, the hospital bill was up to $35,000 . Have you ever felt your heart literally skipping a beat... if not SEVERAL beats? :) Or picturing yourself sinking in a quicksand of debts? :)

So we have to re-register my dad to the Québec healthcare system as if it was his very first time. Since he can't do that by himself, my mom has to do it for him. To do that, my mom has to prove who she is and that my dad is her spouse. Easier said than done.

Then we have to find the original lease of the apartment, to prove that they are living in Québec for at least a year. ANd so on and so on...

See, the permit A38 that Astérix needs? He needs to fill up the blue form which requires that he gets the yellow form first which will be given if he gets the pink form, all in order to get that permit? It felt that way today.

A bit like in that Astérix task, there are some supposedly shortcuts if you can't end up at the required booth with the required papers. We had to go through there, since we couldn't find all the required papers. Whoopy. :)

Not to mention that like in Astérix, there are some very clever clues: "You'll find the port by the seaside". Have you ever seen a port... at the top of a mountain, for instance? :) We got some equally great advices too, along the way.

My mom (who is also around 85 like my dad) is thankfully in good health, has a good sense of humor, and she knows her classics too. Err... Astérix. :)

Many times during those long waits in line, we were chatting about Astérix and that specific task he had to accomplish... and giggling.

To say that we "enjoy" the walks in "the house that sends you mad" (yup it exists in Montréal) and the many waiting lines, it is quite a stretch.

However, by the end of the day... we did FINALLY obtain that official paper, stating that my dad is officially re-registered. In just ONE DAY? It felt surreal. Nawww... that can't be it. Not that fast! And yes... it is!

So this has been a mad mad mad day... that ended very very well. I think that I will sleep well, VERY well tonight, no longer picturing myself drowning in debts. :)

(In case one wonders, my dad is recuperating. He's out of ER. He has a room and a real bed, and he should be sent back home sometimes next week. Thanks heaven!!!).

So... here's in French, that scene... Getting a certain permit, at "the house that sends you mad."



(If French is too much, while the image quality isn't there, you can try this link, in English)

Cheers,

-E

It's been a hell week...

Sometimes I wonder...

I've been spending time between work, time spent with my mom... and time spent at the hospital. Yup, my dad is at the hospital.

His illness has nothing to do. It's a stupid fall... as it could have happened to you and me. A wet floor, the foot slipped and... bingo. Smack on the ceramic tiles in the kitchen. Ouch, you bet.

He's getting better, nothing broken, but he got some severe bruises. At his age (close to 85), there's a bit of luck in his badluck...

Needless to say, I'm running on adrenalin for the past few days.

I'm also caught in a bureaucratic nightmare and most likely by my own fault. It's been a while that I'm checking all their mail coming in.

Apaprently, either the notice was lost in the mail or somehow I haven't paid attention, but his Carte Soleil has lapsed. Since last September, in fact.

This card (literally the "Sunshine Card", because you see on that card a beautiful sunset over a forest) comes from our provincial health care system. As a Québec resident you are entitled to have one... and get free health care.

Since his card has expired... Do I need to elaborate?

I've been told by the hospital as of today, I'm already over $25,000 in health costs... and the counter goes up everyday by $1700, which is the daily cost of a no-frill hospital bed in a standard room. Not to mention all other exams that he'll go through, nor the med, nor many things. Oh, for the good measure, hospital food is included in that $1700 a day. :)

Yup, my heart did skip a beat when I got the news over the phone....

Dealing with the emotional toll is one thing, dealing with the physical toll, as I am exhausted (never TGIF Friday meant so much this week!)... and now my mom and I will have, on my dad's behalf, to get him enlisted to the provincial health care coverage... as if it was the very first time. He's 85, arrived in Canada in 1952 and paid taxes since then. Do the math. It's insane.

Oh the lovely bureaucratic nightmares ahead... and the hospital people were kind: you have 3 months to pay. So sweet.

Since he's obviously unable to make the demand by himself, there are extra hurdles to us. We have to prove who we are. For instance, my mom has to prove that she's legally married, that she's living with my dad, that we have to find the lease for the appartment to prove that they're living in Québec... among other things...

Not to mention that we have to go through a special procedure when we get billed first and then for us having the government pays the bill on our behalf. Special procedure means of course... more time wasted, like anything else with the government.

But like an athlete, as if we didn't have emotional issues, as if we didn't have... a life, we have to do all of that in 3 months. As for myself, I do expect that in the upcoming weeks I'll have to take some times off from work, at my own expense...

The last time I had a fight with bureaucracy, it was for my passport... and it took me more than a year to get all the required papers in the right format and funky colors they want before I get that [ bleep! ] dark blue booklet with a not so pretty picture of humble moi on it.

Not to mention that I took a shortcut by filing for my passport over the internet. It could have been even longer. No joke.

So, this time, we get just 3 months, and the clock has begun to tick.

Have you ever seen a bill with lots of numbers after the $ sign... and have you ever felt your heart going crazy as a result?

Oh, the hospital accept cash or certified checks or so I'm told.

Ok... I'll try to get some sleeps...

Cheers,

-E

R.I.P. Rosita Salvador...

I was sadden to hear today that Rosita Salvador has passed away. She died of cancer, at age 75. (Radio-Canada: Rosita Salvador n'est plus (in French).

Who is she? A Québec singer, she sang from the late 50s to late 70s. Her real name is Victoire Bergeron. As French-Canadian as it could get. :)

Deep deep in my memory... many things linked with her songs.

For instance, "Mon coeur est en prison" (literally "My heart is in prison" ) was a song that meant a lot to my mom. She sang over and over... and over.

To me, the little infant I were... I couldn't understand words, but it got recorded in my memory. The music and the words seem joyful. It was of course much later and then when I grew up as an adult that I truly understood... and also I understood why that song was special to my mom...

It gets scary when people who are about the age of my parents... are fading away. Brrrr....

From YouTube.... Rosita Salvador and one of her hit songs, "Mon coeur est en prison (1965)".

Giggle of the day: Guess the ASL sign for government...

<--- Here is the answer from the LifePrint (ASL University) web site. It's a very good web site if you want to learn ASL.

Yup, they're all that crazy at the government!

Anyhow, I stumble on that sign tonight...

... and for some reasons, I just couldn't stop giggling. :)

Cheers,

-E

Sign Language revisited...

It's already re-run season on Radio-Canada.

Last November, I've blogged about "Le moment de vérité". On that edition of the show, contestants had one week to learn... 250 signs. No less. :)

I'm learning at my own pace, so between November and March, I've probably augmented my sign vocabulary by that much. These guys had to do that in just one week. Oops. :)

Last Saturday, I saw the preview for tonight show. The preview was presented... by René Simard. A popular singer and TV host here in Québec.

I was thrilled to see René Simard signing in LSQ (Québec Sign Language). The ASL signer would notice that there are some surprisingly similarities between the two sign languages.

Then, I was reminded that his two sons are... deaf.

If you want to learn more, I've done some searches on the internet. I've found this article (in French) about René Simard and Marie-Josée Taillefer and their two deaf sons.

On a personal note, I've been trying to teach some basic signs to my dad. He's completely deaf on one ear, and I might say that since his last exam, the other ear is quickly going deaf too.

Is teaching some signs to someone who is in his 80s and Alzheimer... Mission Impossible? To some extents... yes. :)

(But he has picked up some signs, like Toilet! Fine, Bad etc). The doctors approve my attempts. Actually, anything to keep him intellectually active is welcome, so why not sign language?

In a way... it's a labour of love. He's my dad... and it seems to me that what is the most precious thing in life... to someone who means a lot to you, someone who is in fact 50% of you...

Communication.

To stay in touch in him... Fighting with him... against all illnesses that are robbing my dad...

Sigh...

The love of a son for his dad.

-E

Earth Hour...

Today is the day... or rather, tonight is the night.

"On March 29, 2008 at 8 p.m., join millions of people around the world in making a statement about climate change by turning off your lights for Earth Hour, an event created by the World Wildlife Fund.

Earth Hour was created by WWF in Sydney, Australia in 2007, and in one year has grown from an event in one city to a global movement. In 2008, millions of people, businesses, governments and civic organizations in nearly 200 cities around the globe will turn out for Earth Hour. More than 100 cities across North America will participate, including the US flagships–Atlanta, Chicago, Phoenix and San Francisco and Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver.

We invite everyone throughout North America and around the world to turn off the lights for an hour starting at 8 p.m. (your own local time)–whether at home or at work, with friends and family or solo, in a big city or a small town."

You can read more from their web site: Earth Hour.

What I'll do tonight at 8PM? Mhhh... I'll be at home. Already, I don't keep much lights on, so I won't have much to shut off. If it isn't too obscenely cold, I'll bring a chair on the patio and observe the sky... or more likely the neighborhood. :)

Cheers,

-E

GPS for the blind...

This is a blog entry I have to "somewhat" simulcast. On FC, I put the emphasis on the human aspect. Here, I can get geeky all I want... and post links and mention names. :)

Sunday night, I was watching Radio-Canada's Découverte, their science show.

They ran a story about talking GPS. No big deal as you might say. You can get one installed on your car. Beside their screen, they guide you verbally. "Turn right on 4th avenue. Go 300ft and turn left".

The folks at a small local company, Humanwear thought: Why not bringing that technology to the blind?

This story touches me. One of my naive... ideals when I began programming, is that computer could help... humans. Especially with our handicaps. I guess it's the Good Samaritan in me speaking. :) Anyhow, and this was way back in the 80s, there were researches on visual recognition.

Some hard facts of life (such as $$$ and the urge to have... a life) the academic world wasn't exactly for me, so like many students freshly out of the university... I worked for businesses. I refined my craft there and here I am today. Nonetheless my interest was and still is about computers being programmed to help us cope with the real life... despite our handicaps.

And it seems to me that the worst handicap... is being blind. Close your eyes, and try to get outside and walk a few blocks. Have fun. :)

So the story touches me deeply, for the human aspect. As a software programmer, it gets interesting to see how computers are programmed to do wonders. Also, there's that dilemma that all programmers face: To be able to *fully* understand the problem, so a programmer could work on a computer model.

We can second guess all we want based on observations, but only blind people could express their need. They're the ones who can't see.

One surprising comment that kept coming: The need to know where they are. It's one thing to have a service dog, but you must have in your head a map of the city, and to be able to pinpoint where you are... and your only clues are tactile feels (such as intersections) and audible clues.

Often blind people had to ask people where they are.

So they work on a prototype. They used a Compaq iPaq PDA (ironically, it's exactly the same model I have), a GPS receiver, a map database, and an extra battery pack, because all these things eat lots of energy. So, they went from the straight talking GPS for cars and augmented with data that blind people need to know.

Street intersection. There might be a traffic light or a stop sign. There might be an island half way. Perhaps to warn that the street has just one sidewalk and it is on the other side.

Then they augmented the database by including bus stops, then some obstacles like fire hydrants.

Now their goal is to augment the database again by showing where businesses are.

The technology has its quirks and shortcomings. It can't tell that sidewalks haven't been plowed (and boy did we have a lot of snow this season), nor it will tell you when it's safe to cross the street, even when you have a service dog.

To the amazement of programmers, when they ask blind people to test drive their prototypes, there were new uses that were found.

-"When I ride the bus, I'm no longer dependant on the bus driver to tell me when I should get off. The talking GPS keeps me updated about where we're going."

-"I didn't know there was that café next by, so I can stop and have a cup of coffee. Nor I was aware of that bakery. So this technology gives me eyes. I can SEE my city... again, and no longer missing what is there".

Probably the story won't mean much to you, but to me, in many ways, it does.

Links:
Radio-Canada Découverte. Look for the Sunday March 23rd 2008 show and for "GPS pour aveugles". Click on the link and you'll see the story. The story is in French, and sadly, there's no closed-captioning.

Humanware. A bilingual French/English site. Besides their talking GPS, they have all sort of funky equipments.

I was shoveling snow...

Q: What were you doing for the past two months?
A: I was shoveling snow.

Q: Did you go to the movies?
A: No, I was shoveling snow.

Q: Did you read books, magazines, anything?
A: Too tired. I was shoveling snow.

Q: What are you going to do today?
A: I'll shovel snow. (On the roof, with my landlord).

Q: Do you have a life?
A: Sigh.... Nope, I was shoveling snow !!

I wish I could forget my shovel. :)

Winter... did someone say winter? :)

Got about 40 cm of snow, and we're the lucky ones. Ottawa, 51cm. Trois-Rivières and Québec, both near 60cm. For our American friends, we're talking of a foot and a half of snow to *2* feet of snow! Welcome to Canada! :)

This is the 3rd major snowstorm in a week (last Saturday, Wednesday and this Saturday).

For Montréal, it's the 29th snowstorm of the season. Ayup. *29* snowstorms... so far. The 30th is scheduled to hit us by mid-week... if the weathermen have their way. We're close to historical amount of snow. I can say that I haven't seen this much snow in my entire life.

What a difference a day makes...

The image on the left is the leftovers from the Wednesday storm. I didn't have time... or rather my courage ran out for shoveling my patio.

The image on the right was taken today, after the storm.

When they say that a picture is worth a thousand words... I'll let those words speak for me.

Can you say... ARRRRRRRRRGHHHHHHH!!!! :)

(to give you a scale, I'm holding a standard 8 1/2 X 11" notepad.

Then... and now !

Regulars from FC will recognize my unofficial "bedroom webcam". I love nature and I find important when I get up the next morning... to see the outside world.

The image on the left was taken last November after our very first snowstorm.

The neighbor's fence is 4ft tall. So I'd say we're between 5 and 6ft of snow on ground.

I'm a little bit worried when all this snow is going to melt.

<--- During the storm, last night... The dilemma I see... during and after a snowstorm... Snow does embellishes the city. It is beautiful, immensely beautiful.

Especially when seen from inside, where it's warm and cozy... :)

When so you don't have to feel the bitter wind, or like last night, you are spared from the ice pellets grinding on your face,

When you don't have to shovel the snow....

When you don't have to go outside... to go to work, or bring food and other supplies in.

However, when it's the 29th snowstorm of the season that you're shoveling, and your arms and your back are killing you... The beauty of winter fades a bit.

That's understandable, yes... but nonetheless a bit sad. We're in March, this is the baroud d'honneur for winter. Spring will arrive very soon, regardless of what the calendar will say.

From there, it's bye-bye snow...

So...

Welcome to Canada and I hope you have appreciated this quick trip to my world, today!!!

PS: Stay warm! :)

-E

PPS: Just to chill you, click on this link and see the photos of Québec City's Ice Hotel. Would you believe that a lot of their clientele comes from people... living in warmer climates? A lot of Americans from... Florida, California, even Hawaii !!! I'm speechless.

PPPS: I _might_ have a chance by the end of this month to visit the Ice Hotel. It's very iffy, but if I'm in Québec City, I'll do everything to stop by the hotel! I'll let you know how it turned out. If you think I'm a bit weird... you're probably right. :) Cheers! -E

Signing in ASL... or trilingual woes...

It's been a while that I'm brewing this project: having a little "vlog" of my own, aka video blog.

In this blog, I've been mentioning that I'm learning ASL. At a slow pace, it's true. If life wasn't so busy, I'd spend more time learning.

Anyhow, I feel that I'm ready. I am at the point which... instead of watching others signing in ASL, it's *MY* turn to sign in ASL.

I have a vocabulary of ... about a 4-year old. But enough vocabulary to sign short sentences.

So I was thinking of a welcome message to my blog... in ASL.

My plan was to sign AND speak at the same time, in English. This would avoid having to do some post-productions (like adding closed captioning). I already have some editing softwares that would do that, if necessary.

By trial and error, I found out that the digicam I already have, in its "movie" setting give very decent results. It would quickly fill out the memory card, on the other hand for small projects like this one, it isn't a problem. The supposedly hi-res Logitech webcam was the worst. Oh well..

So I tried a rehearsal tonight... Yikes.

Well, I could sign... or I could speak in English or course, but I couldn't sign AND speak at the same time.

People who are interested in the way our mind works, this is interesting. Yeah I know, for everyone else, that's boring stuff.

It's a struggle for me to think in words. I think in images. So I have some affinities with a visual language, such as Sign Language.

I could think directly in ASL and French, my mother tongue... but English? I have to think in French and then translate in English.

So it means that at one time, I was juggling with THREE languages.

ASL: HELLO! NICE MEET-YOU. ME NAME J-A-C-Q-U-E-S. ME HEARING. I LEARN-LEARN A-S-L. CAN SIGN A LITTLE. WELCOME B-L-O-G MINE.

French: Bonjour, heureux de vous voir! Mon nom est Jacques. J'entends et j'étudie présentment l'ASL. Bienvenue à mon blogue!

English: Hello! Nice to meet you! My name is Jacques. I'm hearing and I'm learning ASL. I can sign a little. Welcome to my blog!

So going in my mind 3 languages at the same time. After a few words, I was overwhelmed!

Hehehe...

When I'll figure how to add closed captioning, I'll shoot a silent version with me just signing and upload it here.

If you see a guy in kilt doing weird things with his hands, now you know. :)

Cheers,

-E