The US feds are pissed off at Canada because it's apparently easy to smuggle in bad stuff to the USA.
Perhaps I played with to many chemicals under the sink when I was a kid but isn't it the job of the US to stop people from entering their country from elsewhere?
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Thursday, September 20, 2007
It's time to go home
If you've worked in Toronto you know it's a badge of honour to work late. I spent time working for a huge financial institution in Toronto and I'd see people at their desks at 6 PM on a regular basis.
Here, its different. I often work till 5 15 or so, and I'm the last guy walking out of the building. I do computer consultant so I travel place to place and it's the same everywhere. By 4 30, the place is empty...everyone has gone home. And that's not just the worker ants either, but the senior people.
It's interesting how you become accustomed to working a certain way, as if you're "less" if you don't burn the candle at both ends. There is far more balance out here AND you aren't seen as a slacker if you go home on time. I think that's damn cool and I like it.
Here, its different. I often work till 5 15 or so, and I'm the last guy walking out of the building. I do computer consultant so I travel place to place and it's the same everywhere. By 4 30, the place is empty...everyone has gone home. And that's not just the worker ants either, but the senior people.
It's interesting how you become accustomed to working a certain way, as if you're "less" if you don't burn the candle at both ends. There is far more balance out here AND you aren't seen as a slacker if you go home on time. I think that's damn cool and I like it.
Pay Up
The Stelmach Government has publicly talked about raising the royalties on oil & gas. We're all aware of the high price of oil, but natural gas is really cheap at the moment. For Alberta, that's a bad thing.
It's interesting to see a Conservative government talk about increasing the royalties on tar sands. The government out here has generally been seen as pro Oil and Gas but that appears to be changing. I wonder if that's not some election ploy by the local conservatives to grab onto the hearts of people. Oil and Gas is seen by most people as the "enemy". In fact it's not, it's a huge business out here (obviously) and employs 100s of thousands of people.
But I don't buy the argument that the business will up and walk away. It can't. Alberta has nearly as much oil in the sands as Saudi Arabia. The world needs that goo & it needs it now, so not like these guys can pull out and go elsewhere
And it makes sense of the province to do that. This place is an economic tiger right now, and if this economy diversified it would be a monster. It's got all the right things to make itself a very competitive city & it's a great place to live. Bring on the royalties, just spend them properly.
It's interesting to see a Conservative government talk about increasing the royalties on tar sands. The government out here has generally been seen as pro Oil and Gas but that appears to be changing. I wonder if that's not some election ploy by the local conservatives to grab onto the hearts of people. Oil and Gas is seen by most people as the "enemy". In fact it's not, it's a huge business out here (obviously) and employs 100s of thousands of people.
But I don't buy the argument that the business will up and walk away. It can't. Alberta has nearly as much oil in the sands as Saudi Arabia. The world needs that goo & it needs it now, so not like these guys can pull out and go elsewhere
And it makes sense of the province to do that. This place is an economic tiger right now, and if this economy diversified it would be a monster. It's got all the right things to make itself a very competitive city & it's a great place to live. Bring on the royalties, just spend them properly.
Onterrible
I've heard this phrase a few times lately, it's what BC'ers call Ontario. There has always been a rivalry between Central Canada (known as the east) and Western Canada. For a long time it was about Oil and the Liberal government, but that seems to have ended outside of 50 year olds arguing about it in the Globe and Mail.
Calgary has it's faults and it's annoying at times, but the people here are much nicer than back in Ontario. I say this as a guy FROM Ontario. Calgarians are friendly, pleasant people most of the time. It is ALOT easier to meet people here than back home both at work & just out and about around the city. The level of paranoia seems far less & admittedly, so does the level of snobbery. I'm sure that'll raise the hackles of a few back home, but I'm writing what I see around me. If you're a single guy in Calgary I'd be willing to bet it's A LOT easier to meet someone of the opposite sex. People will talk to you on elevators & even smile at you on the street. In short, eye contact is OK. And for some people even welcomed.
Now..if they could just learn to PARK properly.
Calgary has it's faults and it's annoying at times, but the people here are much nicer than back in Ontario. I say this as a guy FROM Ontario. Calgarians are friendly, pleasant people most of the time. It is ALOT easier to meet people here than back home both at work & just out and about around the city. The level of paranoia seems far less & admittedly, so does the level of snobbery. I'm sure that'll raise the hackles of a few back home, but I'm writing what I see around me. If you're a single guy in Calgary I'd be willing to bet it's A LOT easier to meet someone of the opposite sex. People will talk to you on elevators & even smile at you on the street. In short, eye contact is OK. And for some people even welcomed.
Now..if they could just learn to PARK properly.
Snow
So yesterday it snowed. Not alot, just flurries, but it was cool to see. It's weird to see snow on Sept 19th...usually in late Sept you're impatiently waiting for the end of the heat & hoping for cool weather. I say bring it on.
I've also noticed that the sun is setting much earlier and rising later. It's dark by 8, vs 11 in the summer and the sun is not up when I wake up. I know from past experience that by late winter, the sun sets around 4 30.....and comes up at 9. You're at work....and it's dark.
Daytime temps are 10C now, maybe 15C on a good day, and 2-5C at night. It's hard to believe it's still technically summer, but who is complaining. Cool, fresh, light air makes for a great walk to work.
I've also noticed that the sun is setting much earlier and rising later. It's dark by 8, vs 11 in the summer and the sun is not up when I wake up. I know from past experience that by late winter, the sun sets around 4 30.....and comes up at 9. You're at work....and it's dark.
Daytime temps are 10C now, maybe 15C on a good day, and 2-5C at night. It's hard to believe it's still technically summer, but who is complaining. Cool, fresh, light air makes for a great walk to work.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
1C
Woke up this morning & it was 1C. It's technically still summer, but it's definitely fall in Calgary, Alberta. Cool mornings in Calgary are nice, blue sky, no humidity, clean air. Makes the walk to work really nice.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
McLeod Trail
If you move to Calgary, stay away from a road called McLeod Trail.
It's a major artery in Calgary that runs north south. It's 3 lanes wide and is a traffic nightmare even early in the morning on weekends. There are alot of lights on the street and it becomes a REAL headache around Chinook Centre, a large mall in the south. There are times when it's a solid wall of cars & given people's impatience with driving, find a way around it. In fact, find a way around the Chinook Centre area at all costs. It just SUCKS
On the flip side, McLeod trail is full of strip plazas and shops that are often interesting and cheap. It's a low rent district, so if you look carefully, you'll find some great places to eat & shop for a reasonably low price (rare out here). As you near downtown, it becomes more low rent & is home to everything from a donair shop to a Christian radio station. On the north side of the city, it's Centre Street & heavily ethnic. Also pretty cool.
There is a bottleneck around Chinook centre....so seriously stay away. If you're from Toronto, you'll be fine with the traffic but if you're from elsewhere, it's going to be pure hell. Elbow Drive isn't much of an option, but Blackfoot Trail is.
It's a major artery in Calgary that runs north south. It's 3 lanes wide and is a traffic nightmare even early in the morning on weekends. There are alot of lights on the street and it becomes a REAL headache around Chinook Centre, a large mall in the south. There are times when it's a solid wall of cars & given people's impatience with driving, find a way around it. In fact, find a way around the Chinook Centre area at all costs. It just SUCKS
On the flip side, McLeod trail is full of strip plazas and shops that are often interesting and cheap. It's a low rent district, so if you look carefully, you'll find some great places to eat & shop for a reasonably low price (rare out here). As you near downtown, it becomes more low rent & is home to everything from a donair shop to a Christian radio station. On the north side of the city, it's Centre Street & heavily ethnic. Also pretty cool.
There is a bottleneck around Chinook centre....so seriously stay away. If you're from Toronto, you'll be fine with the traffic but if you're from elsewhere, it's going to be pure hell. Elbow Drive isn't much of an option, but Blackfoot Trail is.
SAIT
Started with a part time certification at SAIT last night. SAIT = Southern Alberta Institute of Technology.
SAIT is located on the C train line, has it's own stop & overall is a very nice school. The place is large and very modern and expanding. The equipment is up to date & overall I really like the school. I was surprised at the size of class out here, over 25 people vs the 7 or 8 that took it back home.
Where SAIT sucks is parking. You have to pay for night school parking & the lots are very small & hard to find. There is a large lot on the south side of the campus near the Alberta Art school, but it's a fair hike to your class. 5 bucks for evening parking. If you're into photography, the BEST shot of the city core in Calgary is standing in that lot. The entire skyline is laid out and because you're on a hill, it's at eye level.
If you are driving to SAIT (use transit, seriously), be advised if you pay for the parking with cash, you need to pay in the building. SAIT is a monster campus and there are FOUR machines to pay. The closes one is in the student centre (home to the Gateway Bar. Walk around a bit and you'll find it. It's also home to the bank machine, the only one I could find.
If you're new to Calgary and interested in going out, SAIT is also a good place to find out where to go. It's a few minutes north of Kensington, a artsy, hip neighborhood just north of the Bow River in Calgary.
SAIT also offers courses that are 2 days a week, vs 1 day. You complete a 42 hour course in 7 weeks, so it's possible to finish a certificate in 6 months.
The one big downfall is that it's expensive. 6 weeks of school will cost you 500 to 700 bucks with books.
SAIT is located on the C train line, has it's own stop & overall is a very nice school. The place is large and very modern and expanding. The equipment is up to date & overall I really like the school. I was surprised at the size of class out here, over 25 people vs the 7 or 8 that took it back home.
Where SAIT sucks is parking. You have to pay for night school parking & the lots are very small & hard to find. There is a large lot on the south side of the campus near the Alberta Art school, but it's a fair hike to your class. 5 bucks for evening parking. If you're into photography, the BEST shot of the city core in Calgary is standing in that lot. The entire skyline is laid out and because you're on a hill, it's at eye level.
If you are driving to SAIT (use transit, seriously), be advised if you pay for the parking with cash, you need to pay in the building. SAIT is a monster campus and there are FOUR machines to pay. The closes one is in the student centre (home to the Gateway Bar. Walk around a bit and you'll find it. It's also home to the bank machine, the only one I could find.
If you're new to Calgary and interested in going out, SAIT is also a good place to find out where to go. It's a few minutes north of Kensington, a artsy, hip neighborhood just north of the Bow River in Calgary.
SAIT also offers courses that are 2 days a week, vs 1 day. You complete a 42 hour course in 7 weeks, so it's possible to finish a certificate in 6 months.
The one big downfall is that it's expensive. 6 weeks of school will cost you 500 to 700 bucks with books.
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