Category Archives: Business

Books, Business, Editing, Photography

Enjoyed 2015 Editors’ Association of Canada Conference

I attended Editing Goes Global, the 2015 annual conference of the Editors’ Association of Canada, held in conjunction with the Professional Writers Association of Canada. The conference was in Toronto on June 12-14.

I was a volunteer photographer for the event, and you can see 498 of my photos on the EAC Flickr feed here. You can also look for the 2015 conference album on the site.

It was an excellent conference with six streams of workshops and sessions. As a photog, I got to run around and check on all of them, attending longer at a few that matched my interests here and there as time allowed.


CN Tower Toronto

Business, Technology

Computer Getting Whiny

Fan noises on my tower computer have reached annoying levels, so I pulled the side panel and spent some time dusting with compressed air and a Shop Vac. The whiny sound has been cut at least in half, but it’s still noticeable. It may be time to try a new CPU fan soon, as I think that’s the one that’s most irritating.

It wouldn’t be too bad if it were a steady sound, but the fan responds to load, so it’s constantly rising and falling in pitch.

Business, Editing, Society, Technology

OS Numbnuts Need to Take a Break

Earlier tonight I posted in an international editors’ forum about some software I was considering buying. To be clear, the question was about an application, not about operating systems.

I mentioned that I have both Windows and Mac machines, because there are similar apps for both, though in this case I was looking for Windows apps.

One would think that other editors, being literate, professional wordsmiths, would read this and understand it.

No. Of course not.

The first reply (and the only one after several hours) was from someone touting Windows as the ultimate development platform, and by relation, trashing Macs.

Thanks, you just behaved like an idiot, and scared other folks away from the thread. We’ve been there and seen it done so many times. When the  first bozo comment appears, we don’t waste our time on the thread any more.

So why am I wasting time on this blog post? I guess I’m still pissed off at this antisocial behaviour.

Why? Why? Why do adults succumb to such stupidity?

Some of us like Windows. Some of us like Macs. Some of us use Linux. I have machines running all three.

 

Business, Hiking, Nature, Sustainability

Jane’s Walk Explores New Westminster/Burnaby border trails

I joined a Jane’s Walk today led by Mary Wilson that began in New Westminster BC, and crossed the border into Burnaby to explore the urban trail system. Mary pointed out that while there were great trails in the Edmonds area of Burnaby, there was no connectivity to neighbouring New West. Perhaps this is something that the two municipalities, and particularly NW, could look at.

Mary had come to last month’s Byrne Creek Streamkeeepers Society meeting, since these volunteers help care for the urban creek and ravine park in the area. I tagged along on the walk today, and welcomed the opportunity to chat a bit about urban watersheds, daylighting creeks, the importance to wildlife of natural areas and corridors to connect them, etc.

Thanks Mary!

You can find other New Westminster Jane’s Walks here, and while at this time Burnaby so far appears to lag in variety, there are walks popping up here.

Janes walk edmonds
Looking at the massive, near-50-acre former Safeway distribution lands that will be redeveloped soon. There’s an ambitious plan for a walkable, transit-friendly, mixed-use residential and commercial area.

janes walk connecitivity

Business, Photography, Society, Streamkeeping

Burnaby RCMP Safety Forum Big Draw

Burnaby RCMP sponsored a safety forum today with community partners. The event at Lougheed Town Centre Mall attracted lots of folks. I was out running errands so I dropped by, and enjoyed chatting with RCMP, City of Burnaby staff, and community groups that I’ve worked with through volunteering over the years.

I also reconnected with Transit Police Sergeant Hawthorne, and let her know that Byrne Creek Streamkeeper volunteers would have a registration booth and dumpster set up at the Edmonds Skytrain Station on May 2 from about 9:45am to 11:30am for a community cleanup organized by EPIC.  Everyone is welcome to join in!

Burnaby RCMP Safety Forum

Burnaby RCMP Safety Forum

Burnaby RCMP Safety Forum

Business, Society, Streamkeeping

Streamkeepers to Volunteer for Edmonds Clean Sweep in SE Burnaby

Byrne Creek Streamkeepers will continue a long tradition of participating in the Edmonds Clean Sweep in SE Burnaby. The event is sponsored by EPIC (Edmonds People in Community.)

As usual, streamkeepers will have an alternate registration site from 9:45am on Sat. May 2 in the parking lot of the Edmonds Skytrain Station, and we will clean the area around the station and in upper Byrne Creek Ravine Park.

We will join in the noon-hour lunch and festivities at Gordon Presbyterian on Edmonds St.

EPIC Edmonds Clean Sweep