14
Aug 09

4 Police officers and Lovelle Mixon Dead

I don’t know about hero or resister for the right but then I’m not in Oakland but I know the news that comes out of that area and as a black man I know cops.

I like what the brother says about Lovelle being a human being. The media does it all time, they set you against one group and bring you on board to blindly praise another and its usually a white face. Who knows what these cops have done and gotten away with, no one is perfect and I am sure there are things on their records that are not upstanding but we don’t hear that, instead we hear how they were great cops, loving husbands doing their job…what does that mean…harassing black men is that there job?

Black men are killed everyday by white cops doing “their job”, then these black men are demonized by the media “well he was this”"he was that”…but never anything to show that he(the black man) was a loving husband, a father, a diligent student, a man. The cops are praised as black mothers cry rivers of tears when they must bury thier babies. I won’t say Lovelle is an hero, he has done some bad things but lets not demonize a dead man lets give him and his family as much respect as we give these cops. People have to realize cops are not all good, they may act it but they aren’t gods or above the law, they are humans with the same flaws and weakness and just because the Police forces cover up their wrong doings do not for a moment believe these cops are all angels.

I do not condone the kills either that of Lovelle or the police officers but you keep poking a cat with a stick and eventually that cat will lash out.

28
Jul 09

Startup Commandments

exert from the facebook group Web 2.0 (Entrepreneurs)
+15 Startup Commandments

1. Your idea isn’t new. Pick an idea; at least 50 other people have thought of it. Get over your stunning brilliance and realize that execution matters more.

2. Stealth startups suck. You’re not working on the Manhattan Project, Einstein. Get something out as quickly as possible and promote the hell out of it.

3. If you don’t have scaling problems, you’re not growing fast enough.

4. If you’re successful, people will try to take advantage of you. Hope that you’re in that position, and hope that you’re smart enough to not fall for it.

5. People will tell you they know more than you do. If that’s really the case, you shouldn’t be doing your startup.

6. Your competition will inflate their numbers. Take any startup traffic number and slash it in half. At least.

7. Perfection is the enemy of good enough. Leonardo could paint the Mona Lisa only once. You, Bob Ross, can push a bug release every 5 minutes because you were at least smart enough to do a web app.

8. The size of your startup is not a reflection of your manhood. More employees does not make you more of a man (or woman as the case may be).

9. You don’t need business development people. If you’re successful, companies will come to you. The deals will still be distractions and not worth doing, but at least you’re not spending any effort trying to get them.

10. You have to be wrong in the head to start a company. But we have all the fun.

11. Starting a company will teach you what it’s like to be a manic depressive. They, at least, can take medication.

12. Your startup isn’t succeeding? You have two options: go home with your tail between your legs or do something about it. What’s it going to be?

13. If you don’t pay attention to your competition, they will turn out to be geniuses and will crush you. If you do pay attention to them, they will turn out to be idiots and you will have wasted your time. Which would you prefer?

14. Startups are not a democracy. Want a democracy? Go run for class president, Bueller.

15. You’re doing a web app, right? This isn’t the 1980s. Your crummy, half-assed web app will still be more successful than your competitor’s most polished software application.

+10 More Startup Commandments

1. You will have at least one catastrophe every three months.

2. Outsource effectively, or be effectively outsourced.

3. Do you thrive on stress and ambiguity? You’d better.

4. The best way to get outside funding is to be successful already. Stupid but true. But you, cheapskate, don’t need money, right?

5. People will think your idea sucks. They’re even probably right. The only way to prove them wrong is to succeed.

6. A startup will require your complete attention and devotion. Thought your first love in High School was clingy? You can’t take out a restraining order on your startup.

7. Being an entrepreneur requires a healthy amount of ignorance. Note I did not say stupidity.

8. Your software sucks. So what. Everyone else’s does also, and re-architecting is the kiss of death for a startup. Startups are no place for architecture astronauts.

9. You do have a public API, right?

10. Abject Terror. Overwhelming Joy. Monstrous Greed. Embrace and harness these emotions you must.

23
Jul 09

The KGB is racist, is it really any different?

So there is big talk on the twitter that the new KGB ad is racist. If you don’t know KGB is a new service (not a new idea) that you can text in your question and they reply back to you instantly with an answer. I don’t think its racist so much as stereotypically insensitive.

This morning on Twitter @tweetmeblack tweeted the following:
New KGB ads turn to Black stereotypes…http://bit.ly/sMa10 << All the head popping and finger snapping…So WACK! (via @MappingtheCity)

My tweetback was as follows:
hmm did they use white people in black face to do these racist ads? I’m sure no self respecting black person would do it.

Of course I was being facetious, I’m never surprised to see how easily a white marketing company can find someone to walk on and even sometimes cross the line of cultural deconstruction and degradation, apparently it only take a couple bucks to completely sell your people out.

I wish more people had a stronger sense of being and responsibility for their people and themselves, I for one could not do anything that I believe was morally objectionable and detrimental to not just a people but to all humankind.

Here is the video:

22
Jul 09

The best burger in Toronto

As you all know I am a fit freak and like to keep it tight but last year or has it been 2 years, anyway a friend of my put the challenge up to find Toronto’s best burger and so it began every summer looking for what we call the best burger.  This summer(09) I am SURE we will find the elusive burger that is yummy to the tummy and if we fail I guess I will have to enjoy the spoils of being a loser.  I recently visited my family in the Windsor Detroit area and found the best, yes the best burger I’ve ever , yes ever had at Five Guys Burger in Detroit.  As we drove to Nortland in Detroit, a ride I believed was to far for a simple burger, the talk in the car among my family was of how delicious this burger was and how I was going to love it because it was the best burger ever…yes ever. Anyway as we drove by Norhtland mall my mind was flooded not with scrunches burgers but rather with memories of my youthful stomping grounds and flashbacks of shopping at JC Penny with my mom. So we get to the burger joint, nothing impressive about the presentation, it was a simple building with a design reminiscent of a 50s burger spot decked in red and white. The first thing I noticed when i walked in was its simplicity and bags of peanuts, I thought right away about all the people with peanut allergies that could not eat here. We stood in the continuously short line and ordered one burger each, as we waited for our burgers to be freshly made we sat down to snack on self serve peanuts, we sat there having good laughs and shucking peanuts laughing that a restaurant like this would not fly in Canada because of the peanuts and we laughed even hard as my brother and sister decided to fill their pockets with hand fulls of peanuts…they were indeed very good peanuts. Finally my name was called and there wrapped in branded wax paper was what was apparently the best burger…ever. I unwrapped my neat tightly wrapped burger and proceeded to take a bite. I felt my teeth sink slowly into the bun and through the juicy 100% beef patty a couple chews later I knew i had to order another burger because yes this was the best burger ever and this one burger was not going to be enough for me. So I had finally found the best burger…ever and it was located in Detroit…400KM away from my home. With their burger finished my fam continued to shuck and eat the complimentary peanuts as they watched intently as i began my on second bundle of wonder, as I finished my last bite I was informed that there was a wager that I could not finish two, which I did, I demanded my cut of the winnings.

Czehoski
The ultimate in bourgeois decadence, burgers at Czehoski are made with organic sirloin beef and bison, mixed with green peppercorns and topped with Italian truffles, porcini mushrooms, heirloom tomatoes, smoked bacon, espelette peppers, capers and foie gras. They’re served on a toasted sesame seed bun—and a silver platter, naturally.

Golden Star Restaurant
A Thornhill institution, this family-run burger joint has been open since 1965. And it’s easy to see why: the six-ounce, house-made patties are char-grilled and juicy, served with fresh lettuce and tomato, and house-made special sauce.
7123 Yonge St., Thornhill, 905-889-6891.

Black Camel
Forgive us for stretching, but Black Camel’s pulled pork sandwich is spectacularly good—and more satisfying than most burgers in the city. Once you try it, you’ll find it hard to go back to a regular beef patty.

South St. Burger Co.
This may come as a surprise, but one of the city’s best burgers comes courtesy of a fast food chain. A new spinoff of New York Fries, this Leaside shop has an interior that smells like a backyard barbecue. And the flame-licked meat is topped with a choice of such house-made offerings as peach or mango sauce (take that, McDonald’s), four kinds of cheese, chunky guacamole and fresh veg. The shakes and fries should not be missed.
45 Wicksteed Ave., 416-421-8559.

Johnny’s Hamburgers
So the burgers come out of a box, the staff wear paper hats and service can be surly. Who cares? Johnny’s does hamburgers the way you imagine they were back when “McDonald” was a Scottish surname and Mike Myers, a former customer, lived locally. They’re cooked hot—with fire—and dressed to order on a soft and satisfying white bun. All for $2.65.
2595 Victoria Park Ave., 416-491-7222.

You told us where to go. We went, we ordered, we ate. Here’s what we found:

Dangerous Dan’s Diner , 714 Queen St. E. 416-463-7310
Burger: $4.29

This Queen and Broadview cow palace is home to the Coronary Burger — two 8-oz. patties, bacon, cheddar and a fried egg. This is for amateurs. Pros get the Quadruple C (Colossal Colon Clogger Combo), which has a 24-oz burger, a quarter pound each of cheese and bacon, two fried eggs, plus a shake and poutine (defibrillator optional). I am therefore ashamed to order one plain 8-oz. burger, cut in half. I feel so … inadequate. We opt to eat in, sitting at dirty, broken-down car seats that serve as booths.

The taciturn dude at the grill delivers a juicy, medium burg fresh from the grill that’s packed with garlic punch. The lingering scent of Dangerous Dan keeps repeating on me throughout the day. Not that I mind. The patty was made of good-quality beef without fillers and the meat was handled with care, so it stayed moist.

(As with all our burgers, unless the place has a secret sauce to try, we go plain and simple: lettuce, tomato, ketchup and mustard.)

The only negative I can find is the tomato is pale and under-ripe. And Sabrina, being a cautious eater, is unhappy the burger was still pink in the middle, but I enjoyed it. Meaty, juicy and yummy. “It was big,” was Sabrina’s verdict. Yes, indeed. Dan’s the man.

The Real McCoy Burgers & Pizza , 1033 Markham Rd. 416-439-6804
Burger: $3.95

Like Johnny’s Hamburgers, this Scarborough stalwart does take-out only from its strip-mall location that’s home to several Sri Lankan businesses. They’ve been serving burgs at The Real McCoy for more than 25 years and they have it down to a science. With its tiled walls covered with faded portraits of the kids’ sports teams it has sponsored over the years, the Real McCoy is a true neighbourhood joint with fans all over the city. As one reader wrote after the last burger round-up: “I’m a west-end guy … the best burger in town is the Mojo burger at the Real McCoy. It’s worth the drive to the east end.”

How can we argue with that? We taste the basic burg (the Mojo adds bacon and cheese) and while we can’t quite pronounce it the best, it’s definitely a good burger.

The patty is on the thin side, but still good quality, and beefy tasting. Served on a toasted Kaiser, it’s not as drippy as some, nor is it as juicy because the patty seems a tad overworked. But it’s still tasty and this sits fine with Sabrina. “I like everything neat and tidy,” she explains. “I don’t like spillage.” I am wearing traces of Dangerous Dan’s on my shirtfront and still burping garlic. I feel like a slob, but a happy slob.

Golden Star Restaurant, 7123 Yonge St. 905-889-6891
All Star Burger: $4.45, milkshake: $2.80

Back when Coke cost a nickel, Margaret Costante and Frank Doria fell in love in South Porcupine, Ont. Eventually they ended up in Thornhill, where they opened the Golden Star in 1964. There, beneath the illuminated sign, they’re still serving the ace burgers that have made this north Toronto diner a favourite ever since the invention of Beatle boots. Toronto Star restaurant critic Amy Pataki gets misty when she talks about Golden Star. So I was prepared for a good hamburger when we walked up to the long counter. After all, Pataki knows her chow like few others in this city. But what we got was greatness. The juicy homemade patty tastes like chopped steak with a minced onion tossed in for extra oomph. Hot, fresh and perfectly cooked, with backyard smokiness and a lovely charred exterior, it fit the sesame seed bun like it was made to measure. The tomato was ruby red and juicy, the lettuce fresh. We also broke with protocol to try a vanilla shake and were initially disheartened to see it come out of one of those pre-fab machines. But it was actually quite tasty — milky and sweet with a lovely vanilla flavour.

Slip onto the orange plastic bench beneath plastic plants and enjoy your burger from a little plastic basket. It’s a total ’60s experience. We are unanimous. Golden Star is a great burger — and the winner!

The Yellow Griffin Pub , 2202 Bloor St. W., 416-763-3365
Plain, Plain, Plain! Burger (with fries): $8.85

We felt like rubes ordering a plain burger at Yellow Griffin, which boasts 35 varieties from Burning Schoolhouse to the Skippy Dipper — a burg topped with peanut butter (kind of a satay thing).

This is also our most formal stop: a quaint Bloor Street West pub with table service and an outdoor patio. The chef is silent as a tomb on what goes into his all-beef burger, but I taste a bit of lemon pepper or perhaps lemon rind. It’s quite yummy and a generous hot and tasty patty that tends to crumble as we eat, so while it’s not as moist as the other contenders, it’s nicely charred and has that honest-to-goodness barbecue flavour that burger lovers crave. And, the fries are delicious (like we needed fries at this point.) We waddle like hippos back to the car. “I think I’m having a heart attack,” I mutter.

Magoo’s Gourmet Hamburgers and Ice Cream , 4242 Dundas St. W. 416-234-1148.
Goo-Goo Burger: $3.40

Once again, we’re in a strip mall, this time in Etobicoke. Bright blue and yellow décor and huge stuffed CNE midway booty makes this a place kids would love. The burgers are cooked on an open grill to order. While our other contenders used varying degrees of flavouring in their patties, these are plain and simple and a bit on the dry side. “It’s neutral. Like Switzerland,” Sabrina volunteers. The bun has just a few sesame seeds sprinkled on top, but it’s fresh and the bun-to-burg ratio is good and for burger purists who don’t want a lot of noise with their cow, Magoo’s will fit the bill quite nicely. But the Magoo sauce is a mistake — too-sweet mayonnaise makes for an odd taste. The sandwich is much better without it.

So, there you have it. Doubtless we are still missing some of your flame-licked faves, but I honestly don’t know if I can do a third round. Oh, who am I kidding? Show me the error of my ways if we missed a primo hamburger and keep watching here for an update. Meanwhile, Happy Canada Day. I think I’ll have a hot dog.

—————————————————————————————————————

What you had to say about the city’s best burger:

Pete’s Burger in Pickering is by far the best burger..allowing myself to eat burgers once every other week I am VERY picky…must try — Candi

One of the best is to be had at Allen’s on the Danforth . (the beer choices aren’t bad either!)  — John

It isn’t on the menu, but the burger at Allen’s on the Danforth is the best burger I have had in this city. Cooked medium rare this is a burger lover’s delight. — Rob

When it comes to burgers and a great summer patio I can’t believe you didn’t even mention Allen’s on the Danforth !!! They have amazing burgers. My favorite is the standard old cheddar and bacon with sweet potato fries on the side but my fiancé loves goat cheese on his. They are so well known for their burgers they aren’t even officially listed on the menu, people just ask for them. And no I don’t work there, I just really like their burgers. — Kate

Without travelling to the outer ex-suburbs like Thornhill and Mr and Mrs Sauga, try K&S Restaurant at Queen East, just east of Logan. A huge burger on a sesame bun and just right for less than $5. But it is a copy of the one served at the famous Tulip Restaurant further east on Queen St. at Coxwell, a jumbo selling for $5.45. Try ‘em both and see who wins, besides your stomach. — Ken

Although I agree with the Golden Star “being best by far” as it was my old high school hang out — the best burgers south of the 401 still has to be The Burger Shack on Eglinton Ave.

I’ve been to many of the spots that you covered and feel that you got a good variety going for your list, but you unfortunately lack the all-time best hamburger … Toronto or Earth. I have no doubt that you’ve heard of the Wimpy’s hamburger chain, with its burgers so big that you need to cut the ends off with a fork and knife just to lift the bun. — Ronald

My vote goes to The Grillway at Annette and Runnymede. Unassuming greasy spoon with the most delicious burger; great bun, choice of toppings. Amazing. Extra added value comes from admiring the tough cookie at the cash register remember everyone’s order, keep the line moving and take absolutely no sass from the many many schoolkids that pile into the place for lunchtime poutine. — Cathy

I must let you know about this fabulous place called Hero’s. It has by far the best Gourmet burgers in Toronto. — Tamara

Harvey’s ;) — Brock

People’s (176 Dupont) serves the best straight-up hamburger in the city….no questions asked. Your list is incomplete without it. My suggestions is to get a side of o-rings too….you can’t go wrong. — Michael

I have to admit, I am a Harvey’s lady … I was a Harvey’s girl … now I am a old Harvey’s lady. I ate my first Harvey’s on Avenue Rd. (South of 401) North York when they first opened 40 odd years ago. Wherever I live I eat Harvey’s. The only other burger that i would eat is Webers. — Joan

You missed another great burger joint in the west-end. Magic Spots at Royal York and Bloor.They have yummy burgers, and an amazing chicken greek salad … to die for. It has been around for a long time and I am sure you will not be disappointed. Everyone from the west-end has grown-up eating at the place. — Tania

My all time favourite burger joint is definitely the Hope Street Diner at 324-326 Lonsdale Road in Toronto. It’s a cozy little Café like joint that serves extremely moist and tender burgers cooked to your liking. — Lina

Just tried a great new place over in Leaside area, opened this week. It’s called South Street Burger Co. and has great fresh tasting burgers with amazing onion rings. The French fries looked great too. — Patricia

Still recommed you try: Wimpies (on Kingston Road). The best burgers so far in my eyes. — Mary

15
Jul 09

Make Web Not War

Wow, yes wow, I was very surprised and very happy I decided to attend Microsofts ‘makewebnotwar’. Honestly I didn’t think I was going to enjoy it and decided I would just go see what it was all about, I got there around 9:20, you know me always running a little behind but always there. I listened to the speakers and learned a lot about what is going on with tech and start-ups in the Tdot and how Microsoft is the power behind a lot of what we do online, I learned how Microsoft is promising and delivering more and more open source products that are good. I mean you have to take it with a grain of salt but it all looks promising, I guess its them venturing away from the bad image of the nineties and finally seeing that open source is truly a good thing for them and everyone. I’m thinking it’s the ole “if you can’t beat em. Join em” thing. Every speaker came with something new and exciting they practically had me on the edge of the seat and in some cases wanting more except for the “building interoperable web apps with PHP” when that guy got on I had received my network key and was deep in the sites that the earlier speakers spoke about, his presentation was a snooze for me, others seem interested.
What I learned, well not much really I would say my eyes were opened to some new things and I was intrigued but the only thing I could say I learned would be about Microsofts’ new BING experience that they have brought in to take over their Live Search. During a break I went to the lounge and talked to the BING rep and she really schooled me on Bing, plus she was hilarious. I totally will be looking at Bing differently now. Its far more in-depth than I first believe and I look forward to testing it out thoroughly and of course pitting it up against Google.
The parting gift:
There were snacks and lunch was served, nothing there for us, the health conscience, other than tea and canned juice, I think fruits would have been a nice thing to have, or maybe they had some and I didn’t see it or get to it in time.
Great presentation, we all received a little metal lunch box that included:
A Web Warrior Kit – a CD fill with MS web apps, tools and resources (included…Windows 7RC)
Windows 7 tips and tricks guide
Small business information flyer with a $5 starbucks card attached
MS partner program signup and get a free copy of MS Expressions web 2
Gears Of War, Halo and Skate stickers
1 DVD copy of Windows 7RC (not sure if I will try running this on my laptop)
1 bag of Lays Chips
1 box of branded smarties
1 bag of skittles(almost didn’t think they still made this candy)
1 instant stain remover pen(dunno)
1 can of Red Rave energy drink
1 aluminum water bottle Bing branded

15
Jul 09

Fit Like That

Time to get that summer body on, its summer tomorrow is today, there are no excuses to putting off your health and fitness goals. I still run with Nike and would love to see you out especially some more black faces. I know most people get intimidated when it comes to running but there are groups that accommodate all levels of runners from walking to run walk to fast 5, 8 and 10K and for those of you who want to go longer there are lots of 10+ runs leaving the lounge all the time.
This summer all the run leaders have been charged with trying to get out as many runners as possible, so I’m asking if you are in Toronto and want to try something new, fun and exciting then come out to the club at 110 Bloor west, and run with us. You can try all the Nike gear from shoes to shirts and even the Nike plus system, YES we will lend you an iPod loaded with great music so you can track your run. You can get all the details of run types and times from the Facebook Nike fan page, just remember to mention that Greg Keane referred you as I’m trying to win in getting the most runners out from now until July 30th.
If you cannot make it I still want to know that you’re doing well and that you are getting the exercise your heart needs and that you’re moving towards and attaining your goals. For those who are wondering how my training is going for my urbanathlon in Chicago this October you can check out my blog(www.gregkeane.com), I will try to start posting updates there, or on twitter(baudbwoy). For now check out my new exercise regimen I created and will be following up to Chicago.
Check with your doctor to make sure this is not to strenuous for you, if you have any questions regarding the workout please feel free to drop me a note or email any time. If you would like to join my group when we train please let me know, having more people would be great and it’s free unlike the boot camps that have popped up all over the city.
*use whatever exercise for the particular muscle group that you are accustom to or ask me and I can help you with some exercises.
Mondays – GYM(60mins)(strength building) RUN 5K
*Chest, back, abdominal muscles, and cardiovascular exercises

Tuesdays – Park RUN 5-10K, Plyometrics, Hills

Wednesdays -GYM(60mins)(strength building) RUN 5K
*Shoulders, legs, abdominal muscles, and cardiovascular exercises

Thursdays – Park RUN 5-10K, Plyometrics, Hills

Fridays – GYM(60mins)(strength building), RUN 5K
*Biceps, triceps, abdominal muscles, and cardiovascular exercises

Saturday – Morning NRL RUN 5-10K – rest day…kinda

Sunday – Park(Speed work and Plyometrics), RUN 5-10K

- reduce fat intake
- remove white foods(refined food) from our diet
- no alcohol
- no snacking
- junk cheat meal or snack – ONCE per week(if you REALLY have to)

15
Jun 09

Something Big coming in August 2009

****JULY 22-2009 UPDATE****This is a follow up on this article I posted  last month. I guess the old saying “if it sounds to good to be true, it probably is” still holds true. PLEASE READ THIS LINK BEFORE ENTERING INTO ANY THING WITH THIS COMPANY, I WILL KEEP MY EAR TO THE GROUND AND REPORT AS NEWS COMES IN. Article here (http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/072009-zer01s-mobile-offer-may-be.html) is well worth the read.

Well as many of you may know I am no fan of Robbers aka Rogers or the any of the Canadian telecommunications offerings from any of the wireless carries here in the great white north. Since www.ithelpcrew.com is heavily dependent on email I’ve decided I should switch my device to a Blackberry, yes Greg is going to get a blackberry, and I’m not kicking and screaming. The problem is if I get it from Roger they will charge me $299 if I lock in on a 3 year plan, the contract is not very appealing especially when I hear rumors of the coming revolution to the North American telecommunication juggernaut. The rumor comes from www.howardforums.com:

>>Extreme22 (47 post) wrote

k i just got off the phone with fido rep she said that something big is coming in August that would change the face of telecommunication

something very big has anyone heard of this

The thread goes on for 6 pages with everyone chiming in with their own idea of what they think the big change is going to be, from the intro of the iphone on the Fido network to new affordable Rogers price plans that include nationwide unlimited but for me the most intriguing was the intro of the new carriers especially since several months prior I had personally received some news from a industry insider about a big change coming to North America market this fall.

I personally think the ensuing revolution is going to be the intro of a new competitor that will change the game in Canada and that competitor I believe is Globallive. If you visit their site you can read up on there acquisitions of space on the Canadian spectrum and their concern about the high cost we are forced to pay and the lack of service and network features available to us at these cost.

You can read more here:

http://www.globalive.com/?page_id=212

Watch Ben Piilani interview at CTIA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-4OrqV1gPM

Globallive apparently is not the only company that has aspiration on stirring up the telco game in North America, on their website Buzzirk is promising UNLIMITED calling anywhere in the Mexico, Australia, US and Canada for $79.95/month, their site makes me a bit skeptical as it looks amateurish and kinda cheap. Then there is ZER01 they seem competent and I have actually heard of their technology before and from what I’ve heard they seem like they are able to deliver on their promises. Buzzirk will be using ZER01s technology but we’ll have to wait and see how and if they can deliver on July 1st. I’m still stuck in a 3 year plan with Rogers but my plan is if buzzirk delivers then I’ll lower my Rogers plan and get a Buzzirk plan and just wait for my Rogers plan to DIE!

05
Jun 09

Anaphylactic Shock & Sexual Frustration – WTF?!?

I was in Cameroon, Africa for a few months between 2004 and 2005 doing a government-sponsored internship in a local non-governmental organization (NGO). What follows below is what I consider to be my best personal story. It is a true story. To put everything in context, I have a severe allergy (anaphylaxis) to peanuts, a legume which, unfortunately, is a staple in that part of the world. I welcome your comments. Enjoy the read.

*******

It must have been no more than 2 seeks after my arrival in Cameroon. My supervisor brought me a “pain au chocolat” (French baguette smothered with a local chocolate spread).  He was aware of my health concerns, and assured me that the spread contained neither peanuts nor peanut byproducts. Being that this was my first time in the Mother Land, and since I did not want to offend my supervisor who so graciously presented me with a local offering, I took a small piece of the suspicious sandwich.  After about 2 bites I had to put it down, because I knew something was wrong.

I immediately felt horrible: nausea; eyes burning; red, itchy patches all over my body; irritated, scratchy throat, and diarrhea (sorry, is that too much information?). Anyway, my entire body swelled, reaching Michelin Man proportions.  I went home in a hurry the minute my bowels took a break.  My supervisor followed me home and insisted on taking me to the University Hospital Center.  By that time I was feeling much worse.  We had to wait a bit before heading to the hospital (my bowels were working on overdrive…).

It took every ounce of strength I had in my over inflated body to make it from the hospital gates to the doctor’s office (it seemed like the longest walk ever!).  There was a line-up in front the doctor’s office, but luckily, I was ushered in right away. As soon as I entered the doctor’s office, I tried to make a b-line for the sink. He stopped me (&@#!!!), sat me down, and held a small container in front of my face, which I immediately filled.  I immediately felt better, the swelling went down, the red patches started disappearing, and the itchiness finally subsided.  (In my case, a good “purge” usually fixes everything.  Unfortunately, I cannot do it on command, and must wait in agony for my body to be good and ready.)  Despite my objections, the doctor insisted on giving me an injection of God-knows-what and gave me medication I had never heard of for later, which I didn’t bother taking.  What was also annoying is that I had to foot the bill for the meds, which I didn’t want in the 1st place.

Now finally, the “pièce de résistance”: the consultation.  The doctor asked me my age, the country I came from and my ethnic background.  That alone was enough for his diagnosis: my problem was not a food allergy, but rather sexual (yes, you read correctly) in nature.  According to him, I was afraid of sex.  Really? Let me see… I can think of a few things that I am concerned about when it comes to sex when I’m at home in Canada even though I practice safe sex: sexually transmitted infections, HIV/AIDS, pregnancy…  The doctor continued to explain that the food only set off my crisis, which was the result of my fright of sex. I sat incredulous in front of him. At first I thought he was kidding, but when I realized he wasn’t, I pointed out that the reason I was i Cameroon was to work in a local NGO on an HIV/AIDS project, and that I was aware of the state of the epidemic in the country. His response was that I should get married ASAP so I could feel more secure about having sex.  Wasn’t this man aware of the HIV infection rates in Cameroon — a context where sexual promiscuity is an indicator of male status and virility? In a nutshell, what the ‘good’ doctor was telling me is that he thought I was sexually frustrated and would continue to have health problems if I didn’t “take care of business”.  Unbelievable!!!  He asked me to come back if any symptoms reoccurred.  LIKE THAT WOULD HAPPEN. HELL WOULD FREEZE OVER BEFORE I EVER SET FOOT IN THAT HOSPITAL AGAIN.  To think that this man taught medicine was mortifying…

The people who saw me walk into the office looking like crap (hyperventilating, soaked with perspiration, bloated, barely able to stand, etc.) and come out looking fine thought the ‘good’ doctor had performed a miracle.  I guess I helped business for him. Sigh…

Believe it or not, on this occasion I had a mild reaction. I did have an Epipen, but did not think of using it. I was too sick, and somewhat overwhelmed because I was alone in a foreign land.  Following the ‘incident’, I was much more careful with what I ate, and stopped being afraid to politely decline gifts of food.  I also gave my supervisor a list of medical practitioners recommended for expatriates if ever I require medical attention again. The positive thing about this unfortunate situation was that thereafter, everybody in the office  understood the severity of my allergy to peanuts…

Oh, later that evening, I found a container of that Camerounian chocolate spread, and peanuts were listed as an ingredient.

And about the ‘good’ doctor, I have no idea whether or not he is still at the hospital, but Lord help his students and patients if he is.

01
Apr 09

Solid State Drive (SSD)

I remember talking to the Intel rep back in 1998 and he was saying that a solid state computer would most likely come out that summer, well that was a FAIL. Then came the prevalent use of SD cards for all sorts of cameras and phones, memory prices dropped and that opened the doors to more affordable memory. All that was left was for a major manufacture to take the leap and add a solid state drive to their computer, enter Apples award winning Airbook, there were and are others utilizing SSD but Apple seems to have the most light when it comes to recognition on design and new technology use. Well after the Apple Air I must admit I got a bit giddy with joy because I knew soon traditional hard drive were truly on their way out, well if you know anything about how Harddrives do what they do you then you too knew this but now the increasing introduction of SSDs those days had become even shorter.

This afternoon when I was checking my email I received an email from my new favorite place to buy online…Newegg.ca. They were advertising a 64GB SSD from G.Skill for $173.75CAD, yes I know really sweet right. He price per Gigabyte has a long way to go but it’s a start and like all new things in time and through adoption and popularity prices will drop. I’ll say at CES 2010 we’ll see a complete adoption of SSD so by next fall we’ll see these things showing up in everything , computers, camera, phones and anything that require LCS(large capacity storage). For a minute I thought I would drop the $173.75 just to be the first on the block to have one but I really don’t need it and I wouldn’t be able to take full advantage of the drive because my OS is not 64bit and my other hardware is not really optimized for SSD. They say the high speed SATA II drive achieves Read/Write speeds of 170MBps / 100MBps in Microsoft Vista based systems.
I would say if you plan on build a beast either for gaming or something where performance is key then I would say go for a SSD. Optimized with the right hardware and software you could build machine that would be amazingly fast.
There is not much info on the manufactures site but below you will find some of the specs.
General
Model Name FM-25S2S-64GB
Form Factor 2.5″
Capacity 64GB**
Interface Type SATA II

Performance Specifications
Sequential Read Rate 155MB/sec
(MAXIMUM 170MB/sec in Vista)
Sequential Write Rate 90MB/sec
(MAXIMUM 100MB/sec in Vista)
Access Time >0.2ms

Environmental Specifications
Shock (operating) 1500G
Vibration (operating) 20G
Altitude (operating) 60000ft
Operating Temp. 0oC ~ +70oC

Reliability Specifications
MTBF +1500000
Data Reliability Built-in EDC/ECC function
Certifications RoHS FCC and CE Compliant
Warranty 2 year

Manufacturer Product Page|
Website: http://www.gskill.com|
Support Phone Number: 1-909-598-6860
Support Email: ustech@gskill.com|

30
Mar 09

Hacking the nike plus

I just read a very informative blog…have I told you how much I LOVE the internet…not that way…but I do love it, I’m a run leader with the Nike lounge in Toronto and I’ve lost literally hundreds of KM over the years due to various reasons, forgetting my chip and or sensor, grabbing the wrong shoes, nano not working, chip or sensor not working, connecting my ipod to the computer at the lounge and it automatically sending my information to someone else’s plus account, dual mystery plus accounts on nike.com lost at least 700KM there alone(if you check my account now I have about 175KM…WTF. My latest loss was a mystery I finished running and heard that beautiful voice tell me my stats and summary but when I connected my nano to upload the latest run to Nike plus, my blog and twiike.com there was nothing there [shrugs shoulders]. Well being a geek the first time this happened I thought to myself that there had to be a way to hack i mean investigate a way to add my runs to my account. The first thing I did was a Google search ‘hacking nike plus’, and the results came as they always do. I picked through my findings and came across this article http://www.walkjogrun.net/blog/index.cfm/2006/9/6/Hacking-the-Sport-Kit Right now in Toronto its 23:14 and I just got back from the gym and a 5KM run and I have to meet with a client tomorrow so I want to get to bed so I will try “earnshavian” lil trick tomorrow when I get home and post my results on my blog www.gregkeane.com. As for the 700KM plus I’ve contacted Nike and they said they are on the case, yeah right, this is the second time I’ve contacted them about this, well maybe this time they’ll do something for me.Anyway here is are the instructions on hacking the plus files.
I wasn’t so much looking for accuracy, just to be able to capture the fact that I ran 5.15 miles. I have my iPod setup to act as a hard disk so I have access to the files on it. I also have my windows explorer setup to show hidden files, which the iPod files are listed as. A quick dig around the files on my Nano while it was connected shows that there are two key folders for tracking your runs. There is a directory for your historical runs: {ipoddrive}:\iPod_Control\Device\Trainer\Workouts\Empeds\{personal pedometer id}\synched\ and another for your latest runs which haven’t been synched yet: {ipoddrive}:\iPod_Control\Device\Trainer\Workouts\Empeds\{personal pedometer id}\latest\ My synched directory contained a run from September 3rd over the same distance and roughly the same time. I copied the file from my iPod to my desktop and then opened it using WordPad to see the contents. It seems that the iPod tracks key events:
• power song
• pace check
• mile split
• km split
• pause workout
• resume workout
• stop workout
and it also keeps a list of distances taken every 10 seconds. Not wanting to fudz anything up, I found two parts of the file which refered to the date and time of the run so I updated it to show today at 6.29am in both places and saved the file. I noticed that the naming convention for the files was consistent so I followed the convention, renaming my new file “2006-09-06 07;39;54.xml”. I copied it onto my iPod under the “latest” folder and ejected my iPod. When I looked at my workout history once disconnected from my computer, sure enough, I now have a 9/6/06 workout in place. The next and scariest step was to connect my Nano again while connected to the internet and visit the site to see what happened to my running history. Sure enough, my run was correctly added to my running history and happiness rained all around.
Use this information for good and not for any evil you may be considering but I am delighted this little hack worked! Of course, in an ideal world, this kind of hack wouldn’t be necessary and the Nike+ site would allow you to add workouts you didn’t do with your sport kit connected with some limitations like 1 per week or something to avoid people cheating themselves.
Thanks again:earnshavian

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