Posts Tagged "life"
One year without TV – Part One
In just a couple of weeks time, it will have been a year since my wife and I last received any kind of TV broadcast into our home. We don’t even own a TV since we moved to Canada.
That’s not to say we don’t watch TV shows, news and movies, it’s just that we’ve been using different technologies to do it. In this first post I will explore why we did it, how we made the transition away from broadcast TV, and what technologies we found to be useful. In part two I’ll look back at our experiences and assess the pros and cons of not having a TV, and discuss where this might lead, for us and for society as a whole. If you’d prefer a shorter version of this post, you can head on over here.
Watching TV at a time that you choose
So, why did we make the switch?
Read MoreOne year without TV – Part One (Short Version)
It’s almost a year since we received any kind of TV broadcast into our home. That’s not to say we don’t watch TV shows, it’s just that we’ve been using different technologies to do it. Here’s a quick summary of the why, how and what. You can read a more detailed version of this post over here.
My first swim in Canada
I’m a keen swimmer. But that doesn’t mean the same thing in North America as it does in the UK, or even to everyone back home, so I better explain – I love to go to the swimming pool, cruise up and down at my own pace and let my mind wander. If I’m feeling particularly indulgant I might even relax in the jacuzzi (spa/hottub) or steam room afterwards. I’m not a competitive swimmer and have no interest in lap times or personal bests. For me, it’s a pleasant thing to do that has the happy side effect of giving me some regular exercise.
Which is why it’s really sad that I haven’t been swimming in Montréal since I moved here 9 months ago. The thing is, in Canada, it’s not so easy to just “go swimming”.
Read MoreSwine flu – From the horse’s mouth
Dispelling the myths about H1N1
Swine flu has been all over the news for the last few months, especially in the UK; You could hardly miss it. But as with many things which are analyzed and deconstructed ad nauseum in the media over several months, the reality is somewhat different from the hype.
Having experienced swine flu first hand, and recovered, I feel compelled to set the record straight:
1) Swine flu is just another form of flu
New flu viruses appear every year, and despite its sinister sounding name, swine flu is just another variant. Most variants don’t get to have their own name outside of scientific circles – this one did for two reasons: Firstly, it originated in pigs not in humans; Secondly, it is extremely virulent. That does *not* mean that it is extremely serious – just that it is easily spread from human to human, more so than is normal for flu.
What seems to have happened is that a great deal of stigma has been attached to the name. “It’s not just flu, it’s SWINE flu, it must be AWFUL!”.
Read MoreOne week in startup-land
The last month or so has been a period of change for me – in that time I started one job, left it after two weeks, had a week off, and started another one! As a result of which I haven’t really established any kind of routine and haven’t been very good at blogging (although I have been “tweeting” or micro-blogging – you can follow me on Twitter as @alexbfree).
The first job was a web development job I found via PHP Québec, and it was the first tech job that came along really. It was perfectly ok, and helped me brush up my PHP and MySQL skills, but as you will have realised from my recent posts, my heart’s not really in it to “just” be a programmer any more. I want to work with real teams and businesses, develop ideas and do stuff that matters.
A Serendipitous Moment
I felt it was a most fortuituous occurrence when I discovered this job ad back at the start of April. I knew I had to apply; it described an ideal candidate with insatiable curiosity, an analytical mind, a passion for all things Internet, an awareness of GTD for organisation and most of all a desire to change the world a little at a time. It was like reading a description of myself. I knew I had to apply.
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