Best Tips and Guide

We Are The Traffic

I've been following some of the recent discussions about the interactions between cyclists and motorists with some amusement.

This latest kerfuffle was set off by an open letter in Spacing from a cyclist venting about her fellow cyclist's behaviour. That spawned an article in the Star: Are cyclists alienating drivers by being selfish and rude? Which was followed by hand-wringing and pontification, debates over the right approach to reform, and even suggestions that charity events like the Ride for Heart be prohibited from using city roads.

It's a topic that comes up often in Toronto. I've been reading The Revenge of the Methodist Bicycle Company: Sunday Streetcars and Municipal Reform in Toronto, 1888 - 1897, which takes a look at our city's early municipal battles over Sunday streetcars (It's hard to believe, but early in our civic history, the city's strong Protestant background meant that many interests were vehemently opposed to running streetcars on Sunday. Rigorously keeping the sabbath was an institutional means of controlling certain elements -- Catholics, foreigners and so forth).

The Toronto Bicycle Club was incorporated as early as 1890. The Mail and Empire observed:

The various bicycle clubs are doing their best to impress upon the members the necessity for moderation in this respect, and the average club cyclist is only a 'scorcher' under conditions which preclude collisions with unwary pedestrians.

In 1895 there were so many bicycle accidents that there was strong pressure to regulate cycling. Further, cycling was actually seen as a threat to the economic viability of the transit system.

Charles Porteous, the general factotum for the Toronto Railway Company complained:

Sunday running is not nearly as profitable as we had expected it to be, and the Bicycle is seriously affecting our earnings.

So this discussion isn't entirely new. In the fall of 1895 there was a traffic census that counted 395 cyclists passing the corner of King and Yonge between 6 and 6:30 pm. There were 90 stores selling cycles in Toronto. Fascinatingly, the backers behind the Canada Cycle and Motor Company (CCM) were the same people who opposed Sunday streetcars.

From Toronto World, May 10, 1896.
(reprinted in The Revenge of the Methodist Bicycle Company: Sunday Streetcars and Municipal Reform in Toronto, 1888 - 1897)

As for myself, I fall in the pragmatic, 'use some common sense and courtesy' camp. I don't favour additional regulation governing cyclists.

As a skateboarder whose regular travels around the city are technically illegal (a topic I've explored elsewhere at length), I (perhaps selfishly) just don't think there's a problem when people pay attention to traffic around them -- and don't impede the flow. I'm going to skate anyway; it doesn't matter if there's some law saying where and when I can skate.

Trouble is easy to avoid if you use your head and don't do anything stupid. Cyclists should take note.

Who Pays for the Mayor's Phone? & Pignapping

Recently city council was thrown into a mild state of scandal due to the unexplained disappearance of Councillor Mike Del Grande's piggy bank. Councillor Del Grande is the City Budget chief. The brazen theft prompted this exchange at City Hall:

Councillor Adam Vaughan suggested this little piggy went to market.

I've been doing research for a soon-to-be-published-here history of Front and Bathurst, and have been scouring the archives of the Globe and the Star. It turns out there's a long history of our municipal leaders having trivial antics:

From the Dec 14, 1900 edition of the Daily Star

Fudge.

How many cattle do YOU think are in a herd of cattle?

And some things never change -- isn't it fascinating that 111 years later, who pays for the mayor's phone is still a raging topic of debate?

Is this accessibility?

A colleague of mine pointed out this TTC sign to me a couple of years ago, and I finally remembered to take a photo.

It's kind of convoluted, don't you think? If the lift isn't working, your only option is to take a bus route to the building entrance! Seems like a lengthy journey just to go up one floor...

I guess it's a reminder that I should be thankful for the gift of regular mobility.

Canadian copyright class action suit settled for $50 million

The largest Canadian copyright class action suit has been settled for $50 million. The offenders? The four labels comprising the Canadian Recording Industry Association — EMI, Sony Music, Universal Music, and Warner Music. Ahem.

Filesharing? Why, that's illegal! Unauthorized! Highly immoral. Tut tut. Oh, you mean actually selling music without a license for those works or paying royalties? Gee whiz, that's not piracy. Be a good fellow, let us settle this matter amicably. And incidentally we admit no liability... Arrr....

This news got turned into my first posted slashdot submission! [get it, first posted? haha.] Yay. I feel like a nerd now. (It's not a very commented-on post, but whatever, people are bored of endless stories of music industry hypocrisy...)

Eli Pariser's Filter Bubble Problem

Eli Pariser's superb TEDtalk lecture on 'The Filter Bubble' has already been circulating widely, but it's well worth passing along again.

In his talk (see video below), Pariser discusses how increasingly the major services that provide information to us on the internet are invisibly, algorithmically filtering and shaping the content we see. Google, for example, allegedly uses 57 signals to personally tailor your search results -- even if you aren't logged in. Have you ever noticed how Facebook, by default, only shows activity in your News Feed from friends you interact with most?

Personalization wraps us in an isolating bubble of information specifically aligned to our tastes. It sounds logical, even appealing, but we risk losing serendipitous exposure to new perspectives and ideas that challenge us. We never get to see what gets filtered out. We wind up viewing only what (the algorithms conclude) we want to see, not necessarily what we need to see.

Algorithmic curation needs to be transparent enough, Pariser argues, so that we can consciously exert a measure of control over the filtering process. Mere relevance is insufficient. A good, rich flow of information introduces us to uncomfortable ideas, and new people -- and is critical for democracy.

I recommend viewing the talk; it's not long and Pariser is an engaging speaker. I'm definitely going to check out his supporting book, The Filter Bubble: What the Internet Is Hiding from You, which presumably examines the issue in greater detail.

What do you think about the Filter Bubble? Are you content with what you see on the internet? As we grapple to deal with the unfathomably large sets of data and information streams generated by our modern age, some degree of filtering is essential for us to make sense of it all. This ongoing tension will prove critical in terms of shaping how we see, understand, and interact with the world at large.

Watch Pariser's TEDtalk:

Humiliation Machine at Boulderz

Toronto's longest climbing routes can be found at its shortest gym!

It's been a few months since I had a session at Boulderz, a great little bouldering gym in Toronto (see my writeup from a couple years ago). Some friends of mine were planning to go this aft so I decided to join them. As it turns out, Boulderz has acquired a fantastic machine for ritual humiliation and chastisement -- the Treadwall.

It's exactly what you think it is -- a treadmill with climbing holds on it. The roof in the workout area isn't that high at Boulderz, so the device is set at a steep angle (It doesn't look that steep here, but trust me, this thing will kick your ass!).

It doesn't look that hard...

I really like it. It's going to be great for working on my (currently pathetic) endurance. The video above doesn't do the experience justice, because it looks like I'm moving in slow motion. In fact, you get a burn going very quickly. You can also adjust the speed it travels at, and track how many feet you've climbed as well as how long you've been on it. Several routes of varying difficulty have been set (I was on the easy yellow one) so you can tailor the workout to suit your stamina and level of ability.

Good choice Boulderz!

Happy Victoria Day!

Happy Victoria Day Canada. And happy birthday to the Queen -- Victoria Day also celebrates the current reigning Canadian sovereign's official birthday.

Queen Victoria sits in regal splendour outside the Ontario Legislature

This holiday, typically observed on the last Monday on or before May 24, has been a tradition in one form or another in Canada since 1845. It became officially known as Victoria day in 1901 following the death of the 'Mother of Confederation'. In Quebec this date used to be the Fête de Dollard but is now celebrated as National Patriot's Day.

For many Canadians it marks the unofficial start of the summer season and is colloquially referred to as 'May Two-Four', slang for a case of twenty four beers.

Why I'm proud to work for NexJ Systems

The fantastic company I work for, NexJ Systems, has gone public and is now trading on the TSX under the symbol 'NXJ'.

Congratulations NexJ team!

It has been a long and winding journey to get to this point, but here we are. Amazing. This is a significant milestone for the company, and in a very real sense it signals our arrival on the software scene. I can no longer say that I 'work for a small startup' -- because that's not true anymore.

I want to congratulate the entire NexJ team for their accomplishment. I am bursting with pride. I usually try to keep a certain modesty in regards to NexJ -- but on this particular day, at this particular moment, to heck with it, I'm going to enjoy it. You guys rock!

It hasn't been easy. It will never be easy -- and that's why we're awesome. We are stubborn as hell, we get stuff done, we are raucous and earthy, and without reserve in our passion. There is no other place I would want to work, no other place I can imagine.

It has always been about the people. I have been blessed with the opportunity to work with such a passionate, brilliant, talented, persistent, dedicated, caring, committed, wonderful group. We wouldn't be here without each other.

Bill, Errol, Dave, Rick, Ed, Norair, Vassiliy, Ranji, Len, Peter (and you too Paul!) and everyone else: I thank you profusely for the absurd privilege of working with you; I can't believe how lucky I have been to enjoy your trust. The shared ups and downs, the challenges and victories, the pain, sweat, laughter and sometimes tears -- all of it has rolled up over the years into an elite software company. Respect must be paid for your unstinting hard work and relentless commitment to the vision.

Exciting times lie ahead. This is really just the start of our adventure -- soon enough it will be back into the hurly burly. Back to the rough and tumble, the blistering heat of execution. Destiny awaits. We're gonna build great software, we're gonna deliver what we promise to our customers, and we're gonna kick ass along the way.

Congratulations to everyone at NexJ!

Pendulum Waves and Electric Counterpoint

I thought that this fascinating video of "fifteen uncoupled simple pendulums of monotonically increasing lengths dancing together to produce visual traveling waves, standing waves, beating, and (seemingly) random motion", deserved a corresponding soundtrack.

Pendulum Waves - Electric Counterpoint soundtrack.

Looks cool eh?

No more elephants at the Toronto Zoo

After a lengthy debate, the Toronto Zoo board has voted to shut down the zoo's elephant exhibit.

I have mixed feelings about the decision. The kid in me says, 'This sucks!', but every time I have gone to the zoo and seen that exhibit, my conscience has nagged at me -- the elephant space has always struck me as being far too small for such massive creatures. It seemed obvious that we were keeping them in an enclosure that was inappropriate and likely debilitating.

Will we forget the elephants? Will they forget us?

I'm torn, because viewing these magnificent creatures in the flesh is immensely valuable for broadening the experience of stay-at-home urbanites like myself -- it is a profound reminder of the wider, greater natural world that exists beyond the artificiality of our cities. Without exposure to these wild animals we risk losing an appreciation for our place in the ecosystem, and becoming distanced from nature and the environment.

There was mounting evidence that the elephant exhibit, in its present form, was unsustainable and harmful. There are only three elephants left -- our 'herd' isn't large enough to be called such anymore -- and in the last five years, four elephants have died. Pretty damning numbers.The elephants have also shown signs of psychological distress and aberrant behaviours.

Does the welfare of the elephants outweigh the educational value of their presence? In our western culture, zoos were initially influenced and inspired by the pervasive idea of man's 'dominion [...] over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.' (Gen. 1-26). Man's role in this Christian perspective is to subdue nature, not submit to it. Animals are our subjects, not our peers. Zoos were created for our entertainment and titillation. The health of the animals was never a concern, except as an operational issue. Over time, concerns about animal welfare and growing ecological awareness has shifted the emphasis of zoos towards conservancy and education, but the essential tension remains -- is it ethically acceptable to take an animal from its natural place, and exhibit it for our pleasure and edification?

In the end, I have to reluctantly support the decision as being the best thing. The elephants -- and I'd argue some of the larger primates as well -- fall into that grey area where sufficient intelligence is present such that suffering is a result of our keeping them captive. They are 'conscious' of their surroundings and seem resigned to their fate. It is our responsibility to mitigate that suffering as best we can and not exacerbate their condition.

There is still plenty of time to see the pachyderms at the zoo -- determining the ultimate destination for the elephants is expected to take up to a couple of years. It's a sad decision for the zoo, but one that reflects the gradual change in our philosophical outlook on animals.

UPDATE -- October 26, 2011
City Council Votes to Send Elephants Away

Update 2—October 17, 2013 (!)
A Pair of Wistful Farewells

BIXI launches in Toronto!

The rollout has been a little tepid. The website is annoying. Subscribers are peeved. But who cares, BIXI Toronto has launched!

My local BIXI station. Yay BIXI!

This is a good day for cycling in Toronto. The city just got a bit better.

BIXI is a public bike system that lets people rent bicycles from a plethora of stations scattered across the downtown core [There are about a thousand bikes and 80 stations at the moment]. I can't foretell whether the program will succeed over the long term -- the pricing scheme is out of whack for a cheapskate like me -- but launching a program like this is never easy. The organizers should be proud of getting to this point and making it a reality in spite of countless obstacles.

The explanation of the fee structure is confusing; I'm still puzzling it out. (The terms and conditions don't match the fee structure on the main website, currently. For subscribers, is the initial trip free for 30 min. or 45? Are annual subscriptions $95, or $78?) My kneejerk feedback on the fee structure is: this is stupid.

It's also not clear to me whether they've launched with sufficient coverage in order to make the service useful. We'll see.

There will be many areas for improvement and expansion, but that will only happen as the service irons out the kinks through experience and usage. It will be a challenging road ahead, but I am heartened by this launch.

Congratulations BIXI, long may you ride!

UPDATE: an excellent video explaining how BIXI works:

My Arduino finally arrived!!

The equivalent of "Hello world" on my Arduino board (slight syncopation added):

Hooray!

It finally arrived in the mail. Actually it might have been sitting there for a while; my condo building recently switched over to an online information portal with electronic parcel delivery notification. I was only able to log in today for the first time.

I'm excited about trying to build a bunch of simple circuits and relearning some basic electronics. Then if it proves to be fun I may progress to some minor toy hacking.

Any Arduino fans out there? Feel free to point out some fun (but novice-oriented) projects! Meantime, I'll be slowly working my way through the learner examples...

Time to upgrade my iMac?

It's been three and a half years since I bought my last desktop computer, a 24 inch aluminum iMac. At the time of purchase it had decent specs, and it's held up tolerably in terms of performance and what I generally use it for. It was a good value buy.

However, I was reading some rumours that the next refresh of this series shall be announced soon. [Update: The refresh happened. Quad-cores!] Looking back this would make it five iMac revisions (including this prospective one) that I've passed through. None of the subsequent upgrades have been revolutionary in terms of design, but cumulatively they make my current machine look rather plodding. Moore's law continues apace, even for pricy Apple products.

Upgrading would allow me to roll my machine down to my parents, who are still underutilizing an even older white iMac from the year prior...

And if I just wait till later this year, the new iMacs will ship with OSX Lion. Four years is a pretty good stint for a computer, don't you think? The alternative would be to wait another year or so, and stick it out until the five year anniversary. I don't need a new machine, it would just be exceedingly nice. I'm not convinced that's a compelling enough reason to upgrade.

More speed! More cores! More RAM! More hard drive space! Shiny! I can feel the itch already. I suppose the operative question should be, "Is this machine going to last me four years? Am I going to be happy on this thing four years from now?"

There's also the opportunity cost of the roughly three or four grand I'd probably budget for this. Hmm... I'll have to think about this some more.

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