A little hot today

Like a fool, of course, I chose to go on my walk at 11.  On a day with a high of 33 Celcius (92F) it probably wasn't the smartest thing to do.  But what the heck, eh?  You only live once.  And I am way more than half way to the worms anyhow.

An hour into my walk I came upon Ottawa's Chinatown.  Not a particularly huge section of town, but it does have its own gate thing (what do you call that anyway?).  All the restaurants are closed, of course, except for a few that are doing takeouts.  A couple of dim sum places offered take outs, and there were lines.

Continuing on from Chinatown, I went to Little Italy.  I have no idea what those are.  They look like bowling pins, but maybe not.  There's a football thing at the foot of the signage.  Pretty cool.  Funny thing, too.  The best sushi restaurant in Ottawa, in my opinion, is actually in Little Italy, and run by Koreans.

It was a very hard walk today.  With a full pack on, and two litres of water, it was tough going.  Two hours later, hope was in sight.  It's the UOttawa Law School!  I was only 20 minutes from home!  And I still had half a litre of water left!  Yay!  By that time I was ready to melt though.

I can feel a bad headache coming on.  Maybe it's heatstroke.  Haha.  Roasted Chunski today.  Hope I will be around for a next post.

If I had a canoe

On this brutally hot day, these people have the right idea.

I was crossing a bridge over the Rideau River.  Guy in a kayak and a couple in a canoe.  I love canoeing.  Wish I had one today!  It would have been neat.

Further along on my walk today, I heard someone shouting "Have a Good Day!"  I turned, and a man was poking his head out a window, and waved at me.  He repeated, "Have a Good Day!" and gave me a thumbs up sign.  How nice!  A total stranger doing that, in a city of a million people.  It really makes your day, doesn't it?  Now, why can't we all be nice to one another like that?  The world would be such a happier place.

Strangely, this brief encounter reminded me a Robert Graves poem, which ends like this:

Fever and fear distract the world,
But calm be you though madmen shout,
Through blazing fires of battle hurled,
Hate not, strike, fear not, stare Death out!

Last of the embassy pics

I took these on previous walks.  Think I will post them now and use up my inventory.

Bulgaria.  Not much to say about it.  Looks like someone's house, actually.

Crotia.  Along the same lines as the Bulgarian embassy, I guess.  But the building looks a bit better kept.  I wouldn't mind a house like this :)

Mongolia.  Almost expect Genghis Khan to come out and attack you!

Spain.  It's in a great location, but otherwise it really doesn't impress.  Hell they didn't even weed properly!

Sri Lanka.  Doesn't it look like some old colonial official's home in the old British Empire or something?

Swiss.  I wonder if all visitors get a Rolex as a souvenir?

Turkey.  I walked quite quickly pass it.  You never know.

Venezuela. I was confused originally, because it said something the Bolivian Republic...  I guess the full name is something like The Bolivian Republic of Venezuela etc?

Well, that's my collection, folks.  Will look for other themes for my posts in future.  See ya!

Stop thinking binary

Most of my readers were born in a digital age.  Even older farts like me, though born into an analog world, were schooled in a digital world and grew up and worked in one.  So it's natural that we think binary things.  All these damned 101011100010 things, you know.

For those who know/remember BASIC programming, here's something for you:

For N = 1 + I
Print "I AM RIGHT"
I = I + 1
Next N

What happens with that?  It's what we call an infinite loop.  And sadly, that's how the world is.  An infinite loop of shit.  I blame binary.

See, there is NO SUCH THING as an objective reality.  There is not one truth (which usually means MY truth, not anyone else's), but the world as we know it is simply a social construction.  It is what we make of it.  And each of us is different.  So we have different perceptions and interpretations.  But the binary thinking in each of us has attuned us to look at things as either or.  That, however, is not necessarily productive.

Those of you who know me, consider this.  Am I an asshole or a decent person?  Not really that easy to render a conclusion, is it?  Now consider yourself.  If you think you're a saint, fine. But do you think that you are consistently saintly, and that no one can possibly construe your persona as anything less than holy at any point?  You get my drift?

Someone once said to me, when he found out I was reading The Merchant of Venice, "isn't that a racist and anti-semitic play?"  Is it?  Was Shakespeare a racist?  Was he anti-semitic?  I think that's a very difficult question.  Of course, he wouldn't even know what anti-semitisim means, since that term didn't exist in his days.  Now consider the play, if you know it, is Shylock actually the tragic hero (in which case it can't be a racist play), or is he a simple villain (in which case the play could potentially be racist).  That, however, is subject to one's interpretation.  And one's interpretation could say a lot about how one sees the world oneself.  In other words, perhaps calling the play racist is more a projection than a thoughtful analysis.  Just saying.

Getting a bit philosophical these days, since I talk mainly to myself and only myself.  It gets rather weird, truth be told.  It kind of makes me relate to how the character played by Heston must have felt in The Omega Man.  Your mind churns over things, and if you don't exercise some degree of self-control, it wanders into very dangerous territories.

I am very grateful that I went to Schulich for my PhD.  For although I ended up doing a quantitative dissertation, since that was the path of least resistance and thus easier, my education was quite informed by the interpretive paradigm (i.e. reality is as we interpret it).  This has served me well, especially these days when this kind of interpretivism helps me negotiate my "reality" of being "stranded" in Ottawa for the summer.  And all the concomitant trials and tribulations.  It's how I keep my sanity, though at times I could feel it slipping away.

Even so, I resolve not to get into an infinite loop of self-pitying or self-righteousness.  Life is complicated.  The world is complex.  Reality is ephemeral.  Maybe the world would be an easier place to navigate if we abide by what e e cummings once wrote:

I'd rather learn from one bird how to sing
than teach ten thousand stars how not to dance

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Sorry about that bit of meandering.  Anyway, as you know I've been walking all over Ottawa since the virus thing hit.  And Ottawa is only so big.  So essentially I've walked everywhere that's remotely interesting and do-able (after all, if I don't want to walk any more than 10-12 miles a way, then I am stuck with a 5-6 mile radius, no?).  After a while, it gets repetitive.  Today, to change things up a bit, I decided to walk to the other university in the city (there are actually three, but the third one is really small and its focus is as a religious-based social justice warrior institution, so not my cup of tea).  It was a bit of a hike, but I made it there earlier today.

The university is called Carleton University, and it has a rather large campus.  I must confess I don't know much about it, other than I turned down their offer to do a MA there when I first came to Ottawa.  It's a relatively young university as well, being founded in 1942 and became a university ten years later.  So it's not a hell lot older than me, haha.

Well, I walked there, and since I hardly know the campus, I didn't manage to take a lot of pictures.  But I took these:

I think I must have walked into the residence part of the university, for I have a feeling that these were residence halls.  The second one has a sign that says residence commons or something, so I am guessing it's some social gathering spot?  Looks quite nice though, eh?  Carleton seems to have a lot of residence hall buildings, a lot more than UOttawa does.  Maybe because it's a little bit more remote, but in any case certainly because it's bigger (it has 30,000-ish students versus 52,000+ at UOttawa).

I could have walked further into the depths of the campus, but by that time I was quite tired, so I turned around and came home.  One of my oldest friends went there for engineering, so I gather it's a decent school for that.  I also have a "friend" who teaches business there, so I gather its business school probably sucks, haha!

It's been a long post today.  Sorry about all that philosophizing at the beginning.  Just one of those days.  I hope you all are doing well and staying safe.

Remember, think alternative thoughts when things don't seem great.  As George Bernard Shaw once wrote (Robert Kennedy was just quoting Shaw):

"Some men see things as they are and ask why. Others dream things that never were and ask why not."

Thoughts on Covid-19 reopening

As both Canada and the US begin to reopen business, in varying degrees, I am struck by how differently the many jurisdictions are dealing with the pandemic.  It doesn't help that data now tell us that the Swedish experiment (with people's well-being, I may add) has failed miserably.  On a side note, if that kind of failure happened at Etown, nothing will happen and the "administrators" will still get their excessive pay.  But in politics, I think there will be hell to pay in Sweden.

But never mind that.  I am a data kind of guy, as most of you know.  Here I am "stuck" in Ottawa because of the border closure, but in many ways I am very glad.  Let me elaborate.

The latest (early June) data show that in the province of Ontario, the number of daily new cases has fallen below 300.  Meanwhile, Maryland is registering over 800 new cases a day.  In PA, the number of daily new cases is around 500.

That itself is not necessarily alarming, since we know that the US has 8 times the population of Canada.  But that's a national total.  Ontario has a population of about 15 million.  PA has a population of about 12.  And MD has a population just over 5.

You can do the math.  That's what we do in BA416, no?  What is the data saying?  On a per capita basis, it's quite a disparity, no?

Some might think that more tests are done in some jurisdictions, so of course there would be more cases.  But according to Johns Hopkins, PA has done just over 4000 tests per 100,000 population, and MD has done just over 6,100 per 100,000.  In Ontario, just over 6,200 tests per 100,000 have been performed.

Not very comforting, is it?

One of the reasons, I think, is that Ontario took more stringent measures, and still do, than most states.  And people tend to be more conforming here.  So, as I survey the data, I do wonder if there is too liberal a reopening strategy south of the border.  And in Ontario as well!  What data we have are not very reassuring.  I don't get a sense that things are actually under control by any means.  And if so, what will the second wave be like?

Here in Ontario, we are also beginning to see gradual reopening.  Let's just hope that things won't spiral the way they did in Sweden.  Because if we think that last couple of months have been pretty horrid, what will a shit storm of a second wave be like?

Friends, wherever you are, stay safe.  Be well.  Your health is your most important asset.  Take care of yourselves!

Across the River, and more Embassy Pics

Took a very long march today, covering maybe 11-12 miles.  Ventured into a place called Rockcliffe Park, known not because it is particularly large, but because of its view.  It overlooks the Ottawa River, across to the Quebec side.  You can see the Gatineau hills (Having lived in Oregon, I refuse to call anything under 10,000 feet a mountain).  I took a picture of a quaint village community across the river.  You can see an old church, I guess it's the St. Francis de Sale Church, and some home dotting the river bank.  Quite pretty, though my inadequate photography skills fail to do it justice.  But here goes:

Sorry, I know it's a bad picture, but you look across the river you can see the little village and the church on your left.

It was a good march today, and I saw a lot of landmarks and so on.  I crossed a highway overpass, and briefly wondered if it was high enough over the road to kill me instantly if I were to jump.  What a thought!  I do wonder, though.

Anyway, I still have some photos of embassies in my inventory, so I might have well post some of them here.  If nothing else, we got pictures!  Enjoy!

This is Aga Khan Foundation.  Not technically an embassy per se, but it represents a branch of the Islamic faith, I believe, and is steep in charity work and so on.  Quite a nice-looking building.  Must be loaded.

This is Austria.  You know how I always said what goes up must come down, that nothing lasts forever?  Think about the might of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at its peak.  It was one of the major powers of Europe, and indeed was a key player in settling the Napoleonic Wars with the Congress of Vienna.   What would its embassies have been like back then?

Brazil.  Member of the stupid BRIC (those of you who had me will know why this whole BRIC thing is stupid).  Well, at least it's a nice-looking building.  Ambassador's residence is next door, similar style.

This, my friends, is Cuba.  Looks like a bunker, doesn't it?  Probably built when they feared an American invasion, though Canada has had diplomatic relations with them for a very long time.  In fact, loads of Canadians travel there (at least before Covid 19) for vacation.  It's cheap, so they say.  Never been.  So no clue.

Kuwait.  Another oil country building an impressive embassy.  Where would they be if not for Desert Storm?

The Palestinian General Delegation. Right next to the Rideau Canal, and across the University of Ottawa.

The Vatican representative.  This is just the gateway entrance to the premises.  It's more like some medieval castle than anything.  Huge tract of land, and impressive structures inside.  Located in a very exclusive part of town, all million dollar homes.  The only cars that aren't Mercedes or BMWs are ones that belong to contractors and other workers who do stuff there.  Organized religion is big business, man.

OK, I have one more batch of embassy pics to come, and that's it.  Will find some other themes to use in future.

Be well!

More Pics and An Amazing Prof

Apart from my daily walks and stuff, I've been auditing some courses online at Harvard X.  I think I told you about it before.  Anyway, a few days ago, having completed all ten of their China History and Civilization courses, I started a new one on Justice.  I want to talk about that a bit today.

The "Justice" course apparently was the first course that Harvard put online.  The professor in question, Michael Sandel, is a noted expert and reputedly an excellent lecturer as well.  So I thought, ok, let's give it a try.  As it turns out, Michael Sandel is such a gifted lecturer and speaker that he even gives talks in football stadiums and so on.  If you are keen, look him up.  Quite amazing.

So about this course.  Why did I say An Amazing Professor?  First, you guys know I have a very big ego.  No, unlike my former marketing colleague, I have never considered myself the best thing since sliced bread.  But hey, I think I was a pretty decent teacher.  With that in mind, you would realize that I don't often watch someone teaching and say, "oh wow, that's amazing!  Why didn't I think of that!"

Watching Sandel's lectures, I say to myself ALL THE FUCKING TIME!  Hands down he is the best lecturer I have ever experienced.  Folks, coming from me, that's quite an endorsement.  If I can claim to have won a teaching award or two, this man should be given a teaching award for life.  Let me give you a couple of examples.

His lecture is in some great big lecture hall.  Sits hundreds.  Yet he's able to get so many students to participate.  That in itself is amazing enough.  Now he would have no control over what the students would say.  But he always manages to consolidate what they say and put them into some framework that fits with his lecture.  He uses what the students say and is able to bring these disparate discourses into his talk.  That takes a lot of expertise on the subject and a lot of quick thinking.  I really admire that.

And so often, students fucking applaud at the end of a class.  Not at the end of a semester, though that itself is quite something, but at the end of a class!  Man, how does that feel?

So yeah, I seldom say this about another lecturer:  Sandel is in a class of his own.  If I were still teaching, I could learn so much from him about how to teach.  What a guy!

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Continuing with my embassy picture tour, though I doubt if anyone is actually looking at them at all, here are some more.  I will post four or five at a time, until I exhaust my inventory.  Then I think I will stop.  I'm not sure it's worth the effort, haha.  But here goes.

Well, even guess, I think, since the flag is quite visible.  It's France.  What a location, too.  It's next to the official residence of the Prime Minister, and across from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  I guess they must be important or something.

That's Germany.  Looks like something from the East German days.  Doesn't it look more like a police station or something?  Not sleek like some others, but I guess functional?

I showed you the back side of the Saudi embassy before.  But I thought I'd show you the front of it, to do it justice.  Though why I should care to give the Saudis justice is quite a different story.

The UK High Commission.  Looks like any government office block.  But it's quite large, and location-wise, it's a stone's throw away from Parliament.

And of course from the giant elephant next door, the US Embassy.  I read somewhere it's supposed to represent a submarine.  I don't know.  Do you see that?  Not sure.  A very large complex, right across the hotel where my gym is.  Pretty key location, too, basically as close to Parliament as is the UK High Commission.  I suppose it says a lot of these countries' relative importance to Canada.


OK, so much for today.  Hope you had fun looking at them.  Till next time!

Another batch

Note to self:  Before going on a three hour walk, do NOT drink four cups of coffee.


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Here are today's collection of embassy pics.

This is the Algerian Embassy.  Looks pretty neat, like some medieval castle.

This is Ivory Coast.  Not much to say, since I actually don't quite know where Ivory Coast is, other than it's in Africa somewhere?

This huge complex houses the High Commission of Kenya.  I believe Brunei is represented there as well.  I just love the stone work on the building.

This is the Embassy of Mali.  Doesn't it look like some chateau in the Alps or something?

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I realize too that most of the time, the ambassadors live somewhere else, and that their residences tend to be much grander than the embassies themselves.  But it's hard to find them ahead of time, since well, I guess they don't really want to broadcast where the dignatories live.  I have passed by some of those mansions on my walks, but I think the task of photographing them is not very conducive to any pre-planning.  Maybe for down the road.

Any thoughts on this embassy picture tour?  Is it interesting?  Boring?  Any suggestions?  I have more pics, but it's getting more and more difficult to locate and film them now.  Please let me know if you have any comments.

Being a jerk and More Embassies

Most of you know that I can be a jerk if I want to.  Some might say I am a jerk, period.  Well, I don't have a problem being a jerk, when I choose to be.  But I think today I might have been a jerk by accident.

Three-quarters of the way through my walk today, I stopped at a traffic light.  A couple who was jogging also stopped.  The girl turned towards me and waved in my direction.  She smiled, and even took off her sunglasses.  And kept waving.  Now, she didn't say anything, so I wasn't sure if she was waving at me.  I didn't recognize her, so I didn't react.  Then the light changed, and they ran on.

As I thought about it, behind me was the canal, and the nearest building or person in that direction would have been two, three hundred feet away.  Who the fuck else could she be waving at?  Then she did seem rather familiar, though I couldn't be sure.  I THINK she's a fellow student and that we had spoken on occasion.  Actually if she was that person, she was one of the few that I actually liked!  Of course there's no way for me to be sure, but looking back, it seems I had simply ignored her.  She probably thinks I am a douche.

I blame her.  She could have said something!  Like, Ed!  But of course I also had my noise-cancelling earphones on so I probably wouldn't have heard anyway.  Oh well.  Bummer.

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Well, let's continue with some more embassy pictures, shall we?  Here are some more random ones I came across.

This one is Armenia.  Really nice statue outside.  I have no idea what it is, but it looks impressive.  Location is right by the canal, too.  Quite scenic.

Here's Japan.  Large complex.  Very late-70s early 80s.  Wonder if they have ninjas guarding the compound?

The High Commission of Malaysia.  I'm actually surprised by its size.  Didn't think there would be large contingent here.  But maybe they do a lot of trade or something?

And here's Vietnam.  Right across from the Governor General's residence at Rideau Hall.  Very cool locale.

This has been quite fun.  Unfortunately I also realize that a great number of embassies are actually inside office towers and stuff.  And some are quite far out.  So I will only be able to take pictures of some.  This gives a purpose to my walks, though, and helps me to plot out my route and so on.  I hope you enjoy them!

Cheers.

More Embassies

Seems like a fun idea to take pictures of embassies I come across in my walks.  Last time I posted pictures of three of them, grouped for some reason.  Today I came across some others, and here is a second instalment.  No subtext.  I just happened to walk by them.  See what you think of their architecture. 

This one is Bosnia, if I remember correctly.  It sits in a tree-lined street, very quaint.

The Embassy of Romania.  It's actually quite a large complex.  There are three or four of these squat buildings in the compound.  On a very busy street

Here we have Serbia.  It's actually right next to the Bosnian Embassy.  I wonder if the neighbours get along?  The Serbian Embassy has a huge garden attached to it.  Looks more like a high-end bed and breakfast setup.

Slovakia.  It doesn't look like much, but its location is quite prime.  It's a couple of blocks away from Rideau Cottage (where the Prime Minister lives while the official residence is being renovated) as well as Rideau Hall (where the Governor General's residence is).

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OK, folks.  Don't want to do too many each time.  Let me know what you think.  Oh, yeah, if there's anyone you would like to see posted, let me know and I will try to find it and take a pic.

Till next time!