179,526 is my total number of steps after 10-days.
Just under 18,000 a day.
I need to average about 12,250 the rest of the way to meet my deadline. Not too difficult but the weather is about to change. After extreme mild weather we are about to be hit with a major winter storm and cold temps. I still managed to complete the task last year under similar conditions but my daily average should drop after today.
Sunday 27 December 2015
Wednesday 23 December 2015
A Record on Day 6
Day 5 16,708
Day 6 I set a personal record with a pedometer at 25,212
I passed the quarter poll of the challenge. Making hay with the unseasonably warm weather.
I won't be able to keep up this pace.
Yesterday I had my Christmas haircut.
My normal Algerian barbers were overflowing with customers so I headed down Dundas St. looking for their second location. I passed a Topcuts on the way. It didn't look too busy so I dropped in.
This location is in Chinatown with largely Chinese customers.
Listen I don't hate my haircut but it does resemble Kid's haircut from 80's Hip Hop duo Kid'n Play.
My haircut is like an old white guys version of Kid's styled by an award winning Asian Topcuts pro. She had a ton of awards on the wall.
Topcuts took my photo, so if you want a D'Arcy Kid'n Play haircut and you have a full head of hair you are welcome to it. I must admit it will be tough for you to pull it off and retain a sliver of your dignity.
Day 6 I set a personal record with a pedometer at 25,212
I passed the quarter poll of the challenge. Making hay with the unseasonably warm weather.
I won't be able to keep up this pace.
Yesterday I had my Christmas haircut.
My normal Algerian barbers were overflowing with customers so I headed down Dundas St. looking for their second location. I passed a Topcuts on the way. It didn't look too busy so I dropped in.
This location is in Chinatown with largely Chinese customers.
Listen I don't hate my haircut but it does resemble Kid's haircut from 80's Hip Hop duo Kid'n Play.
My haircut is like an old white guys version of Kid's styled by an award winning Asian Topcuts pro. She had a ton of awards on the wall.
Topcuts took my photo, so if you want a D'Arcy Kid'n Play haircut and you have a full head of hair you are welcome to it. I must admit it will be tough for you to pull it off and retain a sliver of your dignity.
Monday 21 December 2015
Challenge Day 4
18,341 steps today. That is more than 9-miles or 15.3 km.
It will help to pile up the steps while the weather is warm.
Last year the entire challenge was in frigid temps.
As my office is attached to the Eaton Centre I try to walk in the Mall during lunch. The Christmas rush is crazy in the Mall.
It will help to pile up the steps while the weather is warm.
Last year the entire challenge was in frigid temps.
As my office is attached to the Eaton Centre I try to walk in the Mall during lunch. The Christmas rush is crazy in the Mall.
Sunday 20 December 2015
New Topics
I had a good Day 3 on my challenge with 15,133 steps. A very good start and I ate well all weekend.
I'm continuing my studies of modern American religions. My latest study is the Hare Krishna movement. While many would argue that the Krishna consciousness movement is neither modern or American, I believe it qualifies as both. The leaders of the movement are mostly American and the "founder" of ISKCON, Swami Prabhupada, died in 1977 and the movement did not take off until he came to America in the mid-1960's.
I'm exploring investing in Ecuador as a potential retirement community. The cost of living is about 1/3 that of Canada, has good health care and is safe by South American standards or even most parts of the world. You can believe that I will do my homework before I consider investing. I find Canada to be too cold for my liking. I had looked at Costa Rica and other Central American properties before. This is a long term goal but now is the time to start planning. If nothing else you can invest and rent out property. You can always sell in the future.
The Canadian economy is falling further behind the US. In fact the US economy is in very good shape with a high US dollar and low unemployment. The NYSE has performed extremely well the past decade. I'm not confident about the Canadian economy in the long term. I'm not panicking but I have already moved some investments offshore both in the US and around the world. I'm just directing my monthly payroll deductions towards offshore vehicles. I may have been too late for the US investments.
I'm continuing my studies of modern American religions. My latest study is the Hare Krishna movement. While many would argue that the Krishna consciousness movement is neither modern or American, I believe it qualifies as both. The leaders of the movement are mostly American and the "founder" of ISKCON, Swami Prabhupada, died in 1977 and the movement did not take off until he came to America in the mid-1960's.
I'm exploring investing in Ecuador as a potential retirement community. The cost of living is about 1/3 that of Canada, has good health care and is safe by South American standards or even most parts of the world. You can believe that I will do my homework before I consider investing. I find Canada to be too cold for my liking. I had looked at Costa Rica and other Central American properties before. This is a long term goal but now is the time to start planning. If nothing else you can invest and rent out property. You can always sell in the future.
The Canadian economy is falling further behind the US. In fact the US economy is in very good shape with a high US dollar and low unemployment. The NYSE has performed extremely well the past decade. I'm not confident about the Canadian economy in the long term. I'm not panicking but I have already moved some investments offshore both in the US and around the world. I'm just directing my monthly payroll deductions towards offshore vehicles. I may have been too late for the US investments.
Saturday 19 December 2015
Some Photos taken during today's walkabout
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| They tore down north bleachers at BMO Field |
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| Lake Ontario |
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| Horrific architecture at CNE hotel. Thanks Joey Pantalone. Inexplicable structure and an eyesore to boot |
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| The Bond hits floor 29. |
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| The D'Arcy suite below the blue tarps |
Friday 18 December 2015
400,000 Step challenge
15,824 steps on Day 1, of the challenge. That was 13.4KM.
My goal is to complete 400,000 steps in 30-days or less. That is an average of 13,333 steps a day a very achievable goal.
I'm recording my daily goals on this blog as a way of tracking them. I'm not getting too excited about the challenge as I have fallen off the wagon soon after completing goals each of the past 4-years.
I'm not giving up hope of long term change. Plus my body can use a month of clean living.
I went back and checked and I have started this years challenge about 4-days ahead of last years. I put in big days last year, several over 20k.
My goal is to complete 400,000 steps in 30-days or less. That is an average of 13,333 steps a day a very achievable goal.
I'm recording my daily goals on this blog as a way of tracking them. I'm not getting too excited about the challenge as I have fallen off the wagon soon after completing goals each of the past 4-years.
I'm not giving up hope of long term change. Plus my body can use a month of clean living.
I went back and checked and I have started this years challenge about 4-days ahead of last years. I put in big days last year, several over 20k.
Sunday 6 December 2015
BMO Field Renovations
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| BMO Field installing roof over stands |
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| BMO Field dismantling north end zone to expand field for CFL |
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| Raptors new Field House at CNE |
Monday 16 November 2015
Panama
I went to Panama last week for a work visit. For some reason I'm having trouble posting a couple of the photos. While in Panama we visited the bar owned by the former world champion, legendary boxer Roberto Duran. I took a photo with Duran who was an excellent host.
Panama City is a beautiful location but it was stifling hot and humid.
I also had photos of recent visits to the famous Game 5 of the Blue Jays v. Texas ALDS series and a Bills v. Bengals NFL game.
In an odd story I was struck by a can of beer at the Blue Jays game during the infamous 7th inning. The beer can glanced off my head, soaking it in beer, but struck the young lady sitting in front of me. She required medical attention and an ice bag. I got into a verbal altercation with a fan that I caught throwing a plastic cup of alcohol onto the field. He quickly realised the error of his ways while his loudmouth wife thought it was a good idea to verbally challenge me. I didn't think that was a good idea and I'm pretty sure she agreed after a short verbal joust.
I'm tired right now after my trip but will attempt to update the blog in the next few days.
Panama City is a beautiful location but it was stifling hot and humid.
I also had photos of recent visits to the famous Game 5 of the Blue Jays v. Texas ALDS series and a Bills v. Bengals NFL game.
In an odd story I was struck by a can of beer at the Blue Jays game during the infamous 7th inning. The beer can glanced off my head, soaking it in beer, but struck the young lady sitting in front of me. She required medical attention and an ice bag. I got into a verbal altercation with a fan that I caught throwing a plastic cup of alcohol onto the field. He quickly realised the error of his ways while his loudmouth wife thought it was a good idea to verbally challenge me. I didn't think that was a good idea and I'm pretty sure she agreed after a short verbal joust.
I'm tired right now after my trip but will attempt to update the blog in the next few days.
Thursday 15 October 2015
Voting
Mark my word that voting in the Canadian election Monday will be a nightmare. I voted in the advance poll last Saturday. There was minimal line-up but it still took 45 minutes to vote. I had to line up in 3 different lines, show my ID, provide my signature, they hand wrote my address in pencil. I the had to line up again to vote. On Monday the line-ups will be insane. I'm betting they keep the polls open well after the 9:30PM cut off in Ontario.
I'm convinced this is all part of the Harper plan to discourage voting. To disenfranchise people in the margins.
I'm hoping for a big Liberal victory on Monday and a chance to undo the harm caused by Harper over the past 9-years.
Why in 2015 we are still using pencils, rulers, hand written addresses, typed voters lists is a disgrace. We are still using technology from 40 years ago.
I'm convinced this is all part of the Harper plan to discourage voting. To disenfranchise people in the margins.
I'm hoping for a big Liberal victory on Monday and a chance to undo the harm caused by Harper over the past 9-years.
Why in 2015 we are still using pencils, rulers, hand written addresses, typed voters lists is a disgrace. We are still using technology from 40 years ago.
Sunday 4 October 2015
The Bond Early October 2015
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| Glass on My Unit left of Balcony |
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| 20 floors Is that Spa registered??? |
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| East Side |
Saturday 26 September 2015
The Bond Sept. 2015
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| Floor Plan for my Unit. L-Shaped. Right wall to Left & Balcony |
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| Floor Plan for Unit 2004 |
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| 19th floor |
Friday 25 September 2015
Late Season Cruise on the Brawler
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| Late Season Cruise Lake Ontario on The Brawler |
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| Pilings For New BMO Field Roof |
Thursday 24 September 2015
Pope Francis
I'm not an expert on Catholicism and I have walked away from all religions, but you have to have some admiration for Pope Francis. I may be wrong but I'm guessing that Pope Francis was effusive in his praise of nuns, in the presence of the all male American bishops and cardinals, as a way of supporting the nuns and rebuking the church leaders in America.
Nuns have been the front line workers with the poor and marginalised in America. They have lived a westernised form of Liberation theology against the right wing American Catholic leadership. Nuns have put up with withering criticism from out of touch leaders. Ordered to conform and not stray from rigid Catholic doctrine. Bishops felt that nuns were straying too far to the left.
The reality is that the nuns do the dirty work for the Catholic church in America. Original feminists, business leaders and school administrators. They are far closer to the people and it is clear that they have much support in the Catholic community at large.
I don't think it was a coincidence that the largest cheers for Pope Francis were when he praised nuns. It was the polar opposite of when Pope John Paul II shook the Liberation theology priest in Central America many years ago.
It is no wonder that the extreme right wing Cardinal Law is critical of this pope. The same reason he was demoted when Francis assumed office.
The next pope may return the Catholic church to the far right policies of JPII but for know Francis is a breath of fresh air.
Nuns have been the front line workers with the poor and marginalised in America. They have lived a westernised form of Liberation theology against the right wing American Catholic leadership. Nuns have put up with withering criticism from out of touch leaders. Ordered to conform and not stray from rigid Catholic doctrine. Bishops felt that nuns were straying too far to the left.
The reality is that the nuns do the dirty work for the Catholic church in America. Original feminists, business leaders and school administrators. They are far closer to the people and it is clear that they have much support in the Catholic community at large.
I don't think it was a coincidence that the largest cheers for Pope Francis were when he praised nuns. It was the polar opposite of when Pope John Paul II shook the Liberation theology priest in Central America many years ago.
It is no wonder that the extreme right wing Cardinal Law is critical of this pope. The same reason he was demoted when Francis assumed office.
The next pope may return the Catholic church to the far right policies of JPII but for know Francis is a breath of fresh air.
Tuesday 22 September 2015
If I ran the Country
1. Lower EI premiums on the majority. If a person never collects EI continue to lower premiums like a true insurance program. If you collect every year you should pay higher premiums. Stop using surplus to pay the deficit. It is a true hidden tax.
2. Simplify the tax code and give everyone a tax break not just your base. Harper has made a mockery of the tax code.
3. Increase military spending to 2% of GDP as promised in NATO membership. Take procurement of military hardware out of government hands and stop using it as a make work projects for uneconomical shipbuilders and industry in the hinterlands.
4. The entire tax collection system is broken. Provinces should be the beneficiary of the majority of taxes. They spend money on healthcare, education, transportation and the majority of infrastructure.
5. Even out population of federal ridings and stop over representing rural areas. Representation by population is the fundamental tenant of a democracy. One man one vote. That is the reason $10B in taxes is taken out of the City of Toronto every year and spent elsewhere. That is why our subway system is a shambles and underfunded. We all know that the east coast provinces are over represented but even Manitoba and Saskatchewan have 14 seats each, when their populations support 10 each. Ontario should have 135 seats not 122.
6. Foreign policy should not be dictated by pandering to ethnic groups such as the policy in the Ukraine and Israel. I'm not promoting abandoning those countries but return to a more balanced approach.
7. Take the 2 cents eliminated from the HST and give the money to municipalities to build transportation. Increase the gas tax, implement road tolls and spend every penny on public transit.
8. Reform the entire policy involving First Nations. Settle all land claims once and for all. Pay every native person $250,000 and be done with it for ever more. No more subsidies. No payments to any First Nation child born after 2020. Eliminate the Reserve system. It is sentencing natives to live in poverty and squalor in perpetuity.
Monday 21 September 2015
Friday 28 August 2015
Tuesday 18 August 2015
August 2015 Photos
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| Cool Car on Queen St. West |
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| Sitting with rich people at Blue Jays game Sunday |
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| Sitting with poor people Thursday at Blue Jays game |
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| Your wives called and want their Lawrie jersey's back |
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| Ideal Season Seat at Rogers. Aisle seat with no annoying neighbours |
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| The Bond August 2015 |
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| The top of wood structure on left side is Pool Deck |
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| The Brawler with Kidds |
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| Toronto Island cruising |
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