Vancouver in Spring

As most of you have seen on TV, Vancouver this spring looks really wonderful. Susan and I are here this weekend without the children for a bit of a break and this photo was taken yesterday afternoon with cherry blossoms in the background and potted daffs in the foreground. The mostly-blad, grey-headed, Canada-red guy in the foreground is me.

MotionX-GPS Track: Peninsula loop

Hello,

Andrew C uses MotionX-GPS on the iPhone 3G or 3GS and is sharing with you the following track:

ring around Saanich peninsula to check the price of farm eggs.

Name:	Peninsula loop
Date:	Feb 22, 2010 12:16 pm
Distance:	76.8 kilometers
Elapsed Time:	3:05:42
Avg Speed:	24.8 km/h
Max Speed:	54.3 km/h
Avg Pace:	02' 25" per km
Min Altitude:	0 m
Max Altitude:	102 m

Start Time:	2010-02-22T20:16:23Z
Start Location:
Latitude:	48º 28' 02" N
Longitude:	123º 17' 27" W

End Time:	2010-02-22T23:22:05Z
End Location:
Latitude:	48º 28' 02" N
Longitude:	123º 17' 26" W

Click on this link to display the track in Google Maps. This link will be valid until Mar 24, 2010 6:11 PM PDT.

There are two files attached to this email:

"Peninsula loop.kmz" is a Google KMZ track that can be displayed in Google Earth or Google Maps.

"Peninsula loop.gpx" is an Open Standard track that can be displayed by select mapping software.

MotionX-GPS Commonly Asked Questions:

Q1:	What is MotionX-GPS?
A1:	MotionX-GPS, available for the iPhone 3G and 3GS, is the essential application for hikers, bike riders, joggers, and geocaching enthusiasts. It puts an easy-to-use, state-of-the-art handheld GPS system on your iPhone 3G or 3GS.
Q2:	Can I use MotionX-GPS?
A2:	Sure! MotionX-GPS can be downloaded from the iTunes App Store here. Or MotionX-GPS Lite can be downloaded from the App Store here.
Q3:	How can I display tracks in Google Earth?
A3:	Follow the directions on the Google Earth web site to download and install the Google Earth program. Save the attached Peninsula loop.kmz file to your computer. Launch Google Earth, select File, Open, and open the saved Peninsula loop.kmz file.
Q4:	What is a GPX Track?
A4:	GPX stands for GPS Exchange Format and is used to transfer GPS data between many GPS devices and applications, including Google Earth. A track is a path recorded by MotionX-GPS showing movement over the surface of the Earth.
Q5:	This e-mail was forwarded to me and I can't find the attachments!
A5:	Some e-mail programs do not include the original attachments by default when forwarding an e-mail. In this case, the sender must reattach the original files for them to be included.

Please contact us here with any comments or questions.

All the best,

The MotionX Team

---

US and Foreign Patents Granted and Pending. Fullpower® is a registered trademark of Fullpower Technologies, Inc. MotionX™ is a trademark of Fullpower Technologies, Inc. © Copyright 2003 - 2009 Fullpower Technologies, Inc. All rights reserved.

ver: GPS/9.4 ver: GPS/9.4; ref-id: 68aeddae-f0c3-4713-ada9-99da6f8ad641

MotionX-GPS Track: Small circle route

Hello,

Andrew C uses MotionX-GPS on the iPhone 3G or 3GS and is sharing with you the following track:

ring around Victoria

Name:	Small circle route
Date:	Feb 3, 2010 8:13 am
Distance:	33.5 kilometers
Elapsed Time:	1:20:15
Avg Speed:	25.0 km/h
Max Speed:	54.6 km/h
Avg Pace:	02' 24" per km
Min Altitude:	0 m
Max Altitude:	84 m

Start Time:	2010-02-03T16:13:56Z
Start Location:
Latitude:	48º 28' 02" N
Longitude:	123º 17' 25" W

End Time:	2010-02-03T17:34:12Z
End Location:
Latitude:	48º 28' 02" N
Longitude:	123º 17' 27" W

Click on this link to display the track in Google Maps. This link will be valid until Mar 5, 2010 11:12 AM PST.

There are two files attached to this email:

"Small circle route.kmz" is a Google KMZ track that can be displayed in Google Earth or Google Maps.

"Small circle route.gpx" is an Open Standard track that can be displayed by select mapping software.

MotionX-GPS Commonly Asked Questions:

Q1:	What is MotionX-GPS?
A1:	MotionX-GPS, available for the iPhone 3G and 3GS, is the essential application for hikers, bike riders, joggers, and geocaching enthusiasts. It puts an easy-to-use, state-of-the-art handheld GPS system on your iPhone 3G or 3GS.
Q2:	Can I use MotionX-GPS?
A2:	Sure! MotionX-GPS LTE for the iPhone 3G and 3GS is free and can be downloaded from the iTunes App Store here.
Q3:	How can I display tracks in Google Earth?
A3:	Follow the directions on the Google Earth web site to download and install the Google Earth program. Save the attached Small circle route.kmz file to your computer. Launch Google Earth, select File, Open, and open the saved Small circle route.kmz file.
Q4:	What is a GPX Track?
A4:	GPX stands for GPS Exchange Format and is used to transfer GPS data between many GPS devices and applications, including Google Earth. A track is a path recorded by MotionX-GPS showing movement over the surface of the Earth.
Q5:	This e-mail was forwarded to me and I can't find the attachments!
A5:	Some e-mail programs do not include the original attachments by default when forwarding an e-mail. In this case, the sender must reattach the original files for them to be included.

Please contact us here with any comments or questions.

All the best,

The MotionX Team

---

US and Foreign Patents Granted and Pending. Fullpower® is a registered trademark of Fullpower Technologies, Inc. MotionX™ is a trademark of Fullpower Technologies, Inc. © Copyright 2003 - 2009 Fullpower Technologies, Inc. All rights reserved.

ver: GPS/9.3 ver: GPS/9.3; ref-id: 2d8a9bfb-a3b1-472e-a403-6aa0c58b94ba

MotionX-GPS Track: Coast ride

Hello,

Andrew C uses MotionX-GPS on the iPhone 3G or 3GS and is sharing with you the following track:

ride along the coast

Name:	Coast ride
Date:	Feb 2, 2010 4:09 pm
Distance:	20.0 kilometers
Elapsed Time:	47:01.7
Avg Speed:	25.5 km/h
Max Speed:	44.4 km/h
Avg Pace:	02' 21" per km
Min Altitude:	0 m
Max Altitude:	61 m

Start Time:	2010-02-03T00:09:45Z
Start Location:
Latitude:	48º 25' 33" N
Longitude:	123º 21' 45" W

End Time:	2010-02-03T00:56:46Z
End Location:
Latitude:	48º 28' 02" N
Longitude:	123º 17' 26" W

Click on this link to display the track in Google Maps. This link will be valid until Mar 4, 2010 9:43 PM PST.

There are two files attached to this email:

"Coast ride.kmz" is a Google KMZ track that can be displayed in Google Earth or Google Maps.

"Coast ride.gpx" is an Open Standard track that can be displayed by select mapping software.

MotionX-GPS Commonly Asked Questions:

Q1:	What is MotionX-GPS?
A1:	MotionX-GPS, available for the iPhone 3G and 3GS, is the essential application for hikers, bike riders, joggers, and geocaching enthusiasts. It puts an easy-to-use, state-of-the-art handheld GPS system on your iPhone 3G or 3GS.
Q2:	Can I use MotionX-GPS?
A2:	Sure! MotionX-GPS LTE for the iPhone 3G and 3GS is free and can be downloaded from the iTunes App Store here.
Q3:	How can I display tracks in Google Earth?
A3:	Follow the directions on the Google Earth web site to download and install the Google Earth program. Save the attached Coast ride.kmz file to your computer. Launch Google Earth, select File, Open, and open the saved Coast ride.kmz file.
Q4:	What is a GPX Track?
A4:	GPX stands for GPS Exchange Format and is used to transfer GPS data between many GPS devices and applications, including Google Earth. A track is a path recorded by MotionX-GPS showing movement over the surface of the Earth.
Q5:	This e-mail was forwarded to me and I can't find the attachments!
A5:	Some e-mail programs do not include the original attachments by default when forwarding an e-mail. In this case, the sender must reattach the original files for them to be included.

Please contact us here with any comments or questions.

All the best,

The MotionX Team

---

US and Foreign Patents Granted and Pending. Fullpower® is a registered trademark of Fullpower Technologies, Inc. MotionX™ is a trademark of Fullpower Technologies, Inc. © Copyright 2003 - 2009 Fullpower Technologies, Inc. All rights reserved.

ver: GPS/9.3 ver: GPS/9.3; ref-id: 937e4c4d-b89c-4d5c-996c-26283e411b13

MotionX-GPS Track: Francis King walk

Hello,

Andrew C uses MotionX-GPS on the iPhone 3G or 3GS and is sharing with you the following track:

Name:	Francis King walk
Date:	Dec 30, 2009 1:49 pm
Distance:	3.09 kilometers
Elapsed Time:	50:54.5
Avg Speed:	3.6 km/h
Max Speed:	6.9 km/h
Avg Pace:	16' 27" per km
Min Altitude:	43 m
Max Altitude:	96 m

Start Time:	2009-12-30T21:49:37Z
Start Location:
Latitude:	48º 28' 53" N
Longitude:	123º 27' 28" W

End Time:	2009-12-30T22:40:31Z
End Location:
Latitude:	48º 29' 02" N
Longitude:	123º 26' 41" W

Click on this link to display the track in Google Maps. This link will be valid until Feb 14, 2010 9:38 PM PST.

There are two files attached to this email:

"Francis King walk.kmz" is a Google KMZ track that can be displayed in Google Earth or Google Maps.

"Francis King walk.gpx" is an Open Standard track that can be displayed by select mapping software.

MotionX-GPS Commonly Asked Questions:

Q1:	What is MotionX-GPS?
A1:	MotionX-GPS, available for the iPhone 3G and 3GS, is the essential application for hikers, bike riders, joggers, and geocaching enthusiasts. It puts an easy-to-use, state-of-the-art handheld GPS system on your iPhone 3G or 3GS.
Q2:	Can I use MotionX-GPS?
A2:	Sure! MotionX-GPS LTE for the iPhone 3G and 3GS is free and can be downloaded from the iTunes App Store here.
Q3:	How can I display tracks in Google Earth?
A3:	Follow the directions on the Google Earth web site to download and install the Google Earth program. Save the attached Francis King walk.kmz file to your computer. Launch Google Earth, select File, Open, and open the saved Francis King walk.kmz file.
Q4:	What is a GPX Track?
A4:	GPX stands for GPS Exchange Format and is used to transfer GPS data between many GPS devices and applications, including Google Earth. A track is a path recorded by MotionX-GPS showing movement over the surface of the Earth.
Q5:	This e-mail was forwarded to me and I can't find the attachments!
A5:	Some e-mail programs do not include the original attachments by default when forwarding an e-mail. In this case, the sender must reattach the original files for them to be included.

Please contact us here with any comments or questions.

All the best,

The MotionX Team

---

US and Foreign Patents Granted and Pending. Fullpower® is a registered trademark of Fullpower Technologies, Inc. MotionX™ is a trademark of Fullpower Technologies, Inc. © Copyright 2003 - 2009 Fullpower Technologies, Inc. All rights reserved.

ver: GPS/9.3 ver: GPS/9.3; ref-id: 908fe8bb-4db5-4841-a23a-f07d9934a25b

MotionX-GPS Track: Munns road ride

Hello,

Andrew C uses MotionX-GPS on the iPhone 3G or 3GS and is sharing with you the following track:

Name:	Munns road ride
Date:	Jun 21, 2009 6:17 am
Distance:	65.8 kilometers
Elapsed Time:	112:04:10
Avg Speed:	0.6 km/h
Max Speed:	140.9 km/h
Avg Pace:	-- per km
Min Altitude:	0 m
Max Altitude:	239 m

Start Time:	2009-06-21T13:17:37Z
Start Location:
Latitude:	48º 27' 46" N
Longitude:	123º 22' 07" W

End Time:	2009-06-26T05:21:47Z
End Location:
Latitude:	48º 32' 26" N
Longitude:	123º 23' 22" W

Click on this link to display the track in Google Maps. This link will be valid until Feb 14, 2010 9:08 PM PST.

There are two files attached to this email:

"Munns road ride.kmz" is a Google KMZ track that can be displayed in Google Earth or Google Maps.

"Munns road ride.gpx" is an Open Standard track that can be displayed by select mapping software.

MotionX-GPS Commonly Asked Questions:

Q1:	What is MotionX-GPS?
A1:	MotionX-GPS, available for the iPhone 3G and 3GS, is the essential application for hikers, bike riders, joggers, and geocaching enthusiasts. It puts an easy-to-use, state-of-the-art handheld GPS system on your iPhone 3G or 3GS.
Q2:	Can I use MotionX-GPS?
A2:	Sure! MotionX-GPS LTE for the iPhone 3G and 3GS is free and can be downloaded from the iTunes App Store here.
Q3:	How can I display tracks in Google Earth?
A3:	Follow the directions on the Google Earth web site to download and install the Google Earth program. Save the attached Munns road ride.kmz file to your computer. Launch Google Earth, select File, Open, and open the saved Munns road ride.kmz file.
Q4:	What is a GPX Track?
A4:	GPX stands for GPS Exchange Format and is used to transfer GPS data between many GPS devices and applications, including Google Earth. A track is a path recorded by MotionX-GPS showing movement over the surface of the Earth.
Q5:	This e-mail was forwarded to me and I can't find the attachments!
A5:	Some e-mail programs do not include the original attachments by default when forwarding an e-mail. In this case, the sender must reattach the original files for them to be included.

Please contact us here with any comments or questions.

All the best,

The MotionX Team

---

US and Foreign Patents Granted and Pending. Fullpower® is a registered trademark of Fullpower Technologies, Inc. MotionX™ is a trademark of Fullpower Technologies, Inc. © Copyright 2003 - 2009 Fullpower Technologies, Inc. All rights reserved.

ver: GPS/9.1 ver: GPS/9.1; ref-id: f0be11ed-a953-46b4-bfaf-a3bf8de91911

MotionX-GPS Track: Track 007

Hello,

Andrew C uses MotionX-GPS on the iPhone 3G or 3GS and is sharing with you the following track:

Name:	Track 007
Date:	Jan 13, 2010 3:29 pm
Distance:	27.5 kilometers
Elapsed Time:	1:05:52
Avg Speed:	25.1 km/h
Max Speed:	26.6 km/h
Avg Pace:	02' 24" per km
Min Altitude:	0 m
Max Altitude:	58 m

Start Time:	2010-01-13T23:29:41Z
Start Location:
Latitude:	48º 27' 38" N
Longitude:	123º 17' 19" W

End Time:	2010-01-14T00:35:34Z
End Location:
Latitude:	48º 28' 01" N
Longitude:	123º 17' 25" W

Click on this link to display the track in Google Maps. This link will be valid until Feb 14, 2010 5:41 PM PST.

There are two files attached to this email:

"Track 007.kmz" is a Google KMZ track that can be displayed in Google Earth or Google Maps.

"Track 007.gpx" is an Open Standard track that can be displayed by select mapping software.

MotionX-GPS Commonly Asked Questions:

Q1:	What is MotionX-GPS?
A1:	MotionX-GPS, available for the iPhone 3G and 3GS, is the essential application for hikers, bike riders, joggers, and geocaching enthusiasts. It puts an easy-to-use, state-of-the-art handheld GPS system on your iPhone 3G or 3GS.
Q2:	Can I use MotionX-GPS?
A2:	Sure! MotionX-GPS LTE for the iPhone 3G and 3GS is free and can be downloaded from the iTunes App Store here.
Q3:	How can I display tracks in Google Earth?
A3:	Follow the directions on the Google Earth web site to download and install the Google Earth program. Save the attached Track 007.kmz file to your computer. Launch Google Earth, select File, Open, and open the saved Track 007.kmz file.
Q4:	What is a GPX Track?
A4:	GPX stands for GPS Exchange Format and is used to transfer GPS data between many GPS devices and applications, including Google Earth. A track is a path recorded by MotionX-GPS showing movement over the surface of the Earth.
Q5:	This e-mail was forwarded to me and I can't find the attachments!
A5:	Some e-mail programs do not include the original attachments by default when forwarding an e-mail. In this case, the sender must reattach the original files for them to be included.

Please contact us here with any comments or questions.

All the best,

The MotionX Team

---

US and Foreign Patents Granted and Pending. Fullpower® is a registered trademark of Fullpower Technologies, Inc. MotionX™ is a trademark of Fullpower Technologies, Inc. © Copyright 2003 - 2009 Fullpower Technologies, Inc. All rights reserved.

ver: GPS/9.1 ver: GPS/9.1; ref-id: 1364a75e-b465-46af-8b75-601ece2931d2

Christmas

Here we are at the Christmas table

Safe after a crash

Cost Efficient Benefit Plan

This is a great way for small private companies to provide health coverage for their employees.

in reference to: Private Health Services Plan (PHSP) Cost Efficient Benefit Plan (view on Google Sidewiki)

Heat lamp

Who would have known an old lamp could have so many uses?

Drainage

We had our drains redone by James and his crew at Vic West Drainage. They were a fanstastic team and we now have a dry basement and can trust that all is well with water around the house. It was a big job but they did it in just eight days.

The digging involved a 9' trench at the back of the house and some tricky digging around concrete slabs and stairs, etc. as well as figuring out some peculiarities around the house - some buried concrete boxes (a modern-day Oak Island mystery perhaps) - the path of pipes under the car port and so on.

All done very professionally.

Give them a call for your drainage needs in Victoria, BC.

West coast life

Here's Rachel somewhere on the west coast doing what you do there, hanging out by the ocean

Old Sturbridge Village

It's been years since I've been to Old Sturbridge Village in Massachussetts, but this picture from there really highlights the the old world charm of a sheltered pioneer garden and changing tone of the wood.

Open house this weekend, July 25th, 3pm - 5pm.

Our house for sale and there's an open house this weekend.

Hidden Treasure

Hidden Treasure

Posted using ShareThis

House for sale - 3829 Cumberland Road

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=2196633&l=2e4e41d14b&id=570208160

Check out this six bedroom family home on half an acre right across from Playfair Park - 10 mins from downtown!

Our Family House in Victoria for sale!

http://homelands.ca/fp1.php?ID1=223

Bring the entire family to this spacious custom built 6 bed/3 bath Georgian Home on over a 1/2 acre of prime Victoria Real Estate. Described as A Country Estate right in the City this property is truly a hidden treasure. Your home will be located within minutes to every amenity in and around town and is on a quite dead-end street across from Playfair Park. The house features a grand entry with double glass doors & spiral staircase, a friendly kitchen with in-floor heating, a spacious living room to entertain guests.....And so much more that you need to come and see it! We will be happy to answer all your questions and arrange to show you this fantastic family home!!

Changes in the last 80 years

I was listening recently to some George Formby, who was a comedian and musician of musical hall fame in Britain from the 40s and 50s. He sang in a very rhythmic and unmistakeable style using a banjolele to create a remarkable tempo that carries the songs forward. He was famous for "When I'm cleanin' windows" and sang in a broad Lancashire accent.

What is fascinating is that the songs have slightly risque lyrics which today go almost unnoticed but were of such import in the 40s and 50s that the BBC banned quite a few of them.  This caused me to wonder why social mores have changed to such an extent that we are polar opposites where these days there is very little censorship and when it occurs, there is a hue and cry. Yet not so long ago, even the slightest reference to private matters was hidden.

We have apparently changed as a society quite dramatically. Standards of politeness have changed sharply. We tolerate talk of private matters quite readily, and don't seem to mind wearing our hearts on our sleeves.
Another example is that many people (at least in America) are happy to talk about private grief to the media.

We have embraced Web 2.0. We blog, twitter, flickr and facebook about the triva of our lives and make all this available to anyone who cares to look. Our prurience is easily satiated by browsing facebook or flickr.

Why then has such a sharp change occurred in such a short time. Was it engineered or an accident? From which philosophical ideas has it come?

New website

I'm using ancient tools to update my website so I hope that all these links work!

Pennsylvania

It's been a while since we were in Pennsylvania visiting friends, but this picture is sort of a classic - it captures everything about the State in a way.
We had a lovely fall visit there anyway!

Spring reminiscence

It's two o'clock and probably the hottest day this year in Victoria - May 1st 2009. I've been working from home and listening to a stunning recording of Die Zauberflote by Mozart made in 1964 by Otto Klemperer. The music, and this particular recording, sparked a nostalgic feeling for spring, for beauty, and for the arts. I was born in 1963 and I can't get out of my head the thought that I could have heard Elizabeth Shwartzkopf, Gundula Janowitz, Lucia Popp, and the others singing at the peak of their careers.

Forty-six years seems so short. University days seem like yesterday, but they are long gone! People talk of the 1970s as if they were ancient history. My generation has the dubious distinction of having been the last one to have grown up in  world in which computers were not prevalent. We're now in a world of ubiquitous sound, machinery, images and information and barely a moment of quiet to reflect. Very little time to enjoy the arts.

How is it that Mozart, even when writing about mundate and almost silly things could create such lastingly beautiful music. How is it that this opera was largely ignored in the nineteenth century (at least that's my understanding)? How could such beauty be overlooked?

Then all these performers in the 1960s with exceptional talent and yet the same marred, broken lives that we all lead, are on the stage and sharing with the rest of us the beauty of the productions.

So the sun shines on the righteous and the unrighteous, the radiant beauty that surrounds is taken so much for granted. Each precious flower pushes its way out of the dark earth to shine in the glory of the spring sun. These beauties are greater even than the music of Mozart, for as Jesus said, not even Solomon in all his splendour was arrayed as one of those little flowers.

Victoria Populaire 2008

Here I am on the right riding with a few guys in the Populaire.

Early All Saints of Alaska

No iconostatis.

Early All Saints of Alaska picture prior to iconostatis etc.

Rachel in the paper

Proud to be British?

I've been thinking about pride. It's an interesting concept. There's nothing surprising about being proud of an accomplishment - a piece of music learned and performed well, or a cake that was hard to make but turned out fantastically. But what about being proud to be British or American? That's a bit more odd I think.

I think you can only really be proud of something you have accomplished. People do talk about "Proud to be American", but on what basis? Was it something that they did that they were born American or British? Perhaps someone who naturalises to a country could justifiably make the claim, but those who had no active part in the decision can't claim any accomplishment. I think what is meant though is that one is proud of the accomplishments of one's countrymen. But even this is odd, for the collection of countrymen is arbitrary. One could I suppose take pride is systems or institutions or traditions or customs that have been established in a given country - but that seems like a long way from simply being proud to be British (or whatever).

Even stranger is the notion that one could be proud to be black, or white, or native. For race is definitely not something that we accomplish. Our birth in one race or another is entirely out of our control. So perhaps for this case too people mean that they are proud of all the accomplishments ofpeople with a particular skin colour. But this doesn't work so well as it does for nationhood, for there is absolutely nothing striking about skin colour that would make a collective reason for pride or disparagement.

But there is the rub for throughout history, races have picked on other races without justification. Blacks were enslasved; Jews were annihilated; Armenians were "ethnically cleansed" (dreadful phrase) and so on.

So for now if we were to ask for usage, I think we would find that many people do feel proud of things that they have not accomplished: they are proud to be black, proud to be British/American/Canadian etc. and this may be because so much weight has been placed on these groupings of humans. But the absurdity of pride in these cases (except where there is a real case of naturalisation or adoption to a race, culture or nation) can be seen by asking whether one would say that one is proud of being 5' 7". Of course not. Yet here we have a natural use, grown from widespread acceptance of arbitrary groupings where there is no apparent absurdity in saying that one is "proud to be British".

iPhone pet peeves

I've had an iPhone for a few months now and there are some things that it should do that it just doesn't:

1) It doesn't allow you to create shortcuts. For example I want to make "tk" stand for "Thanks, Andrew Cripps, Tel. 250-217-0000". This is something that I could do on the Blackberry but can't now.
2) It doesn't allow copy and paste. I'm browsing a web page and I want to copy and address or text or something and I can't.
3) You can't search email. I want to be able to search all email and find a keyword or mail from a particular person. Can't do it.
4) I want to be able to set up meetings with people! I can create a new appointment but I can't invite anybody else!

Was the Virgin Mary genetically male? | Science | guardian.co.uk

There was a really fascinating lecture on BBC Radio 4 called "The Quest for the Virgin Birth"
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/the-quest-for-virgin-birth-radio-4-1223873.html

Was the Virgin Mary genetically male? Science guardian.co.uk: "the immaculate Conception refers to the conception of Mary in the womb of St Anne, by the seed of Joachim. The belief is that she was kecharitomene - totally graced, as St Luke's Gospel says, from the first moment of her existence, by a pre-emptive share in the merits of her Son's redemption. Those who don't believe in original sin will find this nonsense anyway.

Cold weather

The cold weather began about December 13th.  We had snow on Wednesday 17th and it's still on the ground. It all looks lovely though. More snow is forecast for tonight.

Snow in Victoria

I can't remember when it's been this snowy and cold in the lower mainland / Victoria before. It was a real surprise this morning to step outside into -9C weather. There's more snow forecast for tonight. I threw out some bread for the birds and they seem to peck away at it though I'm sure they can't be used to this sort of weather either.

We had a nice time doing the last of our Christmas shopping downtown this morning. Each of us needed to get something for someone else so we had to do some careful shuffling with the children. Tonight we're going to go to the Daniel Lapp "Home for Christmas" concert which should put is in a Christmassy mood I should think.

Gmail - Andrew, everything's merrier with Delta! - andrewdcripps@gmail.com

Here’s an exclusive offer for you from Air Canada! Click here to save an extra 10% off our Tango Plus and Latitude fares within select cities in Canada for travel until May 31, 2009.
Book your flight at aircanada.com by December 22, 2008, midnight.

offer details
http://links.deltahotels.com/a/l.x?T=pbcbhegdgibplodigohpjdgpac&M=5

Air Canada 10% discount until Feb 2009. Book by Nov 10th 2008

Extra savings: up to 10% off your fall and winter travel to many popular Canadian cities. Get your discount simply by entering this promotion code when booking:

7RB9VMA1 – 10% off Tango Plus, Latitude and Executive Class fares



Offer ends November 10, 2008.



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* This offer is only available on new bookings and the discount applies exclusively on Air Canada published fares: Tango Plus, Latitude, and Executive fares and can not be combined with any other offer.



To take advantage of any of these offers, purchase your tickets here at aircanada.com by November 10, 2008. Offer valid for travel until February 28, 2009 (travel completed). The discount will be displayed when you choose your flight.

This promotional code is available on one-way and round trip bookings only and does not apply on multi-city itineraries. In order to take advantage of this offer, you must make separate bookings.



Applicable destinations: Calgary/Toronto/Charlottetown/Edmonton/Fredericton/London ON/Moncton/Montreal/Ottawa/Quebec/Regina/Saint John/St. John’s NF/Saskatoon/Sydney NS/Vancouver/Victoria/Winnipeg/Halifax

First Frost

I got back from Toronto on Thursday night and on the Friday morning (9th October) we awoke to frost for the first time this year. The car was iced up and it was a coolish morning but warmed up to be a lovely clear fall day.

Boats at Whiffen Spit

Boat Festival in Victoria

Beavers

Camp Barnard - A quiet moment

A while ago!

Rachel. This was taken a while ago, but Rachel has found something interesting on the beach.

Orthodox Church of America problems

The OCA is experiencing a crisis. A report published this week finds senior clergy responsible for terrible financial misdoings. The executive summary includes this:

Metropolitan Theodosius (Lazar)
- failed to exercise his moral, financial and fiduciary responsibilities;
- withheld the magnitude of discretionary accounts;
- actively prevented the auditing of discretionary accounts;
- allowed Robert Kondratick to live rent free in an OCA house but paid him a housing allowance anyway.
- reimbursed Kondratik for $250,000 of alleged expenses in the Chancellors' residence.

The report is here:http://www.oca.org/PDF/SIC/2008-0903-1-sicreport.pdf

It all sounds very much like many politicians' wrongdoing.

Camping on the Pacific coast

 
Here we are on Mystic Beach, at the start of the Juan de Fuca trail. I love the west coast - these big beaches where you can set up camp by a creek, and the thundering Pacific ocean rolling in with the mist.

Summer in Victoria

 
Here are the two children, Rachel and Benjamin, dressed for a wedding which took place at the old Convent in Victoria. We had lovely weather and these two were enjoying themselves.

Funny selling story

I've been putting a few old bits of computer junk up for sale on the UsedVictoria.com website. I had a call on Sunday for a certain cable that I didn't think I'd listed. So I clarified with the chap what kind of cable he was looking for, and it turned out that I did indeed have a spare, but it wasn't one of the things I'd advertised. So I said "Yes, I do have one. How much was it listed for again?"

"Six dollars" he said. So that was that. I gave him my address and he came round and the trade was done.

So I sold something I hadn't advertised!

Desiree mais pas trouvee

"Desired but not found"

Changed Roles

I've now moved on from Sierra Systems and am working as an independent contractor. The company is Tripos Consulting.

Trip to Mystic Beach

We set off with the children on a trip to Mystic Beach. This was the first real camping trip we have had with Rachel and Benjamin, and I picked it because it the hike to Mystic beach is only 2.5km and relatively straightforward. Still, the hike in proved to be enough for them and they were tired and needed rest breaks. The packs - one a day pack from the MEC and one a student book bag - did not fit well and that made it more difficult for the children to carry them.


The trail was very muddy in places and Benjamin had gone in sandals rather than boots which proved to be a problem. It's worth insisting on proper footwear for children because they need the extra support and protection. Adults could have done the hike in sandals without a problem, but for children with packs it was a bit hard.

The beach was lovely, and we found a spot to camp. I don't really like camping on the beach because it doesn't matter how meticulous one is about it, but the sand always gets in to food, tea and sleeping bags. With children, who are generally not meticulous by nature, the sand arrived in the tent in amounts only a little less than bucket-fulls.

The first afternoon, which was cloudy but not cold, we explored the beach. The children were quite hungry and so we ate early and retired early. Before retiring, we walked over to the pit toilets to use them for the last time and stored the food in the bear cache.

The night didn't go too badly except that Rachel needed the toilet at about midnight. So I lit the candle lantern and we walked down the beach to the toilets again. Once back in the tent, we went to sleep with the sound of the crashing surf at high tide - not that far from our tent.

In the morning it was still cloudy and we surveyed the scenery with a beautiful low tide and lots of rock pools. I had unfortunately forgotten a small bar of toffee in the outer pocket of my backpack, and that meant that the mice had got in by eating through the pack, and finding the bar of toffee, excavated another hole through the zip at the top. This rendered the pocket completely useless but enabled the mice to make away with the entire bar of toffee! The pack itself was an old Karrimor Panther 3 which I had bought in Sandwich, Kent, in about 1980.

hiked along the trail towards Bear Beach. We didn't actually get that far, just west of Circo Creek, and decided to turn back because we were beaten down by the bleating and complaining from Benjamin. It was obvious that he wasn't going to make a longer day hike so we turned around and went back to Mystic Beach. He was a little better after lunch, but I was almost ready to throw in the towel and hike out again! It was difficult for us all to remain positive at this point.

The sun came out in the afternoon though and we amused ourselves damming water, building a mosaic, and throwing stones at a post we had erected. The day seemed to go by very slowly which is probably a good thing. We finally got to bed about 9pm.
This time, Rachel was up at 3am, and we had our stroll along the beach to the loos again.

Sunday morning, we packed up with half the beach in our backpacks and hiked back up to the waiting car. The morning was foggy and the fog didn't clear all day.

solar heating woes

I had solar panels put on. Saanich wouldn't approve the installation without a backflow valve that has to be inspected annually for about $100 a visit.

Here's the thinking from the Solar company:
"As you may know, Your system is charged with antifreze that is made from a
food grade propylene glycol which is in food products that most of us eat
like ice cream. But, because it's not potable water, it's considered a
contaminant by the BC plumbing code.
The testable backflow preventer which we will install will be registered
with Saanich and will have to be tested once a year by a licenced
proffessional for about $100.00 so that Saanich has the piece of mind that
their municipality isn't polluted by your system during a scenario requiring
the coincidence of many unlikely failures.

Unfortunately, Plumbing codes in BC aren't up to date with solar-thermal
systems and until someone fights this with such vigour that it results in an
ammendment to the provincial code it will remain law, and we as a company
must adhere to it."

Sharepoint

An incident occurred this week where some files on the ddd SharePoint site were lost and had to be restored from a backup tape.

Even though only certain folders within a single library needed to be restored, the entire eHealth site (47 GB!) had to be restored to a server and then all the missing files located, the entire document library restored and the files reorganized into folders again. This was a very time consuming process.

HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?

The maximum filename length in SharePoint is 256 characters. This INCLUDES the pathname. A pathname includes all of the characters in the ddd.gov.bc.ca domain name, the list or library name, folder name, any sub-folder name(s), and the document name.

These files were lost when a group of file folders were moved to a new sub-folder location, resulting in the total character length of the file pathnames exceeding 256 characters.

COULD THIS HAPPEN TO YOU?

You bet! The more nested folders in a library, and the longer the document name, the more likely this limit will be reached.

IF a file pathname exceeds 256 characters, SharePoint WILL NOT WARN YOU but will prevent you from opening the file, and it will prevent you from copying or moving the file to another location.

SharePoint does not warn that the copied folders won't contain any files. It creates the folders, does not copy or move the files and the folders are left empty.

The ride

BC Randonneurs had its annual 100km ride and I enjoyed it. Here's a picture from about halfway through.
,

A new tie

I had a new tie as a present and on its first day out, I managed to lean forward and dangle the tie in my coffee. Off to the dry cleaner it went and I didn't hold out much hope. It came back all right.

I wore it again today. I sneezed and it triggered a nose bleed. Do you think the tie survived unscathed?

It did not.

Cycle clothing

I decided it was time to get some specialist clothing. About two years ago I had a bit of an epiphany when I wore some tights through the winter and found it much more comfortable than my cotton shorts. Today I'm moving to bibs.

Wayne and Pam had a sale at Performance Cyles and I was there and decided to buy up some clothing and get kitted out.

Transition Bib Tight
Riding in the winter demands climate protection, and a bib offers both full weather protection and easy layering. Choose a bib style based on the level of protection that you need for wind, rain and warmth.

The Transition Bib Tight is your choice for full weather protection, provided by an ergonomic full thermal bib tight and a highly waterproof 3/4 lined front leg. Bosui Stretch, a waterproof and wind resistant stretch laminate, protects the front leg from the waist to below the knee. Full MidZero protection provides the warmth of a midweight base layer and the cozy comfort of a fleeced inner surface. With a highly breathable, light and stable mesh bib, you will create the ideal layering system which will move moisture to the outer surface, keeping you dry and comfortable.


Evolution Bib Knicker

- Mobil Mesh is a spandex stretch mesh that provides mobility with ventilation
- EvoTech is the evolution of gradiant-denier dual-surface technology for durable, dependable, performance
- Mobil Mesh upper bib is highly breathable, lightweight and stable to help keep bib positioned
- 8 panel contour, Detailed with flat lock stitching
- The Ricaro2 is a multi-component pressure-sensitive chamois designed and developed to offer race ready performance

MidZero Tight

no information!

SubZero Tight
Warmest thermal tight boosted with extreme water resistance to maintain dry environment.
- Inside key/card pocket at waist
- Flat drawstring with elastic waist
- Signature grip ankle elastic

A heavyweight poly/lycra blend that is brushed on the inside for excellent warmth and wicking properties. The DWR (Durable Water Repellant) finish repels water on the surface to keep you warm and dry. SubZero DWR creates a durable, cold resistant layer that retains body heat while allowing perspiration to pass through.

12.5 oz per square yard, 90% Polyester / 10% Lycra Spandex brushed knit

Shelby Jersey

Stomp all winter long with Sugoi's Shelby Jersey. It's impeccably crafted from their FinoTherm fabric for the ultimate in warmth, comfort and moisture wicking to ensure that you stay happy as can be, no matter the weather. Other features include a full-length zipper for temperature regulation and three elastic back pockets. Plus, the Shelby goes great under a jacket for when it gets really nasty out.

Hotshot II Jersey
Full force warmth with elite performance, detailed styling and full-zip versatility.

Ergo Sleeve means shoulder and armhole are molded around the body for forward momentum
3 elasticized back pockets slanted at the sides for easy entry
Bottom is comfortably positioned to stay in place with grip elastic

Reviewer from http://www.bikemag.com/gear/031705_sugoi/: I should note right now that this isn’t the warmest jersey in the world. Let me contextualize that statement: I wear this jersey by itself (no undergarments, vests or jackets) and am comfortable when the outside temperature ranges between 45 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. When the mercury dips below 45, I first don an undergarment (like a SmartWool t-shirt) and if that doesn’t fend off the chill, I’ll put on a light jacket. I guess what I’m trying to say here is that you can find a better extreme-cold weather jersey. On the other hand, if you’re a fan of ventilation and staying dry, you can’t do much better.

The Hot Shot has a few other nice features: for starters, it features a semi-tight fit that doesn’t give you that stuffed sausage look. It also sports a full-length zipper which is a serious boon when the clouds part and the weather gets a tad too toasty for an ordinary long-sleeve jersey. The top portion of the zipper also has a fabric sheath which ensures that you’ll never have the zipper digging ever-so-annyoingly at your throat when the jersey is fully zipped. Finally, the jersey also has three full-sized, elasticized back pockets—ample storage room for spare tubes, mini tools or a bagel.


Technifine Plus Slalom Jersey
Technifine is a micro fiber fabric that utilizes 2 different surfaces to speed capillary action and force quick drying. The smooth inner surface absorbs and pushes moisture to the open texture of the outer surface where it can quickly evaporate. This fabric creates a comfortable microclimate for high exertion activities.

5 oz. per square yard, 100% polyester micro fiber

Guerilla Work 
Pat and I went out to try out his "Actual Size" sticker. Seemed to work!

The ice

It was warmer this morning. Vancouver was dolloped in snow yesterday in sufficiently over-indulgent quantities that the airport was closed and float planes weren't able to see to land. Many of my colleagues were working from home.

Victoria didn't have any snow yesterday and last night the temperature climbed a bit. But the rain must have been on the very verge of freezing for the ground was icy. I didn't realise how icy until I came off on Lodge Road.

I'd just applied the breaks because someone was pulling out of his driveway without looking and saw me once he was in the road and he stopped. So I pedalled slowly round the vehicle.

Unfortunately, this meant that I wasn't going in a straight line any more and whoosh! before you have time to think your scraping along the road. Fortunately no cars and only road rash to report.

St. Nicholas

 
On December 6th, we hosted a Sunday school story time at our house. Father John is telling the children a story about St. Nicholas. It was a tea and fireside story chat and the children really enjoyed themselves. St. Nicholas left gold coins in all the childrens' shoes.

The Barren Ground of northern Canada, Warburton Pike

I've just finished reading "The Barren Ground of northern Canada" by Warburton Pike, writing of his expedition in 1889 and there were a couple of interesting excerpts on the way that Indians killed and used animals. While Pike clearly saw and tells of how everything was used from the animal, there were many times when more animals than necessary were slaughtered.

"It is with spear that the vast slaughter in the summer is annually made. The best swimming-places are known and carefully watched, and woe betide a herd of caribou if once surrounded in a lake by the small hunting-canoes. One thrust of the speark, hugh up in the loins and ranging forward, does the work. There is no idea of sparing life, no matter what the age or sex of the victim may be; the lake is red with blood and covered with sometimes several hundred carcasses, of which fully one-half are thrown away as not fat enough to be eaten by men who may be starving in a month. Surely this should exterminate the game; but, if one remonstrates with the Indians at the waste, the ready answer comes: "Our fathers did this and have taught us to do the same; they did not kill off the caribou, and after we are gone there will be plenty for our children." pp.51-52.

"when we reached the lodge we found that that Indians had made a stupid slaughter of caribou, and, not contented with taking as muchmeat as we could carry, had been recklessly killing the females and young that were now passing in great numbers. The love of killing seems deeply rooted in the nature of most men, but the Yellow Knives have it more fully developed than other people. This indiscriminate slaughter is especially culpable in a land where ammunition is scarce, and not to be replaced when wasted by needless firing." p.209

"Only four days before there had been one of those big slaughters, which one would think could not fail in a short time to exterminate the caribou. A large band had been seen to start from the opposite bank, and was soon surrounded by seven hunting canoes; the spears were kept going as long as there was life to take, with the result that three hundred and twenty-six carcasses were hauled ashore, and fully two hundred of these left to rot in the shallow water." pp.222-223.

"[The Yellow Knife Indians] are a curious mixture of good and bad, simplicity and cunning; with no very great knowledge of common honesty, throughly untrustworthy, and possessed with an insatiable greed for anything that takes their fancy, but with no word in their language to express thanks or gratitude. To a white man they are humility itself...In another way they are generous enough, and take great pride in showing hospitality. Go into one of their lodges, and a blanket is spread for you in the seat of honour farthest away from the flap that does duty for a door; a meal is instantly provided, no matter if it takes the last piece of meat in the camp, and the precious tea and tobacco are offered you in lavish quantities." pp.131-132.

Foodstuffs

I've been reading a lot about local diets and the slow food movement.
Here's my list of criteria for good food:
- locally grown
- organic
- minimally processed
- seasonal

If it comes from a factory, you probably don't want to eat it.

Lekwungen Graves, Chatham Island

I found in a book by Philip Teece "A Dream of Islands", ISBN 0920501206, a very interesting account of a trip to the Chatham Islands just off Victoria.

It was written in 1988 and Philip describes coming across some old graves on the Indian reserve land. I doubt that they are still there now because he says the sea was washing at the edge of the graveyard then.
The two headstones he saw were:
"Samual Williams Died 1917, Age 15" and "In Memory of August Williams, Died February 17 1920 Age 23 years, Silinton Chief"

Teece writes: "Both stones occupied positions at the extreme seaward edge of the little burial ground on the very brink of the rapidly eroding gravel bank."

The Lekwungen people lived here as recently as 1950 and Joan Morris, who is still alive, lived there until she was 10 years old.

Perspectives on the St. John Passion and the Jews - Scholars Corner - Institute for Christian and Jewish Studies - ICJS

Perspectives on the St. John Passion and the Jews - Scholars Corner - Institute for Christian and Jewish Studies - ICJS

The Season of Lent

Here's a nice site that describes why the east and west have different Lent dates.The Season of Lent

I. How Physicians are Paid in British Columbia

The publicly funded British Columbia Medical Services Plan (MSP) was established in 1965 to pay for medical and health care services of British Columbia residents [71]. The funds are managed by the Medical Services Commission (MSC) “on behalf of the Government of British Columbia in accordance with the Medicare Protection Act [72] and Regulations.” The MSC has tri-representation–three from Government, three from the British Columbia Medical Association (BCMA) [73], and three public members who are suppose to represent the beneficiaries of the MSP. All members are appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council. The public members are jointly nominated by the BCMA and the Government [74]. Although members of the MSC are not listed on the MSP website, they can be found at another government website [75]. The MSC is in many respects a political entity in which the BCMA has a vested interest [76].

The majority of physicians in British Columbia (80%) are self-employed and are paid on a fee-for-service basis [77]. The MSC Fee Payment Schedule is established under section 26 of the Medicare Protection Act, through an agreement between the MSC and the BCMA [78]. The fees for listed benefits are established through the BCMA’s Tariff Committee that consults with Section representatives [79]. Services that are not listed cannot be billed for under other listings [80]. Under section 1 of the Medicare Protection Act “benefits” are defined as “medically required services rendered by a medical practitioner” or “required services prescribed as benefits,” unless the MSC determines that they are not benefits. The MSP contains a number of schedules, guidelines, protocols, newsletters, and even an MSP Tutor (online testing of knowledge about billing claims) to assist practitioners in their billing claims to MSP [81].

In 2002-2003, British Columbia spent $10.4 billion on health care (42% of its budget); 70% of the health care budget ($7.3 billion) was spent on nurses, physicians and employees ($2.4 billion on physicians). The approximate 8,000 physicians’ annual average billing rate was $301,816 [82].

A weekend apart

Benjamin and I went up to Courtney this weekend to ski. I took the afternoon off work and we went up in a rental car to Courtney and stayed in the Best Western hotel. We arrived at 5pm and Benjamin's first wish was to swim, which we did. Then we had dinner at Pizza Hut.

On Saturday morning, we got up early and had a quick breakfast, and then drove up to the mountain where the lessons were all full except for a private lesson. Even though the weather was frightful - freezing rain - which shut many of the runs, Benjamin did very well with his teacher Judith. By the end of two hours he was able to snow plough and make some turns.

I had a few runs myself and enjoyed it although the weather was pretty yucky. By about 2pm Benjamin was done, and we headed back down the mountain. We had to chip our way into the car which was covered in ice.

We stopped in Nanaimo and fulfilled another of Benjamin's wishes, which was to go to Jumping Jiminy's - the indoor playground. There we met Dallas and Camelia, which was a conincidence indeed.

We got home about 7:30pm

A dying Ranch

I was interested in a story in the National Post this week on a ranch in Manitoba that has had a series of bad luck. The farmer is in danger of losing his ranch, and set up a website to tell people of his plight.

http://www.outwestventures.net/ranch.htm

There's a paypal check-out so you can help out a bit.

A cut on the head

I walked into a cupboard door that I had left open in the kitchen and got an ugly angular scar for my efforts. Whenever I look in the mirror, the scar is in the shape of an "L" - for loser.

Christmas Notes - Boxing Day

We have enjoyed having guests over these past two days of Christmas. In one aspect though I feel like an unfortunate Captain Wetherby Jones - a fictional character - who in my story must always wear a dashing silk tie to social functions, and yet is clumbsy enough to slop dinner on it every time. So he simply considers the cost of a new silk tie part of the cost of an evening out.
I had a new silk tie on for Christmas and slopped dinner on it. That was actually the second attack though for in church Father used a pretty heavy paint brush to splatter holy water all over it.

This evening we played a new game "Carcassone"
It was great to play and receive some advice from James as he has played the game and actually purchased one today!

More on Christmas dates

 

 

A little more research seems to cast doubt on the belief of the author of the article you sent out that Christmas predates pagan festivals. I expect the story of adoption of December 25 was a complex and slow process, with variable practice across Christendom.

 

Dionysius Bar-Salibi - a 12th century bishop writes:

"It was a custom of the Pagans to celebrate on the same 25 December the birthday of the Sun, at which they kindled lights in token of festivity. In these solemnities and revelries the Christians also took part. Accordingly when the doctors of the Church perceived that the Christians had a leaning to this festival, they took counsel and resolved that the true Nativity should be solemnised on that day." (cited in "Christianity and Paganism in the Fourth to Eighth Centuries", Ramsay MacMullen. Yale:1997, p155)

 

Which contradicts the claim of Tighe/Shea that :

The idea that the date was taken from the pagans goes back to two scholars from the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. Paul Ernst Jablonski, a German Protestant, wished to show that the celebration of Christ's birth on December 25th was one of the many "paganizations" of Christianity that the Church of the fourth century embraced, as one of many "degenerations" that transformed pure apostolic Christianity into Catholicism. Dom Jean Hardouin, a Benedictine monk, tried to show that the Catholic Church adopted pagan festivals for Christian purposes without paganizing the gospel .

Both statements are probably true, and perhaps Jablonski new of Bar-Salibi's writing.

Andrew

Church dates

I came across this very clear article on the differences in dates between East and West.
http://www.goarch.org/print/en/ourfaith/article7050.asp

PicasaWeb Pictures

From Winter Nov 2006

Some light in the sky

Finally a little bit of light in the sky 

A snowy day

.

The snow began to fall on Saturday. I took the children up to Caleb Pike in the Gowland-Todd range, and they played in the snow, just a tiny bit as it began to fall. Coming down from the Highlands was more of a challenge.

On Sunday, the snow began falling in Victoria just as we were going to church. All through the service, the children were peaking out of the window and so excited. James made a little snowman with them before the Liturgy. After Liturgy, they had a grand time playing outside.

Unfortunately, the car's windscreen wipers stopped working and we we couldn't set off after church without them. One car passing by would have finished us and made us blind on the highway.


Rachel and I stayed at church and Al came and rescued us after a round trip with his family. It was a valiant deed.
It snowed all night and this morning (Monday) deep snow blanketed Victoria. No schools are open, no one can get to work by bus, and the streets are not drivable.
We had some fun playing in the snow. We made the perfect toboggan run outside the front door, and we all had a great time.