This is my personal blog. Opinions and thoughts are my own.
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Land acknowledgements in Canada
This is a topic with has lots of excellent essays and lots of thought. This is my humble effort. Public events in Canada generally begin with a land acknowledgement. People acknowledge that the land on which Canada sits is often unceded treaty land. Email signatures include these acknowledgements. Sports games sometimes start with them. Are…
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Buying a used car in Canada
Buying a car in Canada in 2025 is a nightmare. The US chicken tax, CAFE regulations and capitalism all combine to mean that small cars no longer exist. Driving a pickup truck the size of a World War II Sherman tank is seen as “essential” and “necessary” because “the boys” will think you’re “gay” if…
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I hate winter
Winter comes every year. Canada is one of those countries with four distinct seasons. Of these, I can tolerate two, enjoy one but I despise the fourth. Winter. To paraphrase one Gilles, [Ce] pays n’est pas un pays, c’est l’hiver. Winter is like an icicle, cutting through the joy of the other seasons. This year,…
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Software subscriptions and piracy
I cannot comment publicly on whether I am a digital pirate but I can tell you that I condone it. I fully support piracy, especially software piracy. To quote Gabe Newell, cofounder of Valve, “…piracy is not a pricing issue. It’s a service issue”. I hate software subscriptions with a passion. When I want to…
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Review – Minichamps Mercedes F1 W11 Car – Lewis Hamilton’s winning car at the 2020 British GP
During the Christmas period of 2024, I decided to spend some money (something I try to avoid, in a very Marwadi manner) and bought a scale model F1 car. Why do I like F1? It is one of the only sports that combines human skill and engineering excellence in equal measure. Pure driving skill will…