Allan

work

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I recently started a new position at a company that makes cabinets as a drafting technologist.  For the past two weeks, I’ve been getting to know the software they use and trying to create an AWMAC compliant room-by-room materials list for a house.  I think they are a good group of people who seriously work hard.  The position, as with most positions out there, comes with a three month probationary period.  I hope I make the cut.  I’ll keep you posted.

In the mean time, there’s still TD.  They also keep me busy.  I’m not sure if I can take on any more clients with them as time is now limited.

an important difference (or, let me in, just don’t follow me)

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I submitted this to the Washington Post.

I recently tried to view one of your pages (https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/suffering-from-bad-knees-some-look-for-alternatives-to-surgery/2019/11/15/d286d862-dfd7-11e9-be96-6adb81821e90_story.html?utm_source=pocket-newtab) but was transferred to another page requesting to disable my web browser’s ad-block (https://www.washingtonpost.com/steps-for-disabling-firefoxs-native-adblocker/2018/05/21/fb95bf4e-5d37-11e8-b2b8-08a538d9dbd6_story.html). I have apps on my browser to disable tracking, not ads. I do not mind ads. I believe that a free internet requires ads. However, I do not wish to be tracked. I am happy to view your ads without being tracked. I do not know how to separate the two. Firefox, Ghostery, DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials, Privacy Badger, and others all seem to do both simultaneously. Can you offer a method of unblocking ads without disabling tracking blocks? I would welcome this.

I wonder if anyone is listening.

how to get a five star rating (or, not)

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Someone asked me why I gave five stars to a recent chat with a company.  Were they really worth five stars?  This is how I give out my stars.

One for responding within the time frame I required of them.
One for understanding the issue and not confusing it with another.
One for being knowledgeable.
One for finding a solution.
One for explaining, teaching, showing well in a meaningful, polite, non-robotic way.

If you’ve done all this, then you get five stars out of me.  If not, then not.

snow

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It started snowing again today.  Yay!

I actually don’t mind snow.  I don’t mind walking in it, driving through it, or shovelling it.  I certainly enjoy looking at it.  People sometimes say, “When it’s winter, I complain about the cold.  But, in summer, I look forward to winter.”  I don’t think I do.  I actually enjoy winter.  No noisy hot-rods driving up and down the roads, coffee tastes better for some reason, and I look forward to meals much more than in hot weather.  On the down side, I don’t get to work on any projects, and daylight disappears pretty quickly.

architecture on Ritalin

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Holy cow.  How true.

This Is Your Brain on Architecture

Sarah Williams Goldhagen presents scientific evidence for why some buildings delight us and others—too many of them—disappoint.

Can anyone design a more depressing looking building?  Maybe Arthur Charles Erickson?  (The University of Lethbridge resembles a prison inside its halls.)  I thought for a moment – “What else has that cold, lonely, depressing look?”  What popped into my mind was Robson Square in Vancouver.  Oh – Mr. Erickson again.

Now, don’t get me wrong – I’m not really into hobbit houses, either.  But surely some warmth can enter architecture, can it not?  We’re creating environments to be in.