Winter Lesson

A few days ago I needed to take the bus downtown to get a criminal records check for a job I'm applying to. There was a wind chill of -40C that afternoon, and the sun was shining brightly. I printed off the bus schedule and decided against bundling up to-the-nine, since I reasoned I would be there and home in no time. The trip would last less than an hour, and I would be inside a heated vehicle or building for the most part. Long johns keep one warm, yes, but become a prison of heat when one exits the cold.

I'll never make that mistake in judgment again. The application took 13 minutes longer than I expected. So I missed my bus by 3 minutes, and the next wasn't coming for 40 minutes. I was stranded downtown on a corner, with a fierce arctic wind howling through my shivering frame. What was I going to do?!?!




I decided to walk the six blocks to the bus terminal, where I would find a bus quickly to whisk me home. Portage and Main is the windiest intersection in the world. I thought I was never going to be warm again. When it's this cold you can't even use a cell phone to text friends to tell them how cold it is because the screen begins to go through display hypothermia. Images take longer come up and to go away. My phone became sluggish, also a sign of hypothermia in humans. While using the cell phone, my fingers began to throb in pain. I felt doomed that I'd loose my fingers if I did not put them back into pocket pocket right that instant. I cursed my cell phone and it's cold technology.

I was walking for what seemed like ages against a biting wind I swear was freezing my tears against my cheeks. It was so cold that my knees stopped shaking and began to feel as though the oil which keeps my joints lubricated was solidifying. Walking became twice as exhausting. I was in a little bit of a panic.

I will never, ever again, go out on an errand in -25C without donning some polar wear. No matter how planned I think I am.

Winter Lecture

Winnipeg is famous for it's cold winters. My first reaction to the possibility of a future at the University of Manitoba was to exclaim WINTERPEG! Now that I'm a resident, I find the nickname to be quite misleading: this summer was one of the most pleasant (temperature and weather wise) I've ever had, with temperatures frequently above 32C (90F). But when the sun begins to lower on the horizon, and polar air licks across the prairies by order of blue sky cyclones, Winnipeg's situation in the centre of continental North America allows temperatures to inverse to a negative. What does that mean:

Tonight's low is -36C (-32.8F), with the wind chill making it feel more like -45C (-49F).

There is ice on the inside of my window sill. My room has a distinct temperature difference between the floor and the 13 foot high ceiling (which is accessible to me through my loft). If the room were more humid, I wouldn't be surprised to see cloud formation.




Manitobans are among is the highest users of energy in the world, and with temperatures like this (high in the summer, low in the winter) it's not a stretch to believe.

Fortunately, Winnipeg is blessed with a 'dry cold,' which makes a world of difference. I'm originally from Southern Ontario which receives a continuous flow of moisture as air flows over the Great Lakes. Moisture in the air makes the cold feel much colder because it draws heat out of the body quicker than a dry air. It is also more difficult to dress comfortably in a wet cold because either the wet air cuts through your jacket and mitts, or, if they're doing their job, you sweat. I find it much easier to keep toasty on a cold Winnipeg day. So long as I keep all exposed body parts covered, dress in two layers and long johns and a pair winter shoes, the only thing I have to worry about is the tip of my nose.

Longest Skate

Winnipeg recently beat Ottawa and took the title as home to the longest skating trail in the world! The length this year was 8.54 Km, and there's lots of room for expansion. . The trail runs from the Assiniboine to the Red River and passes the historic Forks, gateway to the west, as well as several scenic riverside destinatons. Come live vicariously through my friend Melissa and I as we strap on some rental skates and hit the ice.

See local ice conditions at The Forks website.

You might also like to watch my previous skating adventure on the former longest skating trail in the world on the Rideau Canal, Ottawa.

Fair Copyright for Canada: meet-up

Copyright law in Canada is under review. If consumers don't step forward and voice their concerns, we run the risk of being shut out of the reform process. I was one of six who formed FCCWM's* first meeting, where we introduced ourselves to one another and discussed reasons why fair copyright is important to us. We are looking for more members! Do you value fair copyright for Canada?

Join the Facebook group here.

Stay up to date with the latest information about Fair Copyright for Canada.

*Fair Copyright for Canada: Winnipeg/Manitoba Chapter

Belly of a Palomino

I wasn't planning on doing anything last night. I was comfortable in my room, sans clothing, working on a video project which was almost done. Amanda called out of the blue and invited me to accompany her to the Palomino Club, a dance bar on Portage west. The few stories I've heard about the Palomino always include the following: it's a cougar den; it's dirty, and; it's extremely popular. After experiencing it first hand, I can concur with the previous statements.

Amanda's friend Brian was playing in the live cover band last night, and she got on the VIP list to come see him play. They played a pretty awesome show and kept the dance floor hopping the whole night. We entered at the song Footloose and had a blast. The highlight of the evening for me, however, was following Brian through the kitchen and down to the basement where the band relaxes between sets. It was really cool to meet these strangers whom I had only seen for the first time on stage, and have a conversation with them. They all seemed intensely intelligent: they had so much more depth and 'stuff going on' than one would usually associate with a 'bar cover band.' A PhD student, a teacher, a music producer.

I was impressed. It made the night even more groovy.

Earth to Michael

I was totally out of it yesterday! My sense of place forgot to show up for it's daytime shift. I missed breakfast and nearly missed my first class in the morning. Then I somehow convinced myself that I had no more classes for the day. The logic looked like this:

I have two classes on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
Today is Friday.
Thus, I have only one class today.

Perhaps I should have stayed in critical thinking! (That is called a logical contradiction, by the way)

While I was eating my lunch, I couldn't shake an underlying feeling of being entirely uncool and alone. Am I depressed? Is this animal, vegetable, or mineral? I napped for two hours in the afternoon.

--Update--
Amanda just called. She's the only person with a special ring tone on my cell phone. Not even my BOYFRIEND gets that privilege. I lamented my day's woes to her. She responded, "uncool? Michael, you are not uncool. I am calling YOU. ME. Calling YOU. Debate settled!

She's got a point. She is pretty awesome.

Pedal Filter

I really love this idea! Using pedal power (video below) to filter water on your way home from the ol' watering hole is a great idea. It is also, however, limited by a few situations which may or may not apply depending on the location.

Terrain: When I was in the wilds of Lesotho I could barely walk up mountain slopes with a 10 gallon jug of water, let alone pedal up one with a 20 gallon bicycle.

General health of the user: If the person using the device is malnourished or otherwise unhealthy, letting the water boil on teh fire while they conserve bodily energy by not pedaling may seem a more desirable option. All this to say that the bicycle isn't a cure-all solution. Other helps, such as food, education, and medical aid, and political stability need to be implemented in-concert with one another.

Cost of the filter: Firewood in most parts of the world is a free resource, which is why it's open to abuse and is being degraded. For the very poor a water filter would have to be offered at a cost near free. Otherwise the people for whom it is designed will go back to chopping down trees.

Endeavors

I'm having a great semester so far. I'm rounding off my first year of studies with second year Environmental Studies, Human Geography, and a really fascinating class called Economics of World Food Issues and Policies. My prescribed textbook for the latter is Fast Food Nation. I'm currently learning about the history of agriculture and animal domestication: really interesting stuff. I have a hunch that agriculture will be a part of whatever I do once I've graduated.

I dropped one course, unfortunately. Critical thinking, which was a shame because I was really enjoying the professor's lectures. He was sassy and tried his best to embarrass the students who guessed at their answers. The reason is that I can't handle the work load this semester, for two reasons:




1. I'm beginning high school math next week. The six hours of class per week required for this upgrade will be the equivalent of two university courses in time spent in the classroom. Then there's the homework. And finally, there's the historical proof emblazed upon my high school transcript that I wasn't very good at math. I need this math pre-requisite to take courses next year. It shall get the respect it deserves.

2. I'm hunting for a part time job. I want something around 5-12 hours per week, simply to supplement my income. A large course load would make that impossible.

What this means is I'll be taking summer courses, which likely won't be a problem since I've decided I'm staying in Winnipeg this summer anyways.

Summer. It's so far off....*

michaeltyas.com

As some have been quick to point out, I have been doing some spring cleaning on my blog lately. It happened on a whim, as I realized that the right hand column to be a little crowded and outdated; some of my RSS links were wrong; updating my soundtrack was annoying; I was never going to use Schmap and; my profile was twice as long as necessary.

I've also added Youtube to the bottom of every post, which should serve as a spot of entertainment even on posts which do not contain video. There's so much love and compassion pouring out of me for you, my loyal and lovely viewers.




Last but not least, I finally decided to do away with the Blogger staple ".blogspot" and move in with my own domain name, michaeltyas.com. I'm happy and surprised that nobody had taken my name yet! If I was you, I would have bought this domain name years ago and then bargained with me for my sweet, delicious cash. Visiting the old .blogspot will merely redirect you to the new-packaged same-shit site.

Don't forget to update your bookmarks and RSS feeds!

• michaeltyas.com
• Subscribe To Videos
• iTunes and iPod friendly
• All posts & videos

See A Silver Lining Sells Out

I'm feeling optimistic about my latest adventure into the cyber marketplace. I've designed a tee shirt. It took me a few hours, and was inspired by the fantastic Valancy Jane. Support a starving university student and get a unique look!

I'm exhausted. Shirt designing really takes it out of you. This is only the beginning of Life's a journey: hardware and fashionable goods.

This hour has no gay donors

How outrageous! I'm still irked beyond belief at the asinine and discriminatory regulations Health Canada snuck into place!

They recently tried to make amends by confirming that gay donors are not 'banned' per say, but that doctors need the recipient's permission to accept 'high risk' organs prior to the surgery (source). They don't, however, mention anything about an emergency or long term situation where the recipient is unconscious and unable to make that decision. As a Canadian, how would you feel if you were unconscious, perhaps through a coma, and the doctor decided that you couldn't get my plump liver and onions because I may or may not have had gay sex in the previous 5 years, even with a committed partner.

Furthermore, there has been no mention of Sally Slutsville or Joe Stud, the heterosexual poster-children of shortbus style weekend romps with no commitment attached. Or how about the patty cake lezbos with bit-off fingernails and tongue sores. Sure, they have no tattoos, don't happen to use drugs, haven't been to prison and are not hemophiliacs, therefore they get to donate their organs along with yesterday's trash and no discrimination whatsoever.

See why I'm irked?

No?

Did you read the article? Did you even watch the video?

If you did, let's talk. Leave a comment.

Nitty Gritty note

Do you have an iPod video? I am asking because I discovered today that I had the wrong iTunes RSS link up, thus iTunes users were not getting all my videos. It's now fixed on the right column, and also below for your clicking pleasure. Feel free to share me with your friends on public transit in foreign countries.

• iTunes and iPod friendly

Melissa and our amazing story

You don't want to miss this! I met Melissa for the first time today, but she was introduced to me nearly two years ago on a bus in a foreign country! Now we're not only living in the same city, but working across the road from each other!. She's got an infectious laugh and a quick whit: we were instantly compatible. I'm glad that we've met and can be friends!

It finally happened

Stilts on stilts
Originally uploaded by Michael Tyas

I fell eight feet to the floor moments after waking up and swinging my feet over the edge so that I could climb down the ladder. I managed to land on my feet and was unhurt.

All-We-Could-Eat

Tim began steak night 5 years ago, and it's since become a bi-yearly event. He likes it because it bridges the gap between his groups of friends. A group of randoms united by friendship with one man. It was a good time. I even joined the facebook group.

It's all about angles

It's all about angles
Originally uploaded by Michael Tyas

Taken after stepping off the bus, downtown Winnipeg.

Skating on The Forks

Adam and I went skating yesterday on The Forks ice trails. It was a load of fun, and there's even points where the trail goes up and down hill: A first for me in skates. I didn't fall once and was thoroughly tired by the second time round. The skates are cheap to rent at $3.50 for unlimited use. I'll certainly be back there before the winter is over.

In a later post, I return to skate on the longest ice trail in the world.

New Years Hike

I wandered my favorite hiking spot during my visit home and reflected on it's significance.