I sometimes find that my fingers go faster on he keyboard than my brain can spew out thoughts. I’m often auto-completing words that begin the same as a frequently typed word I’m thinking about, but in the end – they end up as typos. Example: Chick Flick becomes Chick Flickr, Dance becomes Duane. Such a thing could make for an amusing post, if left unaltered.
On a similar note, I sat down at my mother’s PC the other day and realized that over the last year my fingers had been completely retrained to use Macs. I would normally place them a certain way to open another tab in Firefox, however my left ring finger now had to extend a little further to press the CTRL button, with the “T” following it. If this isn’t the proper finger positioning per grade school keyboarding, I have no excuse aside from the fact that I taught myself to type expediently before such a class was taken.
Indulge my geekiness here while I share my top five basic/fave keyboard shortcuts that are conducive to speedy computing:
Command (open Apple) + T: Opens a new browsing tab in Firefox or Safari
Command + 2: Automatically inserts the “@” when replying to someone on Twitter, using Twitterific
Ctrl + A: When composing a blog post in WordPress it pops up the link box for easy pasting of a link (not working with F3B3)
Command + Shift + T: Re-opens a recently closed browser tab (thanks to Tod for showing me this at BarCamp)
Command + C or X or V: Copy, Cut or Paste. It may seem simple but man, it makes life easier
Command + Z: Undo. Need I say more about the importance of Undo?
Function + Delete: Backspace… in reverse
Okay, that was more than five, but feel free to share if you have any of your own – for Mac or PC.
Being one of the best new blogs around, Paul’s Civic Surrey has been capturing and detailing several new development and construction projects in the city. One post that recently caught my attention was the major overhaul and facelift for Guildford Town Centre:
The Mall is going to get a 414,100 sq. ft. retail expansion – 212,000 sq. ft. of which will be a new Wal-Mart Supercentre. There will be rooftop parking above the Wal-Mart, along with two new parkades featuring 5,870 parking stalls.
The other 212,000 sq. ft. of expansion will be in the south end of the mall, home to a new food court and high-end retail tenants (just like the Metrotown refurb!!). [CivicSurrey]
The Metrotown comparison seems pretty spot on, but toss in the outdoor eliments of Alderwood and you get the overall idea.
The mall has had the same hideous brown tiles and dark glass pyramid ceilings since before I was born. There really hasn’t been much change since the cascading waterfall that was removed to make room for a children’s play zone, and an Old Navy was introduced on the East wing. Wolco is now Wal-Mart (and it still has that flat, incline escalator) and Santa’s Castle is always right outside The Bay (which used to be Woodwards), except for that year the styrofoam in the castle caught fire overnight and they had to keep the mall closed for several hours.
The new plans include a “village”, a “terrace”, polished stone and bistro cafes, wowsa! Guildford is definitely in need of an overhaul and honestly, I’m pretty excited about the new plans. Also, from the looks of the sketches Paul’s posted one image in particular stands out:
Note the Apple iPod posted on the left. It could be a tease, but perhaps it’s a sign of the type of stores they expect to attract at the new mall.
High end retail, promenades and who knows maybe even a Cheesecake Factory or PF Chang’s China Bistro. Whatever it is, I’m glad they’re using their existing mall land/parking space and not taking over some salmon habitat as seems to be the norm with developments in Surrey these days.
I’ve never been a girlie girl by any means. I know designers, what’s “trendy” etc. but mostly due to my own personal style, attitude and honestly – budget – I’ve never been on the cutting edge. Over the last few years that best I could do was learn to dress for my body type. It’s like what Stacy and Clinton say – ignore the size numbers and get things that fit your body. I’ve also been able to find things that shape the top of my torso without ballooning out and way from my waist, making me look as though I’m in my second trimester. Long story short, I’m far from being an authority on fashion like the women who contribute to The Style Spy — who just so happen to be hosting an event this Friday.
The Style Spy is a group blog where you can find cosmetic tips, trends, latest looks, and enter contests. Last week I received an email notifying me of the Fabulous Life Event, which upon first inspection wouldn’t normally be my scene, but when I saw that it was taking place at The Bay downtown – I was sold.
What: The Style Spy’s Fabulous Life Event – Lounge, Red Carpet, Hollywood Snapshots, Cocktails & Appies, Perfume Bar, Jewelery Bar, Door Prizes, Swag Bags & sketches.
When: Friday March 14, from 6:00pm to 9:00pm
Where: The Bay Downtown, 674 Granville Street, Vancouver
More Info: The Style Spy
The Bay is definitely where I find the best clothing and everything is usually discounted when you get to the till, which is always a treat. (Latest purchase: Pink, silk, Nine West tunic for $29).
Aside from the location, I thought it would a great opportunity to meet Erica, founder of The Style Spy, with whom I’ve shared the occasional blogosphere correspondence.
I also knew someone who would immediately appreciate an event like this would be Keira-Anne so I enlisted her as my date. Through the magic of Facebook I discovered another blogger with a keen sense of what’s chic will be attending so it will be nice to meet her as well.
If you’d like to attend sign up to be a Style Spy member by visiting the site, then be sure to RSVP by emailing party [at] thestylespy.com and who knows, maybe I’ll learn a thing or two.
Although my involvement with The Lab was brief and only just a few days ago, I can still appreciate what they’ve done over the years.
I had the pleasure of meeting Amber Mac a few months ago when we were both members of Team Blogger on CBC’s Test the Nation (which makes some of my co-workers insanely jealous). However, I was first introduced to Amber’s work through the TV show “Call for Help“, which was a previous iteration of “The Lab with Leo“.
Leo Laporte is known for TWiT, the “This Week in Tech” collection of podcasts and his involvement with technology-centric TV shows over the last decade. Most recently he hosted “The Lab with Leo which welcomed questions about technology, and showcased the latest gadgets and social media tools. Although Leo was based out of California, he would come up to Vancouver to record episodes from a studio in Gastown. His show was interactive with its audience and many of the guests were friends of mine from the Vancouver blogging and new media scene. Want to learn about Twitter? Facebook? Making money from Google AdSense? Podcasting? This was all addressed through this television show that was also available online once aired.
Most recently, I was a guest on The Lab, talking about some of the podcasts I co-host and some basic mobile podcasting tricks. While waiting in the green room I Twittered about being nervous. About 20 seconds later Leo shuffled off the set, through the door and introduced himself, saying he had no idea “Miss604” was sitting right there. It was great to finally meet Leo in person, and to hear him sing a little song about the pronunciation of my last name.
On Twitter last week I noticed a message come through from Leo saying that his show had been canceled. Episodes already recorded will still be released this spring (mine included) but after such time the show will simply have re-runs. You can still find some episodes online, and Leo will be more active once again with TWiT.
My good friend Dave Olson also has an unreleased episode so when this latest slot airs (on G4TechTV Canada) I’ll be sure to let everyone know and grab a copy from Google Video although mostly I just need to warn my mom so that she can set the VCR.
The following has been adapted from actual correspondences
I arrived on the 14th, flying from Hamburg to Stuttgart. Hamburg is a very fine city that has a dynamic blend of old buildings and startling modern architecture. They have an immense construction project at the harbour that is similar to the Expo lands development.
People are friendly, as in Canada, but less reserved initially. In Canada people “exchange glances” and look away. In Hamburg a first look is like an extended quiet conversation. It is quite engaging. I asked about this characteristic and people acknowledged it is so.
People pour out of the trains in BC furtive and suspicious. In Hamburg you leave the train as if you know many people, though you may have spoken not a word.
The transit system is what Vancouver´s aspires to be – conventional trains from the hinterlands, S-Bahn rapid trains for the suburbs and city, neighbourhood and express buses, and ferries. It is similar to Vancouver´s in having no turnstiles. Yet I saw not one police or fare-checker. This all contributes to a more trusting and confident populace. This is something of a paradox to me, because on another level, the people are highly regulated.
When my father came to Canada he showed up at the Police Station and they asked him what he wanted. He said ‘Here I am.’ They laughed and sent him away. In Germany you have to inform the government when you move, within a few weeks, or you are fined.
You can feel spring is about to arrive, the weather gets cloudy in Hamburg but rarely rains. It was very cold. In Stuttgart it is much warmer and feels like spring. I miss many things, but most of all I miss my family. (… to be continued)
