Living in the Future

Tag: blog

  • Soylent Adventure: Day 1 (Wednesday)

    Soylent Adventure: Day 1 (Wednesday)

    Here’s Day 2!

    I’ll be doing this in live-blog format, keeping things updated throughout the day. The day starts at the bottom and new stuff will show up right below this sentence. Times are in EDT.

    9:30 PM Wed.: OK, I’m home after a day of Soylent. I had approximately 2/3 of the first pouch over the course of the day, totalling about 1000-1300 calories if I had to estimate (I don’t actually know how much is left, it could be closer to 1/2). I had dinner and a beer out, along with my morning cereal as well, so I think I’m at about 2000 calories for the day, and I feel very full. If calorie calculators are even remotely accurate, I normally get about 3000 calories on a given day, so this would be a big drop. I’ll have to see if I can keep up this pace and hunger levels, but I’m hopeful.

    I’m not hungry right now, and though weight loss isn’t the primary goal of this experiment, I wouldn’t be opposed to getting out of the “overweight” designation on the BMI scale. That being said, preparation was SUPER simple, and with Nick’s amazing funnel suggestion this is an extremely sustainable amount of lunch prep.

    Anyhow, I will continue this story in a new post tomorrow, although I will probably provide fewer updates because I don’t feel the need to duplicate things I said today.

    Goodnight all, thanks for following my story!


    5:20 PM Wed.: I may update one more time before bed, but for now, I think I’m done with Soylent for the day. I feel fine, despite having eaten far fewer calories than I would have otherwise today. I’m going out for dinner to get the rest of my calories, but I don’t feel so hungry that I feel like I’ll need a huge dinner…soooooo tentative success…but we’ll see how I feel later tonight and tomorrow!


    4:00 PM Wed.: I feel much better having chugged half a bottle of water, and working through 1.5 more scoops. Headache has mostly subsided, and although I didn’t go all out in mixing this one (it would be very loud at work), it’s still quite good to taste. Still feels very different compared to my normal day, but it doesn’t stand out as bad.


    3:15 PM Wed.: Still really hungry. I’m going to be having more soon, probably 1-1.5 more scoops so I can last until 6:30 dinner. Trying to drink as much water as possible too.


    2:30 PM Wed.: I’m feeling hungry much earlier than I would have on a regular day, which makes complete sense because I’m having way less food than I normally do by 2 PM. I did some calculations to figure out calorie requirements for a person like me. If I can stick to ~2000 calories a day, I could lose 5-10 pounds in the next month. The important distinction is going to be working through my feelings of hunger that come up throughout the day even though I’m not hungry. I’m also going to focus on drinking lots of water this afternoon, because they recommend adding 1-2 extra litres of water per day to make up for water in your food.


    1:45 PM Wed.: I ended up having about 1.5 scoops of Soylent for lunch (about 375 calories), bringing my total for the day to 625 (plus a small bowl of healthy cereal). I am going to aim for another scoop at around 3:30 PM, which will leave me at about 1000 calories from Soylent today. This also gives me about 700-800 calories for dinner tonight to get to the recommended 2000 per day in total (although I think I probably go a little or a lot over that most days). Very happy with my level of hunger so far though.


    12:15 PM Wed.: Nick was so right. The make-shift funnel made this a completely mess-free process. Thanks Nick! Looking forward to a nutritious liquid lunch!

    Thank you Nick for the great suggestion, the funnel worked great and there’s NO mess.

    12:00 PM Wed.: Getting some grumblies as we approach noon. This will be the critical moment for the success of Day 1 I think, if Soylent can replace my regular lunch. I normally eat quite a bit over the course of a work-day, so it remains to be seen if those calories can be effectively replaced by a liquid. Still not perfectly clear on how I should get the powder into my bottle quickly and efficiently, but I’ll be trying +Nick Maddox‘s idea of a make-shift paper funnel this time. Wish me luck, I’ll report back after lunch!

    11:15 AM Wed.: Still not super hungry. I’m pretty happy with the way this is going so far. I’ll probably make somewhere between 1-2 servings around lunch time, but I’m pretty happy with how this has gone so far!


    10:30 AM Wed.: Check out the video below of the fun time I had mixing up some Soylent. I’m still going strong, not any hungrier than I was an hour ago.

    9:15 AM Wed.: I finished the half-serving I made (250 calories; 1 scoop). It was just fine. Headache has abated, though that may just be a coincidence. So far the worst thing about this process has been the small mess I made already and trying to figure out how to not have that happen again next time. I still feel a little hungry, but I think that’s pretty normal and just not something I’m used to with solid food.

    The finished product, a little messy but mostly alright.

    8:45 AM Wed.: This is messy. It took about 5 minutes from sitting with the stuff to a finished container. The scoop is larger than the mouth of the bottle I’m using, so it took a little spillage to get everything in. The taste is surprisingly reasonable. It’s hard to mix by hand though, at least without drawing a lot of attention to yourself. I took some video making it, I’ll try to put that up today.

    8:15 AM Wed.: Starting to get a little headache. I’ve started to notice that since I ate a smaller breakfast I’m hungrier than I would be otherwise.


    7:45 AM Wed.: I should mention now that I’m going out for dinner tonight, so I’m not relying on Soylent for ALL my calories on day 1, but it will still be a big part of my food intake today. I’m hoping I can have enough throughout the day so that I don’t have to have a huge meal at dinner.


    7:15 AM Wed.: I’m a little hungry, but I’m going to wait a little before I crack the first bag. I hope it tastes good enough that I can drink it through most of the day.


    6:30 AM Wednesday: I’m taking a bag (~ 1 day supply) of Soylent with me to work on my bike.


    6:00 AM Wednesday: I’m having a bowl of cereal (a small one) to start the day.


    Last Night: We’re off to a tough start. I’ve been so excited about this for so long that I’m already getting suggestions from Julia that I should marry Soylent instead. For the record, I don’t want to marry Soylent, but I am excited about the adventure!

  • Licensing Issues for Feedback…hmmm (Unwind Media | June 3 – 9)

    Licensing Issues for Feedback…hmmm (Unwind Media | June 3 – 9)

    This week, I finished moving Future Chat to SoundCloud, and by next week the entire Unwind Media back library will be over there!

    Feedback: The Music Volume I is nearing the date I said it would be out. I’m currently debating options for release, and trying to navigate doing it in as legal as way as possible, but without also spending too much money just to release it. Stay tuned, and if you know anything about this murky legal area or have released covers before, please do let me know!

    Ottawhat? #55 – Jenni Beharry
    In this episode, we spoke to culinary nutrition expert Jenni Beharry. She’s trained in human geography, television broadcasting, and nutrition, and she’s…
    RSS |
    iTunes 
    Future Chat 61 – Nick’s Liberal Agenda
    In this episode, we talk about the newly discovered link between the brain and the immune system, give a look ahead to WWDC this week, and find out about…
    RSS |
    iTunes
  • My Bus Driver Rocks

    My Bus Driver Rocks

    Your typical, run-of-the-mill OC Transpo bus.

    I couldn’t start the day off right without telling this story. Obviously, everybody has bad experiences with bus drivers sometimes. This isn’t unique to Ottawa, or Canada. Sometimes you catch somebody in a bad mood, and there are probably drivers who revel in the fact that people get upset when they JUST miss their bus. I’m not saying all bus drivers are saints, and similarly, not all people are saints.

    All that said, I had a GREAT experience this morning with OC Transpo, and it’s all thanks to my friendly neighbourhood bus driver. I know a nice story to start your morning isn’t the best way to drive pageviews, but this is just something I have to commend. I catch the downtown-bound 12 every morning, rain or shine, at around 6:40 AM on Montreal Road. I’ve had a few bus drivers in the nearly 18 months I’ve taken this bus, and the latest one is there every weekday. Bus drivers are like offensive linemen, in that the best ones often get NO recognition for having done a perfect job.

    This driver is like this, and today he went just a little out of his way, but made me so grateful. Here’s the situation: every day I leave my house right around 6:35 AM to catch the bus. This particular morning, as I’m about 2 minutes away from the stop, I checked the map on the Transit app (which is great on Android and iOS by the way, you should check it out). It says that I have about 3 minutes, but it also showed the bus was way closer than it should normally be at that time. I like to think the bus was actually a couple of minutes earlier than it normally is, but it’s possible I was running just a tad late as well, but I digress. As I walk up to the intersection where I catch the bus (I have to cross Montreal Rd to get to the stop), I see the bus about 5 seconds from pulling up. This is a pretty long light; I’m not going to catch this bus.

    This isn’t the first time this has happened, so I immediately start thinking about checking when the other buses near me are coming so I can try to hop on one of those and make it to work without being more than a few minutes late. As I’m doing this though, I look over at the bus I’m in the process of missing, and he’s just sitting there with the doors open, waving me over. What?! That is awesome. It’s about 12 seconds before the light finally changes, and I hustle across the street and onto the bus. The bus driver absolutely did not have to do this, but I am so grateful that he did. He obviously knows his route and his passengers well, and he recognized me enough to be able to take that few seconds to let me get on his bus.

    I should mention that on Tuesdays I carry a travel suitcase with me to work, so I was towing about 40 pounds between my bag and that suitcase. This made my day start off so great, and I’m so happy to be able to share a great story with you about this man doing small things to make the world a better place.

    If anybody knows management at OC Transpo, please pass this along to them. This bus driver is doing things right. It’s the #12 – Rideau Centre, and I get on at stop #8738 at around 6:38 AM on weekdays. I’m submitting this to OC Transpo customer feedback, but I don’t know if that actually gets read.

    Anyway, take the time out of your day to really show appreciation for people who do nice things for you. It’s worth it!

  • iOS 9 First Impressions (from the future)

    iOS 9 First Impressions (from the future)

    I’ve been writing part-time for MobileSyrup for a little over a month now, and since this piece is as topical as it will ever be, here is the writing sample I provided that got me started there.

    These are my predictions of what we can expect from Apple in the next version of their mobile operating system, iOS 9, written as if it has just been publicly released, in September 2015.

    As it stands, iOS 9 will be announced for the first time to developers next week, on June 8th in San Francisco, and you’ll know I’ll be watching intently! Without any further ado, here are my impressions of iOS 9!

    As we’ve come to expect in September, the final version of Apple’s mobile operating system, iOS 9, was released today. Last year’s release of iOS 8 gave users a whole new set of tools to quickly access information contained in their apps in a secure, controlled way, with keyboards, app extensions and today widgets. Developers and users were all very excited by this new and unexpected openness from Apple, while some feel that they could have gone further still.

    With iOS 9, Apple have opened up even more, making several changes that users have been frequently asking for in the last year. There has also been a focus on stability and security in iOS 9, and the platform feels a lot more consistent than it has since the release of iOS 8 one year ago. The larger iPhone sizes are also slowly changing the way we interact with iOS, and the interfaces of many apps are changing and improving to reflect that.

    Some of the biggest changes to iOS this year are designed to bring the newly released Apple Watch into closer step with the iPhone. A new overhaul of the contacts app will allow you to set a global VIP contact list for notifications, including integration with your Twitter and Facebook contacts. You will also be able to get public transit information through Apple Maps directly, meaning that your shiny new Apple Watch will be able to let you know when buses nearby will be arriving. The update also brings the ability to reply to messages directly from notifications in third-party applications, both on the iPhone and on the Apple Watch. Finally, the Beats Music service, purchased by Apple in 2014, is now built-in to the iPhone and Apple Watch, allowing you to stream professionally curated playlists that combine the music you have on your phone with music in the Beats Music catalogue. The update also brings the Beats Music collection into iTunes on your computer, and allows you to pick up your music where you left off on your computer when you’re heading out the door.

    Some of the other new features that are welcome additions to the platform include:

    • A system-wide low-power mode that will kick in automatically and disable background activity when your phone is running out of juice.
    • The ability to set non-Apple apps as default, including mail, web browsing, and camera apps from an approved list (and allowing users to remove default Apple apps from their home screens completely). Third-party apps will also now be able to work with Handoff more easily work, allowing you to quickly move between iOS devices and Macs, especially when using non-Apple apps.
    • Updates to the photos app that include an incognito mode and corresponding folder for pictures that you don’t wish to automatically upload to iCloud Photo Library or other cloud services. iOS 9 also includes a new API for photos that will simplify the auto-uploading process, sending your photos from iCloud directly to third-party applications like Dropbox and Google+, rather than uploading multiple copies from your phone.

    All of these changes are welcome additions to the platform, focused mainly on enabling users to complete simple or complex tasks in less time. All of this in turn saves battery life as well as using less of your monthly data allotment, something we can all get excited about. Several changes to iOS are designed to push quick interactions to the Apple Watch, which is also an important move. The value added by pairing your phone to an Apple Watch will likely continue to grow as the platform matures and more users and developers really start to see what the watch can do for them.

    There has been a lot of discussion in the last year about the decreasing stability of iOS, with some pundits suggesting Apple should slow down and make sure to get the details right with their software releases. This update really does seem to be the best of both worlds so far, with a slough of new features sure to impress new and old users alike, while the stability of the device in day-to-day use appears to be a return to expectations from a company with such high quality standards.

    As it was last year with the release of app extensions, the full nature of this update likely won’t be realized until third-party developers have the ability to take full advantage of the new features in their applications. Developers will also inevitably continue to refine their applications as use cases shift, and it will soon be required that interfaces purposefully adapt to larger phones and the usefulness of an accompanying Apple Watch.

    We will continue looking through the update and share anything else we come across in the coming days and weeks.

  • SoundCloud, Writing, and #Taylorette1989 heats up. (Unwind Media; May 7-13)

    SoundCloud, Writing, and #Taylorette1989 heats up. (Unwind Media; May 7-13)

    This week we made a couple of substantial changes on Unwind Media, most notably we’re making the transition to hosting audio files on SoundCloud, as opposed to Archive.org. I’m pretty excited for that, and I even wrote a little bit about some of the neat tricks I am using now to get those files to work with podcast clients and on the podcast website while keeping the setup simple.

    I also wrote a little more for MobileSyrup, rather than linking to all of them, you can find those stories by using a custom Google Search (for ‘site:mobilesyrup.com “Rob Attrell” ‘)one of the hosts on Unwind Media and my cousin, +Mike Attrell, came up with to find things I’ve written.

    In other news, #Taylorette1989 is entering its next phase, as +Taylor Swift begins her world tour and gets ready to launch her latest music video. Look for more on that in the next week! As well, there’s a new episode of Feedback coming before the end of the week, so that means a fun conversation, AND 2 more cover tunes from Damien and BL in the next week or so! Stay tuned!

    Ottawhat? #51 – Mark Holst (Ottawa Academy of Martial Arts)
    On Ottawhat this week, we met former UFC fighter and Ottawa native Mark “Boots” Holst. He spoke to us about his experiences in the ring, teaching the new…
    RSS |
    iTunes 
    Future Chat #57 – What’s Slow About a Bear
    In this episode, Tesla goes gangbusters, it’s zeppelins vs. dirigibles, and trucks are driving themselves in Nevada. Get excited, because we’ll be deliver…
    RSS |
    iTunes
  • Adventures in Podcasting with SoundCloud (Volume I)

    Adventures in Podcasting with SoundCloud (Volume I)

    .code {
    text-align: left;
    font-weight: bold;
    line-height: 1;
    }

    I’ve been podcasting and building my website for a couple of years now, and I thought it would be useful to some people if I talked about some of the things I’ve gone through in getting my site up and running that I couldn’t find anywhere else on the Internet. This one is all about podcasting efficiently with SoundCloud.

    Now, I’m not a professional programmer by ANY stretch, but I like getting my feet wet with little bits of code from time to time. I also podcast a few times a week, and sometimes I’m lucky enough that these hobbies overlap! I recently moved my podcasts to SoundCloud, and they have a really nice web player (check out unwindmedia.com/feedback for a prime example). But I wanted to simplify my life and use one link for the RSS feed and for the web player embed.

    Luckily, they use a unique ID number for each upload to SoundCloud, it’s just a matter of finding it. It is a 9-digit number smack in the middle of the enclosure URL that SoundCloud uses for RSS, something like this:

    http://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/204094299-channelname-episodename.mp3

    With a bit of Regex and replace magic (/.*/(d+)-.*/, “$1”) and some simple jQuery, I can extract that number, plunk it into the embed URL (see this page), and stick that into your container div.

    Once you have that embed URL, you just have to put in all the embed options you want for your widget, and you’re good to go!

    As SoundCloud opens up their platform to make it easier for podcasters, I hope this helps you simplify your life. I personally used this code on my Blogger site (unwindmedia.com) so I can have an audio player on my site that uses the enclosure link for the podcast episode, but in SoundCloud’s native player. It’s working incredibly well and I’m moving all my shows to this template in the coming weeks.

    The code I used is below, and you can see it in action online at unwindmedia.com! If you have any questions please ask and I’ll give you all the details you could ever want!

    EDIT (May 8): I made the code a lot simpler and got rid of redundant divs. Hopefully this is even simpler now.

    Pictured: Fun for Rob

    <div class=’”sound-container-” + “POST-ID”‘/>

     <script>
        $(document).ready(function() {

            var idVal = ‘POST-ID’;

            var idTrack = ‘ENCLOSURE-URL’;

            var encl = idTrack.replace(/.*/(d+)-.*/, “$1”);

            var open = “<iframe frameborder=’no’ height=’160′ scrolling=’no’ src=’https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/”;

            var close = “&color=1C4E94&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_artwork=false’ width=’100%’/>”;

            $(‘.sound-container-‘ + idVal).append(open + encl + close);

        });
    </script>

  • How To Get Noticed Online

    How To Get Noticed Online

    For those of you wondering, this is how I see myself.

    I’ve conducted experiments before, but the one I’m going to embark on for the next week will potentially be the most difficult I’ve ever challenged myself with. If you followed me online in December 2014, you’ll recall the Instagram Experiment I embarked upon in the last episode of +Attrell Update (at least the last so far). Basically, I wanted to try Instagram, because I had had an account for several years but had never used it. The experiment was what I would consider a success because I still post photos and video there, and I enjoy the tools Instagram provides to edit and share photos to Twitter and Facebook.

    So, onto this new experiment I will be undertaking starting with the next 7 days. I am somebody who consumes a LOT of media. Podcasts, video, music, television, movies, books, blogs, long-reads, op-ed’s, reviews, etc. There is a lot of stuff on the internet and I take in quite a bit of it.

    For the most part, this media is a one-way street. I slurp it up like a vacuum but rarely contribute to the conversation about it unless it is VERY compelling or I think I can make a particularly witty joke or comment. For the next week, I am going to do my very best to leave some kind of comment, observation or thought on every single thing I read. EVERY. Single. thing.

    I have a feeling this will help me get to know people on the Internet, help me better understand subject matter and actually contribute to the Internet as one of its citizens, and it might help me reach people with my thoughts and ideas that otherwise might not get to them, and vice versa.

    Some simple rules I will try to follow:

    1. I don’t HAVE to leave a comment if the content is offensive or overly negative. I will use my own discretion here.
    2. This will mainly apply to blogs, videos, podcast episodes, things with a home on the internet where you can leave a comment or discuss the media.
    3. I will do my very best to use the original source to comment on the material. For instance, if I read a story on a web page, I will leave a comment on the page directly, or on Twitter (like if I found the link there or on other social media).
    I don’t know that this will be easy, but I’m sure I will find it rewarding. I encourage you to try a less comprehensive version of this, I know that about 99% of people on the Internet soar around 10 feet above what they see, never talking about it or sharing it or liking it no matter how much they enjoyed the content.
    Wish me luck!
  • Brand Loyalty

    Brand Loyalty

    Millions of man-hours on the internet are lost every day to petty fights about PC vs. Mac, Android vs. iOS, or Starbucks vs. Tim Hortons (not a coffee drinker, but I assume). Most people I talk to in real life just have what products they have, and if asked might lean slightly towards that side. However, on the Internet, everybody is a dog and people’s opinions relating to personal choices in brand seem to be a lot more intense.

    I was in the Apple Store yesterday, as I often am, looking at the fancy new MacBook trackpad that clicks without actually physically moving. If you haven’t tried it, you really should, but be aware your mind will be blown. This got me thinking once again about brand loyalty, and whether it actually works the way companies think it does.

    TL;DR This is about technology, but I also talk about meat. If you don’t care about tech, scroll to the picture of meat.

    I’ve written a good many years ago about choosing to spend a little more money on things that are really important to me, and technology happens to be one of those things (but it’s not the only thing, as I’ll get to). I’ve had my fair share of terrible laptops and computers that were underpowered, cheap, flimsy and overwhelmingly inadequate. I believe it was about the 2nd laptop I bought that was a $400 clunker from Acer that came with a printer. I was young and in university, and I wasn’t willing to invest in a more powerful laptop, thinking that it couldn’t possibly make that much of a difference.

    When that Acer laptop stopped working about a year after I got it (after having been sent in for repairs once already), I decided that I wasn’t going to buy cheap laptops any more. Most people, when met with this kind of issue, might think that I would swear off Acer laptops, but the 4th laptop I bought was also an Acer, it just wasn’t cheap. What I learned from my experiences with laptops is that quality is what you are paying for. My current laptop, which if you’re playing at home is apparently my 5th laptop, is a MacBook Air, and I absolutely love it. It has been my most expensive laptop to date, but it is easily the one that has given me the most value overall, and is absolutely worth it.

    Companies often try to buy your love with incentives, rewards programs and the like designed to keep you coming back, and they are very successful, but those programs don’t necessarily mean people like your product or service. It could just mean that it works for them right now, and it’s not worth it to go somewhere else for your needs right now. It certainly doesn’t mean your company has its customers hooked. People are going to do what works for them, all you can do is try not to screw it up.

    When it comes to cell phones (and tablets), I’m the guy who always wants to be on the latest technology. I use every part of the phone to almost its maximum potential, and though some portion of my gadget-lust is marketing-driven, I also do see a lot of the benefits in the year-over-year updates provided, and often wish for features and upgrades well before they show up in the real world. I have tried Android phones, but for me personally, their shortcomings are more numerous than those in the current iteration of the iPhone. I have definitely also tried CHEAP Android phones, and that is an experience that I wouldn’t wish on anybody. What I value in this space is having a phone that can keep up with me, and one that will keep getting better, even if it means spending a few hundred dollars a year on a cell phone (barring upcoming major life expenses, obviously).

    Mmmmmmm…smoked meat.

    Brand loyalty, to me, isn’t as important as loyalty to myself and to my needs and desires. If I have a bad experience with a given brand, I can’t equate that to never wanting to deal with that company again, I will evolve and learn from specific things wrong with the product, and attempt to not make the same mistakes again.

    Before I go, here is a more relate-able example of the reverse brand loyalty I’m talking about in action. Picture a delicious smoked meat/Reuben sandwich for a moment. I have had my share of terrible meat sandwiches, but I have had a few that REALLY stand out as unbelievable experiences in my mind. One of my favourite smoked meat sandwiches came from Montreal (which is not a surprise from people who’ve been there and tried them), but I find that most pubs/bars in Ottawa simply get much lower quality meat than places known for their smoked meat. This has caused me to not trust smoked meat or Reuben sandwiches in Ottawa, even though I LOVE them so so much. Unless I know a restaurant has a good meat sandwich, I will not order one here. The same can be said of steak at a pub (I’m sure you have had a good experience with a pub steak at one point, but don’t kid yourself into thinking it is common). I do not recommend steak at a pub, having eaten $30 steak I can assure you it is worth much more than 3 $10 pub steaks.

    And now I’ve written more about meat than I ever thought I would today.

  • 3 Things That Happened This Week (& Social News)

    3 Things That Happened This Week (& Social News)

    Since Future Chat is still on haitus until April, we only had one show last week, but it was a really great episode of Ottawhat with Waubgeshig Rice from CBC Ottawa! This week proper, I chatted with Nick about my experiences on Universal Time (aka GMT) and how living 4 hours in the future is making my life better in some pretty interesting ways, and confuses everyone around me. We also sat down with Jantine Van Kregten from Ottawa Tourism on Ottawhat to learn how our city encourages people to visit, and helps them out once they’re here. Interesting stuff and a great interview!

    We also underwent a nice set of changes at unwindmedia.com, it’s a lot easier to follow and subscribe to shows as they have their own landing pages with show info now. We also added a couple of Twitter accounts and Facebook pages for East Meets West (@_emwFM/East Meets West) and Feedback (@_FeedbackFM/Feedback) this week (we also moved Future Chat’s Twitter account to @_FutureChatFM), you can follow or like those to keep up with news for those shows specifically.

    .title {
    padding:15px;
    font-size:12pt;
    font-weight:bold;
    }

    .rss {
    padding-top:15px;

    }

    East Meets West #6 – Objectively, Edmonton Is Worse
    This week, daylight savings woes, Nick’s massive Canadian Election blog oeuvre, and faux punditry among the Conservative elite. Should Alberta collect sales tax? We think so!
    RSS |
    iTunes
    Ottawhat? Podcast #45 – Jantine Van Kregten
    In this episode, we talked to Jantine Van Kregten, the incredibly knowledgable director of communications at Ottawa Tourism.

    Ottawhat? Podcast #44 – Waubgeshig Rice
    In this episode, we sat down with Waubgeshig Rice. He’s a video journalist working for the CBC in Ottawa, he’s published a book of short stories and last year put out a novel called Legacy.
    RSS |
    iTunes 
  • My Student Debt

    My Student Debt

    Mo’ money…mo’ problems, said no one, ever.

    Another quick thought:

    I have been out of school for 3 years (completed all requirements in Dec. 2011). I wasn’t particularly careful with money during my 5 years of schooling, but I wasn’t wasteful either, and I also worked for most of that time. I amassed just over $63,000 in student debt over those 5 years.

    I’ve been in the work force for 3 years, and in that time I have spent a total of around 8 months unemployed, 2 of those voluntarily. Since January 2013, I have spent only about 9 weeks not working (of the 5 positions I’ve held, only 1 was a longer term than 6 months). I have recently passed the $20,000 mark in paying off this debt; as of this month, I only owe around $17,000 in loans.

    I like to consider myself a success story in terms of reasonably independent adults with a university education who lived away from home during their studies. I know people who are in much better financial positions than me, but I know many more who are far worse off. And I would only tangentially credit my post-secondary education for the jobs I’ve been able to get, I haven’t been paid for any chemistry-related work since I left grad school.

    The fact that so far, I am what I think people would consider a success story makes me pretty sad for our society as a whole, and our education system specifically. I would LOVE to work in Chemistry, but that takes years of experience that I cannot get outside of university, and getting that experience by staying in or returning to school would be unavoidably expensive.

    I’m fairly confident that if I apply myself, I can expect a base level of success at whatever I choose to do with my life. This inherently takes some risk, something I’m not particularly comfortable with, and something that gets exponentially more complicated the longer life goes on. I don’t want to just float through life on a base level of success in what is handed to me, I would like to do something I am passionate about and achieve real tangible, life-fulfilling levels of success, something that is very hard to do knowing I will spend 4-5 years just getting out of debt from school.

    I would love to keep learning my whole life, and I intend to, whether that education is formal or not. I want some freedom to pursue independent creative endeavours and to explore philosophical ideas without worrying about losing what I’ve been working so hard for. I just hope that money cash doesn’t rule everything around me for my entire life. I am still looking forward to starting a family soon.