Anyone who works in the high-tech industry knows that the daily dress attire is, well, pretty laid back. Don’t get me wrong, I am big fan of the concept. It is a proven fact that employees are happier and perform way better when they are comfortable at the office.
But every once in a while, it’s nice to get dressed up so our team decided to initiate formal Wednesdays. Today was the first day we dressed the part and I have to say, everyone looked absolutely smashing.
Being the only woman in my department, I have to come up with creative ways to keep up with the guys on formal Wednesdays – staying on top of cutting edge fashion while keeping up with technology trends. Challenging yes…but according to Greendiary.com, the latest eco fashionistas trend is, well, have a look for yourself:
And for the guys, a T-shirt that spreads awareness on global warming by sensing changing temperature:
I just cannot fathom being stuck in a 10-day long traffic jam and the prospect of sitting in it until the middle of next month! A 10-minute traffic jam makes me, well, unhappy and can cause some roadrage-esque sentiments.
Right now, across the world in China motorists are just coming out of sitting in a traffic jam dozens of miles long that according to reports was to possibly last well into mid-September. Maybe it’s due to the roadwork or the massive increase of personal vehicles on Chinese roads; regardless, how exactly does one cope in a 10-day (or worse month-long) traffic jam? What about work, school and the daily necessities of life?
The route is popular with tourists visiting the Great Wall in the stretch from Beijing to inner Mongolia. According to news reports, mini-economies have sprung up along the road-side where locals are selling water and food and exorbitant prices. Good ol’ supply and demand!
Locals setting up stalls on road-side courtesy European Pressphoto Agency
Google, the heavy weight champ of internet search, is rumored to be stepping into the ring with Facebook to challenge their reign as social media champions. A recent NY Times article titled “Google Develops a Facebook Rival” discusses Google’s top-secret project called Google Me and their latest effort to penetrate the multi-million dollar social media industry.
To me the name Google is synonymous with success. They continuously achieve their corporate goals while pushing the boundaries of innovation. Their corporate philosophies are the envy of many in the technology sector and their products have become staples of our everyday life. However, for some strange reason, Google’s been unsuccessful at entering the social media industry and it’s not due to their lack of trying.
You may remember a few of Google’s previous attempts to dethrone Facebook (or maybe you don’t). Most recently was Google Buzz, the supposed Facebook killer that came out with a lot of bark but no bite. Before this was Orkurt, a social media site that never gained popularity in North America or Europe. Also, Google had their Friend Connect and Google Wave that were both heavily anticipated attempts to beat Facebook but never lived up to their initial hype.
This leads me to two questions. Why does Google continue to spend billions in this social media battle? Secondly, what will be different with Google Me that could persuade people to leave Facebook? To answer the first question let’s take a look at some numbers. Facebook recently announced it passed 500 million members (a startling 1 in 10 people on earth) and in 2009 they reportedly earned a whopping $800 million (and they’ve grown exponentially since). Therefore, Google’s current list of users and their expertise in advertizing transfers well to social media and will surely be another gold mine for the company. Also, Facebook has pushed their IPO back until 2012 giving Google Me some much needed time to gain market share before they go public. The second question is more difficult to answer as Google rarely gives insight into their bag of tricks.
Their only hint about Google Me is they’ve recently purchased 4 online gaming companies that will probably be added to the platform. Online gaming is very popular on social media sites as these simple (and fun) games allow people to play with friends in their networks. Social gaming was a $700 million market in 2009 and analysts believe the market will triple by 2012. Sure, this sounds pretty cool but is that all Google Me has to offer?
I understand why Google continues to battle Facebook for social media supremacy but nothing I’ve heard about Google Me seems overly innovative or ground-breaking. This giant versus giant battle is very inspiring but I question if online gaming will be the secret formula that Google Me needs to finally triumph over Facebook. Their previous attempts were miserable, unGoogle-like, and probably quite humbling for the company. However, they continue to get up and fight another round. Will this be another humiliating defeat for Google? Only time will tell….
Yesterday, the Vigilant Futures team went down to Youth in Motion –a Montreal organization in the Little Burgundy area close to downtown – to donate seven fully-equipped computers to their cause.
Youth in Motion is the go-to afterschool spot for teens in Little Burgundy when they want to play basketball, need a tutoring lesson or just surf the web. It’s hard to surf the web when you don’t have a computer, or in Youth in Motion’s case, have to set up a schedule because they simply don’t have enough to meet the neighborhood demand!
The organization has been helping families in the area for the last 10 years through educational, recreational and cultural programs. Although primarily for teens between the ages of 12-17, the center does a lot of good for the entire family through parent/family workshops that provide empowerment, education and support.
Teens and volunteers in the Vigilant Futures-donated computer room at Youth In Motion
Tips on what to check to see if your bike is in need of a tune-up
Like all mechanical devices, regular maintenance will help to ensure bike will run smoothly for decades. Just as neglect can see even the most expensive bike wear out in less than a season. Below is a series of simple things to check without the need for any tools (short of a ruler).
Brakes
Check that your brakes are tight enough by depressing both brake levers. If you are capable of squeezing either/both lever far enough that it touches the handlebars, your brakes are too loose and they need to be tightened.
Make sure your brake pads are properly aligned to your rims (does not apply if you have disk breaks). Watch your brakes open and close as you engage the breaks. Do the brake pads on both sides of the wheel touch the rim at approximately the same time? Is your break pad touching the center of the rim? Unless you answered ‘yes’ to both of these questions, your brakes need adjusting.
Wheels
With the wheel off the ground, give it a good spin and watch the rim at its closest point to your brakes. If you see the space between the rim and the break getting bigger and smaller, it may be time to have your wheel trued (the act of making the wheel straight). If the wheel spins without rubbing on the breaks, then it’s only slightly out of adjustment and can be safely ridden. However, if it rubs against the brakes on one or both sides of the wheel, it needs to be trued.
When the wheel is spinning it should not generate any vibrations in the bike. If it does or when it’s spinning you notice that is slows down quickly, the hub is too tight and needs to be adjusted.
With your bike in a standing position, firmly grip the tire and try to wiggle the wheel from side to side. If you feel it rocking back and forth or any looseness, your hub is too loose and needs to be adjusted.
Headset
Apply the front break tightly and rock the bike back and forth. If you feel anything loose or shaking, your headset is too loose and needs to be tightened.
While the front wheel is off the ground, grab the stem at its lowest point (just above the headset) and gently turn the wheel fully to the left, fully to the right and repeat a few times. If you feel any roughness, resistance or stiffness, the headset is too tight and needs to be loosened.
Bottom Bracket
Shift the front derailleur to the lowest/smallest gear and with a rag/cloth/paper towel/etc… pull the chain off the smallest gear and let it hang on the bottom bracket. Grab the crank arm at point it’s connected to the bottom bracket and slowly rotate the crank arm around. If you feel any roughness or resistance (should spin freely), the bottom bracket is too tight and needs to be loosened.
With the chain still off, grab both crank arms near the pedals and wiggle them back in forth in unison (push the Crank Arms in the direction of the blue arrows, then the green & repeat several times). If the Crank Arms shake around at all, the Bottom Bracket is too loose and needs tightening.
Chain
As you use your bike, the chain will slowly stretch (a well lubricated chain stretches much slower). A certain amount of stretching is ok, but if your chain stretches too far it will wear out other components and when it comes time to change the chain you’ll have no choice but to replace the components that wore out due to this stretched chain. To check if the chain has stretched, take an imperial ruler and place the zero mark in the center of one of the pins in the chain. Measure out 10” and if your chain is in new or near new condition the 10” mark will fall in the center of another pin. If it falls off center of the pin but not near the edge, your chain has stretched but still has some life left in it. If it’s near the edge of the pin, bring your bike to a professional so to be accessed. If the 10” mark is outside the pin, your chain is badly stretched and further components will need to be changed along with your chain.
Shifters and Derailleur
While slowly riding the bike, shift through all the gears one at a time. After each shift does the chain move to another gear? If it doesn’t shift, falls off the gears, takes a few moments to shift or makes a continuous clicking noise before/after the shift, the derailleur(s) need to be adjusted.
Like all mechanical devices, with proper maintenance, the majority of the mechanical components of your bicycle will last you a life time. But left unattended a component that’s too tight or too loose will wear out, cost more in repairs, reduce the efficiency of your bike and diminish the smoothness of your ride.
Although these simple tests are a good indicator or the condition of your bike, many of the components can only be conclusively diagnosed through some level of disassembly of your bike. Therefore it is always recommended to get your bike a full tuned-up (avoid the basic tune-up that adjusts your brakes and shifters/derailleur alone) at the beginning of each season.
Be sure to regularly lubricate your chain and keep your tires inflated to the pressure marked on the tire sidewalls.
It’s the third year that the Vigilant Futures NetBlasters play in the Concordia University recreational soccer league. Our first two years were a lot of fun but winning a game was a rarity and came none too easy.
Although we never did find time for practice, our team has really come together this year! The players are committed and the team spirit is impressive! It’s been challenging to make our place in the standings but we did it and we’re going to give it everything we’ve got!
Here’s the link to view the standings and league information. We hope to see all our supporters with a vuvuzela next Tuesday!
Tuesday is going to be a big day! This is going to be our first ever playoff game and I’m pretty excited. I’m getting a little nervous too because I want to be at the finals so bad…I am pleased we don’t have to sing the Vigilant anthem though. Maybe we have to scream out the vigilant values to help us through the game!
I can feel the energy within my team mates too.
Every game is a dog fight, the playoffs are very physical and hard to win, we have to stay Vigilant and blast our way through the finals.
Every now and then something happens that pushes people to achieve some pretty incredible things. It happened to Steve Rousseau – your average eighth grade student at Saint-Henri High – except he wasn’t exactly making the honor-roll each semester. His dyslexia made that kind of tough and school wasn’t his priority until he heard about the FIRST International Robotics Competition.
The FIRST International Robotics competition sparked his interest and motivated Steve to join – and eventually lead – Saint-Henri’s team to create a soccer-playing robot and show off its stuff during the Toronto competition where they won the award for perseverance. It was the first time public schools from the Montreal area competed in the FIRST competition. Not a bad finish for some first-timers!
Steve worked on the robot every day after school and on weekends, and when the team finally got to Toronto, their robot exceeded regulation size by one centimeter. The team managed to enter their robot thanks to Steve’s quick thinking and some minor mods.
Steve Rousseau working on the Saint-Henri High robot (courtesy La Presse)
It’s fair to say the competition gave Steve a reason to try a little harder at school and a reason to care about his future now that he saw what it might hold. His grades have since improved and he won’t be dropping out anytime soon.
To read the original article that appeared in La Presse, follow the link below. The web page also includes a video interview with Steve and the Youth Fusion-sponsored university student that helped the kids on the project.
Vigilant Futures is excited about its new partnership with BIXI Montreal, the city’s public bike system that has cut down on Montreal’s greenhouse gas emissions since 2009. Into its second season, BIXI is the brainchild of Montreal entrepreneurs and has sparked interest from other cities, gaining in popularity around the world. We fully support the entrepreneurial spirit, especially when the idea is born in our very own city!
The station is at the corner of Rene-Levesque and Mansfield, not too far from the office. Because we care about the environment, our employees and Montreal, sponsoring the BIXI station was an easy decision, especially when lots of you use the system everyday to get to and from work! Thanks for helping Montreal on its mission to reduce its carbon footprint for future generations.
According to Water.org nearly 1 billion people don’t have access to clean drinking water. Despite our access to free, clean drinking water, North Americans still prefer bottled water. The United Nations estimates there are 46,000 pieces of plastic in every square mile of ocean and approximately 80% of this plastic debris originates from land. North Americans seem to be the worst culprits as over the last few decades, we’ve turned away from our kitchen tap to the refrigerator for a 500 ml bottle to quench our thirst.
Well, not at Vigilant Futures, not anymore!
Back in January we began an awareness campaign to draw attention to the number of plastic water bottles we were going through every day. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then what better image for everyone to gaze upon than the actual plastic bottles consumed?
Water bottle collection
Although we had always recycled every bottle used, we started a collection in each department where every employee was asked to place all their empty bottles in designated bags for 2 ½ months. The bags were quickly filling up and we needed additional storage for the growing number of bags!
During World Water Week we unveiled the bags filled with empty plastic water bottles to all employees. Bag by bag, we brought out the bottles for all to see. Shocked faces and surprised gasps could be heard as over 20 large blue bags were brought and piled one on top of the other in our kitchen. What followed was a two-day vote where every employee was given the chance to guess how many bottles Vigilant had gone through during the collection from of January 29 to April 22.
The result? We had gone through a massive total of 3, 384 plastic water bottles! Clearly, this was a wakeup call for us all. All were ready and willing to take on the challenge of ridding our office of all plastic bottles and starting a much greener, healthier way of drinking this precious source of life!
Today, our company is officially a plastic bottle-free zone. Each employee got a Vigilant-branded SIGG™ bottle and water filtration units were installed in every department and conference room. Thanks to all Vigilant employees for your efforts and making the transition to a water-bottle free office easy.
