I just finished reading Stupid to the Last Drop: How Alberta Is Bringing Environmental Armageddon to Canada (And Doesn't Seem to Care). It is a very interesting look at the oil industry in Alberta and I would recommend it for anyone who lives in Canada or is from here to read.

It covers a lot of history as to how the industry developed and is also very critical of the Alberta government and industry in general in terms of the environmental policy (or lack thereof).

Be warned: it is very critical and does not portray a very positive image of the province in general. Regardless of your opinion though, it is a worthwhile read with a lot of interesting points to consider and debate.

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I got myself a new watch. The Bulova Automatic 96A107. I was basically looking for something with the following attributes:

• Dressier
• Silver in color
• Automatic - because I'm a geek and like the concept
• Gears showing on the front - geek comment again

Anyhow, I quite like it so far. Nice looking timepiece and the gear movement looks so cool. FYI, I found it on Ebay so paid a fraction of the price than what it retails new for (mine was a store display model).

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I rarely read novels, but I try to get through one or two a year if possible. Most recently I read Pillars of the Earth and World Without End. Both are written by Ken Follett.

The books are basically historical fiction. They follow the lives of a number of people living in a small town in England around the 13th century. A time when the Church was strong and the monarchy was in disarray. It focuses a lot on the building of a cathedral.

All in all I highly recommend it. I'm sure the local library will have a few copies of both of these on hand. Pillars of the Earth is the first in the series and World Without End is based quite a few years later. You do not need to read them in order, though a few references are made in the second book, but it has nothing to do with the plot.

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I don't know if you have used an impact driver before or not, but they are my new favorite tool for putting screws in. I used to use a conventional drill, which works okay, but an impact driver has dramatically improved the effort it takes.

Basically it (look up impact driver on wikipedia) combines rotational and downward movement in a small "jolt" but multiple times a second. So it is turning similar to a drill, but really in short, little jarring motions. It is very helpful when putting in Philips screws for basic household or yard renovations. It sort of makes it "grab" quicker in to the material and prevents you from stripping the head of the screw.

I used my friend's Makita impact drill and after that I had to have one. I already use the 18V Ryobi cordless tools, so I thought I would add to the set. They have an 18V Ryobi impact driver that takes the same batteries.

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I had brown, rusty water coming out of the bathtub faucet in a new home I had purchased. It only came out of the bathtub faucet portion and not the shower head when I pulled the diverter up. It also only lasted for a few seconds before clearing.

What causes this?

Well a visit to the hardware store and a half hour of repairs I figured out why. There is a "nipple" that connects the pluming in behind the bathtub all to the faucet where the water comes out. Someone had used an iron nipple. These rust and when you are not using the shower, the water that is sitting in there behind uses collects the rust particles. This rusty water is the first to come out the next time you use the shower.

The Fix

For your own handyman fix (you really can do this yourself), you need to replace this iron nipple with a brass one (or some other metal).

I needed the following tools and supplies (all available at the hardware store):

• small pipe wrench
• teflon tape
• brass tub nipple (you will want the right size)
• tile and bath sealant

I removed the tub faucet by just turning counter clockwise (some have a set-screw and slide off). Then I could see what the tub nipple was made of. I used the pipe-wrench to remove it.

Next you wrap teflon tape clock-wise around the threads of the nipple (both ends). Thread it into the plumbing behind the wall until tight. Next put the tub faucet back on until back in the right spot.

Lastly, apply the tile and bath sealant around the faucet where it contacts the tub wall. This will prevent water from getting in behind and you will probably want a mildew resistant one.

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Have you ever had the carpet tack poke through the carpet when you step on it and poke your foot?

Carpet tack is a little thin strip of wood with nails sticking up. It is placed along the edge of walls (and in my case the doorway to the bathroom as it changed to tile). When carpet is installed, it is stretched and hooked on the carpet tack nails to keep it tightly stretched across your floor.

I recently purchased a home where this was happening in the doorway to the bathroom. There is a strip of carpet tack along the threshold of the door that grips the carpet. When you step on it with your bare feet in certain positions, there is a enough pressure to push the carpet down and expose the nails in the carpet tack so they poke your foot. Rather annoying and kind of embarrassing when you have company.

Anyhow, I read up on-line for solutions and there were a few of them. What I ended up doing was the cheapest of them all. All the spots where I could press my thumb down and feel the point of the nails, I took a hammer and hit it down. The carpet is depressed along the threshold now (it was already) and the pointy carpet tack is now gone.

I have heard you need to be careful when hammering it down. This is what is holding the carpet tight here. So that won't be the case anymore. If it is tight on either side you should be okay. Be careful to not pull the carpet out from under a transition or hit whatever flooring is along that border (hardwood, tiles, etc).

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I recently replaced a fridge in a basement suite and checked out how to dispose of it. I live in Calgary, Canada. Previously, I had found a "recycling opportunities" document on the city of Calgary's website that listed privately owned businesses where you could drop off your appliance for free and they would use it. Alas, that document has been taken down (thought a number of sites still link to it).

The option I finally ended up using was taking it to a city landfill. The cost was $25 for me and it was really easy. Apparently it is a $15 flat rate fee for "freon removal" (whether it was already removed or not) and a weight charge. Just drive in, go to the Throw 'n' Go area, and unload it beside the rest of the appliances.

Some references:

• City of Calgary Recycling Main Page
• Landfill Rates
• Landfill Throw 'n' Go

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I have been quite content with just having a plain old phone for the longest time. No data plan, no texting plan, and didn't even have games on my phone. When Bell went to their next generation cellular network last week, I decided to get an iPhone.

Needless to say, I am very enthused with everything I can do on my phone. Email, my google contacts come down, my calendars from Google and my work's Microsoft Exchange server come down, tons of applications, and other things I'm find out day after day.

I'm also finding the limitations of the iPhone. I realized most of them before I purchased it and it was a fairly weighted decision between iPhone and an Android phone (phone that runs Google's Android operating system), but a few decision weighed in and I went with iPhone. Most notably, I can't run some of my apps in the background, I can't develop apps for my phone without a Mac computer, and there are some illegal apps out there that I want that the AppStore rejected.

In the next while I will fill you on my iPhone findings and what I'm doing with it.

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I recently purchased a set of PowerBlock adjustable dumbbells. Probably one of the smartest fitness purchases I have done. I own the PowerBlock Classic 45. These dumbbells can adjust from 5 to 45 pounds in 5 pound increments. This is all I need at this point, but they do have other sets that are capable of being upgraded to go as high as 130 pounds if you are looking for more weight.

There are newer versions that have more room inside the handles as well. The Sport 5.0 and Sport 9.0 series are the latest generation that have a little more room between the handles and actually go up to 50 pounds.

I was motivated to buy them because I am doing the P90X workout program. For a guy doing the classic version of the program and trying to build a little muscle, you really need to be lifting dumbbells to get enough strength training resistance. The PowerBlocks were a perfect fit for my house because I really don't have the room at my house to store it, nor do I want to pay to have a rack of dumbbells with the same range.

If you are looking for some dumbbells and are tight for money/room, then these dumbbells are a good option. I simply bought my used in the city I live in, but you can find them wherever. There are a few different brands too. The other popular one are the Selecttech Nautilus ones that Bowflex is affiliated with.

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If you haven't heard of P90X, it is the infomercial, workout program that is commonly seen on late night television or in fitness magazines. Basically, it is a DVD video workout program that involves lifting weights, pushups, chinups, cardio, yoga, and other workouts to get you in shape.

I have been doing it for a couple weeks on a more casual basis, but have started today doing the official program. Basically 90 days of fitness routines and diet. I'm going to take it easy on the diet, but will follow the fitness routines as close as possible.

I'm doing the classic routine, which is basically 1 strength routine followed by a cardio routine the next day. This is 6 days like this, one day off, and then repeat. After 3 weeks, it is a break week with 6 cardio, stretching, or yoga days and then back into another set of 3 weeks. After 90 days, presto.

I did my before pictures and measurements and will keep you posted on the 30 day, 60 day, and 90 day status.

Check out P90X on Amazon.

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