Algonquin

What do you do if you're feeling lazy and have nothing better to do? You take a walk in the park. Yesterday I did just that. I decided to drive up north and explore rockAlgonquin Park, Ontario's oldest provincial park. It covers an arearoc of about 7,700 square kilometers with over 2,400 lakes and is home to thousands of wildlife species such as the black bear, dear, beaver, moose, lake trout and eastern red wolf. This ain't your mama's park. It's essentially a large area of natural forest. Getting there was easy enough, and was half the fun. From highway 401, you take highway 62 which cuts north through Hastings County and the towns of Belleville, Madoc, Bancroff, and Maynooth. Then you take highway 127, then highway 60 which leads to the east gate of the park. At certain points of highway 62, there are recessed areas that are basically rest stops minus the gasoline station, store, and fastfood restaurant. Instead, there are one or two picnic tables, a small bathroom, and a wonderful view of a lake. That's cuz it's right beside a lake. So if you wanna take a swim or go canoeing, you can do so. I took a stop at one of these cuz nature called, then just chilled for a few minutes by Robinson's Lake. It was sweet.
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Robinson's Lake

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Notice the houses or cabins at the other side. Man, they have it good. Having rested up a bit, I decided to continue my journey. Every few minutes my eyes would leave the road to look at a lake ... there were so many! After about an hour and a half I reached the town of Madoc. Later on, I reached Bancroff, then Maynooth. These are little towns with almost nothing in them. If you asked someone from these towns what they did for fun on a Friday night, he or she would probably say 'eat ice cream at a local ice cream shop' or 'rent a movie'. If you ever watched the movie "Cars", then these towns would remind you of Radiator Springs. Downtown Bancroff in particular looked like Radiator Springs. It took me a while but I was able to get onto highway 127 then highway 60. Highway 60 runs through the perimeter of Algonquin park so the side of the road is lined with the park's multicolored shrubery.
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Beware of Moose

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After buying a day permit at the east gate entrance, I headed for the visitor centre. The visitor centre has an exhibit on the history and features of Algonquin park, as well as a giftshop, a theatre, and a viewing deck.
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View from the Visitor Centre

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Lots of stuff can be done at the park such as camping, hiking, canoeing, fishing, biking, and skiing and dogsledding in the winter. Since I'm just a novice at hiking, I decided to trek through 2 manageable day trails: Booth's Rock Trail and Beaver Pond Trail. Booth's Rock Trail is a 5.1 kilometer loop that takes about 3 hours to complete.

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Trees on the way to the trailhead

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Rock cliff and waterway on the way to the trailhead

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Booth's Rock trailhead

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The first thing I noticed when I started was that I was really in a forest and that it was possible that some animal would come out and eat me or that some psycho would jump out, shoot me then bury my body deep in the woods. Oh well! The hike started easy enough. In some parts of the trail, there were signs of past human ativity, particularly logging, that happened in the late 1800's before the park was legislated to be protected.

Trail path

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Rosepond Lake

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My first stop was at Rosepond Lake. This little lake is neatly hidden away and is surrounded by Black Spruce. As I continued though the trail, it was hard not to notice how vivid the color of the flora was. Nothing needed photoshopping and everything looked 'fresh'. Before getting to the most difficult part of the trail, I visited Gordon Lake.

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Forest Canopy

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Ground Moss

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Gordon Lake

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According to my trail guide, Smallmouth Bass were introduced to this lake because they were such celebrated game fish. Unfortunately, their introduction caused the dissapearance of Brook Trout, a much scarcer species of fish. I didn't notice any fish though so perhaps, they cancelled each other out? This lake felt creepy for some reason, so I quickly scooted away and continued.

From that point on, the hike became much more difficult. The trail was now steeper and as I walked with aching muscles, it reminded me of a hike I did at Mt. Sto. Tomas in Northern Luzon when I was in gradeschool. All my effort would soon be rewarded though with a breathtaking view on top of a steep ridge of Rock Lake and the surrounding landscape. Now this was the kind of place where I could just chill, eat a burger and have a beer. The ridge had no railings so I was extra careful not to get too close to the edge.

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Rock Lake from the trail's viewing ridge

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Fall colors

While there, I started hearing some knocking sounds. Someone or something was knocking on wood. It was a woodpecker perched on a nearby tree. I also heard something awefully strange, something like a howl. I'm not sure but if it was from a wolf, then gosh darn it call me lucky!

Hey Woody, waddup?

After spending time on the viewing ridge, I continued on the trail. Unfortunately, I had lost my trail guide, so I just followed the trail blindly hoping not to get lost. Consequently, I missed one of the paths that would have lead me to the former estate of one Judge George Barclay, and an abandoned railway that used to be the busiest in Canada. That was a bummer. Next time, I'll go check it out. I continued on a path that brought me to the perimeter of Rock Lake so I was able to get to the water and sit on some of the beach rocks. Let me just say that when in the forest, the only things you hear are the swaying of the trees, the buzz of small insects, and the chirping of birds. On the other hand, if you're by a lake near the forest, you hear all that plus the howling of the wind and the splash of the waves. Pure serenity.

Rock Lake

Me getting lost

After a bit of time, I felt the need to pee, so I picked myself up and went on. No I wasn't gonna pee in the forest. Didn't wanna anger any engkanto that might be living there so I held that thought and began reciting "tabi tabi po!" even if they didn't understand Tagalog ... unless some of them were immigrants from the Philippines. I soon reached the end of the trail after hiking for approximately 2 and a half hours. After relieving myself in one of the portable toilets, I went back to the visitor centre, had a merienda of beef kebabs and rice pilaf, then immediately drove to the trailhead of Beaver Pond Trail.

Beaver Pond trailhead

Beaver Pond trail path

Beaver Pond Trail is a 2 kilometer loop that passes through two beaver ponds. Hoping to catch a glimpse of a beaver, I hurriedly walked through the trail to the first beaver pond. Nope, no beaver. I hiked a bit more and reached an impressive beaver dam. I still didn't see any beaver, but the size of the dam and the quality of construction would make any engineer proud. This dam basically created an entire lake.

A Beaver Pond

A Beaver Dam

Amikeus Lake - a beaver made lake

Further along I reached a cliff that gave a fine view of the beaver created environment - the beaver pond and beaver meadow below the pond. I still hadn't sighted a single beaver so I was a bit annoyed. Only then did the trail guide say that the best time to see them was some time in the evening from a vantage point overlooking the pond. Well, I didn't want to be in the forest at night so I decided to finish the trail and just catch the damn critter another day.

Atop the beaver viewing cliff

Beaver pond and meadow

After finishing Beaver Pond Trail I made my way home. This expedition was a lotta fun and it gave me a pretty good workout too. Sometimes, people forget that nature could provide as much entertainment as anything from a TV set or a nightclub. Once in a while it's nice to get out of the city and explore the forest and woodlands. The only thing a person needs is a pair of comfy shoes and the willingness to get a little rugged. Next time, I'd like to see some moose or that elusive beaver. They're bound to be in at least one of the 10 other trails I haven't traversed. Maybe I could go canoeing, or maybe camping. Or I could bring a bike. Or maybe I could go skiing, or dogsledding ... now that would be awesome. So many possibilities! Who knew you could do so much in a park?

Dancing Machine

These days, dancing is characterized by perpetual girations, locking, popping, freestyle, and choreography. More classic dance styles are also incorporated but rarely emphasized. Ballroom is making a little comeback, but for the most part, modern dance can be described as more salacious than elegant. Usher is probably the most popular dance artist right now, but he has yet to really create his own style. When I think of great dancers, 3 people come to mind: Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly and Michael Jackson.


Fred Astaire

If there are two words that describe Fred Astaire's dancing, they would be elegant and fun. His style combined elements of tap and ballet, and he would often include various objects to give his dance routines pizzaz. He would dance with canes, pianos, coat hangers, golf clubs, and other props. He had impecabble footwork and seemed to glide on the dance floor. He made dancing look like fun, and he did it effortlessly. Two of his greatest routines are probably 'Puttin' on the Ritz and the 'Coat Hanger Dance'. They are playful, creative, imaginative, and artistic. The moves he pulls off are extremely difficult but he makes them look so easy.

Puttin' on the Ritz

Coat Hanger Dance

Gene Kelly

Some say Gene Kelly was in the same league as Fred Astaire, and it would be hard to argue otherwise. Who could forget his memorable performance in 'Singin' in the Rain'? His style was energetic and athletic and while he wasn't as smooth as Astaire, his dancing and choreography were no less astounding. His 'Mirror Image' routine shows off his unique style. His frenetic moves make the routine highly emotive which reflects his exposure to broadway and television musicals.

Mirror Image

Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson is probably the most talented and gifted entertainer of all time. He was, despite his complexion and ever changing facial features, the total package. While he built his reputation as a a solo artist in the 80s, his genius as a dancer was put in full display in his mid to late teens when he was still a member of the Jackson 5 and later on, The Jacksons. Before the moonwalk and endless crotch grabbing became staples of his routines, his dancing was of a smoother and purer form that borrowed heavily from Astaire and early black artists. People who haven't seen much of the Jackson 5 or have not seen The Jacksons variety show are probably not familiar with Michael's extraordinary versatility. In 'Dancing Machine', he busts out the best robot I have ever seen, and his routine in 'Get Happy' is just unbelievable.

Dancing Machine

Get Happy

If someone aspires to be a great dancer, I would think that he or she should probably study these three individuals. Each of them had a unique style and all three of them were great performers who just made you wanna get your groove on. When I watch these videos my jaw just drops. They are just off the hook! Compared to them, Usher looks like an amateur.

Posterity Post : 9/11

Today is the 5th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. 2,973 people were killed.

I still remember where I was when it happened. I was in my university dorm and had just walked out of my room when a fellow dormer mentioned something about planes crashing into the twin towers. I didn't take him seriously cuz I thought he was joking. Later on I found out it was true. There were varied reactions to the events of that day. Some felt sympathy for the Americans .. after all, they were our neighbors. Others frowned upon the attacks, calling it barbaric and cruel and a sin against humanity. Others felt that the U.S. had it coming and deserved what it got.

I felt all of the above.

Whatever the sentiment one has on 9/11, it cannot be denied that it was an unfortunate event. People lost their loved ones and it changed their lives forever. All we can do is honour the memory of those who perished in the rubble, and hope that some day the world unites and becomes a better place.

If there's one more gift I'd ask of you Lord, it would be peace here on Earth.

'Higher' IQ

Today I read an article (http://www.slate.com/id/2148759/?GT1=8592) that talked about a new study that concluded that tall people earn more because they are more intelligent. The study looked at 2 groups of kids born in different years in the UK. What they found was that from an early age, height is related to intelligence. The major finding is that height, on its own bears a strong relation to pay. When it is included with measures of childhood intelligence, "it no longer does the explanatory work on its own". The conclusion is that "height appears to matter when intelligence is not included, because taller people are, on average, smarter".

Let me just say that that is the dumbest piece of horse dung I have ever read.

It doesn't make a lot of sense. It's also bad econometrics. The two numbskulls from Princeton who did this study forgot one of the most basic aphorisms in econometrics and/or statistics, that correlation does not mean causation. They point out that kids who are tall at age 16 experienced adolescent growth spurts at an early age and "turn out to be the well-fed and nurtured kids of parents who are on average smarter and richer than the rest, and who also pass on extra IQ points".

Can I please roll around on the floor and laugh hysterically now?

So that must mean that all them basketball players are geniuses! Oh my gosh! Well, they do earn a lotta money and get laid everywhere they go so I guess they're pretty damn smart. This must also mean that, on average, Asians are dumber than North Americans! Oh my garutay! What is the world coming to! There are so many flaws in this study that it has permanently altered my view of Princeton. Unfortunately, modelling this kind of thing is close to impossible, because a million different factors can come into play in an employment setting, such as education, self esteem, personal endearment, racial bias, gender, type of occupation, sleeping with the boss, being good looking, having large feet, etc. I ain't offended by this sort of thing cuz it's been known for a long time that tall folk tend to earn pretty good coin. Ok, maybe I'm a little offended. But what's really annoying is how incredibly moronic and negligent the methodlogy and underlying theory of the study is. Just cuz it seems to explain the evidence doesn't mean that it does. What comes to mind is one econometric model constructed by a prominent academic that uses production of shoes in India to explain the GDP growth of the US. Stunningly, the number of shoes produced in India explained close to 90% of U.S. GDP growth! Now that just doesn't make make much sense. Unfortunately, neither does this study. It doesn't take much height or IQ to figure out why.

'First' Day at Queen's

Today was my 'first' day of school. It's frosh week, so there was lots of hoopla and general craziness going on. The freshmen were split into groups and each had its own quirks. One group dressed in blue and had whistles. Another dressed in maroon with maroon and yellow long socks. One other dressed in old roman garb and painted themseves with white paint. Another group wore scottish kilts. Just like in any other frosh week, the new incoming students were loud and seemed to enjoy themselves. Their frosh leaders were louder and more boisterous ... I suspect drunks and alcohol were involved early in the morning. The group in blue used their whistles to help their group mates and other folks cross the street. The group in maroon had their leaders shouting and going bananas in an attempt to simulate aa boot camp. Those in roman garb paraded around campus as did those in kilts. There was also a mini parade where all the freshmen lined up with odd signs they carried around which had on each of them written the names of the various groups. These group names were generally quirky and humorous. They were so quirky and humorous that I can only remember one of them, which was 'Home Depot'. When the parade came, the marching band was playing 'In the Jungle', one of the themes in the Lion King.

As an incoming grad student, we had none of that. I registered and picked up my Queen's ID card first thing in the morning. Anna, the girl I met a few days ago when I went to meet with the grad coordinator was there. After that I proceedd to the Rideau building to get a parking permit. Unfortunately, all permits have been taken and there's a waiting list of clsoe to 200 people. That was a bummer. I then went to Canadian tire to buy some bike accessories: a pouch, a bike stand and a bike lock. After that I went home then at noon went to a welcoming lunch for us grad economics students. I was expecting some good grub, but they only served pizza which sucked. As I ain't naturally good nor comfortable in these meet and greet settings, I stood eating my pizza at the cornder of the long table for a few minutes before I struck a conversation with this dude, Leo, who took his undergrad from Carleton. As expected, it was generally a casual talk type of thing. I also met a prof Greg Smith who I might have as a prof next term. Leo and I also got our keys to our TA offices. During the lunch I also met Nelson, Mark, Tom and Sonya. After about an hour, I left cuz it was becoming pretty boring. I had lunch at home then at 3:00 went back to the campus to attend a Graduate Methods Review course. After the intro by the teacher, she handed out intro tests for us to answer. That test was freakin annoying. It had stuff on Algebra, Calculus, Probability, and Optimization. Since I had forgotten more than half of the stuff in that test, I totally bombed it. Good thing it doesn't count for anything. And that was the ned of my first day. Tomorrow will probably be another pretty busy day.