8 Reasons You've Got To Get Back Out To Cottage Country--Now!

1. You're skin's healed up from the scourge of bug bites: You've been sitting in your office all week, and your skin shows it: paler, smoother, the scrapes, burns, and bites have healed up. Now you wonder why you miss them so much. Something's urging you to get back out there. There was something about the pain that made you feel so much more human.

2. You've plundered your favourite fast food joint--now what? You've eaten out at all your favourite city joints, and enjoyed the spoils of your favourite big-chain grocery stores--but last night, as you were laying in bed, something hit you: a craving for Weber's hamburgers like a fever! Last week you couldn't look at another Weber's burger, but now...

3. You crave Weber's in the sickest way: You lay in bed thinking about it: "The burgers were sure good--pretty cheap too.... The process is so smooth... I love the passenger trains you can sit in--oh and the ice cream place is so good... The giant Muskoka chairs are a nice touch... Mmmm, extra pickles..."

4. You've put weight back on: Sitting around your office all week, eating at your favourite fast food places, and staring at your children languishing on the couch staring at the T.V. make you wonder why you're still in town. You want to get back out on that lake, exhausting yourself on the paddle boards, paddle boats, chasing your kids around, swimming against the tide, and carrying fire wood around. 

5. Making fires in the kettle bbq in your back yard no longer cut it: Yes, you miss the primordial act of making fire that you loved doing so much out in the wild, and find your BBQ totally lacklustre. Time to get back out there and light up some wood and roast up some marshmallows with flames licking the heavens.

6. You're roasting marshmallows over your stovetop: Can't get that craving out of your system for those caramelized marshmallows that only the fire pit can give. Maybe you're firing up your charcoal BBQ to get that woodsy taste. Follow your bliss--right back up North!

7. It's taken several showers, brands of shampoo, and gobs of conditioner to get your hair back to normal: All that lake water, mosquito spray, and lack of adequate shower facilities have rendered you like a castaway on Survivor--and getting yourself back to 'normal' took longer and more than expected. But now you feel like a million bucks--almost too clean. You miss the sticky hair and stubbled legs and the smell of insect repellent rather than deodorant. And the swimming pool is all full of chemicals and hurt your eyes when you swim in it. You yearn to plunge back in that lake, and shed the facade of city life. You want to feel human again.

8. You realized more about yourself: Being up north and roughing it made you realize things about yourself you hadn't before: you enjoy windsurfing, paddling on surf boards, catching bass out the side of a paddle boat, frying fish over a fire, chopping wood and carrying water and all that good stuff that makes us human. You realize that as much as you love 'civilization', there is a different side of you that comes alive when you're out there; a more human side--a side you miss when you're in the city. You want that part of you back. It's calling you back to the great Canadian north; back to cottage country; back to Webers and Lake Simcoe or Couchiching; back to pulling big fish off your line and cooking them up over open fire; back to not showering for 5 days because, well, you've got the lake to bathe in; back to bugs, and skunks, and racoons, and the call of coyotes; back to resplendent sunrises and magnificent sunsets; back to nature and the call of the wild. 

Do it. Get your things packed, get in the car, and get back up there--

What are you waiting for?

9 Ways You Know You've Just Returned From Roughing It At The Cottage--And No It's Not All About Webers On HWY 11

You've returned from the cottage--back to civilization. Here's how you can tell you've been roughing it for the past week or two:

1. You notice you have more scrapes, bites, and cuts than you've had the entire year: this may have seemed normal in the wild, but somehow they stand out as aberrant against your formal office attire.

2. You have an immediate craving for that special pizza or hamburger joint in your city or neighbourhood: Part of roughing it up north is missing those special take-out places from home. Weber's Hamburgers on Hwy 11 can only keep you going for so long.

3. You're sick of Webers Hamburgers on Hwy 11: You bought the burgers and fries, and have taken home the bucket of patties and buns--you've even dropped a hundred and fifty bucks on the Webers Roots attire! All this adds up to something you didn't think you'd hear yourself say: "I'm sick of Webers!"

4. You've lost weight: All that paddle-boating, windsurfing, fishing, swimming, chasing your kids around with water shoes and 40+ sunscreen--and absence of said favourite city fast food joints--has taken an inch or so away from your waste. You feel like a new person--but won't be long before you're back to normal.

5. You've gained weight: Between the BBQs and too many trips to Webers and your favourite ice-cream place in town--or the one adjacent to Webers--and all the sitting around the veranda or deck or patio, has left you a few pounds heavier. No problem: hit the bike, take the dog for an extra long walk, say good-bye to Webers till next year and you're golden!

6. You want to start building fires in your home fireplace: Yes, you miss the primordial act of making fire that you loved doing so much out in the wild, and find yourself gazing at your fireplace with wanting eyes. It's ok--in only a few months that won't seem like such a crazy thing to do.

7. You're roasting marshmallows over your stovetop: Can't get that craving out of your system for those caramelized marshmallows that only the fireplace can give. Maybe you're firing up your charcoal BBQ to get that woodsy taste. Follow your bliss!

8. It's taken several showers, brands of shampoo, and gobs of conditioner to get your hair back to normal: All that lake water, mosquito spray, and lack of adequate shower facilities have rendered you like a castaway on Survivor--and getting yourself back to 'normal' took longer and more than expected. But now you feel like a million bucks--though you realize you're going to miss that bees nest of hair you had, and your beard grown out like a cave man. Somehow you felt more human--but oh well, nothing that a trip to your favourite Tai restaurant can't cure...

9. You realized more about yourself: Being up north and roughing it made you realize things about yourself you hadn't before: you enjoy windsurfing, paddling on surf boards, catching bass out the side of a paddle boat, frying fish over a fire, chopping wood and carrying water and all that good stuff that makes us human. You realize that as much as you love 'civilization', there is a different side of you that comes alive when you're out there. It's a good thing: it makes us thankful for air conditioning and good take-out--not to mention hair conditioner--but also aware of what we are capable of if those luxuries were somehow taken away. 

Stephen Hawking & Elon Musk Warn Of Artificial Intelligence Warfare And Lead Signing Of AI Arms Ban

Steven Hawking, Elon Musk, and a host of others--notably, Steve Wozniak (co-founder of Apple), Google DeepMind CEO, Demis Hassabis, Professor Noam Chomsky, and Google Director of Research, Peter Norvig--have signed a letter suggesting a ban on AI warfare, specifically weapons operated by autonomous AIs. The letter was presented at the International Joint Conference On Artificial Intelligence in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The letter particularly warned against countries engaging in an AI arms race, the result of which would spell the end of the human race. 

What is telling is that the signatories maintain that such technologies are years away from deployment, not decades--as the general public assume--as stated in the following excerpt from the letter itself:

Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology has reached a point where the deployment of such systems is — practically if not legally — feasible within years, not decades, and the stakes are high: autonomous weapons have been described as the third revolution in warfare, after gunpowder and nuclear arms."

This should give us tremendous pause, and be something we give keen eyes and ears to the development of. We know that Elon Musk has maintained for some time that AI poses tremendous risk to the human race, while Steven Hawking has claimed that AI could spell the end of humankind. 

Where things get mucky is when many thought-leaders in this area push for a higher level of human consciousness and human/machine evolution, called the Singularity. The warnings thus become the platform upon which embedded bio-technologies become acceptable, designed to enhance the human brain so as to stay intellectually on par with AIs. The problem with these technologies is they will foist onto us greater forms of social control--a tenfold greater set of capacities than your iPhone, only embedded in your brain. 

So while we should get behind Musk and Hawking and the others to warn against the plausibility of advanced AI military technologies, we should be cautious about fully adopting biotechnologies that will radically call into question what it means to be human while providing no advantage over advanced AI. 

These are all part of understanding the risks we are living in. The more vigilant we are, the more prepared we are, and the better we are able to make thoughtful decisions. The world is being designed by itself; our technologies are taking on a life of their own. We must heed such warnings seriously.

7 Shocking Reasons Why NASA Is Excited About Discovering Earth 2.0

NASA is revelling in its new finding: an earth-like planet, called the Kepler 452b, in a 'habitable zone' given its range to a sun-like star, called a G-2, where the right temperatures exist for there to be water in its liquid form. There is no verification yet of whether it has oceans and continents. What makes NASA and many in the scientific world so excited is the possibility of Kepler 452b being "Earth 2.0."

In the wake of all this excitement, as people who must read the times and be aware of risk, why would there be such interest in an Earth 2.0? The following are a list of possible reasons:

1. A haven for the Extremely wealthy: a ticket to Mars via Elon Musk's side-project, SpaceX, costs $500,000.00--the price of a mid-sized home in Ontario. How much do you think it would cost to fly to Kepler 452b that's 1400 light years away? And what would the cost be to inhabit such a place? An Earth 2.0 suggests the first one failed or grew obsolete, thus the value of a new one. The question remains in whose interests and for what reasons?

2. Environmental Disaster: many are concerned about the Earth's population outgrowing its resources. If this happens, the extreme wealthy will be unable to maintain their ultra-posh lifestyles, and thus will have to begin over somewhere else. This leads into our next reason.

3. War and Anarchy: Where there are food and other resource shortages, there are, historically speaking, civil war, anarchy, and even genocide. So if Earth 1.0 slips into this scenario, then those who are in the upper echelons will have another planet to flee to for their lives and safety. 

4. Nuclear War: Political pressures are mounting, from Russia along the Ukrainian border, to nuclear deals with Iran, hostility between US and Israel, and unflagging conflict with ISIS. A nuclear attack from any of these countries and political groups could come at any time. If this happens, there will need to be a safe haven for political, and other, leaders to go. With technology what it is, it wouldn't be impossible to launch attacks from another location in space. 

5. Artilect War: this is a scenario put forth by brain scientist Hugo de Garis in which the Artificial Intelligence we are creating evolves far beyond our physical and intellectual capabilities thus giving rise to a take-over scenario. Like humans can easily capture animals, these super-advanced AI would just as easily capture us. However, human technology will evolve also, giving us the ability to put up a fight. Nevertheless, many people will be fleeing the planet.

6. Conflict with hostile alien life forms: Stephen Hawking and SETI are putting millions of dollars in efforts to locate alien life forms--extra-terrestrial beings. But what if that contact is hostile? What if relations curdle and these powerful beings take over Earth? May seem absurd; but with such smart people working on it and putting big money in research, it suddenly becomes very plausible. 

7. Because we can: The first mission to the Moon was the tipping point for human beings as those belonging to Earth. We at that point realized that the galaxies could also be our home; that we did not have to remain on terra firma. Ever since, our quest and desire for space exploration has remained unquenched. We seek Kepler 452b, and the 1030, and counting, on the list because we can--simple as that. 

7 Ways To Build A Great Bonfire--And No, It Has Nothing To Do With Either Tom Hanks Or Melanie Griffith

Summertime is cottage time; and cottage time is bonfire time. And because 'bonfire' means 'good fire' (rather than the bad, out of control kind), it's important that you follow safety rules when building, lighting, and maintaining one. 

1. Build a simple pit area to shape the boundary of your fire: You need to make sure you have a boundary area for your fire that prevents it from spreading beyond control. The pit area also functions as a 'place' for you and your guests to sit around, roast marshmallows, and have conversation. You can use rocks or bricks to build one; and make it about 3-5 inches high.

2. Use dry wood: When wood is dry it lights well, and thus you don't have to use lighter fluid or other chemicals to get the fire going. 

3. Use lighter fluid sparingly: If you must use some sort of lighter fluid, make sure you use only a little so that you don't have a monstrous igniting flame that curls eyebrows and melts belts. Avoid using gasoline or other strong flammants. 

4. Keep children away: it's easy to get your kids around the fire for marshmallows, but it's also easy for them to fall in, especially little ones. Keep a rule that there is absolutely no running around the fire; and keep close eye on your children when roasting marshmallows.

5. Avoid excessive alcohol or other intoxicants: when you're inebriated you're more likely to become drowsy and lose judgement. While it's nice to have a drink around the fire, having too many is unsafe, increasing the risk of injury and accident.

6. Snuff it out: When you're done with the fire, or retreating to your cabin for the night, put out the fire-especially when you have children, for it doesn't take much for one to slip outside in the night and accidentally slip into the fire. 

7. Enjoy it: It's a good fire--a 'bonfire'--and something humans have been doing for tens of thousands of years. There is a primordiality to making and keeping and gathering around such fires. Enjoy them; make them often; share good times around them. By keeping these basic safety rules you'll ensure that the bonfire remains a good fire.

A Hundred-Million Bucks To Find Aliens? Why Steven Hawking May Be A Little Nuts On This One

Today, famous Astrophysicists, Steven Hawking, and Russian billionaire, Yuri Milner (ranked 46th in Fortunes 50 most influential business people in 2010) have teamed up on a $100M project to listen for signs of extraterrestrial life. Milner--who made a great deal of money investing in Facebook and other tech companies, claims that they can leverage the computer power of Silicon Valley to hunt the entire Milky Way and 100 other surrounding galaxies. In addition to using some of the world's most powerful telescopes, it will also harness the power of SETI@home: a network of over 9-million computers that has been harnessing it's collective computing power to search for alien life forms. Steven Hawking was no less than hawkish with this poignant statement: "We are alive. We are intelligent. We must know."

While I admire the big-thinking of Hawking and Milner, a question that dominates my mind when reading such articles, or talking to people about the existence of aliens, is 'If we find these beings, and start communicating with them, what then? What's the end game? Suppose they're more intelligent than we are--what then? Have we not learned from Ridley Scott's (maker of the Alien movie series, and his most recent Prometheus) horror-wrought skepticism of even cracking open this extra-terrestrial pandora's box? 

The Co-Founder of Sun Microsystems, Bill Joy, made a case that we should place legal parameters around the asking of certain kinds of questions, lest our curiosity lead to larger catastrophes. To me, this search for alien life forms should be on that list, simply because we don't understand the risks such communication and engagement might pose. Yes, we can all think of the propaganda piece E.T. whose cute, cuddly alien could easily cozy up with Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy, but that's simply showbiz; the reality of it, to me, is closer to Scott's: these could be supra-intelligent beings that could easily destroy us. 

And there are many different theories about their intelligence, and their participation in such wonders of the world--as the Pyramids and Stone Henge, as Carl Sagan and, contentiously, Erich von Danikan (one of the founders of SETI) maintained among others--suggesting these beings to possibly have greater intelligence than we can realize. 

So is this new project of Hawkings and Milner to be celebrated or that which should raise the hair on our backs, as well as our eyebrows? If the truth is out there, is it worth the risk of finding it? Sometimes an unknown truth is better left alone than found and left to its own devices. This should definitely rank up there with other existential risks to humanity, and something we as human beings should be keeping watch of. 

So is this new project of Hawkings and Milner to be celebrated or that which should raise the hair on our backs, as well as our eyebrows?

We'll just have to wait and see...

Mid-Summer Burn-Out Might Be Hitting You Hard, But These Tips Can Help

The middle of summer may seem like an odd time for people to experience burn out, but it can hit any of us at any time. Understanding what burn out is will help you either spot it in your own or your friend/loved one's life, and obtain the tools to overcome it. 

Burn out is something that hits many people of different ages and professions; however, one common characteristics seems to be a high-achievement orientation to the world, and a proneness to overwork and push oneself beyond the efforts of the 'average' person. For such people who feel they can do everything, according to Psychology Today, burn out can creep up unnoticed. And because many high-achievers tend to be passionate about what they do, they often do not realize how many extra hours they're putting into their work, and the extra projects they're taking on. 

In a study by the Sloan Work and Family Research Network of Boston College, those who overwork tend to fit the following profile:

• People between the ages of 30 and 49
• Parents of teenagers tend to work longer hours than parents of younger children; and those who are in elder care situations tend to be more overworked than employees without such responsibilities
• Over the past 25 years, dual wage-earners combined work hours per week increased from 80 to 91 hours on average.
• Workers of the Baby Boom generation tend to feel more overworked than those of other generations.
• The largest number of people in work situations of mandatory longer hours are those in executive and administrative occupations
• Small business owners work the most hours (paid unpaid) at their main or only job with 38% working more than 50 hours per week.

Burn out is a state of chronic stress that is comprised of the following:

• physical and emotional exhaustion
• cynicism and detachment
• feelings of ineffectiveness and lack of accomplishment

The New York Times, in an article titled, Dealing With Burnout, describes this condition as "not just when you need a vacation to recharge. It’s when you feel overwhelming exhaustion, frustration, cynicism and a sense of ineffectiveness and failure." It used to be something experienced mostly by people in the human services occupations--health care workers, social workers, therapists, police officers--but has expanded to many other professions.

Psychology Today outlines the following symptoms of burn out:

1. Chronic fatigue: In the early stages, you may feel a lack energy and feel tired most days. In the latter stages, you feel physically and emotionally exhausted, drained, and depleted, and you may feel a sense of dread for what lies ahead on any given day.

2. Insomnia. In the early stages, you may have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep one or two nights a week. In the latter stages, insomnia may turn into a persistent, nightly ordeal; as exhausted as you are, you can't sleep.

2. Forgetfulness/impaired concentration and attention: Lack of focus and mild forgetfulness are early signs. Later, the problems may get to the point where you can't get your work done and everything begins to pile up.

3. Physical symptoms: Physical symptoms may include chest pain, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, gastrointestinal pain, dizziness, fainting, and/or headaches (all of which should be medically assessed).

4. Increased illness: Because your body is depleted, your immune system becomes weakened, making you more vulnerable to infections, colds, flu, and other immune-related medical problems.

5. Loss of appetite: In the early stages, you may not feel hungry and may skip a few meals. In the latter stages, you may lose your appetite all together and begin to lose a significant amount of weight.

6. Anxiety: Early on, you may experience mild symptoms of tension, worry, and edginess. As you move closer to burnout, the anxiety may become so serious that it interferes in your ability to work productively and may cause problems in your personal life.

7. Depression: In the early stages, you may feel mildly sad, occasionally hopeless, and you may experience feelings of guilt and worthlessness as a result. At its worst, you may feel trapped, severely depressed, and think the world would be better off without you. (If your depression is to this point, you should seek professional help immediately.)

8. Anger: At first, this may present as interpersonal tension and irritability. In the latter stages, this may turn into angry outbursts and serious arguments at home and in the workplace. (If anger gets to the point where it turns to thoughts or acts of violence toward family or coworkers, seek immediate professional assistance.)

Remedies To Combat Burnout

If you're facing burn out, don't give up--you can get back on your feet and to the level of performance that you are capable of; however, it will take some time and discipline. Here are some ways you can work to overcome burn out, according to Psychology Today:

1. Take an Inventory: List all the things that are causing you stress and anxiety right now. Take your time to make the list--don't rush through it. If new things come to mind in 24 hours, write them down.

2. Itemize: Next to each item, jot down ways that you can change those situations so that they don't feel as stressful--little strategies to get around them and reduce the stress. Again, this is a process, not a race--take your time. If you can't find strategies for some--or all--of them, don't worry; just keep working through them.

3. Just say no: It's good to say no to people and situations if you don't want to do them or you feel obligated to do them. Saying no is a way of gaining back a sense of who you are. Some people prescribe saying no for an entire week, even to things you might want to do, just to get in the habit. 

4. Delegate: You don't have to do everything. Get in the habit of delegating to others, even if they won't do it as well or fast as you. Releasing the burdens will start to take the weight off your shoulders, and help you recover.

5. Take breaks between big projects: Often we are tempted to rush from one project to the next, especially if it promises monetary reward, promotions, or just keeping your position as Alpha Dog. But taking breaks are an important way of regaining your stamina and having the time and space to reflect on your successes and prepare body and mind to move on.

6. Turn off devices: It is not implausible that our devices are the reason for a surge in burn out. We are no longer really in control of our lives--our devices control us, through which we are always on call, always expected to be available, always multi-tasking. Turning off your device gives you adequate time and space to reflect on your actions.

7. Socialize outside of work: If your only source of relationships are work colleagues, then you are ever-mired by the issues and toxins of your workplace. Getting out from under that and hanging out with people of different interests and backgrounds can be very healthy.

8. Avoid bringing work home: Resist the urge to bring work home; you can get everything you need done at the office--the rest is either not that important, or a way of bolstering your ego. We are often validated based on our work, so we do it all the time. Your recovery will require you to rethink your work habits.

9. Effort, not outcome: Be more engaged in process, not product. Enjoy the work, get into its flow; and let the outcome emerge from the joy of the process itself. 

10. Consider a support group: This is a common problem, and there are therapists and communities that can help you rethink and re-prioritize. 

Are HOV Lane Cheaters Jerks, Or Is There A Deeper Moral Problem?

The HOV Lanes have been a hit and miss the past couple of weeks since their instalment on June 29. Many people have complained about squeezing into the middle and right lanes during rush hour while the left lane has been largely unoccupied; and high profile folk like Rob Ford have admitted to using them when driving alone in their vehicle. 

When you think about it, the HOV Lanes require an inherent ethical agreement, namely to avoid using them if you the number of occupants in your vehicle is less than the minimum of 3. And without proper monitoring of the lane that, for example, cameras would create, it is a simple social contract that one tacitly enters. 

But what keeps people from following the rule? Is it simply the fine of $110? If 1,000 cars started taking the HOV lane, would all 1,000 be pulled over? No, of course not. How many could be logically and practically caught? A very small percentage. 

Wheels editor for the Toronto Star, Norris McDonald, highlighted this issue in a recent post, lambasting drivers, like Ford, who cheat on the HOV lanes. The logic is that since he chooses to abide by the rule, everyone else should. And his other point is well-noted, namely that without adequate monitoring of the lane, there is little expectation, beyond the flimsy social contract, for everyone to abide by it. 

But isn't this like life itself? Are you monitored all the time when you make decisions that will impact someone's life, say for instance, keeping the extra money when the cashier makes a mistake and gives you too much change; or when you are not charged for an item at the store and walk out knowing the cashier made a mistake without going back and settling it ethically? Or how about lying to someone? These are just scratching the surface of a system of social contracts we enter into, and often break, everyday. The HOV lanes are a simple example, a microcosm (small world) of life at large, of this system, and as such may give us a glimpse into the ethics of those people who, while completely annoyed and frustrated by idling in the other two lanes, choose to abide by the rule. 

Are we then to conclude that all those who avoid using the HOV lanes when under-occupied are people with high ethical standards? While it may be contentious, it wouldn't be too far out to presume.

And, if the HOV lanes are in fact a standard for behaving ethically in other areas of life, then what can we conclude, overall, about Mr. Ford?

As We Mourn The Death of Nintendo President Satoru Iwata, These 5 Benefits Of Video Games Are Amazing

Satoru Iwata, the now deceased President of Nintendo and self-professed gamer, changed the way video games were played, focusing so much attention on the hardware that his efforts led to, among other products, the infamous Wii, selling over 100 million units. He was a gamer who believed video games are "fun fun for everyone!", as well as a benevolent company President punctuated by two occasions in which he took a 50% decrease in salary during company slumps as a result of competition from other companies (Sony and Microsoft) and the smart phone industry respectively.  He passed away at 55 years of age as a result of cancer. 

But are video games just a fringe activity, or are there benefits to sitting in front of a screen with palm-sweat hands and grinding teeth maneuvering some kind of avatar or race car through a series of challenges? Indeed there are. However, it must be qualified that while there are some revealing studies out there, the application of scientific and academic study to the phenomenon of video games remains rather new, and thus you'll notice some of the claims to be preceded by 'might' and 'may' and other conditional terms. 

1. Mario Bros considered steroids for the brain: A focus group with a median age of 25 was assigned to play Super Mario Bros 64 for 30 minutes a day for 2 months straight; a separate control group played no video games at all. Both groups received an MRI and the difference was striking: the video game group showed a high level of grey matter around the hypo campus, the area of the brain responsible for memory, strategic thinking, spacial navigation, and fine motor skills. The conclusion was that video games can have a marked effect on brain function, and may even be therapeutic for those with various mental disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder. 

2. May slow the aging process: Playing brain-games, like Nintendo's Brain Age can lead to increased brain function and even memory, especially for those over the age of 50. This can significantly slow down the aging process, especially in areas of memory and overall brain activity.

3. Might ease cravings: Being engrossed in a video game puts you in flow: time stops, and you're fully engaged in something that takes over your mind and body. This is the same phenomenon artists feel when they're in creative flow, in which they can go an entire day without eating. Hence, video games, by virtue of putting you in flow, can ease cravings for your vice of choice.

4. Decrease in pain and anxiety: Studies of sufferers of chronic pain and anxiety revealed a decrease of pain and suffering while engrossed in virtual reality games. Again, this can be related to being in a state of flow in which even pain is quelled. A study in Medical News Today shows that virtual reality games could be an effective way of treating chronic pain and anxiety.

5. Lead to quicker decision-making: In Malcolm Gladwell's famous title, Blink, life often requires of us not long overwrought decisions, but quick ones; and it's our ability to make them, and make them well, that leads to success. Using this as a kind of truism, video games are known to enhance this 'Blink' ability, in one study revealing a 25% increase in quick decision-making performance. 

As we mourn the loss of Satoru Iwata, a brilliant business man, visionary, and gamer, we can simultaneously commend him for contributing to our understanding of video games and their ability to enhance and benefit our daily lives in a myriad of unassuming ways. 

Running The HOV Lanes And Other Big Time Triggers Of Road Rage This Pan Am

Over a million extra people are expected to flood into the GTA over the next two weeks: traffic will be a mess, stress will surge, and some, if not many, will be pushed to the edge of their patience. The HOV lanes are one solution, but they continue to abrade the ire of drivers and stroke the entitlement of Toronto's former mayor. As we drive the highways during these Pan Am Games, we will need to exercise greater patience than ever. Knowing the triggers of road rage and avoiding them is one way to be safer and more prepared as you travel.

1. Cutting Off: This is one of the primary causes of road rage among males, having the potential to set off explosive behaviour and even pursuits. Remember to first check your blindspot before signalling, and check again before moving into the lane. 

2. Blocking the Passing Lane: If you're in the left lane and going considerably slower than the pack ahead of you, yield to those faster drivers coming up in your rearview mirror--just for courtesy. Once they've passed, and you insist on driving in the left lane, simply move back in. You may feel you're justified to drive in that lane at the maximum speed limit of 100 km/hr, but the left lane has it's own unspoken rules and courtesies--crossing them can lead to problems.

3. Tailgating: This is another major trigger that can set people off. If you're stuck in traffic, tailgating the guy in front of you whose stuck behind 100 other cars is not going to make any difference, but could certainly create an altercation. Take a deep breath and back off. If you're being tailgated, and you want to communicate with the person, rather than hit your brakes and threaten a collision, simply flicker your hazards for a moment to remind the person that it's not safe.

4. Hand Gestures: I got into a situation once where I gestured to someone as if to say "What's the matter with you!" and he snapped and started chasing me down the highway. Hand gestures leave too much for interpretation--and when people are already heated up, a gesture can really set them off. And never flip people the bird--there are incidents in which people have been stabbed or shot for doing so. One hand gesture that can cool flames is genuinely waving to thank someone for letting you in front of them in a lane. This is very effective, if you are not bullying your way in the first place.

5. Horn Honking: I was in a hospital emergency parking lot, and backing along the side of the entrance, when a man pulling in honked at me--it really bothered me (ok, so I honked back--violating this rule). In Alberta, it's an unspoken rule that you don't honk at people for doing things that upset you--quite nice. Only honk if you need to, and don't do it to somehow retaliate at the person who honked first. The whole ridiculous thing can spiral and lead to a possible road rage incident.

6. Mobile Phones: This is another major trigger of road rage: texting and driving. Funny: so many of us do it, and yet completely freak out if we see someone else doing it. 

7. Headlights: Highbeaming the car ahead of you can really upset its driver, not to mention startle them, thus possibly causing an accident. If you're driving with your high beams on a two-lane highway that is without street lights, remember to switch them off for oncoming vehicles. 

8. Eye Contact: How many times do you get upset at the person in the car ahead--say, for going too slow in the fast lane--and you roll up on them and shoot them cold stare? Best to avoid this altogether. Easier said than done, but it is another major trigger of road rage, and can set off a course of action that you will regret.

9. Running the HOV Lanes: If you're under the minimum occupancy to drive along the HOV lanes, don't use them to cut in and out of traffic. Motorists who are making a legal decision to follow the rules of the law are in just as much a hurry as you, and are just as entitled as you. Running the HOV Lanes will only make people upset, and will lead to altercations.

It's best to avoid conflict at all costs. In the heat of the moment, when your blood's boiling, just ask yourself this simple question: "What's your plan?" If it's driving up the other car's tail pipe and attacking the driver, then you have other issues. If it's just to get back at the 'offender', then you need to take a deep breath, relax, avoid the conflict, and move on. The highway, especially, can seem like a race, but it's really not. The most important thing is getting to your destination safely.

We'll all need to get along over the course of the Pan Am Games, and in the future as our cities grow, and highways become more restricted in their often lethargic attempts to facilitate the constant influx of drivers and vehicles. Knowing these 8 things, and avoiding them at all cost, will help keep you, your passengers, and those around you, safe.

Rob Ford's Skirting the Law And Other HOV Lane Absurdities

The HOV Lanes are creating more problems than those on the highway--and given that the Pan Am Games have not even begun, we most likely haven't seen anything yet. 

1. Rob Ford admits he uses the HOV when driving solo: In a media scrum at Toronto City Hal today, Ford admitted to using the HOV lanes when driving solo, calling them "a disaster," and a "pain in the rear end." His words of advice? "You've gotta watch the cops over your shoulder." Obviously Ford feels entitled as he veers in and out of the lanes to avoid a fine; but not everyone feels they can do that--perhaps a more sensitive conscience. Has Ford, as a former leader of Toronto, just set a precedent? Has the media passive-aggressively sought to call into question the authority of the HOV lanes by reporting this story? Will there be an increase in single-occupancy vehicles along the HOV lanes as a result? We'll have to see. But one thing we can be sure of: If we see a guy in a red Adidas jump suit charging in and out of the HOV lanes in a veering Cadillac Escalade, we can bet money that it's Rob Ford.

2. A man, a couple of dummies, and the HOV: A man was charged today with violating the 3-person minimum of the HOV lanes after he was caught with two mannequins disguised as passengers. Absurdly, the occupants wore seatbelts (they were mannequins, not crash-test-dummies), and didn't receive any further fines for the deception. Violating HOV lane policy gets you a $110 fine and 3 demerit points. 

3. Mannequins for rent: The man charged today is only one instance of a trend of people renting out mannequins for the HOV lanes. A salesman has been receiving a greater number of hits on his mannequin rental ads on kijiji--at $40 a month, it's a steal to be able to coast along the HOV lanes.

4. Occupants for rent: Two young Georgetown residents are offering their carpool services to anyone who wants to speed along the HOV lanes: At $55 per one-hour trip, you can legitimately ride the lane. One foresees a greater number of business-savvy people providing similar services, and driving the price down in the process. Within the next couple of weeks, one could be coasting down the HOV lanes with legitimate occupants for about $10/hour. Not a bad deal!

5. HOV Lanes hitting road after Pan Am: According to a spokesperson for the Ontario Ministry of Transportation, the HOV lanes will be rescinded after the Pan Am Games; however, it has been intimated that the "pain in the rear end," (echoing again Ford's disfavour of them) is an experiment for longer-term plans. If this is the case, Rob Ford won't have to look over his shoulders for the cops--at least not for violating HOV laws. 

The Pan Am Games Are Causing a HUGE Raucous Around The GTA--Here's How You Can Avoid It

Getting around the GTA is a nightmare during the Pan Am Games--but it's nothing that we haven't been given fair warning of over the past number of months. As we've covered off about HOV lanes, driver rage is a growing issue as commuters sit while a minority of cars with 3+ passengers whisk by. 

So what can you do to stay cool during the games? Here are a few tips:

1. Provide vacation days: Employers are allowing their employees vacation days during the games to alleviate commuting times and frustration. It's good for company morale when you extend grace to people who would otherwise be facing a 2 hour commute, one-way, into work. If you're an employer, look into this trend, and offer it if feasible. If not feasible, consider flex-time hours.

2. Consider remote agreement: With technology what it is today, there's no real reason to be at a centralized location everyday. If you're an employer, consider a remote work agreement for the time of the Games. If you're an employee and have a good track record of responsible work, talk to your manager or employer about a remote agreement.

3. Carpool: This was suggested in my HOV post, and is one of the best ways to beat the HOV lanes during the games. If you and a couple of other guys can hook up at a carpool location, you can burn down the HOV lane to work. Check out the Metrolinx Smart Commute program.

4. Get out of town: Some people are making plans to live with relatives or friends to get out of the city and avoid gridlocked roads and tourists. According to the Toronto Star, A total of 7,500 athletes, 23,000 volunteers, 4,000 members of the media and 1.4-million spectators are expected to be in town for the Pan Am Games. If you can get away, do it. And, again, if you need to get back into town, you can use the Metrolinx Smart Commute program.

5. Use Trip Planner tools: There are a couple of trip planner tools that will be important for you as you're planning your commute, visit to the Games, and just plain getting around the city. Check out the Toronto 2015 Games Trip Planner, and Triplinx for commutes in Toronto and Hamilton.

6. Exercise patience: Just think, it's only a few weeks of mess and hassle. If you need to go somewhere, take some people with you and enjoy the HOV lanes. If you have to travel, do it wisely and use the tools mentioned above. And remember, such driving hassles are all part of living in and around one the greatest cities in the world. 

Top 5 Reasons You'll Be Pulled Over By The Police This Summer

It's summer--officially. And amidst the apocalyptic haze of HOV lanes and the looming taxi strike that jaundices the heraldry of the Pan American Games, for us mortals there is still life to be lived, decisions to be made, places to go. It is also a time of rampant radar and vigilant police cruisers operated by itchy-fingered officers with a neat stack of yellow tickets and a mandated quota to fill. 

So what are the reasons you'll be pulled over this summer? 

1. Running a red: You're 10 minutes late for your nephew's birthday party, and getting incessant flack from your occupants; your foot lies heavier on the gas fuelling the vehicle's surge along the stretch of road. The light ahead is yellow, and you've calculated its turn to red by the millisecond, blasting through the threshold--but your calculations were way off, and you clearly run through red. A cruiser is slouched at the intersection and witnesses the whole thing--busted!

2. Speeding: You pull over the vehicle to the uproar of your occupants--for now you're not only going to be 20 minutes late to the party, but arriving there poorer than before you left--and the officer charges you with running a red, and driving 20 kms over the limit. Speeding is another routine traffic infraction; and it can sneak up on you unawares, whether on the highway or residential streets, this is one that 

3. Seat Belt: The officer looks in your vehicle, and your seat belt is unlooped at the shoulder--assuaging your sensitivity to anything lying with the slightest weight across your heart--and your fine is immediately increased, regardless of your pleas for grace. He also notices your 12 year-old in the back isn't wearing hers--flouting the countless times you told her to buckle up. The charges mount--there goes the golf tournament you had been saving up for the past month.

4. Distracted Driving: You're now really late for the party, and the panic of the run-in with the officer exacerbated by the burning sensation of the yellow ticket on your lap, puts you in a momentary state of memory loss--where's that house again? You get on your phone and clumsily tap and slide to Google Map; but there's a glitch in the program, and it's taking forever to open, drawing more of your eye from the lines the road ahead. Sirens erupt behind you, and you pull over to let it through--only this time, it stops behind you: busted again!

5. Aggressive Driving: A deuce of yellow tickets, militaristic officers, and a merciless family of occupants has put you over the edge--and the quadruple espresso from Starbucks before initially heading out didn't help. You're seeing red. Everyone in front of you is the enemy who must be vanquished in your acrid wake. You speed along; the noise in the vehicle deafening--wheeling in and out of cars, tailgating, honking incessantly, running more lights and changing lanes through intersections. Lights, sirens--you know the result...

While this is an extreme scenario, the point is obvious: be wary on the roads, obey the laws of traffic, stay cool while it's hot, respect one another, and strive for safety first over against punctuality. You'll be safer, securer, embraced by your friends and loved ones for respecting them, and, as a result, richer by keeping your money in your pocket rather than filling those of the OPP. 

What Terminator Genysis Won't Tell You About The Future Of Humans Versus Machines--But Elon Musk Will...

We are living in a world that is moving very quickly into a future that we have little idea about, how to cope and manage, and simply prepare for. Many of us are too locked into our 8-6 routines, our sports entertainment, and various forms of consumption to even take the time to read and try to comprehend where we're heading as a civilization--but there is so much change happening, for many of us, not before our eyes but rather under our noses. 

Hugo de Garis believes the Artilect War (aka Terminator) is highly plausible.

Terminator Genysis is the fifth part of the Terminator series that lays out a scenario of man versus machine, or, what brain scientist, Hugo de Garis, has academically called the Artilect War: a scenario that, for him, lays out a dystopian view of artificial intelligence (AI) in which machines enter war with humans and, as if the latter were fighting gods, destroys them. This scenario is not implausible, but it is not the only one; and it is not entertained merely by fringe academics. Cambridge in 2012 launched a program for the Study of Existential Risk, which brings together researchers from all over the world to study and create plans to avoid extreme technological risks that threaten to destroy our entire civilization. 

Bill Joy has been one to voice concern about the policies that deter from the pursuit of certain kinds of scientific questions. He shares Elon Musk's concern about the destructive powers of AI.

And, just this week, Elon Musk and the Future of Life Institute, are rewarding 37 research groups $7M to create solutions that keep AI working for the benefit of humanity. According to the Future of Life Institute, "The program launches as an increasing number of high-profile figures including Bill Gates, Elon Musk and Stephen Hawking voice concerns about the possibility of powerful AI systems having unintended, or even potentially disastrous, consequences." Here's how the project break down:

• Three projects developing techniques for AI systems to learn what humans prefer from observing our behavior, including projects at UC Berkeley and Oxford University
• A project by Benja Fallenstein at the Machine Intelligence Research Institute on how to keep the interests of superintelligent systems aligned with human values
• A project lead by Manuela Veloso from Carnegie-Mellon University on making AI systems explain their decisions to humans
• A study by Michael Webb of Stanford University on how to keep the economic impacts of AI beneficial
• A project headed by Heather Roff studying how to keep AI-driven weapons under “meaningful human control”
• A new Oxford-Cambridge research center for studying AI-relevant policy

The future of AI is upon us. Many people believe it's already so far off that we needn't worry about it. However, people Musk, Gates, and Hawking are no intellectual slouches; and if they're voicing concern and creating contexts for researchers to prepare now, then there must be a level of risk and urgency. 

Interview with Elon Musk: Artificial Intelligence is Humankind's greatest threat.

The Terminator scenario is one among a complex scribble of myriad others. What some worry about is the Terminator movie is taken as the only scenario, and thus skews popular opinion and even truncates research. The other unintended consequence of the movie is that people take it as mere fiction, and do not see it as an important 21st Century myth that projects a plausible scenario onto our future. Moreover, some believe that movies like Terminator are used to actual preempt the real thing. 

The truth of the matter is, we should as a populace be watchful for where our technology is taking us, and work with those who are seeking to put in place responsible policies for the careful development of these technologies. However, it could very well be the case that we've put the future in motion and will be unable to control its unintended consequence--the technology is already emerging, and there is little we can do to stop it. Musk and others realize this, and are making attempts to do something about it. Let's hope it's not too late...