(Part 2) Best products from r/Calgary

Yeah but there's the other side to this too. I was looking for a Kindle, a brand new basic one is $80 (+ tax I guess). So I ask some woman who has listed a Kindle Touch (i.e. 5 years old) on Kijiji for $100 if she'll take lower because it's cheaper on Amazon, and she's like "yeah, I know how to Google", so I say "ok, I'll take that as a yes, would you take $40" and she says "No $80 is as low as I'll go". So she apparently knows a brand new one is $80, but feels that her old model is worth the same, if not more. I think it is a great demonstration of people getting attached to their things, and valuing it more than an impartial third party would. Sometimes coming to an agreement with people like that is impossible.

Anyway, that Kindle is still listed if anyone feels like picking up a Kindle Touch for $80.

I did a few beginner adult classes at Yamaha Music School in April, there are 2 of them in the city, one in the North another in the South

I went in for 11 lessons, 45min duration each, $45 per lesson. So $1 a minute.

The instructors you get to choose, based on your time preferences. You'll have to get your own lesson books and the instructor teaches out of your book. You go there to the facility every week and play the piano they have there inside a room. It was quite different playing on an upright piano as opposed to my digital piano at home which took some adjustments.

I got this book and the instructor pretty much went page by page, it was worth it in that it was motivating for me to learn. I got assigned homework songs to practice and the instructor critiques me on them the following week.

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/1616772050/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

A lot of the stuff were pretty basic, especially the music theory part, I recommend doing youtube videos to cover the basics of music theory if you don't know it (so that you don't waste time going over it in the lessons since time is money...), and this site is amazing for testing yourself as well as learning music theory https://www.musictheory.net/

If budget is tight for you (it was for me), just go in for a few lessons to get the basic techniques down, and then you can teach yourself out of the books until further down the road when you get more advanced.

There are also other books to choose from, namely Bastien and Alfred series of books. They all have a whole progression by different levels and you can work your way thru all of them by yourself if you are motivated.

Buy this book, and don't just read about the specific cars you want, read the whole overview of cars and selling/buying in general: Lemon Aid New And Used Cars and Trucks 1990-2016 You'll learn all kinds of important things about vehicles that you'd never know otherwise.

Some things to know: Check the VIN before buying any car. It's the long alpha-numeric thing on the dash by the windshield, usually on the driver's side. Write that number down and take it to a registry, and pay for a check on that number. If the car has been written off or been in accidents, it'll be recorded on that number.

If possible, try to get one where the history is known from its beginning. If the original owner is selling it and has a paper trail for any work/maintenance that has been done, that is HUGE! Cars with unknown histories can have all sorts of weird problems. Not always, of course, but again, being able to trace ownership is valuable if it's at all possible.

Edited to add, make sure you can take it to an independent garage for a full inspection. They're about a hundred bucks but well worth it.

Curbsiders are a bit of a problem in Alberta. Those are people who are posing as private sellers, but in reality their business is to buy and resell cars quickly without any real investment or overhead. If you see a lot of the same number or email popping up on Autotrader, on listings that are supposedly for personal vehicles, those are curbsiders. They don't care if they sell you anything decent, they're just flipping to make a buck.

You can still get a decent vehicle in your price range, but my advice is to not rush into it. Keep looking, stay away from car lots, if you do find one at a lot then make sure you stay away from any extended warranty protection -- there is provincial legislation in place that actually protects the consumer somewhat in case of a car that needs to be returned to a lot, regardless of existing warranties and so on. Extended warranty carriers tend to be more trouble than they're worth.

Try to get front-wheel drive or AWD/4WD. A lot of older vehicles, and even some new ones, are rear-wheel drive, which is a bit touch and go on icy roads. If your perfect find is a RWD, just put sandbags over the wheelwells/in the trunk during winter. I did this with my 1979 Camaro back in the day.

Good luck with whatever you find!

Yup. This is a job that's worth doing yourself if youre even a bit mechanically inclined. It's really not that hard and you can figure it out by watching youtube videos. A pro can do it in under an hour but give yourself half a day to take it slow and do it right the first time.

Best way to save money is not to give it away to someone for something you can do yourself.

ps. Check the cost of new rotors before you resurface the old ones. It's often so close in cost (EXCEPT at the dealers parts price) that's its faster and easier to get new rotors. Want them super cheap? Order on Amazon
http://www.amazon.ca/Premium-Slotted-Drilled-Ceramic-KT113131/dp/B014X7GMJS/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1452743552&sr=8-13&keywords=2012+honda+civic+front+brake+rotors

> Trump literally praises putin

No he doesnt

" If that is the type of "nation building" you aspire for Canada or any other nation, leave me out.'
If it means having peaceful relations with other nations count me and all the sane people in as well!
Total opposite of Hillary and her WW3 plans

"Hillary has years of negotiating experience in the State Department."

Worst ever at the State Department

Even if Hillary was half guilty in everything she is accused of, that would just be another thing she has excelled at over Trump.
What drugs are you on? Fentanyl?

Trump has a track record of operating as a Executive for over 30 + years with over 400 successful entities to his name. And he wrote a Best Seller on Business Management. People know he is amazing at decision making which would translate well as President.

"The fact that some 20-40% of the USA is thinking of voting for him speaks volumes to the state of American education systems.'
Smart folk who have done the research will vote for him.

If you're a beginner, those are some good resources to start with for reading, including Tae Kim's Guide to Learning Japanese. For Kanji, I'm using "Remembering the Kanji" by Heisig. Japanese Skype partners or using HelloTalk is great if you're looking to have a conversational partner with. Your Chinese background will definitely help with your Kanji, so that's great.

Keep in mind about payout, though. It doesn't make practical sense to study intermediate or advanced levels of a foreign language if you're not going to be working or living there for an extended amount of time (e.g., spending three years to study advanced Spanish for a month long vacation in Mexico makes zero sense sans personal enjoyment).

Best of luck on your never-ending adventure of learning.

Go plant based! And read the book How Not to Die - it's the most comprehensive book I've found on food as medicine and contains information on what to eat day to day to reverse and minimize risk of dying from the top fifteen killers in North America. If you're eating plant based, as long as you're eating a lot of whole plant foods (good carbs) you can eat a quite a lot of food without surpassing your daily caloric requirements, meaning you won't feel hungry or unsatisfied like you could with calorie restriction on a diet. Plant based isn't a diet - the science is pretty firm that diets don't work. Going plant based is changing the way you eat and look at food (as medicine and fuel), and can help to heal a lot of the damage to your heart, liver, other organs as well as is the best diet to lower your cholesterol, blood pressure and reduce your risk of dying from heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, liver disease, kidney disease etc. Pretty life changing, I'd highly highly recommend it.

There's a lot of suggestions for the app MyFitnessPal but I'd recommend cronometer, https://cronometer.com/ it's excellent for tracking your vitamin, mineral and protein intake and breaks down your macro nutrient data very clearly.

That's honestly a pretty heavy ask on your friend's part, especially on such short notice. Wes Anderson is known for a visual style heavily reminiscent of the mid-20th Century, with rather European bent. Rich textures, vibrant colours, vintage props showcased in loving detail, and symmetry, symmetry, symmetry. Every frame he puts on the screen is a postcard. His movies would honestly be totally insufferably twee if they weren't actually incredibly good.

If you google Wes Anderson style you'll see what I mean.

As for a party... I'd see if anyone you know owns a record player like this Crosley and get some old records from the 40s and 50s (if not soundtracks from Wes Anderson's films).

Try refurbished from Amazon or best buy. I found Amazon laptops pretty good value.
I bought a refurb from both stores. I bought this 1 month ago and it's pretty good laptop!
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07F3X9FST/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_vNR4CbTQJ1HSC

I doubt you will find any for sale in town. I bought this one years ago for 219 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000ANW7HQ/ref=pe_385040_30332190_pe_175190_21431760_3p_M3T1_ST1_dp_1

it has only gone up 10 bucks in price so it's a great deal. it makes 6 liters in about 4 hours and is really easy to use. It also has the capability to accept a carbon filter in case you want to try distilling other things (I haven't tried yet but I hear rumors it works great for moonshine). I use it for a lot of things including drinking it occasionally. The best use though is in mixing with sal suds to create cleaners for the house. It basically eliminates all my other cleaner costs.

For great ear plugs I use these Etymotics. I use them at concerts and when I was working in a Machinist Shop. You can get them on Amazon as well.

I have been using the Jaybird X3 earbuds for about 4 months now and am very please with the noise cancellation. They are an easier hit on the pocket than the Bose and sound pretty great.

Your biggest hurdle is going to be finding a DM. Everyone wants to be a player.

I would suggest picking up the Starter Set and taking a chance at DMing. You don't need to do voices, have elaborate set ups or be perfect. If you get a group of new players then it's a learning experience for everyone and that should help with any anxiety over not knowing what to do because everyone is new.

I'd be more than happy to help you get started. I even have an extra set of books (DM's Guide & Monster Manual) I'd be happy to lend you to get started.

I'm very inspired by Jane Jacobs, organic growth, and "density done right." I want to see more growth driven by the market, so long as those who are receiving the benefit are the ones paying the cost. The more choice, the better. I oppose Ward 11 communities having to subsidize growth on the outskirts of the city.

In Calgary, we see a focus on commuting people into a planned downtown core. Allowing more employment/education/housing options elsewhere enables a multitude of transportation options besides driving - if you so choose.

I just started learning guitar myself, but I was under the impression (at least from my friends that have been playing much longer than I) that restringing is something you can easily learn yourself. I've never done it myself, but I'll likely give it a shot. Obviously the method varies by guitar brand.

As for tuning, that's actually really simple. Any of the guitar shops will sell a tuner that you can clamp on the neck of the guitar and tune strings one-by-one.

Edit: you'll find a tuner like this at most guitar stores for $20-30. This is the one that I have and it works fine: http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B0046A04LU/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_3?pf_rd_p=1977604502&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B004HY64N2&pf_rd_m=A3DWYIK6Y9EEQB&pf_rd_r=0QRMBDHFMFW7MF0R5RBE

/u/ModoReese covered a great selection! I started off on Gillean Daffern's book, Popular Day Hikes in the Canadian Rockies. Has pretty much all the hikes mentioned in Reese's post, and a bunch more. It has trail maps, directions to get to the parking lots, pictures of the hike, and descriptions of the trail to help you through if you need them. Fantastic book, and the one that got me started. Highly recommended!

I have not done it, but I have considered it. The gate is right on Highway 40. I mapped it quickly and I think you're looking at over 8 km just to get to the base of the mountain, almost entirely uphill. The ride down would be fun though.

This is the classic book of backcountry ride in Western Canada: http://www.amazon.ca/Summits-Icefields-Canadian-Chic-Scott/dp/189476546X/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1320948337&sr=1-7

I can recommend Black Prince Cirque as a beginner spot, or Bow Summit. Here's BPC: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7NmA13EPRc

And here are your avy warnings: http://www.avalanche.ca/cac/bulletins/partners. Reports will also give hints about where the best riding is (direction of face, treeline or above, etc.). I strongly suggest you take a two-day avy course if you haven't already.

Ideal Security SK110 Patio Door Security Bar with Child-Proof Anti-Lift Lock (White) - Adjustable 25 to 48 inches - Lockable in open position https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005TE2M5S/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_TNOUAbN0C64V6

These work good, and are pretty cheap. Mounts in middle of the door. If you have any play in your hockey sticky you can sometimes tilt the door a little.

Just be aware when you're shopping, if you ask a Canadian for recommendations you're going to get stuff that is much lighter than you will probably want to get. Up to -10C many of us consider this light winter wear weather, but you will probably be wanting full on baselayer, gloves, boots and heavy jacket.

Calgary winters are fairly mild (averaging lows of -10 to -15C), but they come with wild swings due to our proximity to the mountains, you might go to work and it's -20C and when you leave its +10C so be prepared with layers as other have mentioned.

In the middle of Jan/Feb it's going to get real cold, often reaching -30C to -40C for a few days and a couple weeks below -20C. Be prepared for these days, if you have a vehicle make sure to plug it in (all vehicles sold in Canada have a block heater installed) if you take transit make sure to get some hand and feet warmers (like this). Wind chill is no joke it's not usually is listed as a "feels like" when looking at forecasts, if you're outside a lot pay attention to that number.

Also if you have a vehicle and street park at home or work make sure pay attention if you're in a snow route, they will ticket you if you're parked there during/after heavy snow fall.

We don't have wire crates anymore because almost any dog we've had can/has busted out! We have a hard plastic shell type crate (there is ventilation and the door is still wire-type) that we are currently using while our ~70lb dog is on crate rest due to surgery. The only issue we've had so far is that because it's a hard plastic shell (even with ventilation) air doesn't move through it as nice as we'd like. Especially with the random hotter days we've had.

We do use the zipties to keep the top and bottom together as they are easily removed by us to clean the crate, they're on the outside so that our big girl can't get at them, and cheap (hello dollar store!)

If you can't get a different type of crate, maybe remove the bottom tray (if yours has one), put a soft bed in the crate and a blanket over top the crate to cover it. Having a dark, safe place to hide may be what your pup wants/needs.

Also - we give our big girl a kong filled with frozen treats (regular plain yogurt mostly). This occupies her time for the most part trying to lick it all out. She's too busy getting all the treats so she doesn't think about getting out.

There are other options (DAP collar, thunder shirts, separation anxiety music (no joke - youtube it!)) that you can utilize.