Saturday 7 November 2015

The New Second Cup

Ok, it is not actually very new, but visiting The Second Cup location at the corner of King & John for the first time in years was a new kind of experience for me.

What brought me there was a stroll through the neighbourhood with some time to kill while waiting for my Dad to finish his charity climb of the CN Tower. Why he was expending countless calories and I was lazily seeking a beverage and a snack is another issue entirely. Nevertheless, a dark roast was in order.

What happened in the next ten minutes was a serendipitously pleasant assault on my senses.  From the aromatic fancy (insert yummy or yuppie interchanagebly as needed) slow bar of coffee experiences, to the WiFi and wirelesss charging stations, Canadian content, brass keg like taps for milks and cream pictured below, and more - this was an entirely unique coffee shop experience for me in Canada.



I grant you that the bar is set fairly low in that all I need to be satisfied is a nice affordable brew with a place to connect and charge a device. That said, as someone who increasingly spends is working hours in a virtual space - this is also the kind of place I could see myself parking myself for a few hours to move a project forward with whatever caffiene or fibrous product is on offer.

In short, I wish there were more of them.

Second Cup, being as Canadian as it is, I the coffee chain one wants to root for. In the ultra competitive coffee market they are neither as big as the Tim Horton's, McDonald's or Starbucks of the world, nor as prevalent - but they are showing fight in testing out new models of service such as this and different ways to improve the quality of the customer experience.

If today's experience is emblematic of what can be expected of their future plans, then I am hoping for success and that they can continue on a growth track.   At minimum, they have ensured that I will continue to return as a customer the next time I am around.


Sunday 3 May 2015

Tweets from DC

A collections of tweets below to capture some of the highlights and reflections from last week's whirlwind visit to Washington D.C...

High:  Meeting one of our Fav Canadians, Space Commander Chris Hadfield at the Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum.


Low:  The Raptors playoff performance against the Wizards at the Verizon Centre.

Reason to come back:  TO RUN!  The national mall, the gargantuan monuments, the pristine cemetery in Arlington makes for an outstanding capitol to walk around in on a nice day.  I can only imagine is can make for an even more impressive backdrop for a run or ride.  Now that I am back in the swing of things at home in TO, I will most certainly be on the look out for a future marathon or half marathon to anchor a return to D.C.  Marine Corps anyone?










Thursday 9 April 2015

Create a moment worth sharing

I recently started to use the professional blog ... posting ... "Pulse" platform on LinkedIN to test out how usable it is, relevant to that network, and its various tools for amplification and measurement of its relative readership/reach.  Ultimately, to evaluate whether it is in fact the right place to launch that particular type of content.

Recognizing I am in the early stages of this journey, but I was certainly happy with how the first few days have gone since the initial post this past week.  Lots to learn and more to do, but it is already starting to show its value with regards to balancing ease of use from a writing perspective to (relative) easy of reach and building connections with broader individuals and networks outside of my immediate own.

What that preamble out of the way, my LinkedIN Post, titled: Create A Moment Worth Sharing


Tuesday 10 February 2015

A sad day for TV

Today the world received news that one of the saddest days in TV history will soon be upon us, as Jon Stewart, comedy legend and cultural icon to so many of us, announces is pending retirement from The Daily Show. 

The official statement from the President of Comedy Central:


Saturday 10 January 2015

FIVE BUCKS, FIVE BUCKS, FIVE BUCKS!

Want to see the Toronto #Raptors play on Wednesday? As part of its FIVE BUCKS campaign, a $5 donation to Agincourt Community Services Association by 5pm on Monday will enter you in a draw for a pair of tickets to Wednesday game! 

Details posted HERE on ACSA's blog as follows ...

5 Bucks, 5 Bucks, 5 Bucks




What can five dollars buy you nowadays? Well, here at ACSA we can stretch a dollar and five dollars can buy,
  • 5 school age children snacks for 2 days OR
  • Fresh fruit and vegetable supplement for 3 families accessing food bank OR
  • A warm hat, socks and undergarments for a homeless individual
  • A 3 litre bag of milk and 2 loaves of bread to feed 10 clients accessing our homeless drop in any given day of the week.
Please give FIVE dollars TODAY to Agincourt Community Services Association through Canada Helps . Individual donations of at least $5 received by 5:00pm, Monday January 12th, 2015 will be entered in a draw to win a pair of Upper Bowl tickets to the upcoming Toronto Raptors game on Wednesday January 14, 2015. Please enter Let’s go Raptors in the message section with your donation. Winners will be contacted through email.