So in Part 1 and Part 2 

I covered

• Setting up Hue and some of the cool automations we’ve got running with remotes and motion detectors
• Working with other applications such as Logitech Harmony to control the lights, adding an August lock and triggering automations such as turning on the lights when the door is unlocked or turning them off when the door is locked.

Since then we greatly expanded the system bringing it all together.  If you have the products on their own –

• Harmony talks to Hue and August
• Hue talks to Nest
• Nest talks to Hue
• August talks to Nest, but since we don’t use Nest Cams and Thermostats, there isn’t much on offer here.

You can use tools like IFTTT and HomeKit to bring some automation to all of this.  For example, IFTTT can setup rules, such as if I unlock the door, turn certain lights on.  IFTTT can take a few seconds to take action since you have a round trip to some company’s servers to then trigger IFTTT to then take action on someone else’s servers.  It’s alright, but you know at some point, support for products is going to go away.  That’s the unfortunately nature of our throw away society.

Enter the home hub –

HomeKit, since we have a fourth generation Apple TV will act as the hub for Hue and August but with varying degrees of  success both in-house and remotely.  The grouping functionality and automation is not great.

We looked at two options – the Wink Home Hub and Samsung’s SmartThings.  SmartThings is pretty cool, and quite expandable.  It’s definitely the geekier of the two.  For example, August locks are not supported.  Well, they are if you sort of hack it with Yonomi or IFTTT, but I want to be off the cloud solution as much as possible.

Also SmartThings doesn’t support the products that we had already purchased and in all honesty, doesn’t support a lot of products – unless you program it.  So in many respects, if you know you want a home hub, check the home hubs out prior to buying the add on devices.

As far as I can tell, there isn’t a perfect home hub.  For example, if you’re looking at add motorized shades in your home, Wink covers all the major brands except Hunter Douglas. SmartThings supports Hunter Douglas with some programming.

Wink Home Hub

We added a Wink Home Hub to bring everything together, otherwise you’re using different apps in different rooms.with varying degrees of success.

• Wink allowed us to add a connected fan and light in our bedroom – This is actually available in Canada at the Home Depot in Etobicoke on Queensway, it’s just not on Home Depot Canada’s website.
• We have three sets of lights that we are not planning on switching to connected bulbs – our dining room and three sets of lights in our kitchen – over our peninsula, the LED potlights and the LED strip under our cabinets.  We can actually use Lutron Connected Dimmers to provide some control there through the switch directly, a Pico remote and through the Wink App – No Lutron hub required.
• At a later date, if we wanted to add Lutron shades, support is already there!
• We could add power plugs that also connect to the WInk, which we did – We added two iHome iSP6X plugs to control two lights we actually never use.  Sadly despite advertising their support for Wink, they are not currently supported by Wink – Who states they are working on adding support.
• The Wink hub will allow us control Hue and August as well, naturally.
• We can add Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa if we wanted, sadly no support for HomeKit or Siri.

Voice Assistant

Between HomeKit, Google Home, Alexa, IFTTT and home hubs like Wink, there’s a mish mash of ways to connect to your devices.  Some technology works well, some technology still needs to mature.

HomeKit

Apple HomeKit, to me, still needs to mature as does Siri.  I have no doubt that Apple is trying to perfect Siri with their HomePod which is projected to be available in Q3 2017.  A fourth generation Apple TV is required which acts as the gateway between the internet, HomeKit and all of your devices.

HomeKit has the typical accessories available for it – switches, lightbulbs, thermostats, cameras,  entertainment centre remote controls, locks, sensors for motion, temperature and humidity.  It covers the basics – If you want to use Siri from your iPhone or iPad.

For some reason I’ve always found Siri a bit challenging to use voice-wise though that is more for dictation purposes.  As a result, I admit, I am not confident in Siri’s ability.  Also you can’t seem to add skills, which is pretty lame.  And you know Apple is going to be more of a closed system.

Google Home

I have an Android phone lying about that I got free when I switched carriers at work, so I’ve played a bit with Android Assistant with IFTTT.   I found Google Assistant’s voice recognition to be considerably better than Siri and quicker responding, I think.

That said, given we’re more of an Apple household, I’m not going to switch to Google mobile phones just to get Assistant.

The question is, do we get a Google Home?  Sure, that would work and works with iOS, but relatively speaking, at CAD$179/USD$129 it is a bit expensive if you’re wanting to put one in every room.  But that said, I liked features such as asking Google Assistant about my day, and she’s kind of sassy.

Amazon Echo

Enter Amazon Echo – Amazon Echo, having been around for two years, has a considerable number of skills – over 16,000 to Google Home’s less than 500.  Skills are, essentially, plug-ins you can add to add functionality to your Amazon Echo.

An Echo setup can be quite cheap too – US$49 for an Echo Dot and you can get a three pack for US$20 off the regular price.  Not bad and the speaker on the device sounds good, and supports Bluetooth out of the box.

That said, you know Google is opening up with their Google Assistant API being made available for third parties to add more capabilities.

However an interesting thing is, you can add Google Assistant to Amazon Echo and it works well!  You don’t get the hardware integration, but that’s fine – That’s what Alexa is for.

The drawback with Amazon Echo is that it does not support Canada for things like asking about the weather.  You have to either be very specific “Alexa, how is the weather in Toronto?” or use the Google Assistant integration.  There is a good site on “Making the Amazon Echo work in Canada” which involves either using the US app store to download the Alexa app for iOS, or side loading an APK for Android.

So needless to say, we went with Amazon Echo with Google Assistant integration.  It’s worked well in our condo with an Echo speaker in the bathroom and dots throughout the condo.

Hardware-wise, Alexa works with EVERYTHING and I mean EVERYTHING. Actually, the only thing she doesn’t do is turn the guest bedroom fan to Thermonuclear (yes, I have a shortcut in Wink for that) because the Wink/Alexa integration doesn’t support fans yet.  Pretty much everything else, I can control.

IFTTT

For everything else that is not mission critical, I am happy to use IFTTT, such as

• I can ask Alexa to
  • trigger self destruct and the living room lights will flash
  • start the party and it puts the lights in a colour loop
• When playing music through Amazon Prime Music, I can track a all the songs that are played.
• If the temperature goes above 25C it turns on the master bedroom fan, and below 25C, the fan is turned off.
• Remember that Thermonuclear Winter command I wanted?  IFTTT can trigger fan shortcuts from Wink.  It turns the fan on to maximum and turns off the light.
• When I weigh myself on my FitBit Aria scale, it blinks the lights in the bathroom to say the weight registered with their server.
• I could use IFTTT to turn on the light when I come through the door, or turn off the lights in the front hall when the door is locked; but I now leave that to Wink.

What about security?

The good thing is, the only device that can unlock my front door is my Harmony remote (through my iPhone or the remote), Siri through HomeKit, or the August app.

• Alexa and Google Home do not unlock doors, but will lock doors.
• IFTTT will take action on lock or unlock, but will not unlock doors either.
• Wink will not allow an unlock action, only lock

As for the rest – someone changing my lights, turning on my fan, etc… I am not that worried about.  Sure, it would be a pain to be woken up in the middle of the night due to someone hacking the lights.  Specifically, Philips, I know takes security seriously, so I am not that concerned.

What about your WiFi speeds?  You have to have a lot of data flying around

We did actually have slow speeds on our network, but not because of all the hubs and such – which all wire into one of my WiFI extenders – but due to the distance, the way WiFi extenders work, the lack of WiFi channels available in the condo and the fact that Apple WiFi routers don’t automatically change channels.

So we decided to upgrade to a mesh system that provides considerably better coverage, speed, constantly monitors for busy channels and automatically updates accordingly.   The changes have been pretty amazing.  It then also speeds up the effects of IFTTT and external triggers.

Today I brought the KUMAKART to the dealership to get it’s summer tires put on and to get a software upgrade for a rattle on cold engine start.  Gotta love that a software update now fixes stuff like that!

That said, I decided to retry the Countryman.  My review was somewhat scathing, for me, and I really wanted to see – was it the car or was it me?

Turns out it was me.  Well, maybe the person who sat in the vehicle before me.  See, the back seats are adjustable.  Super adjustable, and well, I didn’t adjust the seats.  I didn’t think of that because, well, I’ve never been in a car where the back seats are adjustable.

So there you have it – The Countryman IS back on our list for vehicles to consider in the future.

Want to add some sparkle to the ornament?  Use this:

 random_pixel = random(0,41);
 color = matrix.getPixelColor(random_pixel); 
 matrix.setPixelColor(random_pixel, 255, 255, 255);
 matrix.show();
 delay(5);
 matrix.setPixelColor(random_pixel, color);
 matrix.show();

Prior to this September, Scott and I have gone on two previous cruises.  I wouldn’t say we’re experts, but we pick up on things pretty quickly.

I can definitely say, cruising with Disney is quite a different experience from cruising with Princess or Royal Caribbean, who we cruised with previously. Here are some things I learned prior to cruising with Disney.  I will also be writing an entry on the things I learned while on a Disney cruise.

I’m going to write this from the perspective as an adult cruising without children.  A lot of people wonder why would adults want to cruise on Disney?  Well, it’s like, why would an adult want to go to Walt Disney World?  I think over the next two blog entries, you’ll see.

Some of these may also be unique to the longer Disney cruises just given the length and opportunities that you don’t necessarily find or have on a shorter cruise:

• While on Cruise Critic, there are “Roll Calls” to connect with other passengers that are taking the same cruise, Disney cruises also create Facebook groups that allow you connect even more with other cruisers.
• The longer cruises like a Transatlantic and Panama Canal definitely drive camaraderie.
• Through the Facebook group, there are all kinds of events created
  • Group get together
  • Mixology classes
  • Chocolate and wine tasting sessions, and many more…
• There is definitely a tradition of decorating your stateroom door.  We had seen it on other cruise lines.  For example, when we celebrated our honeymoon, Princess posted a congratulatory magnet on our door.  Disney cruisers take it to the next level, sharing all kinds of artwork and designs that you can print ahead of time, and post on your door.
• We learned about “Fish Extenders: – being part of a group and trading small gifts throughout the cruise, is definitely a tradition.  People will make hanging pockets to receive mail and gifts hanging from the fish at each door where you would normally receive mail from the ship.
• There was a recipe exchange arranged prior to the cruise that we were part of.
• There are cruises that definitely have more adults on them, versus kids.  The Transatlantic and Panama Canal cruises are definitely more adult oriented due to how long they are, and the length of time.
• There are several events you may want to book ahead of time
  • Princess Meet & Greets
  • Character Brunches
  • Palo Dinners
  • Spa Treatments
  • For the kids, booking the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique
• Disney sets up Adult-only excursions/tours, so if you don’t want to be around kids (we had no problem with kids), you don’t have to be.
• There will be a way to book a Palo Brunch and wine package once on board.  Head straight to Lumiere’s on Magic once you board.  As mentioned above, you can book Palo Dinners.  Supposedly you can book Palo Brunches online, but they go very quickly.

That’s probably it when it comes to what we learned.

2016 marked my 20th year of attending Pride in Toronto.

Pride was different this year. Quite the different beast from 20 years ago, and certainly in more recent times.

The one thing that was missing was, what I would consider, community representation. It’s been happening for years. I’m not talking about the parade, but booths for community groups, and even small vendors.

Sure they existed, but NOT in the numbers they used to. And it’s extremely sad to see. Remember when you’d run out Saturday to go see your mate’s at your local Bear club booth, then you’d see what new pride beads there were, and then go see what sport clubs were representing, etc…

Prices have been going up way too high. It’s great that the Toronto Pride committee wants to top entertainment every year, but at some point the kind of growth cannot be sustained. You really lose out on the point of the weekend.

I think it’s time to go back to and to re-find some of our roots. I’d love to see more clubs and gay-owned businesses represented.

From a parade perspective, it was really neat, essentially realizing that probably 50% of the people marching were allies of our community. As long as their hearts and understanding of what Pride represents stands, I have no issue with this. If you’re in it for the big party and not much more substance? For me, this isn’t the party or parade for you.

My take on the #BlackLivesMatter protest – In principle I support their cause, I support the protest.  After all, the GLBT community has done similar things to raise awareness and attention to the cause.  Not unlike ACT UP demanding support for people living with HIV/AIDS in the late 80s.

Silence=Death.

Think of that.

#BlackLivesMatter not queer?  Did you know that it was started by two Lesbians? #TheMoreYouKnow

Now about those demands.  I read the list, and I have no issue with the demands – though we’ll talk about the police one in a few points.  That said, they’re not that radical:

– Spaces for people of colour have been dwindling for years.  I’ve noticed it for a while.  This does need to change and I agree with continued space for Black Queer Youth, Blockorama, the South Asian Stage and funding.

– Self Determination – Has been a cornerstone of Canadian ideology and our community, yes.

– Increasing representation from marginalized communities within the gay community?  Absolutely

– Public Town Hall – Why not?  I don’t think this is a bad idea.

Now, regarding the demands that police not be involved with Pride.  I’ll be honest, I’m mixed about this one – hear me out.

On one hand, this year, I actually felt okay and somewhat thankful with police active patrolling on the streets.  It was weird to see, but given what’s happened in Orlando and other situations for violence I welcomed it.

On the flip side, you can understand my reluctance to trust police when they raid establishments (Pussy Palace anyone?), when they turn up the heat on gay establishments (The Toolbox, The Eagle, Woody’s and other bars).  I’ve had friends beaten up by police for being a faggot – and yes, I choose my words carefully there.  I’ve got friends in the force, as I’ve mentioned in the past, afraid to come out because regardless of the displays of affection to our community shown on the weekend, behind the scenes it’s still a different matter.

I can guarantee that there are many a queer person who at one point or another, from at least pre-2005 who would to tell the police to take a flying fuck – Again, I pick my words carefully because THAT is certainly what has gone through the minds of every gay person of my generation or earlier.

I can understand the desire to see considerably less to no police presence as requested by Black Lives Matter.  If we think the GLBT had it bad, we all know that Black and people of colour get it logarithmically worse with racial profiling and everything else that goes with being a person of colour.

Back on the flip side of the flip side, you have gay people, people of colour and people who represent both within the police force.  There are people who, I believe, are trying to make change happen.

All things considered, I choose to go with being reconciliatory, and I believe in kaizen.  Ultimately though, reverse discrimination doesn’t work for me.

I don’t consider this a hijacking.  It’s a group with some valid concerns that needs answers and real change. A whole lot of people need change, this change.  Considering it was a relatively short delay versus the several hour delays we’ve had in past years, there’s no reason to get all bent out of shape about that.

So the MINI has gone through it’s first software update. And by software update, I’m not talking about the head unit aka the entertainment system, iDrive, etc…

I’m talking the main computer of the car, the one that keeps the engine running smoothly, etc…

Why did it need to be updated?  Well after getting an oil change done, some MINIs get a Drivetrain Malfunction error.  It comes on and then it goes off if you restart the car.  Concerning, but it’s a well known issue with 2014+ MINIs.  So I called the dealer up, setup and appointment to get it checked out.  I already knew the resolution was more than likely a software update.

I’ve noticed some interesting things since the software update.  Firstly, definitely the car is running smoother.  Not just as a result of the oil change, which certainly did make the car run smoother after 15,000 km – and the oil change is included in the cost of the vehicle for 3 years or 55,000km.

The software update does seem to have made some other changes

• I’m perceiving acceleration and such to be smoother.
• The one that seems more interesting is the green counter, when in Green Mode. In short, it tracks how much further you’re going as a result of good driving habits.

I have never been able to get above, maybe 22km per tank of gas in terms of “gas saved”. Meaning, I went 22km further because of the way I’ve been driving.

I setup a surprise trip for Scott and I to go to St. John’s for the weekend. The trip was more about me getting Scott out to the East Coast as he had never been. In September we’re doing a transatlantic trip but skipping Newfoundland for Nova Scotia – Sydney and Halifax. I couldn’t let go that we were bypassing the greatest province in Canada – Newfoundland.

This trip has been very healing for me, more than I thought it would be going into it.

I’m sitting in the airport where as a 4 year old, in the fishbowl of a waiting area not knowing that my world was about to be rocked. The vision never left me, of my Dad looking through the glass seeing his wife and two kids leaving never to return.

As time goes on, we rebuild ourselves and what I see in St. John’s is kind of a metaphor for this trip. That fishbowl of an airport no longer exists, it’s been torn down with something better a monument of a city and province taking pride in itself, and in it’s aviation history.

This trip, I guess, was about as much as getting Scott out to the east coast where he had never been, but it also turned into me being able to take ownership for my feelings about the city and province of my birth, and have a great time

A bit of reclamation of identity, healing, making more good memories that build on trips in 1995 and 1998, and reliving some very good memories.

I’ve always been a proud Newfoundlander, but given I’ve never really grown up in the culture, I didn’t totally really understand what it meant to be a Newfoundlander, a townie (what they call us from St. John’s), etc… Despite living in Ontario for 36 years out of 42, I don’t consider myself to come from Ontario. I’ve always been a Newfie first.

It’s been hard to really take on being proud of coming from a place where there’s been so much hurt and pain generated, with very complex emotions as a result of a very complex set of circumstances. A place in many respects used as a weapon against me and my immediate family – my mother, father and sister.

St. John’s is an amazing city, and Newfoundland, at least the parts I saw of it from 1974-1979, 1995 x 2, 1998 and today in 2016 is spectacularly beautiful. How my grandmother could use it as a weapon as she did, is unfathomable and was unacceptable. I’ve known that for years, I’ve even felt that for years, but my resolve is now even stronger.

In many respects, this trip was my way of saying, “Fuck you” to all of that pain and replacing it with something amazing, with Scott. Needless to say, it was an amazing time we had.

This place has changed so much in the 18 years since I was last year, much more so than in the prior 16 and then 3 from my previous trips. Just as I have. It’s a fantastically beautiful place.

I’ve been here in winter, summer and now spring, and I think this is the first time where I feel like I could actually move here and be happy living here. Even Scott likes it here. No we’re not rushing to move, but hey, we have our options and housing is considerably cheaper than it is on the west coast. 😉

This past Christmas marked the 20th anniversary of my Dad passing away which happened while I was living in England. I don’t have a lot to be able to honour the memory of my Dad while I’m in Toronto, other than some pictures that I have. Today’s drive to Torbay, Flatrock, Pouch Cove, Bauline, Portugal Cove, St. Philips and Conception Bay South and most notably stopping in at the Ocean Sciences Center, really helped me to relive some awesome memories of driving with my Dad and Step-Mother giving me a tour, and to honour those memories which are far and few between. The whole time I was wishing Dad could have been there with us.

Most of all, you can take the b’y out of Newfoundland but you can’t take the Newfoundland out of the b’y.

We’ll be back, and it won’t be as long in between. 18 years is too long.

When life throws you lemons, make lemonade. *GRIN*

Just in case the Untied Lawsuit shuts down the site: