Paper Planes

You know when your bored in class*, and have nothing to do? Well the following video shows a step-by-step guide to how to build the perfect paper plane! Note: not my video, just found it, enjoy!



*=never bored in english class

Turn a Pencil into a Light!

The following is a youtube video about converting any normal pencil into a light. You do not need a jumper cable or a car battery, and wire and a regular 6volt battery should work too. Note: not my video, just found it on youtube, enjoy!

Thomas Edison and the Lightbulb

Thomas Edison's greatest challenge was the development of a practical incandescent, electric light. Contrary to popular belief, he didn't "invent" the lightbulb, but rather he improved upon a 50-year-old idea. In 1879, using lower current electricity, a small carbonized filament, and an improved vacuum inside the globe, he was able to produce a reliable, long-lasting source of light. The idea of electric lighting was not new, and a number of people had worked on, and even developed forms of electric lighting. But up to that time, nothing had been developed that was practical for home use. Edison's eventual achievement was inventing not just an incandescent electric light, but also an electric lighting system that contained all the parts necessary to make the incandescent light practical, safe, and affordable. After one and a half years of work, success was achieved when an incandescent lamp with a filament of carbonized sewing thread burned for thirteen and a half hours. He is also famous for his quote "I haven't failed once, I found out 2,000 ways how not to make a lightbulb".

Dynamics of Flight

Many people wonder just how birds and planes fly, to understand how, start with the basics. Air is a physical substance which has weight. It has molecules which are constantly moving. Air pressure is created by the molecules moving around. Moving air has a force that will lift kites and balloons up and down. Hot air expands and spreads out and it becomes lighter than cool air. When a balloon is full of hot air it rises up because the hot air expands inside the balloon. When the hot air cools and is let out of the balloon it comes back down. In the case of airplanes, the wings are curved on the top which make air move faster over the top of the wing. It moves slower underneath the wing. The slow air pushes up from below while the faster air pushes down from the top. This forces the wing to lift up into the air. Birds' wings are the same way, their feathers are also hollow which make the bird lighter. By moving its wings up and down, a bird can turn while in the air. For example, if a bird moves it's left wing up, and right wing down, it will turn right because all of its weight falls onto that wing, this is called the aileron. A bird or plane can move up and down by controling its head of body. If a plane's nose or a bird's head is moved down, the body will follow.

History of the Airplane

Orville and Wilbur Wright, commonly refered to as the Wright brothers, had a dream of flying, and dedicated their lives to create a "flying machine". After countless failed attempts, they made their first successful airplane in December 1903. Their plane flew at an altitude of 10 feet, traveled 120 feet, and landed 12 seconds after takeoff. Their invention is known today as the first airplane vehicle. The "Kitty Hawk" as the brother's called it, was the starting point for engine powered airplanes and gave birth to not only a new passage for discovery, but for transportation, entertainment and warfare

History of the Engine and the Car

The engine is one of the most useful and famous inventions of all time. In 1769, a guy named Nicholas Cugnot created the first self-powered vehicle, which used a steam engine. However, the first gas-powered engine, which is used in the cars we use today, was invented by Gottlieb Daimler, which later formed the company known as Chrysler today. Daimler had competition though, a man named Karl Benz was also on the quest to create the first gas-powered car, and even though Daimler is recognized to be the first to create the engine, Benz received the first patent for a gas-powered vehicle in 1886. Over the next several decades, many other car companies formed, competing to make a vehicle that no other car could rival. Companies such as Ford, Chrysler, Mercedes-Benz and Oldsmobile cars are still around today and may even be parked in your garage. The first break-through vehicle was the Ford Model-T in 1908. By 1927, more than 15 million Model-T's were sold.

Rube Goldberg

A Rube Goldberg is a device or contraption that involves several "dominoe effects" taking place to usually end in the completion basic task. The following youtube video shows a great example of a Rube Goldberg contraption. Note that this is not my video, i just found it on youtube. Enjoy!

An example of Mechanical Engineering

I founf this video on youtube about a mechanical engineering project, enjoy! Note that i did not make this video, i just found it.

University of Waterloo

University of Waterloo is another university i have been looking into. This university has been known to be one of the best for engineering in the whole world! Even more prestigious for engineering than UFT, this school has the best of the best when it comes to engineering. However, this school lacks the vintage, "Hogwarts" style that I love about UFT. This university isn't in the middle of a downtown area, so it isn't as busy as UFT and is easier to get into, price wise and applicant wise. Both schools have their own perks and unique qualities like scholarships, sports teams and school clubs, and at the end of the day, these are the things that make you enjoy going to a university you love.

UFT~ University of Toronto

I've been looking into universities myself to consider for my own

post-secondary education, and after intense searching, a few have resonated in my mind. UFT, or University of Toronto has 3 different campuses in the Greater Toronto Area. St. George, known as the downtown campus is known for its Applied Science and Art department. It has a very good reputation for engineering and features a unique program called Mechatronics. This along with its great campus life makes it a top choice for my education. However, many other prospective engineers are going to be thinking the same thing, which makes getting into the course which only allows 300 students per year, a big challenge. UFT is known as a very prestigious school all over the world, and a degree from here would be very intriguing to any hiring company. To any other prospective engineers, after thoroughly looking into this school, i highly recommend it to anyone who is able to get it, good luck with your applications!

The University Life

In order to become an engineer, attending university is a must. Yet there are so many different universities with so many things to offer, its hard to choose and know what is right for you. Courses offered, reputation, tuition, residencies and even the people and staff come in to play when considering a university. First of all, always remember to apply to several universities, this increases your chances of getting accepted into one you like. Remember, if the university doesn't pick you, you can't pick it, so make sure your interview and transcript are the best they can possibly be. Everyone has a price range, and some universities can just be too expensive, luckily there are thousands of scholarships around that can relieve a lot of stress of your back, and bank account! So always remember to apply to all the scholarships that you are allegable for, cause you never know, you may just qualify. Every campus also has its own environment. I reccomend taking tours of the universities before you decide which one, cause with 4 or more years in the same place, you have to enjoy where you live and work. While touring, try to meet some of the proffesors that might be teaching you if you go there and get their input on what they think about the university. University can be the best time of your life, just remember to balance work and fun!

IQ: what is it? what is my IQ? what does it mean?

IQ or Intelligence Quotient is a standardized test that is meant to access how smart you are. The test asks you various questions that test the different parts of a person's intelligence, such as spatial, numerical, intrapersonal and logical intelligence. However, the test does not base your score on your answers alone, time taken to complete the test, age and even gender are considered. The average IQ is 100 (85-115) and an IQ of 150 considers you to be "gifted". There are many websites online that offer you a free IQ test if you are interested. If you got lower than you expected, don't be alarmed, your true IQ is not accurate on your first test, try again and you'll probably get a better score. So what does my IQ mean to me? Well, there are several international corporations, such as Mensa, that are exclusive "clubs" for people with higher than average IQ's. Also, some companies only hire people who have a high enough IQ. I higly suggest that everyone takes the test, it isn't just for bragging though, the test helps point out your weaknesses and strengths which can help you improve on areas in your life that are lacking.

Dr.Phil~

In class we made a mock Dr.Phil scenario based on the book, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. We got together in small groups and were assigned a character. I was Victor, the main character of the book. The point of this assignment was to work out our problems with the other characters in the book, and Dr.Phil (another person in the group) had to give the best solutions to these problems. Obviously, this "episode" is not realistic, as all the characters are dead by the end of the book, but we all learned different things about the different characters. But I think the bigger picture of this assignment was to understand that there is rarely a right or wrong answer to life problems. Everyone has their own view on things and sometimes, they are all "right". We all have to consider what the other person (or monster) is feeling before we make instinct decisions. I feel the assignment went well and that all the groups did leanr something not only on the book, but a life lesson.

The Big Bang Theory

According to the Big Bang theory, the Universe expanded from an extremely dense and hot state and continues to expand today. Scientists estimate that this ongoing explosions happened 13.7 billion years ago. This theory suggests that our universe was created by a small amount of electronegativity that expanded until it created the first sub-atomic particles. These particles kept dividing and generating heat until tthe universe as we now it was formed. This theory also suggests that this "explosion" is getting faster and faster. Evidence shows that galaxies are getting farther and farther apart. The Big Bang is an example of how such a tiny piece of matter is able to create so much and that a little goes a long way.

Legends of the Alchemists~ Lost secrets

Alchemy dates back over 2500 years ago, and its origin is probably in or anicent Egypt or Persia. Alchemists (or early chemists) were known to be very wise and spiritual with the world. The practice of alchemy was not only a science to them, but a way of life. For thousands of years, they studied and grew with the world around them. Our idea that the transformation of lead to gold was a literal interpretation of what their goals were, was actually a symbolic representation of what alchemy truly is. Both the transmutation of common metals into gold and the elixir of life symbolized evolution from an imperfect, diseased and corruptible state towards a perfect, healthy and everlasting state. The philosopher's stone then represented a "gateway" that would make this evolution possible. Applied to the alchemist himself, the two goals symbolized his evolution from ignorance to enlightenment, and the stone represented a hidden spiritual truth or power that would lead to that goal. In documents that are written according to this view they typically contain many forms of hidden meanings and must be decoded in order to discover their true meaning. The true alchemists did not seek eternal life or riches but they seeked wisdom, the ones who failed only seeked gold.

Intro to Alchemy~ The ancient science

Alchemy is both a practise and a philosophy that aims to achieve ultimate wisdom. Alchemy is an ancient science that dealt with transforming virtually anything into whatever the user wanted. The best known goals of the alchemists were to transform common metals into gold and the creation of an "elixir of life" that gave the drinker immortality. The philosopher's stone, or the Master Work, was the key to the alchemists' secrets. This legendary stone was able to turn anything to gold and it produced the elixir of life. Alchemy was thought as a form of sorcery and dates back thousands of years, but it is now known and recognized as basic modern chemistry. Alchemists were the first scientists of the world, and made countless discovery's that they themselves did not fully understand. Alchemy is now a dead science, being replaced by factual sciences such as biology and chemistry, but remains as the bedrock for today's sciences.

Water on the Moon!

That's right, NASA has officially announced that there is significant amounts of water near the south pole of our closest cosmic neighbor. About a month ago, NASA purposely launched a rocket into a crater near the moon's south pole, bringing up dust and debris that a small spacecraft following the rocket would test for water among the debris. This is an extremely important step on exploring our solar system. NASA can now consider setting up bases on the moon now that it has access to water. This opens up a lot of possibilities for space exploration and engineering. Having a base on the moon makes it a lot easier for us to reach Mars. Aerospace engineers are now going to be busy trying to create the materials and equipment needed for this. This discovery has forever changed the image of the moon, and has opened the opuurtunity to once again look at the moon with wonder and hope.

Riddle Answers!

Last week I posted several riddles, to test how effective you can think. For the first question, the 3rd son had bought a lightbulb, and the light filled the entire room, hence him winning his father's inheritance. In the second question, the man was outside of teh window looking in, he was a window washer and he jumped into the building. In the last riddle, the 3 men were musicians, hence them all having different "scores" and they were playing for money, that is how they all gained.
These riddles were meant to stretch your mind. And PS. I included hints in the pictures :P

Riddles III

Last Riddle for this week, this one is preeeeeeeeety hard, if you thought the last ones were hard, you don't stand a chance.

Q: Four men sat down to play.

They played all night till break of day.

They played for gold and not for fun.

With separate scores for everyone.

When they had come to square accounts.

They all had made quite fair amounts.

Can you the paradox explain.

If no one lost, how all could gain?

Riddles II

Another riddle to keep you busy :P this one is a little harder.

Q: Brad stared through the dirty soot-smeared window on the 22nd floor of the office tower. Overcome with depression he slid the window open and jumped through it. It was a straight drop outside the building to the ground. Miraculously after he landed he was completely unhurt. Since there was nothing to cushion his fall or slow his descent, how could he have survived the fall?

Riddles

Because an engineer has to be very good at solving problems, i thought i would add a few riddles that will test your ability to think, I will post the answers next week, feel free to comment what you think the answer is in the mean time.

Q: An old man wanted to leave his fortune to one of his three sons, but could not decide who, so he gave each of his sons just a few coins and told them to buy something that would fill the living room. The first man bought straw with the coins, but it did not fill the entire room. The second son bought firewood with the coins but it also did not fill the room. The third son however, was able to buy something that filled the entire room with ease, and he was given his father's inheritance. What was it that the third son bought with just a few coins that filled the entire room?

Brief history of the "Nuke"

The first nuclear attacks in history was in 1945, the bombs "fat man" and "little boy" were dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima respectively. These bombs are very powerful and killed a huge amount of people in Japan during World war 2. Luckily, these were also the only nuclear bombs ever used in combat. However, many countries such as North Korea, France and America have tested numerous bombs. The bonbs give off a lot of radiation that causes further damage even after the bomb goes off. After WW2, the US and the Soviet Union (Russia) were competing to see who would have the most bombs. At the time, and to this day, these bombs were the strongest weapons on Earth, and whoever had the most of them was stronger. This caused the Cold war, a stalemate between US and teh Soviet Union. The Russians created a different type of nuclear bomb then the one that was used in WW2. Hydrogen bombs were made to rival the American's gravity bombs, they were different types of bombs, but had the same effect. Eventually both sides had 1,000's of both types. Then ICBM's were made, which were nukes that could autmatically fire itself at the target with the help of a missile. Currently, nuclear missiles can be directed by the use of satelites, using infrared to "home in" the missiles. The nuclear bomb is one of the greatest engineering projects of all time. The Manhatten Project was the first creation of the nuclear weapon during WW2, and to this day, lives on as a symbol for destruction and power.

Examples of current engineering projects

The following are examples of different engineering projects going on throughout the world.


A satelite.
Human-like robot that can simulate various human activities.

Concept car with only 2 wheels, uses momentum to stay up straight.

Parts of a space ship.

This is a WiFi controlled tank that shoots a "tazer-like" projectile.

Chevrolet Volt

The Volt is a new concept 5-door car being made by Chevrolet.....and is 100% electric powered. This will be the first car that will rely on 100% battery. Unlike hybrids, that only use electricity to drive the car at low speeds, the volt will be able to drive up to 100mph. This car has been in development for several years. Being the first if its kind, there will obviously be many flaws in the car's design, but still remains as an example of astonishing engineering. GM predicts the car will be ready to be in showcases by 2010, and appear as a 2011 model. The car will cost about $40,000 USD. Since this car produces no gas emissions, you will not have to pay for gas, saving a lot of money, but being electric has its flaws as well. On the battery that runs the enginer, the car will only be able to drive for about 40 miles. To recharge the battery, all you have to do is plug the car in at night!

Future Career

After looking at the different types of engineers, I am going to aim to become a mechanical engineer. I think this job is perfect for my strengths and doesn't reflect my weaknesses. This job leaves a lot of room for creativity and has the work environment I would enjoy. Most of all, this is a job that will make me wake up in the morning and get excited about going to work, which cannot be said by many people.

Mechanical Engineer

Very similar to a civil engineer, a mechanical engineer deals with anything that moves. While civil engineers design and create stationary objects and structures, mechanical engineers create anything that involves heat, electricity or motion. Things such as engines and robotics are created through this industry. Mechanical engineers are usually project managers when working on a project such as the aerospace or transportation industry. Mechanical engineers are also being recruited for development in the nuclear industry for military and environmental purposes. Mechanical engineers are always on the move. Some days they will work in an office, signing legal papers or drafting a rough copy. On other days they will be in the factory, overlooking processes and fixing design flaws. The aerospace industry, a sub-division of mechanical engineering, most have absolutely no flaws in even a single screw, making this career require a lot of experience and precision. As an overview, engineers are the foundation of our world, without them, we would still be in the medieval times. One day, I hope to be one of these branches of engineers, and leave my mark on our world like the ones before me.

Civil Engineer

The most common image that comes to mind when thinking of an engineer, is a huge bridge. Civil engineering was the first type of engineer, dating back to medieval times. The first civil engineers designed castle walls, the basic pulley and gear systems, created weapons such as catapults and designed castle moats. As time moved on, civil engineers became responsible for creating ships, rifles and just about every structure on the planet, even the pyramids in ancient Egypt. Civil engineers are the people that deal with structures, environmental hazards, and basic machines in the everyday world. Not only do these engineers create the biggest structures, they also take the most responsibility of almost every other job on the planet. When an engineer signs a contract, he or she is taking full responsibility of that project until up to 5 years after the project is destroyed. This means that if that $10 million bridge collapsed, not only are you to blame for anyone injured or killed, but it's your job to take care of the mess. Also, after those 5 years, you can be sent to prison for criminal negligence. Being an engineer of this scale is no walk in the park.

Computer Engineer

Can you imagine a life without computers? We rely on computers in almost every aspect of our lives. From our alarms in the morning, the traffic lights on our way to work or school, our home security systems and the calculator you use to do your taxes are all run by computers. Since computers are essential to our lifestyles, having computer engineers around is very important. Engineers simply design a product or process, then make it work. Computer engineers simply design computer programs or hardware, then make it work. Computer engineering is also one of the fastest growing industries in the world, meaning computer engineers are not finding it a hard time looking for a job. Being an engineer, especially a computer engineer, is a lot of hard work. To just get into a computer engineering program you'll need high grades, a lot of money, and willing to work your arse off for 4-5 years in university. To be an engineer, your expected to have mid-high 80's in school, and have exceptional math and science skills. The average tuition for an engineer is about $10,000, but your schooling is not finished after university. In order to get a pENG, the official engineering degree, you are looking at another 2 years in the engineering workplace gaining real experience. This may seem intimidating, but some of the world's most successful people were computer engineers, and Bill Gates was actually one of the first computer engineers in the world.

Chemical Engineer

Wikipedia's definition of chemical engineering is "the branch of engineering that deals with the application of physical science and life sciences with mathematics, to the process of converting raw materials or chemicals into more useful or valuable forms." Now, most of you are probably saying, "Whoa, slow down, branch of engineering that what??". In laymen's terms, this means that chemical engineers try to make better materials and techniques that are cheaper, safer, more environmentally friendly and last longer. For example, it would have been a chemical engineer that decided what materials the clothes on your back should be made out of, considering all of the above aspects. A chemical engineer would have also determined what ingredients should be in that can of Diet Coke to make it healthier, preserve longer and taste better. Chemical Engineers have a very broad job criteria simply because everything, everywhere is involved with chemistry. This one of the positives or "pluses" to being a chemical engineer, along with a high salary and having a respected career. Speaking of salary, all engineers make around the same amount of money, which is about an average of $78,000 USD before taxes. Chemical engineering is a very general type of engineer, next I will talk about a branch of engineering that has totally changed just about every aspect of the world as we know it.

Career Opportunities

There are a lot of career opportunities associated with my passion. Everything in our world is made in some way or another and there has to be someone to do it. Since i enjoy making and assembling things, careers such as an engineer, technician or architect come to mind when I consider future career opportunities. For a long time, I've wanted to be an engineer, but this is a very general term. There are chemical, industrial, material, mechanical, civil and other types of engineers. An engineer can also work at an engineering firm, start their own business, work for a manufacturing company, or join the army. With all these possible occupations, I need to know what branch of engineer to be, since they are all very different. Over the next few blog posts, I will go into further detail about each different type of engineer, the skills required and what they entail doing.

Tropes and Schemes in Advertising

This billboard company's ad shows an example of a metonymy. A metonymy is when an associated word is replaced for one that is meant. in the case of this ad, the word "sign' is replaced with a different meaning. It is a common phrase to ask "God, give me a sign!" and this ad mocks this phrase with the response, "Well, you did ask for a sign". This is a metonymy because when someone asks God for a sign, they are not intending to get a billboard or an actual sign.

This Weight Watchers ad is a hyperbole. In the ad, the very large door that is labeled "entrance" is exaggerated to show that really large people are able to enter. The very thin door labeled "exit" is exaggerated to show that after following through with the program, you will leave this much skinnier. Of course, a weight-loss program does not occur inside a room, and probably does not even require entering any type of door.

This advertisement for Lego is an example of a hyperbole. This ad is showing that with a little imagination, a few Lego blocks can be seen as anything, such as an airplane or a dinosaur. This is exaggerated however, in the fact that the Lego blocks do not depict what the shadow will look like.

This advertisement for Heinz ketchup is an example of a trope. The trope used in this ad is an hyperbole. An hyperbole is basically an exaggeration, and the eggs and bacon are being exaggerated for being plain and boring. This ad is saying that without Heinz ketchup, your eggs will taste like ketchup. This ad also shows an example of a metaphor. The ad is comparing eggs and bacon to cardboard, Heinz did this intentionally to say that your eggs will taste like cardboard without their ketchup.

All Passions Have a Past

Of all the things I enjoy doing, my favorite hobby is to create things. When I was a little kid, I would spend countless hours playing with little lego blocks creating all of the weird ideas popping into my head. Even though the sets came with instructions for pre-designed creations, I would leave them in the box and start to build wherever my imagination took me.
As I got older, my grandfather would take me into his woodshop and show me how all of his big machines worked. The same machines that buildt my parent's coffeetable and shelves in my room drived me to sneak into the woodshop without supervision and accidently cut my finger or hand. It was around this time that I knew I wanted to become an engineer when i was older.
In the 10th grade, I took a manufacturing class. This ended up being my favourite part of the day. I learned many things that I found really interesting in this class. From being a small kid who only saw brilliance in his colourful building blocks, to implementing various aspects of design into a 6" by 6" piece of aluminum steel. I have grown a lot, both physically and mentally. I only hope to keep doing so.

Why I Blog?

My passions are very important to me. In my opinion, a person's passions reflect on a deep level of personality and character. To me, creating something from scratch, turning something plain into something magnificiant, or adding my own personal touch to a project is a true reflection of myself. I guess you can it my "gift" to build things. Whenever I build something, it is always unique and special from anything else I previously made, yet at the same time, keeps my signature style or build. I'm at my best or in my "zone" when I am building something and all my concentration is on that project. I love to creativily create things, and that is my passion.

Viva La Vida/Four Winds

Viva La Vida/ Four Winds
Many songs are very similar to other songs, Four Winds by Bright Eyes and Viva La Vida by Coldplay is an example. Other than both being very inspirational songs, they both have a certain sound to them that make them more than similar. One of the most notable aspects is the use of orchestra instruments. This is very strange for this type of music genre but it makes the songs very deep and unique. Both songs’ lead singers (Conor Oberst and Chris Martin) have a very similar voice that makes the two songs’ seem even more related. The messages of the two songs are very comparable in that they both are saying how to forget about what we think we know and believe in and just take life as it is. Viva La Vida tells a story about how he was once a king who ruled the world but ended up being unwanted and forgotten. Four Winds tells a story about how once we forget about all of things that we think are important to us, we will finally be able to see the world the way it is meant to be seen. Both songs talk about being artificial and selfish. Also, in Viva La Vida once he is no longer king, he finally understands what it is like to be unwanted and disliked, in Four Winds, once he leaves the world he knows and goes to the ‘badlands” he “buried his ballast” and “made his peace”. So not only do both songs use the same instruments and have similar vocals but they both talk about having a revelation.

Big Yellow Taxi

Big Yellow Taxi
In 1970, Joni Mitchell released a song called “Big Yellow Taxi”, 37 years later, Counting Crows released a re-make of the same song. On paper, the two songs are identical, but when listened to, they sound very different and give totally different moods. When Joni Mitchell first released the song, the Vietnam War was ongoing, and a lot of music was anti-establishment or “hippie” at the time. Big Yellow Taxi was no exception; when first listening to the original, a lot of these “hippie” images come to mind, like pro-testing. Counting Crow’s re-make gives off different vibes however. Both songs are about appreciating what you have, because you don’t know what you got till it’s gone. The original is referring to her “old man” or your home. The re-make is referring to a lover. The genres have also shifted between the two songs, Joni Mitchell’s original is a 1970’s hippie, light rock song, and Counting Crow’s re-make is more of a modern R&B sounding song. The two songs are very similar as well though, not just in lyrics but in the underlying message to not appreciate everything you have and to be grateful while you still have it. The re-make is more upbeat then the original and is more of a song you would dance to. The music video of Counting Crow’s version also gives the listener more of a personal edge to the song and more imagery then the original. Joni Mitchell’s Big Yellow Taxi is known as one of the first pro-test songs and was a stepping stone to many other “hippie” songs in the near future. Counting Crow’s took this song and transformed it into a modern song that young people today can relate to, just like how the young people of Joni Mitchell’s song could relate to her song. In both versions, the “Big Yellow Taxi” can be translated literally and metaphorically. Literally, the taxi can be referred as an actual taxi that Joni Mitchell’s father left in; according to her song anyways. Or the taxi that the girl left in from Counting Crow’s version. Metaphorically, the taxi can be escape route that all the good things in our lives are lost to. The taxi is what is taking away the things that we will miss, the song goes: “You don’t know what you got till it’s gone”, and it’s the taxi that is taking these things away from us. Whether you grew up in the 70’s, or in the modern world, Big Yellow taxi is a song that teaches us all to appreciate what you have while you still got it.