A few of the us drove up to Montreal for a weekend of shenanigans for the stag of one of my good friends. It's a fun place to visit. The city is pretty scenic in a variety of ways. It's cosmopolitan and has a lot of character to it. The old part of Montreal is especially nice. We couldn't have asked for nicer weather...wasn't too hot or cold, just right.
There's an unwritten rule about not taking pictures on a stag so I didn't take any, unfortunately.
Here are a couple noteworthy places to visit if you're in the area:
Restaurant La Banquise: Best Poutine I've ever tasted. Very unhealthy but tastes great at the end of a night out.
Med Bar and Grill: A trendy and expensive place but the food is really good and the place turns in a bit of a club at the end of the night. No dress code, but a snazzy outfit doesn't hurt if you go there.
No visit to Montreal is complete without a stop at Shwartz's deli. It's a landmark in Montreal and serves the probably best smoked meat sandwich you'll ever have.
There are a lot of places in Montreal and these are just some of them. I hear that Jazz Festival up there is a really good time...we were a week too early. Maybe next year...
Monday, June 25, 2007
NOD regatta in Ottawa
I drove up to Ottawa a couple of weekends ago to sail in the annual NOD regatta. It was a little different this time around. I'm not sailing regularly on a boat so I basically was trying to get a ride with someone. I hadn't sailed all year and watching the wind and enjoying the warm weather gave me the sailing itch.
So I left early on the Friday and drove up by myself to Ottawa to meet up with people. I've got a soft spot for the city. I lived there for two great years and had a great time up there. Unfortunately, the economy took a downturn around 2003 and I lost my job and had to leave for work. I try to make it up there at least once every summer and every time I go I start thinking about living there again...who knows if that will ever happen, but it's a nice thought. In any case, my favourite spot there is the patio at the Lieutenant's Pump on Elgin St. I used to live around the corner from it and hung out there a lot...stopping by the Shawarma's King or House of Georgies (gravy on pizza...sounds gross but sooo good) on the way home. If you've never had a shawarma before, you're missing out. It's the Lebanese version of fast food...try one when you get a chance, you won't regret it. But I digress...the pump is also famous for a drink they serve called the smiling jerry. Doesn't sound like a good drink and looks even worse, but it's good. Just don't drink too many of them and make sure you have a ride home after you start drinking them. I managed to meet up with some friends there saturday night and downed a couple of Jerries before heading back to the sailing club.
Chuck was nice enough to have me on his boat "Nemo". He's new to the boat class and I tried to pass on the knowledge that I had. The sailing itself was a mix of good and bad. There was basically no wind on Saturday so no real sailing. The fleet decided to stay out there for the most part and try to enjoy the day without getting too roasted in the sun. Six boats ended up rafting together and throwing an anchor down. Almost everyone donned a life jacket as shorts and bobbed in the water with beer in hand...makes for effortless swimming and a great way to cool off. Here's what the scene looked like:
There was a ton of wind on Sunday though and some pretty good racing as a result. Our crew had never sailed together before and Chuck's regulars were still new to the boat. We put up a good show but had trouble keeping up with the lead group in the heavier winds. We had a couple of good placements but were back of the pack for the most part. Here are some pictures from the weekend. I'm in there somewhere...
So I left early on the Friday and drove up by myself to Ottawa to meet up with people. I've got a soft spot for the city. I lived there for two great years and had a great time up there. Unfortunately, the economy took a downturn around 2003 and I lost my job and had to leave for work. I try to make it up there at least once every summer and every time I go I start thinking about living there again...who knows if that will ever happen, but it's a nice thought. In any case, my favourite spot there is the patio at the Lieutenant's Pump on Elgin St. I used to live around the corner from it and hung out there a lot...stopping by the Shawarma's King or House of Georgies (gravy on pizza...sounds gross but sooo good) on the way home. If you've never had a shawarma before, you're missing out. It's the Lebanese version of fast food...try one when you get a chance, you won't regret it. But I digress...the pump is also famous for a drink they serve called the smiling jerry. Doesn't sound like a good drink and looks even worse, but it's good. Just don't drink too many of them and make sure you have a ride home after you start drinking them. I managed to meet up with some friends there saturday night and downed a couple of Jerries before heading back to the sailing club.
Chuck was nice enough to have me on his boat "Nemo". He's new to the boat class and I tried to pass on the knowledge that I had. The sailing itself was a mix of good and bad. There was basically no wind on Saturday so no real sailing. The fleet decided to stay out there for the most part and try to enjoy the day without getting too roasted in the sun. Six boats ended up rafting together and throwing an anchor down. Almost everyone donned a life jacket as shorts and bobbed in the water with beer in hand...makes for effortless swimming and a great way to cool off. Here's what the scene looked like:
There was a ton of wind on Sunday though and some pretty good racing as a result. Our crew had never sailed together before and Chuck's regulars were still new to the boat. We put up a good show but had trouble keeping up with the lead group in the heavier winds. We had a couple of good placements but were back of the pack for the most part. Here are some pictures from the weekend. I'm in there somewhere...
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Horizon Kompact Panoramic Camera
Hmmm...I'm considering saving my loonies for this camera. It's a nice little simple camera to get into taking panoramic shots. It's all mechanical...no electronics. Single aperture of f8, and just two shutter speed settings: day and night. A really simple camera. It looks like it's mostly made out of plastic so I wonder how long it'll last. You can opt for the scaled up version with a full range of aperture and speed settings, but at double the price.
There's some interesting photos on the web including these on I found by searching flickr for "horizon kompact".
I'm not sure I'm into the lomography culture...it seems like it's mostly hype and sells some pretty cheap looking cameras for fairly high prices. Then again, it really doesn't matter what kind of camera you use as long as you're taking pictures and having fun, right ?
I'll keep checking out prices for these and keep an eye out on ebay...maybe I'll luck out and get a good deal on one. For now though...the loonies will have to go towards a new scanner.
There's some interesting photos on the web including these on I found by searching flickr for "horizon kompact".
I'm not sure I'm into the lomography culture...it seems like it's mostly hype and sells some pretty cheap looking cameras for fairly high prices. Then again, it really doesn't matter what kind of camera you use as long as you're taking pictures and having fun, right ?
I'll keep checking out prices for these and keep an eye out on ebay...maybe I'll luck out and get a good deal on one. For now though...the loonies will have to go towards a new scanner.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Compressed Air Engines
I've been really interested in compressed air engines lately. They're interesting pieces of technology. They're basically similar to a regular internal combustion engine, but without the internal combustion part. The air is compressed externally to high pressures and the release of that pressure drives a piston, which then turns a crankshaft. In an internal combustion engine, the air pressure is created by the ignition of a fuel/air mixture.
Here's an interesting video from Australia:
You can read about the MDI engine here. I still haven't gotten my head wrapped around how the Engineair motor works, but you can read about it here.
This seems like a far simpler way to reduce emissions produced from cars. There are no expensive electric motors or heavy batteries. The fuel infrastructure could be very easily and inexpensively put in place...almost all gas stations have an air compressor now. It wouldn't take much to install bigger capacity compressors. You don't need any fuel to be trucked in on a regular basis. The power needed to drive to compressors could come from several clean sources...solar/wind/wave.
City transit authorities such as the TTC could save a lot in terms of fuel costs by having their buses running on compressed air. They could easily refill at the bus stations every time they cycle through their routes.
Anyways, you can read about some homemade projects here and here. These guys make it seems so easy. Spinmaster Airhogs toys have been powered by pneumatic engines for a while. You can read about how their tiny engines work here.
Here's an interesting video from Australia:
You can read about the MDI engine here. I still haven't gotten my head wrapped around how the Engineair motor works, but you can read about it here.
This seems like a far simpler way to reduce emissions produced from cars. There are no expensive electric motors or heavy batteries. The fuel infrastructure could be very easily and inexpensively put in place...almost all gas stations have an air compressor now. It wouldn't take much to install bigger capacity compressors. You don't need any fuel to be trucked in on a regular basis. The power needed to drive to compressors could come from several clean sources...solar/wind/wave.
City transit authorities such as the TTC could save a lot in terms of fuel costs by having their buses running on compressed air. They could easily refill at the bus stations every time they cycle through their routes.
Anyways, you can read about some homemade projects here and here. These guys make it seems so easy. Spinmaster Airhogs toys have been powered by pneumatic engines for a while. You can read about how their tiny engines work here.
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Neat Technology
My friend Todd send me this link about some really neat technology going on in the software world. What they show in the presentation is pretty amazing. It's easy to think of a bunch of new spin off applications. I think a new kind of desktop interface is coming up. I also think browsing the web will change pretty fast too. Really cool stuff.
Poo....
Sad day. The Anaheim Ducks just beat the Ottawa Senators for the Stanley Cup. It was a great run for the sens...too bad they couldn't put up a better fight. Great season though...Hopefully they'll be just as good next year.
Hockey season's over now...I'll probably cancel the cable sometime over the next couple of days. Time to see what life is like without TV.
Hockey season's over now...I'll probably cancel the cable sometime over the next couple of days. Time to see what life is like without TV.
Monday, June 04, 2007
Manufacturing in China
Someone had this video at work so I copied it to put on here. Have a look at this:
It's hard to imagine being in this kind of work environment. It seems like a scene from the beginning of the industrial revolution where Europe and North America had child labourers and all sorts of poor conditions for workers. Wages were also pretty low.
A lot has happened in the west in terms of workers rights since then. Some would argue that unionized workers have it too good and point to examples in GM or Chrysler where the unions have pretty much choked companies through fat pensions and high wages. Beyond that, however, there are a lot of safety regulations, inspections, quality assurance auditing, paid vacation, minimum wage, and other basic benefits that are a given for people working here in Canada. The cost for all of these, along with taxes, electricity, water, building maintenance, and other administrative departments, are carried by any company in the form of overhead costs. They work to increase the cost of any product or service being sold.
In the video, apart from the obvious lack of safety measures, there are 6 people running a single machine. No North American company producing similar products can afford to put that many people on a single machine. The hourly wages of the people alone would make the parts too expensive. Instead, automation and other methods are used to reduce the manpower hours on a production line to produce parts at a lower cost. Machines are significantly cheaper than people in the long run.
What can we do to compete with Chinese labour then? That's too big a topic to write about now. In the meantime, please consider that India has close to a billion people right now and, like China, has a large pool of cheap labour to draw on. Also consider that they are growing rapidly in the IT industry and now have the 5th largest steel company in Tata Steel. So the question now becomes, how do we compete against both India and China ?
As a final note, here's a little example on the reality of cheap Chinese labour:
During one interview that I had in Kitchener, Ontario, the company was having welded metal carts manufactured in China. I asked them why, since it was a pretty basic item and there are plenty of local companies that could produce these carts. The interviewer said that the cost of having them made in China was 30% of the cost of having them made locally in Canada...and that included the cost of shipping the carts half-way around the world.
It's hard to imagine being in this kind of work environment. It seems like a scene from the beginning of the industrial revolution where Europe and North America had child labourers and all sorts of poor conditions for workers. Wages were also pretty low.
A lot has happened in the west in terms of workers rights since then. Some would argue that unionized workers have it too good and point to examples in GM or Chrysler where the unions have pretty much choked companies through fat pensions and high wages. Beyond that, however, there are a lot of safety regulations, inspections, quality assurance auditing, paid vacation, minimum wage, and other basic benefits that are a given for people working here in Canada. The cost for all of these, along with taxes, electricity, water, building maintenance, and other administrative departments, are carried by any company in the form of overhead costs. They work to increase the cost of any product or service being sold.
In the video, apart from the obvious lack of safety measures, there are 6 people running a single machine. No North American company producing similar products can afford to put that many people on a single machine. The hourly wages of the people alone would make the parts too expensive. Instead, automation and other methods are used to reduce the manpower hours on a production line to produce parts at a lower cost. Machines are significantly cheaper than people in the long run.
What can we do to compete with Chinese labour then? That's too big a topic to write about now. In the meantime, please consider that India has close to a billion people right now and, like China, has a large pool of cheap labour to draw on. Also consider that they are growing rapidly in the IT industry and now have the 5th largest steel company in Tata Steel. So the question now becomes, how do we compete against both India and China ?
As a final note, here's a little example on the reality of cheap Chinese labour:
During one interview that I had in Kitchener, Ontario, the company was having welded metal carts manufactured in China. I asked them why, since it was a pretty basic item and there are plenty of local companies that could produce these carts. The interviewer said that the cost of having them made in China was 30% of the cost of having them made locally in Canada...and that included the cost of shipping the carts half-way around the world.
Monday, May 28, 2007
The Assault on Reason
Al Gore has a book out called "The Assault on Reason". You can read an excerpt from it here.
I haven't gotten my hands on the book yet, but the article is a good read. He makes some really good points about the nature of television and its effect on how people view certain big issues. He tells a small story about his campaign against George Bush Jr. where his campaign managers laid out a formula of a series of strategic television ads that predicted an 8.5% increase in his lead in the polls. Sure enough, the end result of the series of ads resulted in an 8.5% increase in his lead in the polls. It is alarming when such a situation can exist where public opinion can be swayed by a formula.
Gore is correct when he explains the passive nature of television where people just absorb the message being given to them. It seems that by repeating a message over and over again in 30 second spurts, public opinion can be swayed significantly. The logical conclusion is that whomever can afford the most tv commercials will most likely win any election. This situation puts an emphasis on fund raising for political parties and creates an opportunity for rich special interest groups to affect the course of government. Many people say that the case currently exists in the US. An excellent BBC documentary called "Why We Fight" makes a strong case for why the US has been in an almost constant state of war over the past few decades. It's an excellent piece of journalism if you're interested in the topic.
As elections evolve into a series of tv ad blitzes rather than true debate, I think most people will get tired of hearing the politicians drone on and on and will eventually tune out, resulting in low voter turn out. If the trend continues, less and less people will be interested in the process and eventually any democracy will suffer.
If you're like me and you've gotten tired of being bombarded by tv, radio, and now internet advertising; and you also wonder how things got be like they are, the BBC also has an interesting documentary series called "The Century of the Self". Archive.org has them online. You can watch them here:
Episode 1
Episode 2
Episode 3
Episode 4
It's not as series of action flicks, there are no babes in bikinis, and the content is devoid of sports highlights. This series though, is definitely not short on substance. One example is the story of how cigarette companies got women to smoke in public in the 1920's. I recommend that you watch it in short spurts...there's too much information there to really absorb in one sitting. It seems that Edward Bernays, a nephew of Sigmund Freud, is to be blamed/credited with how products and political policy is marketed to the public.
Back to Al Gore...
He makes a good point about the power of the internet. Political parties short on funds to pay for tv ads can take advantage of the technology. People are already used to the workings of the internet and can actively participate in public policy via websites, forums, blogs, and other online publications. I have no way of calculating the numbers, but it seems some really excellent internet campaigns can be produced with just a fraction of the cost of several prime time tv commercial slots.
I could write a lot more about the topic and how the situation affects us in Canada, but I've written enough here already and you can easily do your own reading/research and discuss the topic with you friends and families. The main thing is that everyday people have to take an interest in their country and their governments and debate the issue themselves, rather than sit back and be swayed by television commercials.
Just as a final note of interest, here are some numbers for federal election voter turnout here in Canada since 1876.
I haven't gotten my hands on the book yet, but the article is a good read. He makes some really good points about the nature of television and its effect on how people view certain big issues. He tells a small story about his campaign against George Bush Jr. where his campaign managers laid out a formula of a series of strategic television ads that predicted an 8.5% increase in his lead in the polls. Sure enough, the end result of the series of ads resulted in an 8.5% increase in his lead in the polls. It is alarming when such a situation can exist where public opinion can be swayed by a formula.
Gore is correct when he explains the passive nature of television where people just absorb the message being given to them. It seems that by repeating a message over and over again in 30 second spurts, public opinion can be swayed significantly. The logical conclusion is that whomever can afford the most tv commercials will most likely win any election. This situation puts an emphasis on fund raising for political parties and creates an opportunity for rich special interest groups to affect the course of government. Many people say that the case currently exists in the US. An excellent BBC documentary called "Why We Fight" makes a strong case for why the US has been in an almost constant state of war over the past few decades. It's an excellent piece of journalism if you're interested in the topic.
As elections evolve into a series of tv ad blitzes rather than true debate, I think most people will get tired of hearing the politicians drone on and on and will eventually tune out, resulting in low voter turn out. If the trend continues, less and less people will be interested in the process and eventually any democracy will suffer.
If you're like me and you've gotten tired of being bombarded by tv, radio, and now internet advertising; and you also wonder how things got be like they are, the BBC also has an interesting documentary series called "The Century of the Self". Archive.org has them online. You can watch them here:
Episode 1
Episode 2
Episode 3
Episode 4
It's not as series of action flicks, there are no babes in bikinis, and the content is devoid of sports highlights. This series though, is definitely not short on substance. One example is the story of how cigarette companies got women to smoke in public in the 1920's. I recommend that you watch it in short spurts...there's too much information there to really absorb in one sitting. It seems that Edward Bernays, a nephew of Sigmund Freud, is to be blamed/credited with how products and political policy is marketed to the public.
Back to Al Gore...
He makes a good point about the power of the internet. Political parties short on funds to pay for tv ads can take advantage of the technology. People are already used to the workings of the internet and can actively participate in public policy via websites, forums, blogs, and other online publications. I have no way of calculating the numbers, but it seems some really excellent internet campaigns can be produced with just a fraction of the cost of several prime time tv commercial slots.
I could write a lot more about the topic and how the situation affects us in Canada, but I've written enough here already and you can easily do your own reading/research and discuss the topic with you friends and families. The main thing is that everyday people have to take an interest in their country and their governments and debate the issue themselves, rather than sit back and be swayed by television commercials.
Just as a final note of interest, here are some numbers for federal election voter turnout here in Canada since 1876.
Sunday, May 27, 2007
MyFace and Spacebook
With the facebook phenonmenon growing crazy here in Toronto, I thought I'd post this funny skit from the people at "this hour has 22 minutes". I like the show...they have some really funny bits, but some others are kind of blah.
Oh the cuteness !
Little Liam...Q and A's kid. I should borrow him one day and try to meet some girls...
Seriously though...he's a really cute kid. I met up with them and we took the ferry over to centre island and walked around there. The weather was really nice.
A lot of my friends have babies now. I have to talk them into some photo shoots. Maybe like an Anne Geddes theme, but edgier/funnier.
Seriously though...he's a really cute kid. I met up with them and we took the ferry over to centre island and walked around there. The weather was really nice.
A lot of my friends have babies now. I have to talk them into some photo shoots. Maybe like an Anne Geddes theme, but edgier/funnier.
Around Toronto...
Just some pics from roaming around the city over the last couple of weeks...
I took the subway to Younge and Sheppard and walked around the area.
Saw this interesting reflection...
...and these really happy people.
The subway ride this time wasn't as interesting as the last time, but I got to walk around another part of the city.
I took the subway to Younge and Sheppard and walked around the area.
Saw this interesting reflection...
...and these really happy people.
The subway ride this time wasn't as interesting as the last time, but I got to walk around another part of the city.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Friday night adventures
Not something you see everyday:
Nice guy...chatted with him for a while. The subway's a funny place...I have no trouble just talking to people, but when it comes to giving details like my name, I hesitate. Not sure why...this guys seemed decent enough. I wish I could have taken a better picture...hard to keep the camera steady in low lighting on a moving train. Don't like using the flash...
Anyways, I was on my way downtown to meet up with Lisa and her cousin Dave. Going out with a couple of newfies (I use the term as a form of endearment, not derogatory) for some drinks is always a bit of an adventure...it was a fun night. Dave works in construction with a bunch of guys who started a rap band called The Raw Luck Movement. Not my favourite type of music, but they were alright. I guess they're known around the city...a bunch of people showed up to see them, the bar was full.
Nice guy...chatted with him for a while. The subway's a funny place...I have no trouble just talking to people, but when it comes to giving details like my name, I hesitate. Not sure why...this guys seemed decent enough. I wish I could have taken a better picture...hard to keep the camera steady in low lighting on a moving train. Don't like using the flash...
Anyways, I was on my way downtown to meet up with Lisa and her cousin Dave. Going out with a couple of newfies (I use the term as a form of endearment, not derogatory) for some drinks is always a bit of an adventure...it was a fun night. Dave works in construction with a bunch of guys who started a rap band called The Raw Luck Movement. Not my favourite type of music, but they were alright. I guess they're known around the city...a bunch of people showed up to see them, the bar was full.
Book Review: Buddha in your Backpack, Franz Metcalf
Pravin, one the Intrepid tour guides in India told the group about this book: "Buddha in your Backpack" by Franz Metcalf. He was trying to explain some aspects of Buddhism (he's a buddhist) and said that he came across this book and said it explains things pretty well, even though it's written for teenagers.
Being stuck at the company condo a couple of weeks ago in Markham with no internet access or tv, I wandered over to the nearby Chapters and found the book. I decided to give it a read.
Again, it's wrtten for teens so the author's style is fairly simple with the usual humour that books for teens have. He does a job, though, of explaining the essence of buddhism and some of the key concepts (at least his version/interpretation). It's all very fluid and once you start to understand the concepts invlovled, everything else flows along from there.
I found the book insightfull. Even though it was written in a simple style, there are a couple of concepts that I had a hard time following.
In any case, even if your mildly interested in the topic, I recommend the book. It's a quick and interesting read.
Being stuck at the company condo a couple of weeks ago in Markham with no internet access or tv, I wandered over to the nearby Chapters and found the book. I decided to give it a read.
Again, it's wrtten for teens so the author's style is fairly simple with the usual humour that books for teens have. He does a job, though, of explaining the essence of buddhism and some of the key concepts (at least his version/interpretation). It's all very fluid and once you start to understand the concepts invlovled, everything else flows along from there.
I found the book insightfull. Even though it was written in a simple style, there are a couple of concepts that I had a hard time following.
In any case, even if your mildly interested in the topic, I recommend the book. It's a quick and interesting read.
Getting settled...
It's been a couple of weeks since I moved up here to Toronto. My place still needs a bit of work, but I'm slowly getting around to it. I need a couple pieces of furniture still...I've been shopping around different places, but it seems like Ikea still has the best deals around. I think I've finally decided on what to get without spending a fortune.
Work has been good so far. Still in learning mode and feeling a bit like a co-op student again, but hopefully I'll be picking up speed over the next couple of months.
Life in the big city is still as hectic as I remember it. It doesn't seem to matter what time I head home, there's still the traffic jams and idiots driving around. It'll be better once I settle into the rythm of life here and not have so many chores to do after work.
I've started cooking again...I'm having to brush up on my chef skills. I though I might be able to find a local butcher in my neighbourhood, but so far haven't come across any.
I still haven't found a gym nearby yet...squash courts will be a must I think. Other things to check out are the North York Library, Sheridan College courses, and Johnny's burgers.
Work has been good so far. Still in learning mode and feeling a bit like a co-op student again, but hopefully I'll be picking up speed over the next couple of months.
Life in the big city is still as hectic as I remember it. It doesn't seem to matter what time I head home, there's still the traffic jams and idiots driving around. It'll be better once I settle into the rythm of life here and not have so many chores to do after work.
I've started cooking again...I'm having to brush up on my chef skills. I though I might be able to find a local butcher in my neighbourhood, but so far haven't come across any.
I still haven't found a gym nearby yet...squash courts will be a must I think. Other things to check out are the North York Library, Sheridan College courses, and Johnny's burgers.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Our Prime Minister
Being set up at the company townhouse for a couple of weeks is great, I have a place to sleep that's close to work and can save money by not eating at restaurants all the time. On the flip side, there's no tv at all and no internet connection. I feel shut out of the world.
It's playoff hockey time and I have to go to a bar to watch some of the games. I suppose I can listen to the games on the radio, but I'd rather watch them.
I'm missing a lot of the news as well. The issues surrounding the government's green plan seem to be picking up, news about the war in Afghanistan, and other interesting tid bits of news.
One issue is Steven Harper's image adviser...read about it here and here.
I don't find it surprising that he needs an image adviser. I don't find it surprising that he doesn't have much of a fashion sense either. I am surprised that he let this issue be a source of contention and the stories about how defensive he gets when asked about it seem weird and juvenile. I couldn't find a news link for it, but I saw the same weirdness his first day in office when he had his entourage drive around the parliament buildings twice just to avoid a single cbc video journalist.
It's playoff hockey time and I have to go to a bar to watch some of the games. I suppose I can listen to the games on the radio, but I'd rather watch them.
I'm missing a lot of the news as well. The issues surrounding the government's green plan seem to be picking up, news about the war in Afghanistan, and other interesting tid bits of news.
One issue is Steven Harper's image adviser...read about it here and here.
I don't find it surprising that he needs an image adviser. I don't find it surprising that he doesn't have much of a fashion sense either. I am surprised that he let this issue be a source of contention and the stories about how defensive he gets when asked about it seem weird and juvenile. I couldn't find a news link for it, but I saw the same weirdness his first day in office when he had his entourage drive around the parliament buildings twice just to avoid a single cbc video journalist.
The joys of moving
It's a pain. I haven't moved in about 3 years. Luckily, apart from a couple pieces of furniture, most of my stuff is still packed from when I moved home from an apartment in Toronto. The worst part about moving is seeing all the garbage I managed to accumulate and getting rid of it. I can move in small batches over the course of a few weekends though. I'll just need to rent a truck to move the bigger furniture pieces.
I did manage to find an apartment fairly quickly. It has easy access to both the Don Valley Parkway and the Toronto subway train system. The amenities are pretty good...there's a mall right across the street and a grocery store nearby. I just have to find the closest machine for my bank.
The main thing is that I can still abide by my rule of having a 20 minute maximum commute to work and still have easy access to the downtown area without having to drive.
I did manage to find an apartment fairly quickly. It has easy access to both the Don Valley Parkway and the Toronto subway train system. The amenities are pretty good...there's a mall right across the street and a grocery store nearby. I just have to find the closest machine for my bank.
The main thing is that I can still abide by my rule of having a 20 minute maximum commute to work and still have easy access to the downtown area without having to drive.
Friday, April 20, 2007
More photo editing
I've been exploring different techniques in GIMP and trying different things to make some of my pictures a little more interesting. I'm especially interested in making b&w pics. Some pictures just seem that they would look better in monochrome...especially one of people.
On top of using the techniques I've posted about before, I've been trying square format crops as well and seeing how it changes the feel and look of the picture.
Here's one example:
The original looks ok...nothing spectactular. It could use a little increase in the colour saturation. After editing though...
...there's a whole new look and feel to it. The cow now looks stockier and much more engaging. The picture also has an 'old' feel to it...
I could try some sepia toning too, but I don't think it will affect the picture much.
On top of using the techniques I've posted about before, I've been trying square format crops as well and seeing how it changes the feel and look of the picture.
Here's one example:
The original looks ok...nothing spectactular. It could use a little increase in the colour saturation. After editing though...
...there's a whole new look and feel to it. The cow now looks stockier and much more engaging. The picture also has an 'old' feel to it...
I could try some sepia toning too, but I don't think it will affect the picture much.
James Nachtwey
I first heard about James Nachtwey when CBC aired a documentary called "The War Photographer" about a year ago. I found his job really interesting, albeit a little dangerous.
I recently picked up a Dec 2006 issue of National Geographic and some an article about war medicine in Iraq with his pictures. Have a look here. You can also see more of his work here. Really powerful stuff.
It's amazing how he or any other photographers can work in some of those insane situations. To produce some stunning work while bieng in the middle of a disaster zone is mind boggling to me. You have to admire their mental toughness and focus...and the dedication to their work.
I recently picked up a Dec 2006 issue of National Geographic and some an article about war medicine in Iraq with his pictures. Have a look here. You can also see more of his work here. Really powerful stuff.
It's amazing how he or any other photographers can work in some of those insane situations. To produce some stunning work while bieng in the middle of a disaster zone is mind boggling to me. You have to admire their mental toughness and focus...and the dedication to their work.
craygc flickr photostream
I was digging around the web yesterday researching flatbed scanner quality for scanning film when I came across craygc's flickr photostream. He's got some really neat stuff in there.
Hiatus is over
I finally got a job...I'll be joining a couple of my friends at a place called Multimatic in Markham, Ontario.
I'll be working in the design department designing hinges for cars...doesn't sound too exciting, but there's a lot involved in designing door/trunk/hood hinges. It should be a really good learning experience for me...I'll be working with other engineers and being supervised by more experience engineers. It's a really good change from where I was working before I decided to go on my career break.
It's all happening pretty quick...I start on Monday on training for Catia for week and then get at 'er the following Monday.
I'll be busy hunting for an apartment or some sort of accomodation. I had a quick look and the prices seem ridiculous for some of the places I see. I wasn't a big fan of living in the big metropolis before, but I didn't exactly live in the best neighbourhood either. I'll have to find a balance between rent and location and hopefully find a place that'll be a good value.
The photography stuff will obviously be on hold for a little while...
I'll be working in the design department designing hinges for cars...doesn't sound too exciting, but there's a lot involved in designing door/trunk/hood hinges. It should be a really good learning experience for me...I'll be working with other engineers and being supervised by more experience engineers. It's a really good change from where I was working before I decided to go on my career break.
It's all happening pretty quick...I start on Monday on training for Catia for week and then get at 'er the following Monday.
I'll be busy hunting for an apartment or some sort of accomodation. I had a quick look and the prices seem ridiculous for some of the places I see. I wasn't a big fan of living in the big metropolis before, but I didn't exactly live in the best neighbourhood either. I'll have to find a balance between rent and location and hopefully find a place that'll be a good value.
The photography stuff will obviously be on hold for a little while...
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