mukluk

New grass

2007-05-06T18:24:29Z

New grass
Originally uploaded by Dano.

Spring is here, for real now.

Yoda 'n' me

2007-05-06T18:22:53Z

Yoda 'n' me
Originally uploaded by Dano.

Hiking in Birds Hill park with my new favourite backpack/friend.

Dan day!

2007-04-13T13:45:44Z

Well, they finally got around to making my birthday a holiday. And I know just what I want:

Update: Ask and receive ye shall. Pictures soon post I will.

New York City

2007-04-05T00:52:46Z

I recently spent a week in New York, just wandering around, visiting museums, eating delicious food, and taking lotsa photos. Here are some of them.

Pictaps

2007-01-11T13:34:17Z

Pictaps is a neat little flash thingy where you draw a little character and it gets animated into a dance routine. Mine is named Skwiggo! (The page sometimes crashes my Safari browser, but seems to be fine in Firefox. It's cool enough that I'd say take your chances.)

Winnipeg heritage buildings

2007-01-08T22:11:30Z

The City of Winnipeg's heritage building list includes articles on the history of each building, which are quite interesting. I just learned the Hammond building, where I used to work, was famous for its free hats, and was gutted in a 1923 fire. Unfortunately, my apartment building isn't quite historical enough to make the cut.

Wintery desktops

2007-01-02T17:14:34Z

Here are some winter-themed desktops from my photos, in a variety of screen resolutions. On Windows, just right click and "set as desktop". On Mac, download the picture then set it as your desktop in System Preferences. If you don't know your resolution you probably have 1024 x 768. If you have a widescreen, get the 1600 x 1200 one and hope it crops nicely.

800 x 600 | 1024 x 768 | 1280 x 1024 | 1600 x 1200

METs

2006-12-18T22:19:51Z

I noticed recently one of the feedback stats on the stationary bikes at the YMCA is something called METs, and I had no idea what it meant. Apparently, and MET is a "metabolic equivalent". One MET is the amount of energy you use just sitting quietly. Walking is 2.5 METs. That is, it uses 2.5 times as much energy as sitting around. Playing raquetball uses 12 METs.

Now that I know this unit exists, I thinking I'm going to be estimating my METs constantly. As I sit her typing, I'm using 2.3 METs (assuming it's the same as playing the piano). I'm about to walk home which should bump it up to about 3.3 METs. Then I have to make cookies. Maybe 2.5 METs? And so forth.

Not full of stars

2006-12-12T16:59:24Z

It's strange that I didn't already know this (or maybe it's one of those factoids that I've known and forgotten), but in the film version of 2001: A Space Odyssey, Dave Bowman never says "My God, it's full of stars!" I was sure he did. I couldn't understand why IMDB didn't consider it a memorable quote. Other web pages confirmed it was not in the movie, and I just verified it for myself, watching the DVD. Bowman's last line in the movie (assuming heavy breathing is not a line) is "I'd like to hear it HAL, sing it for me", which is cleverly reminiscent of Casablanca. Kubrick may have felt the line unnecessary, as he clearly demonstrates it's full of stars with his trippy slit scan effects.

The source of my confusion: The "stars" line is the last thing Bowman says in Arthur C. Clarke's 2001 novel, which I did read, and the line is repeated several times in the sequel (novel and film) 2010: The Year We Make Contact.

St. Boniface

2006-11-06T16:59:29Z

St. Boniface fire hall

I spent yesterday afternoon wandering around St. Boniface taking photos, and I can't figure out why I don't spend more time there. It's just across the river, but I usually just race through it on my bike or in a car.

It's very neat architecturally and historically. I think it just needs a few more new stores and restaurants to get things happening. I started with a coffee at Le Garage (voted best coffee in the city on CBC radio), then wandered by the old city hall, the fire hall, the college universitaire St.-B., Cathedrale St-B., and the Hospital. My photos, as always are on Flickr.

No one cares what you had for lunch

2006-10-25T02:56:16Z

I just got this book No One Cares What You Had For Lunch: 100 Ideas for Your Blog by Maggie "Margaret" Mason, aka Mighty Girl, and its full of cool ideas for what to blog about. I'm thinking of making a project of implementing as many of these ideas as I can. Check back and see if I actually do that...

Gossip

2006-10-03T06:47:47Z

A Flickr monthly scavenger hunt topic - "Chit Chat" - inspired me to seek out a sculpture that I'd seen but never really looked at closely. I couldn't find a plaque, nor make out the artist's signature, and web searches were fruitless. Finally, I turned to dear Alison, expert on all things arts and crafts in Winnipeg, and she clued me into the name of the piece, artist, and gallery: Gossip, by Rose-Aimée Belanger, whose works are available through the Mayberry gallery. And I love all her stuff! (Anybody got, like, $8000 I can borrow? And do you think the city would mind if I kept it on the boulevard in front of my apartment?)

Shimano Centeron and narrow pulleys

2006-09-07T02:53:33Z

Just a note for anyone else who ever takes apart their Shimano Sora rear derailleur (or derailer) and is having trouble putting it back together properly because the parts are labelled with weird names:

"Centeron" pulley = upper or guide pulley.

"Narrow" pulley = lower or tension pulley.

I found the answer here. Thank you Shimano for inventing your very own terminology and not using that terminology in your documentation. (I get sarcastic when I'm frustrated.)

Flickr geotagging

2006-08-29T14:00:29Z

Flickr just keeps getting better! They've added geotagging, which lets you mark where your photos were taken, anywhere in the world. Looking at my sparse map, makes me want to travel more, and to scan in my old pictures, to look at least a little more cosmopolitan.

Fi said, Ji said

2006-08-25T02:11:52Z

My sister Nanette, her husband Scott, and their kiddo Noah are moving to Fiji sometime in September. Fi said, Ji said will be the place (and by place, I mean blog) to find out what they're up to over on the blueish side of the planet.