So, like any science oriented guy (plus a helplessly self-promoting asshole) I signed up for google analytics to see who is visiting.
It is nice to see that most people visit from gargantuana and I like my ability to track natalie's travels across asia as she visits from various internet cafes.
But the best information provided by google was the keywords that directed random people to my website. As an aside, I have been branded with the description of "ambiguously heterosexual." Anyway, the number one keyword directing people to my website is: "Homoerotic art."
number 5 is "homoerotic photography"
I love the internet.
Thursday, December 29, 2005
the uncertainty of now
I recently read up on the actual mechanism of ozone hole creation. The most important aspect is the creation, in the cold and dark winter months, of a vortex above a pole that develops a core of very cold air. In this cold air zone polar stratospheric clouds can form in the lower stratosphere. During the winter the vortex is so stable that the air in polar latitudes can essentially be sealed off from air at the lower latitudes.
The polar stratospheric clouds and the segregated cold area both act to generate (or liberate) chlorine containing molecules which have been shown to aid depletion of ozone levels.
Most of the chlorine in the stratosphere is bound up in resevoir molecule hydrogen cloride (hydrochloric acid) and chlorine nitrate. Liberation of active chlorine is usually a slow process but in the presence of the ice particles, as are present in the icy-cold polar clouds, the two resevoir molecules can react together to form a chlorine molecule which can be photodissociated into chlorine atoms.
The cold atmosphere also stabilizes a ClO dimer which apparently is readily photolysed to yield to free chlorine atoms.
Chlorine atoms destroy ozone in the following reaction:
Cl + O3 -> ClO + O2
Note that while the polar clouds are developed during the dark cold months, the ozone depletion cannot take place until the sun comes out. The sun also brings warmth which breaks up the vortex, allows ozone rich air to rush in, destroys the polar clouds and allows the ozone layer to be regenerated.
Now, temperatures are often cold enough in the antarctic to cause ozone depletion but not usually as bad in the arctic. But last year New Scientist indicated that arctic temperatures were the lowest they had been in 50 years. Fortunately, by March temperatures were rising. Still, an arctic ozone hole is feared for the near future.
That being said, CFC producing appliances have decreased (though not as quickly as hoped )
and hopefully, by 2050 both the antarctic hole and the stressed arctic ozone layer will be recovered.
I am off to Waterloo in such a short time. I have a key to a house, my bedding has been sent ahead of me and I am desperately reading the papers I was supposed to do months ago. I have been watching a lot of movies (the warriors, thirteen, rounders). Okay, maybe that is not a lot of movies. But it certainly felt like a lot.
Got bloodied up fighting with azim, rob and jon (mainly rob) while ostensibly tossing a disc. We have made plans to continue with our traditions well into adulthood. I feel that I must push for this - if I am to be a renaissance man, I need friends in multiple disciplines. So with azim, rob, godfre and jon I have psychology, biology and ecology, art and music criticism, and law and politics. I provide chemistry and economics. Together we could be unstoppable. I should remind them about this.
I have been thinking about the real reasons for man's history of subjugating women. For some reason I felt that I had ideas I believed in, but when I was forced to actually write out my feelings I discovered that I had no real ideas or that my ideas were conflicting and easily perverted. If anyone has any good ideas I would love to hear them. I will make a stab at writing my collected ideas here soon. Nothing like presenting your badly conceived contentious ideas in an easily accessible and never deleted medium.
The polar stratospheric clouds and the segregated cold area both act to generate (or liberate) chlorine containing molecules which have been shown to aid depletion of ozone levels.
Most of the chlorine in the stratosphere is bound up in resevoir molecule hydrogen cloride (hydrochloric acid) and chlorine nitrate. Liberation of active chlorine is usually a slow process but in the presence of the ice particles, as are present in the icy-cold polar clouds, the two resevoir molecules can react together to form a chlorine molecule which can be photodissociated into chlorine atoms.
The cold atmosphere also stabilizes a ClO dimer which apparently is readily photolysed to yield to free chlorine atoms.
Chlorine atoms destroy ozone in the following reaction:
Cl + O3 -> ClO + O2
Note that while the polar clouds are developed during the dark cold months, the ozone depletion cannot take place until the sun comes out. The sun also brings warmth which breaks up the vortex, allows ozone rich air to rush in, destroys the polar clouds and allows the ozone layer to be regenerated.
Now, temperatures are often cold enough in the antarctic to cause ozone depletion but not usually as bad in the arctic. But last year New Scientist indicated that arctic temperatures were the lowest they had been in 50 years. Fortunately, by March temperatures were rising. Still, an arctic ozone hole is feared for the near future.
That being said, CFC producing appliances have decreased (though not as quickly as hoped )
and hopefully, by 2050 both the antarctic hole and the stressed arctic ozone layer will be recovered.
I am off to Waterloo in such a short time. I have a key to a house, my bedding has been sent ahead of me and I am desperately reading the papers I was supposed to do months ago. I have been watching a lot of movies (the warriors, thirteen, rounders). Okay, maybe that is not a lot of movies. But it certainly felt like a lot.
Got bloodied up fighting with azim, rob and jon (mainly rob) while ostensibly tossing a disc. We have made plans to continue with our traditions well into adulthood. I feel that I must push for this - if I am to be a renaissance man, I need friends in multiple disciplines. So with azim, rob, godfre and jon I have psychology, biology and ecology, art and music criticism, and law and politics. I provide chemistry and economics. Together we could be unstoppable. I should remind them about this.
I have been thinking about the real reasons for man's history of subjugating women. For some reason I felt that I had ideas I believed in, but when I was forced to actually write out my feelings I discovered that I had no real ideas or that my ideas were conflicting and easily perverted. If anyone has any good ideas I would love to hear them. I will make a stab at writing my collected ideas here soon. Nothing like presenting your badly conceived contentious ideas in an easily accessible and never deleted medium.
Monday, December 19, 2005
the wholehearted effect of kinder eggs
Party at Azim's this weekend was excellent. I enjoy interesting people.
Met an organizer of the Spirit Bear Youth Coalition, who is doing some interesting things working towards an economically feasible model for conservation. Also caught up with lots of Vancouver folk, all of whom are doing great. I like my friends.
I have decided to communicate for 30 minutes per day. It will be hard but should ultimately be worth it.
Godfrey (rmutt.diaryland.com), azim (he doesn't yet know) and I will be using these blogs to teach each other things about our respective fields. If you want to join in just comment and you will be read by our little collective.
I am going to start with something I read in The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene.
Determinism is a philosphy which is not easily adopted since it removes one's free will. Initially found to be a problem (at least in the west) come the onset of Newtonian mechanics, it was thought that perhaps atoms moved in a manner akin to billiard balls. While difficult to calculate exact trajectories and interactions, such calculations should not be impossible, even if humans are never able to do it. The fact that such calculation are, in theory, possible removes free will.
The discovery of quantum mechanics seemed to make determinism impossible, since an important aspect of QM was the inherent uncertainties in that QM described probabilities. This was found to be a thought based on falsehoods. It is actually the description of QM in terms of classical (Newtonian) mechanics that seems to indicate uncertainty. Schroedinger's equation (time dependent) fully describes a wave function as it evolves in time and so, if you accept the wave function as being real in itself and not as a descriptor of probability in classical mechanics, then you find that QM can be deterministic as well.
This has been discussed for a while. The interesting discovery outlined in The Elegant Universe (and admittedly somewhat refuted in the same book) revolves around black holes. It was initially though that black holes did not radiate. It turns out that they do, but I want to save that for the next update. Black holes do, though, remove wavefunctions when they attract matter into their belly. This is a loss of information from the Universe. In analogy, if you strike a ball on a billiards table with a certain velocity in a certain direction, you could theoretically calculate the final positions of all the balls. But if a ball was removed suddenly and unexpectedly from the table your calculations would not hold. If black holes did not radiate, then one may have been able to assume that the information contained in the wavefunction passed to a locked area of the universe (the black hole) and this would not affect determinism because the information still existed although it was not easily accessible. The problem, then, is that black holes do radiate and this radiation results in evaporation of the black hole. Hawkins argues that when the black hole fully evaporates the information is not recovered.
With disappearing information, determinism is impossible.
The refutation is, of course, that black holes do return the information they stole.
Still, it is interesting to see how physicists are looking at this issue.
Met an organizer of the Spirit Bear Youth Coalition, who is doing some interesting things working towards an economically feasible model for conservation. Also caught up with lots of Vancouver folk, all of whom are doing great. I like my friends.
I have decided to communicate for 30 minutes per day. It will be hard but should ultimately be worth it.
Godfrey (rmutt.diaryland.com), azim (he doesn't yet know) and I will be using these blogs to teach each other things about our respective fields. If you want to join in just comment and you will be read by our little collective.
I am going to start with something I read in The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene.
Determinism is a philosphy which is not easily adopted since it removes one's free will. Initially found to be a problem (at least in the west) come the onset of Newtonian mechanics, it was thought that perhaps atoms moved in a manner akin to billiard balls. While difficult to calculate exact trajectories and interactions, such calculations should not be impossible, even if humans are never able to do it. The fact that such calculation are, in theory, possible removes free will.
The discovery of quantum mechanics seemed to make determinism impossible, since an important aspect of QM was the inherent uncertainties in that QM described probabilities. This was found to be a thought based on falsehoods. It is actually the description of QM in terms of classical (Newtonian) mechanics that seems to indicate uncertainty. Schroedinger's equation (time dependent) fully describes a wave function as it evolves in time and so, if you accept the wave function as being real in itself and not as a descriptor of probability in classical mechanics, then you find that QM can be deterministic as well.
This has been discussed for a while. The interesting discovery outlined in The Elegant Universe (and admittedly somewhat refuted in the same book) revolves around black holes. It was initially though that black holes did not radiate. It turns out that they do, but I want to save that for the next update. Black holes do, though, remove wavefunctions when they attract matter into their belly. This is a loss of information from the Universe. In analogy, if you strike a ball on a billiards table with a certain velocity in a certain direction, you could theoretically calculate the final positions of all the balls. But if a ball was removed suddenly and unexpectedly from the table your calculations would not hold. If black holes did not radiate, then one may have been able to assume that the information contained in the wavefunction passed to a locked area of the universe (the black hole) and this would not affect determinism because the information still existed although it was not easily accessible. The problem, then, is that black holes do radiate and this radiation results in evaporation of the black hole. Hawkins argues that when the black hole fully evaporates the information is not recovered.
With disappearing information, determinism is impossible.
The refutation is, of course, that black holes do return the information they stole.
Still, it is interesting to see how physicists are looking at this issue.
Friday, November 18, 2005
mmmm.,,cheese
I get all my protein from cheese and peanut butter.
I feel a tad weak.
But I am holding strong on the vegetarianism thing.
I have also become friends with people in the chemistry department. It is a very odd experience for me. I had kinda given up hope on ever finding friends in my faculty and was happy to stay friends with one or two people I met randomly, Natalie and her friends, and the non-academic folks I know (as well as having the high school crew as my base) but then I suddenly found myself enjoying some of their company and finding school related conversation interesting.
trouble.
we even joke in chemistry terms ... like "nothing is forbidden in an excited state"
losers. all of us.
anyway, they are all much smarter than the stunningly inept (in academia) people I meet in my economics class. damn. those guys are stupid.
For a school with one of the highest entering GPAs we manage to have a large number of really dense people.
but I am ranting.
We already know how much I think about the fact that I probably should have gone to UofT, but I usually forget it when I think about how much I am doing here. But a teacher today asked me why I didn't go to a harder school and compared UVic to a college. I can only assume it was because he was an economics teacher. Rather, I have to assume it was because he was an economics teacher.
I feel a tad weak.
But I am holding strong on the vegetarianism thing.
I have also become friends with people in the chemistry department. It is a very odd experience for me. I had kinda given up hope on ever finding friends in my faculty and was happy to stay friends with one or two people I met randomly, Natalie and her friends, and the non-academic folks I know (as well as having the high school crew as my base) but then I suddenly found myself enjoying some of their company and finding school related conversation interesting.
trouble.
we even joke in chemistry terms ... like "nothing is forbidden in an excited state"
losers. all of us.
anyway, they are all much smarter than the stunningly inept (in academia) people I meet in my economics class. damn. those guys are stupid.
For a school with one of the highest entering GPAs we manage to have a large number of really dense people.
but I am ranting.
We already know how much I think about the fact that I probably should have gone to UofT, but I usually forget it when I think about how much I am doing here. But a teacher today asked me why I didn't go to a harder school and compared UVic to a college. I can only assume it was because he was an economics teacher. Rather, I have to assume it was because he was an economics teacher.
Monday, November 07, 2005
i can't cut dance music
i think i am a vegetarian.
well, a environmentalarian ... I only eat the environment.
no, the idea is that I am saddened by the environmental degradation directly caused by cow, pig, chicken farming. Seriously. It is awful. Actually eating animals. Not such a problem.
Someone throws some venison on my plate and it will be in my belly.
but no more farmed meat. can't possibly justify it any more.
god, I hope someone gives me venison.
Natalie and I want to try Hufu, the human tofu substitute. Well, I do. And I will.
well, a environmentalarian ... I only eat the environment.
no, the idea is that I am saddened by the environmental degradation directly caused by cow, pig, chicken farming. Seriously. It is awful. Actually eating animals. Not such a problem.
Someone throws some venison on my plate and it will be in my belly.
but no more farmed meat. can't possibly justify it any more.
god, I hope someone gives me venison.
Natalie and I want to try Hufu, the human tofu substitute. Well, I do. And I will.
Sunday, November 06, 2005
back in the game
okay,
been a while. but these things happen. they sure do.
I have begun to naturally flock to places where people congregate, in a seemingly social manner. It is semi-enjoyable. I remember my old social self. On the other hand, my preoccupation with acedemia is having a noticable effect on my gpa. If I keep this up I might just get into the University of Manitoba.
I really have become a good student but I have also become boring. Part of the boring-ness must necessarily rest on the lack of funds (I chose not to work this semester) but mainly it is from the work ethic.
And all the volunteering. Paige, who I haven't seen in a while, chastised me for my pro bono work but I am enjoying it. Working weekly with learning disabled kids through the Students For Literacy program (and trying to expand the program to focus more on adults), the UVSS, the senate, the Environmental Responsibilty club. I am a joiner. yay.
I am trying to get on a University steering committee to increase the reputation of the university amongst business leaders, high school counselors and others who feel the need to rate universities (note: just checked the Macleans Magazine - UVic is up to #2 in comprehensive universities - take that Guelph and SFU!). Anyway, it is in my best interest to make UVic number 1. Then I get to tell prospective grad schools that I am matriculated from the prestigious University of Victoria. Now, I assume, they still consider it a party school with couch riding surf-kids (which is not too far off the mark). There are a lot of surf-kids here. Lazy bastards.
gotta go study now.
damn surf-kids
been a while. but these things happen. they sure do.
I have begun to naturally flock to places where people congregate, in a seemingly social manner. It is semi-enjoyable. I remember my old social self. On the other hand, my preoccupation with acedemia is having a noticable effect on my gpa. If I keep this up I might just get into the University of Manitoba.
I really have become a good student but I have also become boring. Part of the boring-ness must necessarily rest on the lack of funds (I chose not to work this semester) but mainly it is from the work ethic.
And all the volunteering. Paige, who I haven't seen in a while, chastised me for my pro bono work but I am enjoying it. Working weekly with learning disabled kids through the Students For Literacy program (and trying to expand the program to focus more on adults), the UVSS, the senate, the Environmental Responsibilty club. I am a joiner. yay.
I am trying to get on a University steering committee to increase the reputation of the university amongst business leaders, high school counselors and others who feel the need to rate universities (note: just checked the Macleans Magazine - UVic is up to #2 in comprehensive universities - take that Guelph and SFU!). Anyway, it is in my best interest to make UVic number 1. Then I get to tell prospective grad schools that I am matriculated from the prestigious University of Victoria. Now, I assume, they still consider it a party school with couch riding surf-kids (which is not too far off the mark). There are a lot of surf-kids here. Lazy bastards.
gotta go study now.
damn surf-kids
Monday, October 17, 2005
aftermath
the party worked out perfectly ...
with the exception, of course, of the somewhat perverted sexual nature of the night of the party. I was assualted. That was, I believe, the strangest night of my life.
Anyway, saw Zeemer, Kate and JC (and Mark) for brunch at Milestones, where my obviously pastel shirt was treated with derision. That is all I remember of the breakfast. So much derision.
Also spent a boring-esque night playing video games and drinking kokanee. While, initially, the prospect of getting drunk and playing old school Mortal Kombat and MarioKart was interesting, the immediate mind-numbing boringness of it kicked in. Not that I haven't played all night video games with other parties in the near past. But that was Bond on an XBOX. So either I am now bored by older games or I appreciate some company more than others.
Either that, or I was just too tired from midterm season to really put in the necessary energy to make the night entertaining. Or, I expect certain groups to do certain things. That was my party in vancouver group. Why did they wander from their predescribed path? So many potential explanations.
New Years in New York is potentially happening. I would enjoy it, although it may be nice to spend it here surrounded by friends. Friends or new experiences? I usually choose the latter without hesitation, but the former seems pretty tempting.
hmmm.
with the exception, of course, of the somewhat perverted sexual nature of the night of the party. I was assualted. That was, I believe, the strangest night of my life.
Anyway, saw Zeemer, Kate and JC (and Mark) for brunch at Milestones, where my obviously pastel shirt was treated with derision. That is all I remember of the breakfast. So much derision.
Also spent a boring-esque night playing video games and drinking kokanee. While, initially, the prospect of getting drunk and playing old school Mortal Kombat and MarioKart was interesting, the immediate mind-numbing boringness of it kicked in. Not that I haven't played all night video games with other parties in the near past. But that was Bond on an XBOX. So either I am now bored by older games or I appreciate some company more than others.
Either that, or I was just too tired from midterm season to really put in the necessary energy to make the night entertaining. Or, I expect certain groups to do certain things. That was my party in vancouver group. Why did they wander from their predescribed path? So many potential explanations.
New Years in New York is potentially happening. I would enjoy it, although it may be nice to spend it here surrounded by friends. Friends or new experiences? I usually choose the latter without hesitation, but the former seems pretty tempting.
hmmm.
Thursday, October 13, 2005
vancouver
I certainly hope my mother does not read this web site. I don't think it is possible that she does but she might. Why?, you may be asking.
Well she is turing 50 (sometime in the next few days) and my sister and I are throwing her a surprise party. Won't that be fun?
Now, I am all for surprise parties but organising such an event for your mother is as difficult as one would expect it to be for one's parents to organise an equivalent event for their children. The surprise parties I have been to that have been at least initiated by the parents, have had a younger best friend who did most of the inviting and planning.
Well, we attempted to recruit help. The ideas: 50's rock party and sexy party (with PINK and RED!!!). Disgusting.
So we are going with basics - "get drunk all you older people who know my mother but not each other" theme. Should be wicked.
My mother attempted to throw a wrench in the plans by buying tickets to a play. Sneaky bastard. But we put her in her place. She really thinks this is going to be the most boring, sad birthday of her life. And what makes it all the more delicious is that none of her friends have suggested anything 'cause they are all going to be there. She is apparently really sad right now. If she breaks down during our dinner ( I am taking her out for a birthday dinner on Sat night to get her out of the house - Vij in Vancouver) I might just have to let her in on the secret, but if I can be strong I will just tell her that friends are stupid.
Well she is turing 50 (sometime in the next few days) and my sister and I are throwing her a surprise party. Won't that be fun?
Now, I am all for surprise parties but organising such an event for your mother is as difficult as one would expect it to be for one's parents to organise an equivalent event for their children. The surprise parties I have been to that have been at least initiated by the parents, have had a younger best friend who did most of the inviting and planning.
Well, we attempted to recruit help. The ideas: 50's rock party and sexy party (with PINK and RED!!!). Disgusting.
So we are going with basics - "get drunk all you older people who know my mother but not each other" theme. Should be wicked.
My mother attempted to throw a wrench in the plans by buying tickets to a play. Sneaky bastard. But we put her in her place. She really thinks this is going to be the most boring, sad birthday of her life. And what makes it all the more delicious is that none of her friends have suggested anything 'cause they are all going to be there. She is apparently really sad right now. If she breaks down during our dinner ( I am taking her out for a birthday dinner on Sat night to get her out of the house - Vij in Vancouver) I might just have to let her in on the secret, but if I can be strong I will just tell her that friends are stupid.
Sunday, October 02, 2005
new bar
oh, and we discovered a neat litte bar last night - this city is really trying quite hard.
It is an old comedy club (underneath an atrocious spot called "SYN" which has the obnoxious tendency of making horrible puns using a name THEY CREATED THEMSELVES. Fuck. It is not clever to make puns out of names that you made yourself) but it is very well appointed - all red velvet high back booths and intrically carved wooden panels.
Last night saw it as a throughfare of interesting people (including a large posse of Saints and Crofton folk - they were just so adorable) but that could be due to its grand opening status. We will see if they can keep it going. It is definitely a good spot.
Mark (doctor from Montreal) is in van. I should go see him.
It is an old comedy club (underneath an atrocious spot called "SYN" which has the obnoxious tendency of making horrible puns using a name THEY CREATED THEMSELVES. Fuck. It is not clever to make puns out of names that you made yourself) but it is very well appointed - all red velvet high back booths and intrically carved wooden panels.
Last night saw it as a throughfare of interesting people (including a large posse of Saints and Crofton folk - they were just so adorable) but that could be due to its grand opening status. We will see if they can keep it going. It is definitely a good spot.
Mark (doctor from Montreal) is in van. I should go see him.
Why does everyone love New York
for some reason, it seems that the people whose whereabouts and actions I have knowledge of, are heading to New York. I want to go to New York.
Montreal is great and I am looking forward to it, but I really must make my way to NY. Just for a year. That is all I will need.
And then I can see francey and colin and sahm and godfrey if he even makes the trek.
I am sure we can get more people out there. There is tons of room in New York.
Montreal is great and I am looking forward to it, but I really must make my way to NY. Just for a year. That is all I will need.
And then I can see francey and colin and sahm and godfrey if he even makes the trek.
I am sure we can get more people out there. There is tons of room in New York.
Sunday, September 25, 2005
i love biking at night
it was jessie's birthday this evening, so we ended up at Lucky (which is now officially the only bar I go to) and it was, as usual, a great time.
Everyone there just wants to have a good time. How great is that? No fights, no blatant picking up (although my roomate definitely got a little gross, right-in-front-of-everyone, drunk-as-a- punk, action on), no disgusting alcoholism, the bartenders give you tap water without condescension and, most importantly, amazingly attractive people who can look good without wearing anything see-through. Wait, the most important thing is the lack of grinding. God, I despise grinding. Now.
but the best part of the evening was the end, when we rounded up a group of bikers and formed a little posse. We had no agenda (unfortunately?) but we certainly got our bike posse on. I like getting "things" on. And i love biking at night. There is really nothing better. You just float along.
Everyone should bike all the time.
Everyone there just wants to have a good time. How great is that? No fights, no blatant picking up (although my roomate definitely got a little gross, right-in-front-of-everyone, drunk-as-a- punk, action on), no disgusting alcoholism, the bartenders give you tap water without condescension and, most importantly, amazingly attractive people who can look good without wearing anything see-through. Wait, the most important thing is the lack of grinding. God, I despise grinding. Now.
but the best part of the evening was the end, when we rounded up a group of bikers and formed a little posse. We had no agenda (unfortunately?) but we certainly got our bike posse on. I like getting "things" on. And i love biking at night. There is really nothing better. You just float along.
Everyone should bike all the time.
Friday, September 23, 2005
new sheik website
check it:
the new sheik website. make sure you refresh a few time.
and also check out the hidden video (if you can't find it). You may need quicktime 7.
The shots and clothes look great - I found that sweet safari suit on the Calgary trip - but we are still a ways away from a finished product.
Just need more clothes.
Must get cards made.
the new sheik website. make sure you refresh a few time.
and also check out the hidden video (if you can't find it). You may need quicktime 7.
The shots and clothes look great - I found that sweet safari suit on the Calgary trip - but we are still a ways away from a finished product.
Just need more clothes.
Must get cards made.
Thursday, September 22, 2005
homoerotic adventures
last night was the most incredible night of my life.
it was decided, a day late (although that resulted in some good), that The Sheik should do a photo shoot. There was cursory talk of getting a girl to come, but frankly no one was that interested.
So our new friend Caleb brought his brother Matt (who rides BMX for Oakley) to the warehouse as our sole model.
Caleb is an art freak, so it was his vision we were to be following - he wanted dark shots. Uber-fashiony. Matt got dressed up in outfits of mainly my choosing and tippi, chris and caleb took hundreds of shots, adjusted lights and background, got boozed up and filmed the whole event.
After an hour, I had to go get Natalie. It was just that gay.
Matt is a tad ripped, but we dressed him up in belly shirts and half gloves, made him stand in unnatural poses. We gayed him up. And he went pretty willingly. The whole thing went on for hours. Natalie couldn't stop laughing.
And we got some great shots - a little too great. It really enforced my belief that photography is a bit of a crock. Although, now I am thinking that, at least with fashion or people shots, one must be able to make strangers relax and look natural. Maybe that is the skill in itself.
anyway, I hope this sheik thing works out. My whole leaving thing is going to throw a wrench in the works, but good ideas can ride out a storm.
I hav decided to make no new friends in Waterloo. Rather, I will attempt to get published, work on the IR code, read a lot, learn to sew (Natalis is giving me her sewing machine until she returns from india) and learn french. I can do all that, but only if I don't have to deal with annoying "others."
it was decided, a day late (although that resulted in some good), that The Sheik should do a photo shoot. There was cursory talk of getting a girl to come, but frankly no one was that interested.
So our new friend Caleb brought his brother Matt (who rides BMX for Oakley) to the warehouse as our sole model.
Caleb is an art freak, so it was his vision we were to be following - he wanted dark shots. Uber-fashiony. Matt got dressed up in outfits of mainly my choosing and tippi, chris and caleb took hundreds of shots, adjusted lights and background, got boozed up and filmed the whole event.
After an hour, I had to go get Natalie. It was just that gay.
Matt is a tad ripped, but we dressed him up in belly shirts and half gloves, made him stand in unnatural poses. We gayed him up. And he went pretty willingly. The whole thing went on for hours. Natalie couldn't stop laughing.
And we got some great shots - a little too great. It really enforced my belief that photography is a bit of a crock. Although, now I am thinking that, at least with fashion or people shots, one must be able to make strangers relax and look natural. Maybe that is the skill in itself.
anyway, I hope this sheik thing works out. My whole leaving thing is going to throw a wrench in the works, but good ideas can ride out a storm.
I hav decided to make no new friends in Waterloo. Rather, I will attempt to get published, work on the IR code, read a lot, learn to sew (Natalis is giving me her sewing machine until she returns from india) and learn french. I can do all that, but only if I don't have to deal with annoying "others."
Monday, September 12, 2005
good news
So it is now official - I am taking a year long hiatus from school.
4 months in Waterloo and 8 month in Montreal. Sweet.
I gotta start learning french.
4 months in Waterloo and 8 month in Montreal. Sweet.
I gotta start learning french.
Friday, September 09, 2005
The Nasties
School has started again. This is a relatively good thing though I dread the return of the 20 page lab reports. I am just not organised enough for this.
The Sheik progresses, albeit slowly. We are trying to incorporate both a Sheik Market (consignment goods) and a Sheik Boutique (designed goods). A series of guest designers will be able to root through the Sheik Market items and choose pieces they feel can be best remade and have at 'er. Should make for some interesting clothing. And we made psuedo-friends with the owner of a toronto vintage store, 69Vintage, who may be able to help us with procurring wholesale items. She has been working on her store for ages, so it makes me feel a little better that the Sheik is not further along.
And yesterday, I asked Natalie to help me to learn how to sew. We made a bag. And it wasn't even a disaster.
In other, school based news, I got an NSERC award enabling me to go out and do research with Dr. Peter Bernath at Waterloo part of the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (in conjunction with the Canadian Space Agency!) I am pretty excited. Who knows what I will be doing, but I am going to carve my initials into something that is going into space.
And hopefully, if it works out, I will also get to go and work with Dr. Christopher Bayly at Merck Frosst in Montreal. I would be working on making a better model of a forcefield used in computation chemistry experiments. The current version, which I will be making better, is already one of the best. But that is still in the works - I had an hour long interview, which went well, but I really want to stay there for 8 months (Natalie wants to move out with me and it would not be pleasant for her to have to move repeatedly) and I am not sure that they will want to do more that the normal 4 month term. Soon. He should email me soon.
And Big Brother/Big Sisters will not let me volunteer, understandably, since I am leaving in 4 months. I should have got on this a while ago. They provided another option, so hopefully that will work out. For Montreal, I have to plan in advance, so that I can start pretty much as soon as I arrive. I really suck at this volunteer thing. I want to do something, but move so often that I just can't promise to be anywhere for a year at a time. I could have done something last year, but who knew that I would be around. I have no problem lying to jobs, but not to volunteer positions. Maybe I can find some volunteer work I can do online. Or soup kitchens - they don't require any special time commitments. Or human rights stuff - that is something I am working on right now. I need alex's email.
The Sheik progresses, albeit slowly. We are trying to incorporate both a Sheik Market (consignment goods) and a Sheik Boutique (designed goods). A series of guest designers will be able to root through the Sheik Market items and choose pieces they feel can be best remade and have at 'er. Should make for some interesting clothing. And we made psuedo-friends with the owner of a toronto vintage store, 69Vintage, who may be able to help us with procurring wholesale items. She has been working on her store for ages, so it makes me feel a little better that the Sheik is not further along.
And yesterday, I asked Natalie to help me to learn how to sew. We made a bag. And it wasn't even a disaster.
In other, school based news, I got an NSERC award enabling me to go out and do research with Dr. Peter Bernath at Waterloo part of the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (in conjunction with the Canadian Space Agency!) I am pretty excited. Who knows what I will be doing, but I am going to carve my initials into something that is going into space.
And hopefully, if it works out, I will also get to go and work with Dr. Christopher Bayly at Merck Frosst in Montreal. I would be working on making a better model of a forcefield used in computation chemistry experiments. The current version, which I will be making better, is already one of the best. But that is still in the works - I had an hour long interview, which went well, but I really want to stay there for 8 months (Natalie wants to move out with me and it would not be pleasant for her to have to move repeatedly) and I am not sure that they will want to do more that the normal 4 month term. Soon. He should email me soon.
And Big Brother/Big Sisters will not let me volunteer, understandably, since I am leaving in 4 months. I should have got on this a while ago. They provided another option, so hopefully that will work out. For Montreal, I have to plan in advance, so that I can start pretty much as soon as I arrive. I really suck at this volunteer thing. I want to do something, but move so often that I just can't promise to be anywhere for a year at a time. I could have done something last year, but who knew that I would be around. I have no problem lying to jobs, but not to volunteer positions. Maybe I can find some volunteer work I can do online. Or soup kitchens - they don't require any special time commitments. Or human rights stuff - that is something I am working on right now. I need alex's email.
Thursday, August 18, 2005
candlabra
Second to last day of work before a three week holiday. Leaving for Calgary on Saturday to visit friends and Natalie's family. Also, the trip will be used to do some aggressive clothes shopping for the sheik. Hopefully that will round out the clothing component of the shop and allow us to start it up in September.
Then back to van to do some climbing and hiking in and around Whistler.
School starts on the 7th and I will be super busy with classes and the UVSS.
economicsnews: the eminent domain ruling at SCotUS took an upsetting turn when the private company that won the right to evict the tenants to build their tax collecting "public use" compound had the audacity to charge back rent. the trial has been on for 5 years, so the tenants are being charged in the 10-100 thousand range. reading comments on it, you see a lot of calls for revolution. one would think that america, with its intense pride of being the land of the free, the land which endorses private property and the land where guns are kept to ensure that one cannot lose their lives nor property, would not be taking this lightly. Unfortunately, it seems as if this has been polarized into a left/right debate so that up-in-arms people from both sides are defending ideas that are just not right because those ideas have been adopted by one side or the other. this is a battle between haves and have-nots. hopefully it will be resolved soon. from what I understand, the SCotUS decision gives each state or municipality the right to restrict eminent domain.
sciencenews: a massive siberian peat bog is melting, supposedly due to global warming, and it threaten to release a massive amount of methane. Water is the most prevalent greenhouse gas (which is not very well known) but methane has a global warming potential (GWP) of 22 times carbon dioxide (CO2 is defined as having a GWP of 1) but the GWP for CO2 does not take into account indirect effects while the GWP for methane does. Luckily methane only survives for ~12 years (compared to CO2's 250-400 years) . It is too bad that this is still so contentious. If scientists could just agree that global warming is happening (or is not happening) then we could get somewhere. As it is, any politician can simply refer to a study that backs up their chosen path and be done with it.
Then back to van to do some climbing and hiking in and around Whistler.
School starts on the 7th and I will be super busy with classes and the UVSS.
economicsnews: the eminent domain ruling at SCotUS took an upsetting turn when the private company that won the right to evict the tenants to build their tax collecting "public use" compound had the audacity to charge back rent. the trial has been on for 5 years, so the tenants are being charged in the 10-100 thousand range. reading comments on it, you see a lot of calls for revolution. one would think that america, with its intense pride of being the land of the free, the land which endorses private property and the land where guns are kept to ensure that one cannot lose their lives nor property, would not be taking this lightly. Unfortunately, it seems as if this has been polarized into a left/right debate so that up-in-arms people from both sides are defending ideas that are just not right because those ideas have been adopted by one side or the other. this is a battle between haves and have-nots. hopefully it will be resolved soon. from what I understand, the SCotUS decision gives each state or municipality the right to restrict eminent domain.
sciencenews: a massive siberian peat bog is melting, supposedly due to global warming, and it threaten to release a massive amount of methane. Water is the most prevalent greenhouse gas (which is not very well known) but methane has a global warming potential (GWP) of 22 times carbon dioxide (CO2 is defined as having a GWP of 1) but the GWP for CO2 does not take into account indirect effects while the GWP for methane does. Luckily methane only survives for ~12 years (compared to CO2's 250-400 years) . It is too bad that this is still so contentious. If scientists could just agree that global warming is happening (or is not happening) then we could get somewhere. As it is, any politician can simply refer to a study that backs up their chosen path and be done with it.
Monday, August 15, 2005
new beginning
not one to waste an opportunity (sure), this blog is going to morph into an educational experience for me. a friend of mine (godfrey) and I were supposed to start emailing each other with regards to what we had learned that day. it didn't pan out so I am going to start doing it here. we will see where it goes. if nothing else, it will act as a history for me, which will be interesting.
Still at the University, working on the project that will not work. Three identical scans, three completely different graphs and no way to calibrate. This is going to require some intense head scratching.
reading: The Hero with a Thousand Faces (Joseph Campbell), Myth of Sisyphus (Albert Camus) and Consciousness Explained (Daniel C. Dennett).
listening: NYUB and newsradio (montreal) -> podcasts
sciencenews: check out this door. totally useless and completely prone to breaking down, but so cool.
economicsnews: House prices in the US rose 13.6% in the year ending June 30. Inflation is low and population growth has for years been steady around 1%. In general, americans tend to save by investing in property. personal debt is extremely high (stats abound but are all different). Interest rates are rising to stem inflation (perhaps badly timed with the oil increase?), but this is going to screw with personal debt. so many people are talking about the housing bubble. I bring this up because my sister has suggested that we think about buying a house. I am interested but concerned that now is not the time. 13.6% is a lot. More on this as I research it.
Still at the University, working on the project that will not work. Three identical scans, three completely different graphs and no way to calibrate. This is going to require some intense head scratching.
reading: The Hero with a Thousand Faces (Joseph Campbell), Myth of Sisyphus (Albert Camus) and Consciousness Explained (Daniel C. Dennett).
listening: NYUB and newsradio (montreal) -> podcasts
sciencenews: check out this door. totally useless and completely prone to breaking down, but so cool.
economicsnews: House prices in the US rose 13.6% in the year ending June 30. Inflation is low and population growth has for years been steady around 1%. In general, americans tend to save by investing in property. personal debt is extremely high (stats abound but are all different). Interest rates are rising to stem inflation (perhaps badly timed with the oil increase?), but this is going to screw with personal debt. so many people are talking about the housing bubble. I bring this up because my sister has suggested that we think about buying a house. I am interested but concerned that now is not the time. 13.6% is a lot. More on this as I research it.
Sunday, August 14, 2005
titles are funny
it is sunday afternoon and I am psuedo-stuck in the basement at the university trying to make an experiment work. thus far it will not do so, but it will. God help it, it will. And then I will be published and will have a little publishing party.
went to lucky last night. tis the only club in our little town worth speaking of. I like it but will tire of it soon, no doubt. Danced up a storm. Drank up a storm. Good.
zim gave me a book to read called Consciousness Explained. quite good so far, but Dennett seems a tad conceited. I am used to scholarly texts using the pronoun "one" so that the reader understands that the knowledge is now in the public realm. Dennett continualy states that he, single-handedly, is going to solve every problem mankind has ever faced with his amazing intelligence. we are stupid for even reading the book.
went to lucky last night. tis the only club in our little town worth speaking of. I like it but will tire of it soon, no doubt. Danced up a storm. Drank up a storm. Good.
zim gave me a book to read called Consciousness Explained. quite good so far, but Dennett seems a tad conceited. I am used to scholarly texts using the pronoun "one" so that the reader understands that the knowledge is now in the public realm. Dennett continualy states that he, single-handedly, is going to solve every problem mankind has ever faced with his amazing intelligence. we are stupid for even reading the book.
Friday, August 12, 2005
childhood memories blow
just finished watching Labyrinth. I had much higher expectations for that movie ... like it was good or had a message or something. But, no. It was an hour and a half of "Ludo, friend" and "I am an idiotic dancing muppet."
I did notice that the little goblin was mistakenly called "Hogwart" and immediately after that mistake, there appeared a wizardy creature with a phoenix-type bird on his head. I think I found the inspiration for the harry potter books.
I did notice that the little goblin was mistakenly called "Hogwart" and immediately after that mistake, there appeared a wizardy creature with a phoenix-type bird on his head. I think I found the inspiration for the harry potter books.
Sunday, August 07, 2005
climb climb climb
Went outdoor climbing this weekend, up at Skaha in penticton. the climbs were on the easy side, but the potential for fucking-awesome body-shaking finger-dangling is definitely there. indoor climbing has nothing on this. of course, the company was spectacular. and we made it to peach-fest. yay peach-fest. need to go climbing more. next stop, squamish at the beginning of september. squash and climbing. who needs soccer and ultimate?
pictures? you got 'em.
pictures? you got 'em.
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