Poll time · Monday March 5, 2007 by colin newell
I can see the visitor stats on this web site – they look pretty good. Generally on the increase. Last time I checked, this blog has about 5000 unique visits per month. Pretty modest stuff and it gives me hope. I tend to get a 2-3 % increase in visitors every month.
But am I on the right track?
Please take a moment and place your vote below. I need a bit of feedback. Do you read this blog regularly? Is there anything of interest here? Is my writing compelling in any way.
Now is the time to speak out. Thanks.
Your comments [1]
Tech to the rescue · Friday February 2, 2007 by colin newell
I work as a technician at a local University. Sometimes I need to parachute into tense situations where technology has failed…
Yesterday I was sent me into a classroom (in session) with
specific instructions to cut into a cable
and replace the DC Plug with an Audio Plug.
Anyone with any electrical or electronics knowledge knows that cutting into anything live is usually a bad idea.
I advised my contact person that it was probably not a good idea
but I went anyway –
Off I went to a lecture in the Womens Studies faculty
...in full swing. Trust me. Facing 35 or 350 sets of eyes with the clear intention of solving a tech problem in less than 5 minutes is challenging at the best of time.
Sure enough, there was some kind of power cable on the top of the counter that I could not identify.
The room was near dark as the class was in progress
with the Video Data Projector on and about 3 or 4 people talking to a class of about 35 ladies.
As I fumbled around the a/v cabinet, I realised that this
cable on the counter top was indeed NOT an audio
cable. I had no idea what it was or what kind of voltage was waiting to bite my ass.
Annoyingly, every 2 minutes or so, someone in the group would
introject: WHEN the audio problem is solved, we
will continue with the AUDIO presentation…”
Within about 15 minutes I was able to find and isolate
the audio cable in question (it had been stuffed into the
tech cabinet and force plugged into the back of the DVD player
RCA input!) The class was back in business and I quietly excused myself to limit the interuption to the learning process.
I think in the future, under circumstances like these, I will put off these kind of re-wiring tasks til the classroom is illuminated and safely cleared out. It is just better for everyone. We used to do service to VDP’s while classes were in progress – but it is just too dangerous. The very thought of dropping a VDP 15 to 30 feet from the ceiling to the floor or onto the head of a student is just too much of a risk to take.
Anyway. I got the job done today.
Ironically, the classroom topic being discussed was
about how useless men are and how poorly they treat
women.
Sometimes you win. Sometimes you lose.
Morons on wheels - Darwin's natural selection · Sunday January 28, 2007 by colin newell
We had a wonderful weekend at Point No Point
Beautiful weather. Brilliant Sunshine. Rest and relaxation.
Oh yea. And a…
High-speed motorcycle crashing head-on into a BMW.
West coast road between Sooke and Jordan River and Port Renfrew, however scenic, is an environment of vehicular lawlessness that the R.C.M.P cannot get a handle on.
Every weekend the Sun comes out, zippy hives of crotch rocket driving morons (guys in almost 100% of cases) zip down this winding ocean-side road at speeds over 100 miles per hour.
They endanger their lives.
And the lives of other motorists.
And they do this every time the sun comes out.
They are male. And they are ignorant and inconsiderate of others.
Anyhow. This weekend, one of these morons on wheels met head on with a brand new BMW. Judging by what was left of the bike, there was little left of the driver. The Beemer faired much better; some crumples on the hood. That was pretty much it.
Yep. This is Darwin at work. Natural selection.
And it works.
On a more personal note, I have had these 2-wheeled morons come screaming up behind my wife and I on the West Coast road… endangering us. I treat this kind of behavior as if it was agressive assault (like there is any other kind…)
And I tend to hit back.
So watch for me.
Thank you to the word-Nazi who corrected my terrible punctuation.
Slow down! [7]
Major blog re-design -coming- here... · Sunday January 21, 2007 by colin newell
Yup.
I am sick of this look.
Ground control to Major Blog,
your circuits dead, there something wrong…
Can you hear me major Blog?
Can you hear me major Blog?
Stay tuned loyal reader.
Addon: Ok, so what I am going to do is create a theme for each section. I think this homepage is quite unique and should not remind anyone of anything
Am I right?
Comment [2]
Gas prices in Victoria B.C. Canada · Tuesday January 2, 2007 by colin newell
1.06.9 One dollar and 6 point 9 cents
Brilliant.
Highest price in Canada.
I read a quote read somewhere locally:
“When there is an abundance of supply chasing too few dollars, the price at the pump must go up…”
Now in Victoria, the other rule applies too:
“When there is a shortage of supply chasing too few dollars, the price at the pump must go up…”
So. You see our problem.
In Caracas, Venezuela (My colleague Al was there for 10 days…), the price at the state owned pumps (sourced from state owned refineries… kind of like Petro-Can) was 11 cents…
a gallon.
11 cents a gallon. And the Venezuelan State owned oil companies have been reporting a profit for years.
So. At the gas pumps in Victoria, B.C. Canada, we do not get gassed. We get fcuked.
Plain and simple.
Chug a lug.
Comment [7]
