copperbottom

Payton's unicycle update.

2010-04-16T09:38:00.000-07:00

Payton has started to learn how to unicycle without support.

With support(hanging onto my finger) she can go quite a distance, even off of the curb.

without support she can almost get to 2 full rotations.

Paytons Uni

2010-03-06T22:06:00.000-08:00

I bought my Daughter her first unicycle. I got it for an great price off of craigslist.
the lady I bought it off of said it was an 18" tire, but it is a 20"

So I had to cut the seatpost and cut down the neck, to make it fit her 21" inseam.

my unicycle progress.

2009-06-26T12:26:00.000-07:00

I got a unicycle for father's day and it's fun.
It's also a huge workout. It will probably be less of a workout after I get better balance.

I have only not landed on my feet 4 times so far.but I wonder if I am not riding out when I unconsciously think I am going to fall.so I tried and I landed on my knee.

here is a shot I took of myself with the remote, on a parking garage roof.
I had to freemount cause there was nothing to hold on to. I am not good at freemounting most of the shots I got were of the the unicycle about to fly away or me falling off.

2008-11-15T14:31:00.001-08:00

One day, Jesus said to his disciples: "The Kingdom of Heaven is like y = 3x² + 8x - 9."

A man who had just joined the disciples looked very confused and asked Peter: "What on Earth does he mean by that?"

Peter smiled. "Don't worry. It's just another one of his parabolas."

100 species cont.. part #2b

2008-10-09T08:32:00.000-07:00

a continuation of trying to list a 100 species within a mile of my home.(nice I live less then a mile from the beach.)

#94 - cyanea capillata - lion’s mane Jellyfish, somewhat poisonous, I know I had barefeet it hurt somewhat like stinging nettles. some people it can effect much worse. they can get upto 2m in diameter(not likely in the pacific).

#3 - American Bald Eagle.

see post #1 here

just testing something out.

2008-10-07T05:07:00.000-07:00

Loading...

I don't think this will work via facebook.
goto rodbot.blogspot.com

100 species challenge

2008-10-03T10:24:00.000-07:00

there has been a challenge posted via geekdad blog that they got from this blog.

the challenge is to Identify a 100 plants species within a mile of your home.
geekdad has expanded "...The 100-Species Challenge to include every living thing we could find and photograph – plants, animals, and indeterminate micro-organisms included."

so I will attempt a count down to see if we can identify 100 species.

I found a animal checklist site for BC.
efauna BC

#100. Amanita muscaria var. flavivolvata or Fly Agaric

#99 Pileated Woodpecker eating from a
#98 chokecherry tree.

#97 skunk(there is aparently a few different species of skunk but I haven't seen much info on them yet)
EDIT: Mephitis mephitis, also known as the "stripped skunk". there are 2 species in BC the stripped skunks and spotted skunks.

#96 great blue heron

#95 grey squirrel

#96 Raccoon mother and baby
#95 in the Juniper bushes

if your reading from Facebook you may need to togo to the actual post on my blog to see the photos
http://rodbot.blogspot.com/2008/10/100-species-challenge.html

"Jesus is my friend" by Sonseed

2008-09-06T10:14:00.000-07:00

I saw this on boingboing.

Jesus is my friend by "Sonseed" from Peleg Top on Vimeo.

potty training.

2008-09-06T10:04:00.000-07:00

last resort?

Payton on her bike

2008-09-04T00:20:00.000-07:00

I thought I would post some bike pictures. Payton loves bike rides.
I did have a great shot lined up where she was try no hands, but her Mom got too nervous.

with the above photo, I was running beside her. that and the lens was MF, so I have a few shots that worked but not many.

here is a pic on the first day I got my electric bike. Payton asked to go on a ride everyday for 2 weeks after this.

the great copy fight

2008-06-16T00:34:00.000-07:00

from Michael Geist's blog.

If Bill C-61 passes to become law. just about every Canadian will become a criminal.

real jedi master beaten up by darthvader

2008-03-30T12:33:00.000-07:00

self proclaimed Jedi master beaten in his backyard by a man dressed like darth vader.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/03/28/nhelmet128.xml

which way do I go?which way do I go?

2008-03-24T13:00:00.000-07:00

all right I am am getting geared up for the big commute.
MISSION to UBC.

so I am asking various map services on recommended routes and travel times and distances.

my laptop GPS software MS "streets and trips 2005" (I may need to upgrade that)
83.4km in 1hr 28min
lougheed->maryhill->#1->grandview hwy->stevens->16th->wesbrook mall

google maps' route at 96.1 km – about 1 hour 43 mins
way different route.
#11->maclure->#1->grandview hwy->rupert->41st->marine dr->wesbrook mall

yahoo maps thought 105.6km in 1hr 46min
#11->sumas exit->#1->hastings->burrard->then zigzag about every intersection until 16th->wesbrook mall

mapquest.com suggested a route of 83.5km in 1hr 39min
lougheed->maryhill->#1->grandview hwy->granville->16th->wesbrook mall

microsoft maps.live.com liked a route of 89.9km in 1hr 38min
lougheed->maryhill->#1->hastings->granville->41st->marine dr->wesbrook mall

now my dads GPS thought go down to 8th ave then to hwy 99. to marine in 1hr 47min(I think)

Yes I am looking into moving closer, but that isn't going to happen within the next week so.

i will also look into WestCoastExpress but we will see if the schedule lines up with my hours at all.

any Ideas on other routes? or other suggest

the photoblog

2008-02-10T23:51:00.001-08:00

Michelle and I have been posting photos to our flickr accounts.

some highlights we have been blogging..here

Poll any ideas?

2008-02-03T21:11:00.000-08:00

ok I took a macro shot of my eye
cool eh, well if you look closely into the pupil you will notice something hanging

playing with the brightness in photoshop notice in my pupils these little hairs suspended from the iris..

or so it looks...

any ideas......

Eye floaters? weird alien growth perhaps...??

what do you think it is

how many calls does it take to get what I order? At Panago pizza

2008-02-03T20:07:00.000-08:00

hello

I wish to inform you about the experience I have had ordering pizza yesterday.

(call 1)about 5:00pm
I phoned and ordered 2 large pizzas and 1 small and a 2L sprite.

she ( the lady at the call center) said it came to 29.50,
I honestly said that sounds too cheap I think you have missed a pizza.

she said no I have 3 pizzas and a sprite.

okay cheap pizza I thought.

well I got a phone call (over an hour later, she said 55min for delivery)
he said that they didn't have sprite. (coke, iced tea, or diet coke)
ok I will get a coke.

well amost 2 hrs after the original call the pizza guy shows. with only only 2 pizzas (one incorrect pizza) both cold!
and to top it off diet coke!!!

wow it took 2 hrs for 1 out of 4 things right!!!
the driver said to call and complain (but Pay now) and they will make some new ones with a coke.

well he didn't give me the number for the store, so I had to call back the call center.

(call 2) (710pm)
I asked for a manager for the call center.
the Man I spoke to said he would give me a five dollar credit and get the pizzas and coke to me.
(but only eating the half of the incorrect pizza)

it shouldn't be long, it would be priority.

(call 3)( 810)
well I call back an hour after that call, and she puts me on hold to call the store.
over 10min later she gets back on the line, and says he talked with the store
and he said that it was just coming out of the oven now. it should just be a couple of minutes to drive up there.

another hour passes......

different pizza guy shows up.

with the pizzas and no coke. (after 9pm)
at least the pizza is hot now (amazing it can stay hot for an hour....)

(call 4) (915)
call back again. talk with a guy ( whom wasn't pleasant to talk with. bordering on rude. note that, everyone else was cheerful to talk with)
he said he would send up the coke and would throw in 4 dips for the long wait.

well the coke was actually arrived quickly, only to arrive without the dips!!! (9:30)

Finally to answer the question in the subject line,"how many calls does it take to get what I order?"
4 calls and about 4.5 hours of waiting.

furry happy monsters. REM and the muppets

2007-12-22T11:45:00.001-08:00

Online Rights Canada

2007-12-10T22:52:00.000-08:00

Protect you rights. tell your mp what you think.

Online Rights Canada

I have changed my mind

2007-12-05T11:53:00.000-08:00

when it came to photography I had a motto.
"Flash sucks! don't use it. you just end up with pictures that you are going to be unhappy with."
and as a General rule. this worked great. natural light always made for better photos. a few other photographer (amatuer/hobbyist)friends ignored me but later on would agree. Flash sucks.

well this rule found some large resistance. low light. very low light.
noise is a huge issue in low light.
well I manged to remove a lot of noise (usually with a lot of photoshop).
(why do weddings need to be poorly lit anyways!)

well a few discoveries (i have made) with regards to ISO vs bitdepth on the image sensor. I even looked it up on the datasheet for my kodak image sensor. the data loss at Higher ISO is huge. the data is simply not there.
so now I knew ISO had to be cranked for good shots.
Thus made me realize the flash needed to be utilized. of at least be able to fake natural light with it.
so I started to reflect upwards. works great with a low ceiling!. ok that works. but not reliably enough.

then I pulled out my old SLR and saw the Flash inside the camera bag. and it had a test button.
so I played with 80 ISO and and the Flash with our pumpkins.

that seemed to work great.

ok then I found Strobist.com
it's a Free online photography class which deals with off camera flashes.
not really for beginners(you need to understand Exposure correctly).
they even have assignments and lessons.

it's all about how to use strobes(off camera flashes) correctly.
so your making the photo. not taking it.
it's also about the right hardware without spending thousands.
so far I have spent $10 on an external flash cable. ( I have already modified it)
and about $7 from homedepot. the rest I have sourced for free. or have already had the parts.
I now have an umbrella refector, vertical poles for mounting strobes to and backdrops.

well the results are stunning.
Michelle has some amazing shots on her facebook photos page with the girls in the tub.
I will post about the hardware I have made later.

Putting the Lead back into your hoLEADays

2007-11-23T08:27:00.000-08:00

scary video.

2007-10-05T12:37:00.000-07:00

Girl Scare Prank - Funny videos are here

not recommended for small kids

powerful comercial

2007-10-02T07:22:00.000-07:00

theres a party in my tummy...

2007-09-25T21:12:00.000-07:00

HAHAHA

2007-09-25T10:08:00.000-07:00

a nice mashup. too funny!!

the scariest place on earth

2007-09-16T13:07:00.000-07:00

Yes those are spider webs...

Lake Tawakoni State Park. in Texas.

apparently the spiders are working cooperatively building and re building this giant web. different breeds of spiders even.

Your tax dollars at work.

2007-09-13T05:25:00.000-07:00

finally a major Canadian government art project, that I like.

http://www.geostationarybananaovertexas.com/

clean is happy

2007-09-11T11:43:00.000-07:00

http://www.cleanishappy.com/

I love cheezy product sites. with such great quotes as....

what is ordinarily a pretty ordinary task.
has turned into an opportunity to refresh yourself
to restore yourself, to pamper yourself.
every day of your life.

I never thought my ????? could be an oasis of comfort and happiness. who knew?-carol F

goto the site to find out what it is. wait for the talking heads to load.

apearently happyness can be bought for $697US

something you never want to hear.

2007-09-03T07:56:00.000-07:00

Payton: Dad! I cleaned your toothbrush!

Me: with what!?!

Payton: Handcream! :D

well it's been 2 days and it still tastes funny

scrap booking for guys

2007-08-27T06:30:00.000-07:00

I know I haven't posted anything substantal in a while. maybe i will later...

but anyhow I thought this was funny.

Man-booking the guys guide to scrapbooking.

Save Pamela anderson from the evil KFC

2007-08-20T22:40:00.000-07:00

cool video

2007-07-06T20:57:00.001-07:00

Geni.com

2007-06-13T21:07:00.000-07:00

Hey I found this Very cool Family tree website www.geni.com

it is a social network set but a tree twist.

I add everyone I know in my family, wife, kids, parents grandparents, cousins you get the picture.

II can invite them to Join and they can add what they Have or Know to the tree.

like there spouses names and the spouses relatives. etc....

well now it goes another step and the tree keeps getting bigger and bigger.

some family trees on this site are over 13,000 people already(including deceased)

they don't have merging family trees working yet but they are working on it.
like say we are related to someone in that big tree they get auto-added.
but it is an expected very soon. as I write this my family tree has grown from 88 to 100...crazey.
and I haven't listed beyond grandparents yet.

if your a relative of mine you need to be invited... for now.....

a cool find

2007-06-01T13:27:00.000-07:00

I was working at one of the local factories and they have a crawlspace. A giant entire factory sized crawlspace. a 5' high not enough to stand
so back when the factory was built the maintenance engineers build these recombinant trikes!
it appears that they welded dollies the back of kids bikes and beefed up the axes with pillarblock bearings(see last photo).

here is 2 photos of the basement

and here is a close up of the mechanics for those inclined for a closer look

another stanger...

2007-05-28T22:18:00.001-07:00

here is a bird Payton saw in our feeder yesterday. I have looked hard, but I don't have a clue what it is.

another problem solved.

2007-05-21T23:29:00.000-07:00

previously I have mentioning about making the world easier one small problem at a time.

Well I have thought up a solution to a different problem.

Hard Cookies.

plain and simply they suck. cookies need to be soft.
you are offered a fresh chocolate chip cookie. you would be saddened if
you where given a rock you could pave the driveway with.

cookies need to be soft. they are not crackers they are cookies.

well my solution is.....

microwave them!!!
ever tried to defrost bread or eggos in the microwave,
you get a soggy mess. but with cookies you want soft!!.

if they are completely devoid of moisture,
mabey a moist towel underneath, would help.

and don't kid yourself "I dip my cookies in milk".
still doesn't compare to a soft cookie dipped in milk

click here for my previous solution

the birds.

2007-05-21T23:18:00.000-07:00

this weekend we have many new birds in our feeder.
and it took quite a while to identify them.
we have a book. but they were not in it.
I tried many webistes but this was the best one I found
www.whatbird.com

these are some of the mystery birds.

this bird is a "black-headed Grosbeak" incase you where wondering.
we have been seeing a pair of "Brown-headed cowbirds" as well.

time to buy more bird feed.

Payton quote

2007-05-18T22:30:00.000-07:00

we were at superstore yesterday.
and she asked for cookies,
I said "No way Jose!"

she imediately replied.
"yes way, Jose would say"

calvin and hobbes

2007-05-17T23:11:00.000-07:00

animated

and if you like robotchicken in plasticine

Mars is amazing! Mars is amazing.......mars is amazing....

2007-05-17T22:25:00.000-07:00

transformers the movie comes out soon

http://movies.yahoo.com/summer-movies/Transformers/1808716430/trailers/31/

I want to believe

2007-04-24T06:46:00.000-07:00

a sequel movie for the X-FILES!!!!

well the script is underway anyways

a news article, and the directors blog

2007-04-17T07:29:00.000-07:00

wonderpets coloring pages

2007-04-08T23:46:00.000-07:00

I have looked online to for some coloring pages for Payton,
of the show wonderpets. well there isn't any!!! not nickjr.com not noggin.com.
no where. nata. even some site claiming to be aboutwonderpets.com is just a spam site. spaming a child's show!

so I have made a couple of my own. and I am putting them up on my blog, so others can grab them too.
I only have 2 sofar.

tuck and ming ming.

how braveheart should have ended

2007-03-18T23:02:00.001-07:00

How Lord of the Rings should have ended

2007-03-18T22:35:00.000-07:00

I Quit!!

2007-03-01T23:56:00.000-08:00

today (friday) I am offically handing in my letter of resignation.

I have been with medico supplies for over 3 years now and it is time to move on.

anyone else thinking of resigning I found this page linked from wikipedia.

with this Job I should be making more in 3 yrs, then what I would be making in 10yrs at medico.

some times in the path of life you need to jump to keep going..

5 yr plan

2007-02-25T23:23:00.000-08:00

where do you want to be in 5 years.
not just 5 years older.

what has to change to achieve that in 5 years.

can it be done without stepping backwards.

where do I stand if I don't move for 5 years.

where can I stand if I do.

I have a 5 year plan and it looks good.
and it is without standing still.
details tomorrow.

slow news day

2007-02-24T23:28:00.000-08:00

cool vid

2007-02-22T22:23:00.000-08:00

I have been experimenting with different Linux distros lately..
ubuntu, knoppix, fedora, debian,...
anyways watch the video it is an IBM produced comercial, very powerful.

and the name is.....

2007-02-18T12:39:00.000-08:00

"my baby sister's name is miss ??????!!"

note please don't write the name in the comments, to keep is a surprise.
thanks

Payton

2007-02-17T23:00:00.000-08:00

Payton's first night with the new baby

here is a photo of Payton playing online computer games. www.nickjr.com

A shot in the dark

2007-02-17T21:44:00.000-08:00

1/2 second exposure 11pm

a belated valentines gift

2007-02-17T21:43:00.001-08:00

finally the baby photos yo have been waiting for.

2007-02-16T11:32:00.000-08:00

worlds most contagious laugh

2007-01-02T22:07:00.000-08:00

the Laugh is authentic, the comedian sucks....

SELL YOUR SOUL, GET OUR DVD FREE

2007-01-01T20:18:00.000-08:00

here is a site trying to promote their dvd.

so to get it free. they want you to deny the holy spirit and post it on youtube.com

You may damn yourself to Hell however you would like, but somewhere in your video you must say this phrase: "I deny the Holy Spirit."
Why? Because, according to Mark 3:29 in the Holy Bible, "Whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin."

to not sponsor them with a direct link blasphemychallenge dot com

beware of the bears

2006-12-31T00:04:00.000-08:00

Payton loves her play-doh
she forcing me to constantly manufacture bears... or swiper...

here is a shot of her lineup. I didn't pose them she did. cute.

But I am thinking there will be a time
when the bears will exact they're revenge.

constantly forced into confinement,

massacred with blunt scissors.

they can replicate very easily.

bewarned....

what standard??

2006-12-14T22:38:00.000-08:00

I have been doing a bunch of thinking, lately.
I drive an hour each way to work it leaves me a lot of time to think.

Robotics was expected to progress just as quickly as computer technology.
the big let down.( if you don't know I am a Robotics engineer).
computer tech progressed faster than anyone thought.
Robotics nada, minor changes.
a lot of people think it has to do with unforeseen hindrances.
I think that is only part of the answer ( a small part).

I think it has to do with the lack of standardizations in the hardware.

computers had standards all most from the get go. standard RAM, standard HardDrives, serial, etc. everything was interchangeable.

Robotics....... well you can look for interchange motors...
..... and maybe the computer attached to it.......

if your lucky you used a stock Drive to power the motor. even more lucky if the drive you used is still available when(if) it dies(breaks).

unlike if a computer from 10 years ago had a harddrive or monitor break.
you can still goto the store and get a new one that works.

if you look at what the Hobby(RC) control guys use. they have standard servos(motor that don't go far) and controls to control them. they can spend less time( no time in fact) on circuit design. more time to spend on function of the machine, or overall appearances.

I have been working on a 9 foot Robot arm at work. designed in the late 80s.
(the robot will control a chainsaw, follow my progress at chainsawpete.blogspot.com)
the machine works ok(it moves), but the controller that came with it simply sucks.

they went with some unorthodox ways of controlling this robot. even the manufacture says that controller sucks and there is nothing they can (or are willing to do) to help.
so do get it to do what we need it to, I need to redesign a controller for it. FROM SCRATCH!!!!. lucky for me, there is motor drives that I can interface to. but unlucky for me not a note/diagram/hint of what wire does what. I am left to cutting wires and see what errors show up on the old controller. and examining the circuit they designed.very very big circuit board, it is 2 boards about 2feet by 2feet each. the ones I designed to replace them with about a 12"x6".

and my circuit is USB so I control it directly from a computer. I can move the joints on the robot. but I still am hunting down wires to see which one is does what. cause if I blow up one of these motor drives, it is game over! Dead robot! scrap metal!.

if there was some kind of standard controller I could have used that had a standard output that the drive used (also not standard) I could just rewrite a program for it and be done.

instead I am taking months just to follow wires guessing what they do and how.
and lookup what did that chip was used for.

why Rudolph

2006-12-11T08:17:00.000-08:00

ever wonder who or why someone thought up Rudolph the red nose reindeer.

I stumble across this.

photos from today

2006-11-26T19:35:00.000-08:00

a mix of photos from today

there were lots of birds at the birdfeeder this morning so Payton and I refilled it.
well even the woodpecker came out for some grub.

is that a sign of bad weather coming?
when a woodpecker is willing to give up looking for bugs and eat seeds.

most of the birds were huddling close to the house and door either waiting for the feeder or keeping warm. they all flew away when it got dark. at one point I counted over 30 birds and about 6 different breeds. I am still looking up the names or all of them.

mii??

2006-11-14T22:59:00.000-08:00

well the wii is coming. and I am stoked...

twilight princess(legend of Zelda) can't wait....

all my gamecube stuff works well with it.(good cause it hasn't work in months)

it is a true full motion controller. you swing the sword. fire the arrows, drive the cars,fly the planes, etc...

wifi....

custom avatars...called mii.. make your own here

you can download the old games.

also there is going to be a "Bob Ross painting lesson game". happy little trees....

I can't wait....

Denver airport

2006-10-30T17:16:00.000-08:00

yah free WIRED internet at the Denver airport this week!!

quest is setting up cubicles with wired connections. and the server still isn't work so they are giving away free internet this week.

I got a hr video chat over MSN with michelle and payton Yah!!!

some quotes

2006-10-19T10:26:00.000-07:00

I'll be more enthusiastic about encouraging thinking outside the box when there's evidence of any thinking going on inside it.
- Terry Pratchett

Sometimes glass glitters more than diamonds because it has more to prove.
Terry Pratchett

The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it.
Terry Pratchett

God does not play dice with the universe; He plays an ineffable game of his own devising, which might be compared, from the perspective of any of the other players, to being involved in an obscure and complex version of poker in a pitch dark room, with blank cards, for infinite stakes, with a dealer who won't tell you the rules, and who smiles all the time.
Terry Pratchett, "Good Omens"

In the begining there was nothing, and it exploded.
Terry Pratchett, (on the big bang theory)

Give a man a fire and he's warm for the day. But set fire to him and he's warm for the rest of his life.
Terry Pratchett, Discworld

driver trouble.

2006-09-16T20:35:00.000-07:00

I have the Microsoft streets and trips with the GPS.

it works very well. so well infact I use it to go geocaching.

but we went looking for a cache today. and well the GPS driver quit on me. weird.
I stole some wireless from a nieghbourig household. but. still no install.

damn,

the microsoft website. no help.
went home. tried the actual disk. no help. hmmm hope it isn't fried.

jump to the manufactures website (PharosGPS)
the driver installed. opened streets and trips, and did a com port scan to find the GPS.
and it didn't say microsoft GPS. just gps device. sofar so good.

run outside it finds satilites .. YAH it works fine!!

probable cause. most USB devices have a small EEPROM that says who made the device.
even though the USB to serial chip is made by someone else. so if the memory got erased the microsoft driver will not install cause it can not confirm it is the correct device. and the driver I downloaded is the actual driver for the chip. USB-TO-SERIAL.

yah GPS not fried!!!

gas update. and no response.

2006-09-07T09:47:00.000-07:00

well I have been waiting for a response from my MP.

well the mileage for the second tank of chevron. was 15.8 km/ltr
and I filled up at petrocan to get more accurate data for their gas station.
and I got 15.0 km/Ltr

note that the petrocan tank wasn't very pure.
I still had about 5lts of chevron in the tank. meaning that 14% of that tank was still chevron gas.
the second tank should better reflect petrocan mileage results. doing the math, with regards to that ratio I should expect approx 14.8km/lt on the second tank. we will see .

but I can already tell I am not going back to petrocan. even at a 1km/ltr difference
that comes to a saving of 2.50/wk. (gas at 99.9/ltr) $130/yr.

A Big Concern: my letter to my MP

2006-08-28T10:43:00.000-07:00

I have talked with a few people, and we are quite concerned over recent Taxation Changes implemented by your Government.
the changes I am talking about are.
to the Personal Tax Exemption( I believe it's called.), changing from $9000 to $8600 (approx) thus meaning more tax is taken off each paycheck.

coinciding with the GST dropping.

Now the GST dropping I agree with, but it only really benefits people that Spend more.
it doesn't really benefit people in the lower income bracket. especially now, since that the lower income bracket is now getting less Net income to spend.

to sum up what I am asking Why is your Government Taxing the Poor?!?

I am currently awaiting an reply. I will post what ever is replied to me.

note, to people that do not pay much attention to politics this is a federal issue not a provincial one. I notice people get them mixed up quite regularly.

history repeats its self

2006-08-24T10:36:00.000-07:00

I was standing in line at saveon and read the cover of time magazine.
it said Hilary clinton was considering running for presidency.

seriously Bush then clinton then another bush and now another clinton!!

something is sounding fixed.

todays gas results

2006-08-24T10:07:00.000-07:00

well running some on Cheveron 87 fuel.
I traveled 506Km. and filled to 32litres.
15.8Km/lit (6.33 lit/100km)

hmm I didn't expect the milage better.
I did notice a performance increase over using Shell.

i think my next fill up will be at petrocan again so I can get exact amounts.
my last posting was running off of memory for the petrocan results.

better gas?

2006-08-15T23:04:00.000-07:00

since I have to fill my tank about every 4 trips to work.
I work in surrey so I commute about 120k/day.
I have started keeping track of the millage.
now I am comparing gas stations with the milage I am getting.
so far I am getting interesting results.

from petrocan can I drive about 495Km for about 36 litres, 7.2 lit/100km (13.9km/lt)

now, cause of the blackout I had to get Gas at Shell,
the first tank lasted, 485Km for 32litres, 6.6 lit/100km (15.2KM/lt)

thats roughly an 9% savings going to shell!! over petrocan.

now that shell gas was not pure shell gas, I still had some petrolcan in the tank from the last fill, so I am interested in tomorrows millage.

now there is also an adverse effect to using the shell gas. I notice the car has less power when using shell gas. I expected this though, cause of the performance vs endurance. do not go hand in hand. you have to give up some power to get a better millage.

for the next tank I am going to try out Chevron. and see.

finally

2006-07-19T23:48:00.000-07:00

Google maps has finally has data for mission in high detail.
it appears that the data is about that the data is about 1yr and a few months old.
yo can actually see our car in our driveway of where we live now.
the leisure center has the new ice arena, but it looks like the pool hadn't been expanded yet.

and looking at the angle of light I think the approx time is about 11am.

sunday bloody sunday.

2006-07-07T12:33:00.000-07:00

PC vs MAC

2006-07-06T06:51:00.000-07:00

WJD is comming soon

2006-07-04T15:18:00.000-07:00

July 20, @ 3:39:13am
world Jump day.

lets fix the earths orbit!

the sesame street I used to know

2006-06-26T20:26:00.000-07:00

Payton and I where flipping channels saterday morn, and sesame street came on.
she promptly said "NO, NO, NOOOOO!!"
with her hands beside her face(home alone style).
asking me to change it in her fashion, like I have done very wrong with changing to this channel.
so I made her watch a little. it's not the same. it is much different then I remember.

well how about let these bring back some memorys.

The pinball song

the subway song

Telephone ROCK.

even stevie wonder came to sesame street, back then.

I should have done this

2006-06-26T19:51:00.000-07:00

happy morning

2006-06-20T22:53:00.000-07:00

only if more commercials were this good.

after watching the commercial the website is pretty good to.

my fathers day today

2006-06-18T23:03:00.000-07:00

well it started out with breakfast in bed.

picked up michelles dad.
went to church. Cooper got dedicated.
went for lunch at the ABC.

picked up my fathersday gift.

A BBQ tank for my BBQ. and some nice Rib steaks. mmmm.....

hit a small bird on my street. right into the windshield. THUMP.
turned around saw it still sittin in the middle of the Road. picked it up.
brought it home.

spotted towhee (mabey eastern) it is the one that sounds like a small kitten.

after a few hours we figuared it must be fine. We let it go. it flew faster then we could take photos of it so didn't manage to get any photos of it being released.

then after payton went to bed we grilled the steaks!.

mmm rare...

who are the people in your neighbourhood...

2006-06-17T23:35:00.000-07:00

michelle spotted this little guy on the way home
from my grandmas 80th birthday party.

"if you go out into the woods today..."

I want one

2006-06-07T16:43:00.000-07:00

go here

my new favorite blog

2006-06-06T23:32:00.000-07:00

the monkey chow diaries

calling all geeks

2006-05-19T10:30:00.000-07:00

Paramount is Auctioning all of thier StarTrek props,
about 5 warehouses worth.

go here

you know it is not good when...

2006-05-08T23:16:00.000-07:00

your at the doctor and he asks,

"So... are prescriptions covered on your medical plan?"

luckily yes

life lessons from batman

2006-04-16T14:33:00.000-07:00

2006-04-15T19:56:00.000-07:00

I have been meaning to post about program alternatives
that are much safer, easier, more powerful, and free.
to the mainstream programs that are used.
for example IE, office. etc..

anyhow this video covers that so nicely

what I am upto at work.

2006-04-11T22:05:00.000-07:00

I am building a Control for a Robotic Arm to operate a chainsaw.

we have nick named the Robot ChainsawPete.

the control system that came with the robot only allows us to to move from one point to the next point. after teaching the robot the points. so we can't tell the robot move one inch up.
so it isn't good enough.

follow my progress at this site. I am blogging it.

I am such a geek.....

2006-03-30T22:41:00.000-08:00

I just heard word of the "Legend of zelda" movie coming to theatres this fall.
and I can't wait!!

Nintendo didn't want to do it, exspecially since the faliure of mario bros movie.

so some Zelda fans have gotten together and have started their own movie.
they have finished all the filming, now they are working on the CG.

also I heard "Twilight Princess"(the next game in the series) is getting postponed until christmas.( it is it's 5 time postponed I think)

sigh...

2006-03-17T16:11:00.000-08:00

if there weather station says the humidity is 50%,

is an empty glass half full?

now would that be taken orally?

2006-03-16T19:35:00.000-08:00

scientists doing a study of the effects of the chemical Capsaicin. the chemical that makes Jalapeno peppers hot, on human prostate cancer cells in mice. an found that it causes the cells to basicly commit suicide.

2006-03-14T08:49:00.000-08:00

currently in orlando florida and about 20min away from the kenedy space center

and I don't have the time to go!!!!

I landed here at 730am
and am out of here a 550pm

we've been caught!!!

2006-03-08T15:38:00.000-08:00

at work there has been a bit of compition regarding what radio station gets played.
there is only one person in the office that likes country music. and gets very active about changing
it to "his" radio station

well we have found a great solution to this.

I bought a radio transmitter that is tunable. and tuned out the local country Radio station.

for about 6 months now it has been regarded that the radio is broken or doesn't like country music.
I said it must have developed a sense of taste.

well last week he bought a new radio!! even though we told him not to.

today he found transmitter. he took like a good sport.
knowing we had the upper hand in the battle.

testing new OS

2006-02-17T22:39:00.000-08:00

I am installed Debian Linux, on my old celeron 366.
I put 256 ram in it with 2.5g HD,
for a 366mHz system it runns pretty quick, I think I may duel boot my .
P4 1.6gHz.

Debian comes pre-installed with Gimp, OpenOffice.ORG(which I have been using at work, I recamend it), and a ton of other programs. All LEGALLY FREE!

and the big bonus for you paranoid people. Virus' usually do not attack linux based systems. People think attacking microsoft is much more worth while.

2006-02-12T11:53:00.000-08:00

haha

2006-02-11T23:37:00.000-08:00

Donald Rumsfeld is briefing president Bush: "Yesterday, 3 Brazilian soldiers were killed."
"Oh no!" exclaims the president, "that's terrible!"
His staff is stunned at this unprecedented display of emotion, watching as Bush sits, head in hands.
Finally, he looks up and asks, "How many is a brazillion?"

what to do with telemarketers

2006-02-05T00:27:00.000-08:00

normally I would send a link to the page, but it had popups.
that even the popup blocker could not stop.
but it was funny so I cut and pasted it below.

The Direct Marketing sector regards the telephone as one of its most successful tools. Consumers experience telemarketing from a completely different point of view: more than 92% perceive commercial telephone calls as a violation of privacy.
Telemarketers make use of a telescript - a guideline for a telephone conversation. This script creates an imbalance in the conversation between the marketer and the consumer. It is this imbalance, most of all, that makes telemarketing successful. The EGBG Counterscript attempts to redress that balance.

Good luck!

a cool vid

2006-02-04T21:07:00.000-08:00

here is the british army testing the effects of LSD.
on 25 troops.

very funny

testing is being done on treating depression with Magnetic waves

2006-02-01T10:58:00.000-08:00

Wired News: Shock Therapy, Version 2.0: "magnetically induced current travels in a distinct path, "

baby

2006-02-01T08:24:00.000-08:00

we were sitting on the couch with Payton.
and she points to her favorite doll, and says "baby"
then lifts up my shirt and points at my stomach says , "baby"

misty has been trying to to say baby while pointing at her tummy
for months now.

thanks misty....

and now the wait.

2006-01-28T23:51:00.000-08:00

being the geek that I am, I am mixing science and food.

this experiment involves picking eggs(or atleast attempting to pickle eggs)

so far within my background study of the subject(about an 1/2hr on google),
I think I have a good idea.
I actually thought pickling involved more salt(lots more salt)!
It a good thing I looked it up first, I hate experiments that
fail badly enough to make it inedible.

lucky for me my last failed experiment with a potroast did hurt anyone.
It was done hrs before I thought it would be, and was really tender.
I mean I can cut it with a spoon tender. so I made stew with it.
well I thought the meat and broth didn't have enough flavor(from the peppercorns).
so i crushed some more up with my motor and pestle (I love that thing).
and added it in.well it was hot, good but wow it was hot. apearently
whole black peppercorns take a long while to soften up.

back to the topic at hand, this type of food prep is unlike the usual type of cooking I do,
if I am making some meal, I get an idea if I am on the wrong track right
away with taste tests. and correct the error and move on.

there is no error checking with pickling. Now all I can do is wait.

heres what I tried.
11 eggs ( I ate one to see if the hard boiling went well)
1 cup of White Vinigar(the Magic ingredient, not salt)
1 cup of water
1 tbs of coarse salt(a small fraction of what I thought)
1 tbs of crushed white peppercorns( I got to use my motor and pestle)
1 small peice of broccoli (I got that from a scottish recipe)
1 small tbs of red chili peppers.

other than the eggs a light covered simmering boil for 20min
to get the flavor out of the peppers.

a look at abortion

2006-01-21T19:51:00.000-08:00

this guy comment on my site, so I read his.

I thought this blog was worth linking to.

Turn your departed pet into a work of art

2006-01-21T18:57:00.000-08:00

want to keep your deceased pet around. but
don't like the look of urns. now you can get thier bones made into a scupture.

Link

today with payton

2006-01-21T17:17:00.000-08:00

paytons car seat is in the house while michelle is out with the girls.
well payton spent about an hour studying the seatbelt clips.
I think she is planning an escape!!

	reflection of eyelashes
	Eye Floater (floatie)
	wierd alien growth
	Morgellons.
	probably something that usually isn't visable
	other