| Newfoundland! | Sep 21, 2009, 8:23 AM |
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We've finally settled in to our new place in St. John's. I'm actually enjoying being bored after such a crazy August. Between the wedding, moving, and wrapping up at work, it was one of the busiest times in my life. It's nice to take a breath and spend some time playing guitar and biking. Nicole left this morning for the International Ocean Drilling Project conference in Bremen, Germany. So things will be pretty quiet around here this week, seeing as I'm working at home and don't really know anyone out here ;) I also bought a new mountain bike to explore the numerous trails in the area. I ended up going with another Opus - the Mikha 09. With a full Deore set, shimano disc brakes and a Dart 2 fork for under $1000, it was a good deal. Here's a pic (though mine's already much dirtier than this). I've already found some amazing trails out here and actually met a couple nice downhiller folks up in the White Hills area. |
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| Economic Crisis or Unique Opportunity? | Jun 01, 2009, 7:03 AM |
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5400 nuclear weapons are sitting around decaying in the US alone (Russia has closer to 14000). Since the last nuclear test conducted by the US in 1992, the "Stockpile Stewardship and Management Program" was created to ensure that the weapons will still function properly, if they're ever needed. Under the program, the Department of Energy receives approximately $4 Billion every year to test the viability of nuclear weapons. That's right! We're spending $4BN/year to maintain our ability to destroy the planet. Given that the average nuclear power plant costs $10 Billion to build, I propose the diversion of these funds to the creation of a special nuclear plant dedicated to decommissioning nuclear warheads and using the plutonium / uranium to generate electricity. Of course I recognize that hippies have been pushing for nuclear disarmament for decades. I'm simply hoping that in the context of the current economic crisis, a financial argument might sway the paranoid neoconservatives. After all, the only thing they're more afraid of than military impotence is their investment portfolio. A bold move such as this would also greatly strengthen the moral position the US can take in disarmament negotiations with other nations. The current non-proliferation policy is like a parent telling their teenage child that they can't drink alcohol, between chugging beers. It doesn't take long for the teenager to resent the parent's double standard and crack into the liquor cabinet. How can Iran possibly interpret our current double standard policy as anything other than insulting and demeaning? Especially considering the fact that the US has basically handed Israel a giant bottle of whiskey ("just don't tell anyone, ok kid?"). So to the home of the brave I say: Bravery is being the first one to put down your gun. |
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| We're Getting Married! | Feb 05, 2009, 5:02 PM |
| Nicole and I are getting married this summer! ;) | |
| Economic Commentary | Jan 29, 2009, 12:00 AM |
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A lot of opinions have been thrown around in the midst of our current economic situation. The news has had a new economist on every night, forecasting something between doom and gloom. It seems to me that very little actual, useful information has been disseminated through the media on this topic. Has the field of economics really stagnated to this extent, or is the media just sensationalizing for ratings? In an attempt to shift the conversation away from the doom and gloom toward a more positive, proactive discussion, I've written a couple of new opinion pieces on our current economic situation: Linking Macroeconomic Trends to Microeconomic Observations Economists often (understandably) get swept up in the world of macroeconomics, focusing on aggregated market performance indicators like stock indexes, GDP and employment rates. When you're monitoring fluctuations in the economic output of an entire country, it's easy to forget how exactly these numbers are linked to Joe Q. Citizen. Sustainability in Economics: Escaping the Downward Spiral A commentary on the current economic crisis and some suggestions on how to create a more robust, sustainable economic system. |
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| Working at UofT | Oct 31, 2008, 11:27 AM |
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I will be starting a new job at the University of Toronto on Monday. I'm working at Robart's library as an Application Programming Analyst. My time there will be spent on two very interesting projects. The first project is creating a website and online collaboration tool for the Jackman Humanities Institute, a new organization created to increase communication between members of the arts community at UofT. The project will involve creating a new website with several tools (calendars, wikis, blogs etc) accessible by students and faculty. The second project is the ITER initiative - an online database of bibliographical information on renaissance era works. I'll be working on improving and updating their existing system. Perhaps the most exciting part is that I'll be able to ride my bike to work! I've got my new commuter bike all tuned up and ready for a winter season of abuse! |
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| Recording Acoustic Guitar | Aug 28, 2008, 7:27 PM |
 A couple of days ago I purchased an M-Audio Dynamic "Sound Check" Mic for recording guitar on my computer. Of course I wanted to buy an acoustic electric to match my bass, but this $40 microphone will allow me more time to shop (and save). I've been having a great time experimenting with my new toy using Audacity to record/mix and Beatcraft as a drum machine. Just recently however, I got it to work with Guitar Rig 3, a program designed to simulate several classic amplifier setups. This really brings it to a new level. Having acoustic guitar recorded over a microphone and "amplified" by Guitar Rig produces a truly unique sound. The trickiest part is controlling volume. If you move ever so slightly to the right or left, the volume being recorded will vary noticeably. I guess this will eventually be what gets me to upgrade to an acoustic electric, but in the mean time, I'll have to experiment with different placements of the microphone. Hopefully I'll have some music to post soon! Rock on! |
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| New Job | Aug 27, 2008, 8:00 PM |
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I started a new job this week - contract programming for a company called Ganz. They manufacture toys and other random stuff. One toy, called "webkinz", is a stuffed animal which comes with a unique code which can be used to log in to the http://webkinz.com and play all kinds of games. It's actually a really neat little site for kids, like the modern version of those tamagotchi toys that were insanely popular for a month or so in grade 4. This is my first experience working in a company of this size. The IT department here is around 150 people, depending on what you include in "IT". The advantages and disadvantages versus a smaller business are exactly what you'd expect. On the upside, pay is decent, there are proper procedures for managing code (svn) and projects and I do not (at least yet) get calls at home when some server crashes. On the downside, things move slowly and getting a project approved and assigned seems difficult. So far I've just been doing small make-work tasks and reviewing the code base. Hopefully I get something interesting assigned to me soon! |
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| Canoeing in Algonquin | Jul 20, 2008, 9:23 PM |
 Nicole and I spent the past weekend doing some backcountry canoe camping in Algonquin. Despite the massive rainstorm we had on the first day, it was still a nice break from the city.We went up on Thursday night and car-camped at Tea Lake so we could get a good start on Friday morning... not to mention avoiding traffic. The next day, we started at Canoe lake and went north to Tom Thomson lake where we stayed the first night. It rained all day but finally cleared up in the evening and we were able to get a nice fire going and dry out. The second day was nice and sunny, and we moved to Burnt Island Lake - a relatively short trip (except for the ~1.5km portage). The next day we returned to Canoe Lake, crossing 3 portages along the way. One of my favorite things about camping is how magical running water seems when you return. You'll never appreciate a hot shower and your own bed more! |
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| California! | Jun 23, 2008, 6:17 PM |
 Nicole and I just got back from a trip to California. Nicole was at UC Santa Cruz for 3 weeks as part of her summer research job, and I went down there for the last week she was there. She had to work during the days, so I slipped off to do some hiking in the Big Basin Redwood Park and to check out the town. The first weekend I was there we drove down along the coast through Big Sur and stopped in Monterey Bay to check out cannery row (of John Steinbeck fame) and the aquarium.On the last weekend we drove up to San Francisco and checked out the town. A nice town I must say! Lots of live music, great restaurants and friendly people. We did all the typical touristy stuff: drove the Golden Gate Bridge, Pier 39, Fisherman's Warf and we were lucky enough to find two separate music festivals happening at Golden Gate Park and the UN Plaza. That said, it is still quite obviously an American city - just a few blocks away from swanky hotels and you're mingling with bums and getting offered drugs. Safe enough, but you still get the sense of the extreme class separation that exists there. Photos are up here |
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| Back in Canada | May 20, 2008, 6:27 PM |
 Great to be back in Canada! I was prepared for how weird Asia would be, but I really wasn't prepared for how weird Toronto would seem when I got back. The streets here are so wide, everyone drives a car and *sigh of relief* everyone speaks English!I keep getting asked what the highlight of the trip was. It's a tough call to choose one thing, as the best part about the trip was seeing just how different Asian countries are. The scooter trip with Nathan, Jake and Jordan through Toroko Gorge in Taiwan was a blast! It was also great to visit my sister and see her work and apartment in Okinawa. I certainly have a new perspective on teaching English in Asia. I think it would be interesting to do, but you really do have to be interested in the culture you're living in. Also, it's a lot of work to learn languages that are so different, and I'm not sure I'm willing to invest that kind of effort. Working on perfecting my French is probably more realistic. No doubt I'll be doing some writing on my experiences, but at least for now a few hundred photos are up. |
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