Monday, May 26, 2008

Bouldering at The Glen

Aaron successfully sends the ultra-high 23ft tall Flywall boulder.

This past weekend, I went bouldering at Niagara Glen with my friends. The Glen as it is commonly called by those familiar with the park is downstream of the falls along the edge of the rapid river. It is a popular hangout for climbers locally as well as those south across the river from the United States.

Prior to the trip, Aaron painstakingly converted a website about Glen climbing routes into a 150+ page PDF book. I asked the guys that work in my company's print shop to make 2 copies in black and white but the main printer was down. So instead, they had to print it out using the colour printer! If this was an official transaction, I would have been billed $100 for each copy.
Luckily, I only promised coffee.

The trip was fantastic due in part to great weather. The air was cool and crisp and even the bugs left us alone. We all completed some challenging climbs but we also all left with unfinished business. I'm already thinking about a return visit the weekend after. Or maybe a visit to Old Baldy instead to do some lead climbing... Anyhow, cheers to the start of the climbing season!

Saturday, May 03, 2008

Playing the guitar - 1st month

I'm teaching myself how to play the guitar. Here are two short songs I recorded today.


Stay tuned as I hope to be posting my progress regularly.

Equipment:
The guitar that I am playing on is the Yamaha FX310A with a bridge pickup.

I recorded the songs by connecting my guitar to my computer soundcard's Mic-In jack using a 1/4" to 1/8" audio cable. It's a cheap setup, but the recording quality isn't great since the mic amp is pretty weak. I'll probably invest in a USB unit with a stronger amp in the future.

Friday, April 25, 2008

Black Dog


This song rocks.

Monday, April 07, 2008

ROFL instructions

As there is some confusion as to how 'ROFL' is executed, I would like to refer you to this handy instructional card that you can print out to refer to quickly. I suggest you laminate it on good quality bond paper to ensure it's always available when you need it.


The instructional card can be sized to fit your needs. For instance, a poster size version can be conveniently affixed to the wall beside your computer where the chances of performing 'ROFL' is most common.

A wallet size version of the instructional card can also be very handy when you are on the go. For example, you are at a local bar and an attractive lady strikes up a conversation with you. You have a couple drinks with her and get to know her better when she suddenly says something very funny and you have to respond appropriately with the 'ROFL' manoeuvre. Simply open your wallet and repeat the instructions on the card to guarantee the evening continues succesfully.

You can avoid a socially ackward situation by having an instructional card ready to perform 'ROFL' quickly and correctly.

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Ken Lee


Girl sings Mariah Carey's hit single, Ken Lee, on Bulgarian Idol. Rofl.....

Monday, March 10, 2008

LHC Armageddon Countdown

Haha frankly, I am a bit nervous about this thing. I mean, this thing has the chance of wiping out the entire universe lol. Something to think about.

If you are curious about when the world is going to end, refer to this handy countdown clock.

Thursday, February 28, 2008

"High Tech Cowboys of the Deep Seas: The Race to Save the Cougar Ace"


True story of an amazing salvage team that saved a cargo ship from sinking. A very good read, I promise.

In the crew's quarters below the bridge, Saw "Lucky" Kyin, the ship's 41-year-old Burmese steward, rinses off in the common shower. The ship rolls underneath his feet. He's been at sea for long stretches of the past six years. In his experience, when a ship rolls to one side, it generally rolls right back the other way.

This time it doesn't. Instead, the tilt increases. For some reason, the starboard ballast tanks have failed to refill properly, and the ship has abruptly lost its balance. At the worst possible moment, a large swell hits the Cougar Ace and rolls the ship even farther to port. Objects begin to slide across the deck. They pick up momentum and crash against the port-side walls as the ship dips farther. Wedged naked in the shower stall, Kyin is confronted by an undeniable fact: The Cougar Ace is capsizing.

He lunges for a towel and staggers into the hallway as the ship's windmill-sized propeller spins out of the water. Throughout the ship, the other 22 crew members begin to lose their footing as the decks rear up. There are shouts and screams. Kyin escapes through a door into the damp night air. He's barefoot and dripping wet, and the deck is now a slick metal ramp. In an instant, he's skidding down the slope toward the Pacific. He slams into the railings and his left leg snaps, bone puncturing skin. He's now draped naked and bleeding on the railing, which has dipped to within feet of the frigid ocean. The deck towers 105 feet above him like a giant wave about to break. Kyin starts to pray.

---

A phone rings. Rich Habib opens his eyes and blinks in the darkness. He reaches for the phone, disturbing a pair of dogs cuddled around him. He was going to take them to the river for a swim today. Now the sound of his phone means that somewhere, somehow, a ship is going down, and he's going to have to get out of bed and go save it.

Ship captains spend their careers trying to avoid a collision or grounding like this. But for Habib, nearly every month brings a welcome disaster. While people are shouting "Abandon ship!" Habib is scrambling aboard. He's been at sea since he was 18, and now, at 51, his tanned face, square jaw, and don't-even-try-bullshitting-me stare convey a world-weary air of command. He holds an unlimited master's license, which means he's one of the select few who are qualified to pilot ships of any size, anywhere in the world. He spent his early years captaining hulking vessels that lifted other ships on board and hauled them across oceans. He helped the Navy transport a nuclear refueling facility from California to Hawaii. Now he's the senior salvage master — the guy who runs the show at sea — for Titan Salvage, a highly specialized outfit of men who race around the world saving ships.

Full article...

Friday, February 08, 2008

Medieval tech support

Teh funny is present:

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

New router on its way

My current router is on its way out... A while ago, I took the cover off it because it was overheating. Now come Fall and the heat being turned on, it's just spasming. Apologies to those on my MSN list having to deal with my MSN constantly signing in/signing out.

Don't worry though. The new router that's on-route is the WRT54GL. Oh yeah baby.

Friday, October 12, 2007

Thanksgiving Weekend Hiking Trip

The group (minus Sam) posing at the highest point in the park.

During the Thanksgiving long weekend, I went hiking with a couple friends in Frontenac Provincial Park. The park is about 20 minutes north of Kingston. My friend Sam has a blog entry describing the trip along with nice pictures. Check out his blog.

Update: The complete set of pictures by Sam can now be found here.

Tuesday, October 02, 2007

Algonquin Park Canoe Trip

Two weekends ago, I went on a canoe trip in Algonquin Park with a couple buddies. We started in Ragged Lake, went through Smoke Lake, and then Big Porcupine Lake where we camped overnight.

One of us fishing at our camp site on Big Porcupine Lake.

The campsite was fantastic. It was located at a point overlooking the lake. At night, we had a spectacular view of the stars.

Time lapse photograph of the stars. Notice how Polaris stays in the middle.

After we canoed back on Sunday, we took a 10 km hike on the Centennial Ridges trail to catch the sunset above the park.

The group overlooking Algonquin Park at sunset.

Trip summary:
  • 6 people, 3 kevlar canoes
  • 1 lb of gorp each
  • 6 portages totalling 2370 m
  • 23.1 km, there and back
More pictures of the trip can be found here. (Photos by Sam and Horace)

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

I climbed a 5.13a, in sneakers. Take that Spiderman! (Photo by Horace)

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Decline in Pirates Population Cause of Global Warming!

Correlation? I think so!

Monday, September 17, 2007

Beth Rodden climbing a 5.14b. I was speechless after watching this video.

Sunday, September 16, 2007

Super deal for students

As part of a new Microsoft initiative, they are offering students the normally $900 Office 2007 Ultimate software for $64. Note: you will have to download the software (500MB). It mentions you can order the physical DVD for a small charge, but I was never given that option.

"As part of Microsoft Corp.'s commitment to education, the company is introducing a promotion inviting students who are actively enrolled at educational institutions and have a valid e-mail address from the institution to purchase Microsoft(R) Office Ultimate 2007 at a student price of $59.95 (U.S.). "The Ultimate Steal" promotion will run in Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States starting today and in France, Italy and Spain starting Sept. 20, 2007. The promotion will end April 30, 2008."

Friday, September 07, 2007

French River canoeing trip


The photos from the canoe trip can be found here. (Photos taken by Horace)

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

I am super-excited about doing some backcountry canoeing this long weekend on the French River. More details to follow!


View Larger Map

Thursday, August 23, 2007

Insane video of storm sewer overlow in Minnesota. I wondered whether this was a design flaw, or did somebody forget to take down a bulkhead lol...

Wednesday, August 08, 2007

Funny pics I came across today, lol - superheroes are so gay...


Monday, June 04, 2007

TONIGHT, WE DINE IN CLEVELAND!!!!

Monday, May 21, 2007

I have a lot more respect for Geraldo Rivera after watching him in this interview with Bill O'Reilly. The argument is whether somebody's illegal status is an issue in a drunk driving death. Huge shouting match ensues.

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

FYI:
I was trying to backup some DVDs but I found my DVD drive's (NEC ND-2510A) read speed to be extraordinarily slow. After some research, I discovered many DVD drives come with what's called a riplock which limits the speed at which DVD videos can be read and copied. This was something that was implemented to curtail piracy. So although your drive is rated to be 8x or 16x read speed, the riplock limits the maximum read speed to 2x. To remove this limitation, you can search for hacked firmware online that removes the riplock.

Friday, April 27, 2007

So I finally traced my MSN disconnect problem to my router. Turned out my model, the DI-524 has been known to overheat when handling too many connections. And to make matters worst, I was stressing it out by running custom firmware on it - yes, the same one I recommended to use in a previous blog post...

I've solved the problem temporarily by reverting to factory firmware and taking the cover off the router to allow for more airflow.

Thursday, April 19, 2007

Wicked animation of Master Chief of Halo fame versus Metroid's Samus.

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

Best day ever!

- received prize money from bridge competition
- lunch at Goodview, boneless chicken with black bean sauce for the win
- bought great computer monitor for $40
- got two new pairs of Levi 501 jeans on sale
- replaced wonky desk light with Ott-Lite
- offer of employment from Marshall Macklin Monaghan

Sunday, February 04, 2007

Giraffe + quicksand:

Saturday, January 27, 2007

Could it be... Duke Nukem Forever, near release? *Head explodes*

Thursday, January 11, 2007

You'll get a kick out of this game haha: http://www.thatvideogamesite.com/play.php?id=542

Wednesday, January 03, 2007

On January of 2003, I mused on a popular technology forum about using the technology that drives ionic air purifiers to cool computers. It's called plasma dynamic ionization or more commonly known as the Zenion Effect or corona wind.

I mentioned two advantages: one, it's near silent because there are no moving parts, and two, as sort of a joke, that its original function as an air purifier will keep those dust bunnies out of computers! I had a short-lived thought about modding my case with one of the off-the-shelf units (like what somebody did recently), but that was that and I never gave it any thought afterwards.

Until today. I was browsing the net and came across this article: The Future of Things - Ionic Wind - Chillin' The PC. It describes a collaborative effort between the University of Washington and Intel - the world's largest CPU maker - of adapting the technology to cool computers. My idea! Haha, why am I in civil engineering again? Hmm, I wonder what my chances are at a lawsuit...

On an aside, hey Google, I hope you're reading this because I contacted you last year about an idea I have and you never replied!

Monday, January 01, 2007

Back from my Quebec vacation! Spent New Years at the Chateau Frontenac ... that's all I am allowed to say officially.

Tuesday, December 26, 2006

Insiders are saying the Core 2 Duo will undergo massive price cuts in Q2 2007. Most notably, the E6700 price will be cut 40%. For those looking for the biggest bang for the buck, a possible upgrade strategy would be to pick up the E6300 now, run it stock then sell it around April for a E4400 (10X multiplier) and overclock the hell out of it. Hell, you may even have some money left after selling the E6300. Intel really has AMD's balls in their hands this year... We'll see how AMD responds with the Barcelona, Agena and Kuma cores.



Source: http://www.hkepc.com/bbs/itnews.php?tid=714230&starttime=0&endtime=0

Sunday, December 24, 2006

So I took the plunge...

Sunday, December 17, 2006

'tis the Christmas break! Time to relax and start thinking about upgrading my computer!!! This is what I have now:

CPU: AthlonXP Thoroughbred 'B' 1700+ @ 2600+
RAM: 512MB PC3200 DDR
MOBO: ASUS A7V266-C
VIDEO: All-In-Wonder X800XL AGP
PSU: Zalman 300W(ZM300A-APF)
Heatsink: Zalman CNPS-7000AlCu

Upgrade:
CPU: Core2 Duo E6300 Retail (~$215)
MOBO: ASROCK 775DUAL-VSTA (~$80)
RAM: Add another stick of 512MB PC3200 (~$70)
PSU: el-cheapo Nspire ISO-500D 450W (~$40)
Total: $462 incl. tax

The motherboard is pretty crappy for overclocking though. On average, it hits a wall around 300FSB (from default of 266FSB). That means with the E6300's 7X multiplier, it can barely make E6400 speeds (7x300=2100MHz). Now, Intel is going to be releasing the E4300 sometime in Q1 2007 - I heard Jan 21 from several sources. Because it runs 200FSB native, the E4300 has a 9X multiplier meaning with even the crap ASROCK board, it can run 9x300 = 2700MHz or about E6700 speeds!!! Still don't know what the effect of the reduced cache will be though... So wait for January 21 or buy now? Hmm....

Monday, December 11, 2006

Anchorman in the hot seat:
Guilty or not?

Sunday, December 03, 2006

Sorry, I couldn't resist lol:





quality="high" bgcolor="#ffffff" width="320" height="240" name="jpr" id="jpr_embed"
align="middle" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"
pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" />
Caught with porno gag:





quality="high" bgcolor="#ffffff" width="320" height="240" name="jpr" id="jpr_embed"
align="middle" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"
pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" />
Most amazing stop-motion I have ever seen :eek:

Friday, December 01, 2006

Another funny video from the shopping channel:
Hilarious clip from the Shop at Home Network channel:

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

So I am watching the White and Nerdy parody video in the blog entry below and then it suddenly struck me a great portion of what it was rhyming off sounded familiar. Here's a list of similarities between the video and me:

- I understood the MC Escher reference
- my favourite tea is Earl Grey
- I thought about buying a Toyota Prius
- yes, I consider calculus fun... sometimes
- I don't know Klingon, fluently... alright, I only know a few words - this one doesn't count
- I was on the chess team...
- Jean-Luc Picard! My hero!
- I know a guy who has seen the Star Wars holiday special - this by itself is scary

Monday, October 02, 2006

Bwahaha:

Friday, September 22, 2006

Weird Al's parody music videos. Nerds, unite!

It's All About the Pentium


White and Nerdy

Thursday, September 21, 2006

This is freakishly groovy:

Wednesday, September 06, 2006

Upcoming title for EA's popular FIFA series: FIFA Fighter!

Saturday, August 26, 2006


Sierra has released the multiplayer portion of F.E.A.R. for free. You will be able to play online with people who own the full retail version. Warning: this game requires a very beefy machine to run. Radeon 9800 or better recommended.

Click here for official site.

Direct download locations (1.76GB):

Monday, August 21, 2006

Two funny japanese pranks:

Saturday, August 19, 2006


What's faster than a Porsche Carrera GT, but costs the same as a family sedan? Say hello to the Ariel Atom.

Thursday, August 10, 2006


Parts ready to assemble.

My boss found out I was sort of a minor computer geek so he asked me to build him a new computer. He wanted the computer for mainly video capture/editing and PVR functionalities. I chose the following parts for him:

  • CPU: Athlon 64 X2 +3800 S939 (dual core)

  • Heatsink: Zalman 7000B Al-Cu

  • RAM: 2 x 512MB (1GB) PC3200 DDR RAM

  • Motherboard: ASUS A8N-VM CSM (integrated video, LAN, audio)

  • Hard Drives:
    1. 36GB Western Digital Raptor 10,000RPM
    2. 320GB Seagate 7200.10 7,200RPM

  • Case: Antec Sonata II with 450W PSU

  • Tuner/Capture Card: Sapphire Theatrix (ATI Theater 550 chipset)

  • OS: Windows XP Professional Media Center Edition 2005

The new computer (on the left) beside my own older Sonata I computer.

Because of school and work, I haven't followed the computer scene for the last couple months. As the result, I made a few bad choice of parts. I warned my boss this would happen, but he was persistent in having his computer built as soon as possible.

My first mistake was choosing the S939 socket. This socket is getting phased out and being replaced by the AM2. They are equally priced but the AM2 is more future-proof as newer CPUs will use the AM2 socket.

Choosing the Raptor hard drive was worst though. I believed all Raptors dominated the single non-SCSI drive category. Some Raptor models still do, but the 36GB model I chose - the smallest in the line, has since fallen from its throne. When I benchmarked the drives, I found the Raptor's 62MB/sec transfer rate totally obliterated by the Seagate 7200.10's blazing fast 78MB/sec. Superior spindle speed, it seems, is no longer an accurate gauge of raw performance.

To be fair, the Raptor still sports enterprise-class ruggedness and reliability, and it has low seek latencies, which interrelates to increased responsiveness in certain applications, that no 7200RPM drives can match, but in light of this new information, the premium for this drive is simply too high.

All in all, it's still a decent computer. It's extremely quiet - practically silent when the hard drives are idle, and it's definitely fast enough for whatever my boss needs to do. And judging by his response, he is certainly happy with the computer, which is ultimately all that matters.

Monday, August 07, 2006

Uber micro can also be applied to everyday activities, such as flipping burgers. (Photo by Dan)

Monday, July 31, 2006

Guybrush Threepwood and Herman Toothrot on Dinky Island

Herman: "If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, what color is the tree?"
Guybrush (after exhausting all colors): "All colors?"
Herman: "Exactly. Now, what has this experience taught you?"
Guybrush: "That philosophy isn't worth my time."
Herman: "I'm very impressed. It takes most people years to reach this point."

-- Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge
Guybrush Threepwood and Wally in the map room

Wally: "I'm a cartographer."
Guybrush: "You do open heart surgery? In here?"

-- Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

My bike was stolen a few weeks ago while I was at Ryerson. I locked it up to a bike rack outside the Student Centre - under a security camera no less. Campus security reviewed the tape and concluded the thief cut through the cable lock with a bolt cutter and made off with my bike in 14 seconds. Unfortunately, no identifiable facial features were clear on the tape.

Because my bike was rather old, I can only imagine the thief stole it for the saddle, which was recently purchased and expensive. I guess it was easier for him to steal the whole bike rather then spend the time to unbolt the saddle.

I didn't shed too much tear over losing my bike though. The shifting had not been working too great after I bent a couple teeth in the cog in a fall, the brakes were failing, and the frame was starting to rust. It was simply time we parted ways.

In talking to people, I am discovering that Toronto has a major bike theft problem. I am shocked by the number of people I have talked to that shared a similiar tale; either somebody has had their bike stolen, or they know somebody who did. The campus security guard that took my statement lambasted about having on average two people report stolen bikes a day!

As the following video shows, stealing a bike is obscenely easy.



To prevent having my bike stolen again in the future, I have been educating myself about bike security. Let me share with you several things I have learned:

  • Cable locks, irrespective of their price, are for the most part inferior to U-locks. Bolt cutters are known to have defeated even the thickess cable locks that are advertised with misleading monikers like "airplane-grade."
  • The recommended way to lock a bike is to have a U-lock pass through both the frame and rear wheel. Even better if you have a front quick release wheel is to move it to the rear wheel and pass the U-lock through the frame and both wheels.
  • The object to which you secure the bike should be carefully examined to make certain it does not have bolts that are easily removed or otherwise tampered with such that the bike can be removed without breaking the lock.
  • Because thiefs are becoming more bold, bolted seats and wheels are not as safe from theft anymore. Consider replacing bolts with quick releases to facilitate locking the wheels and removing the saddle.

Anyhow, I just bought a road bike. I tried posting the picture but Blogger(TM) is having none of it. The bike needs major tuning. Shifting is horrid on climbs, the crankshaft is making all sort of wonderful grinding noises, and the drop handlebar is way too low. Apart from those problem, the bike is incredibly quick. Now, let's just hope my U-lock does its job.

Monday, June 19, 2006

The Super-Kamiokande neutrino observatory in Japan.

Thursday, May 18, 2006

We are on the dawn of a new era in gaming. Soon, the boundary between the virtual and the real will get much closer than ever as games promise real-time experience with near Hollywood-production quality.

Ushering in this new era is Crytek's upcoming game, Crysis. Unveiled at the E3 Expo this year, its graphics is nothing short of revolutionary. Here's a gameplay clip:



There is a higher quality version of the clip here (select 'Gameplay 2').

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Funny A&P commercial

Monday, May 15, 2006


More hilarity at www.engrish.com.
'Wrong Guy' interviewed on the BBC:

This is the funniest video I've seen in a while. It's the BBC interviewing a supposed Guy Kewney, editor of newswireless.net and IT expert, about the Apple vs Apple case on live TV - however, it's not Guy Kewney. It's actually Guy Goma, a recent graduate who was there waiting for a job interview.
Mr Goma said his appearance was "very stressful" and wondered why the questions were not related to the data support cleanser job he applied for.

You can find the full article here.

Saturday, May 06, 2006

Money Saving Guide For Computer Experts

DI-524 Wireless Router - Wolf In Sheep's Clothing:

One of the dirty secrets in electronics manufacturing is in order to save manufacturing costs, different products often share the same underlying hardware, but have various features turned on or off using software. This is the case with the Dlink DI-524. Not only is it a great router, it's actually a firmware-crippled DI-624, the faster, more expensive brother of the 524.

One guy at the DSLforum discovered both routers shared the same Atheros chipset and brilliantly figured out how to fool the 524 into thinking it's a 624. Specifically, this only works with revision 'C' of the DI-524. To change it to a 624, you need to flash with the hacked firmware. After the flash, your DI-524 will behave identically to a 624. It will even accept non-hacked official DI-624 firmware. DI-624 firmwares are also more regularly updated than DI-524's.

Your router will now have the following upgrades:

  • double the speed with Super-G 108Mbps
  • more features such as Turbo and Extended modes
  • cable testing feature
  • more configurable properties
The greatest thing with the 524 is you can often find them on sale at Futureshop and other computer hardware retailers. I got mine for $35 at Compusmart after mail-in-rebates.

Wednesday, April 05, 2006

Exam time is here. Time to lock and load.

Friday, March 24, 2006

Best fight scene ever. From the movie, "Undefeatable". Warning, it's a bit gory.
Real life Simpsons.

Sunday, March 19, 2006

I just found what appears to be a copy of a letter I wrote to a friend of the family who visited us from Japan. All I can say is WTF?! It's dated October 21, 1996 so I must have been in junior high school at that time. Maybe I had a fever that day because I don't recall drinking so young. I'll let you be the judge of that. Comments are in bold.

Guess who? What?! Michael Jackson??! No, no, no... It's Brian. Huh? No, I'm not trying to blackmail you. I'm responding to your letter not because I want to, but because my parents forced me. Just kidding. We had a really bad summer after you left. A hurricane completely destroyed our house, all our belongings burned to ashes when lightning struck our destroyed house, and we were forced to live in a treehouse in our backyard naked. Oh ya, and everybody in my family got typhoid from my mom's cooking (my understanding of viral infection was limited at this time). Excluding all that, we had a pretty good summer.

Remember when you made fun of my look in the picture at Niagara Falls? Well, you are a deleterious (harmful to body or mind), necrophilious (attraction to dead bodies), demonic (possessed by an evil spirit), half-witted Martian. Okay, maybe that is a little bit overly offensive. You are a subnormal dairy farmer. What do you mean you want to kill me? Fine, you are a esoteric......human being. Thanks a lot because it took all my energy just to type "human being" because we all know you're not.

So, how are you? I'm feeling terrible because I have to write this letter. I'm also writing on behalf of my parents because they are too busy right now arguing about who gets to watch Barney tonight (WTF?!). Okay, okay. No more stupid jokes (the footnote says "not"). The next paragraph is going to be really hard for me to write. Ready?

Thank you for the gifts you sent us especially the "tabi" for my mom. Come back to Toronto whenever you are free again. Just remember not to bring Yusuke because he might barf on my carpet again after getting drunk. Kidding again (I was such a kidder...)

Arghhhh!!!! Martian attack!!!! Got to run. Hope I don't get fined for public indecency for not wearing anything but rags. Oh, and say hello to Yusuke for me. See you next time, if I'm still alive.
B-Y-E!

P.S. Don't show this letter to Michelle because she might understand what I wrote.

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

I-beamer team video by Mike Tran


The I-beamers are back from the 22nd Annual Troitsky Bridge Building Competition held at Concordia University in Montreal. We went into the competition confident our design would beat all the teams. However, things were not meant to be. We finished a disappointing 18th out of 40 teams.

When our bridge tipped over at 80kg, we were in total shock. We were expecting something closer to 1100kg. Afterwards, one of the judges came up to me and apologized saying they just realized there was something wrong with the machine since the loading kept moving off center. Reza's team, who won the competition at Ryerson, failed at around the same weight as us. All bridges that were top loaded failed the same way; by tipping over, or twisting. In the end, of all things, a suspension bridge from Cegep Chicoutimi won.

After all the teams had their bridges crushed, we asked the organizers to crush our bridge again since it was largely unscathed from the first time. This time, we clearly saw the loader applying torque on our bridge, spinning and twisting it - something that's not suppose to happen.

We are going to fire off an e-mail to the Canadian Society of Civil Engineer (CSCE), who organized the event, detailing the problems with the crusher in the hopes the same thing won't happen again.

Meanwhile, if you were watching the Discovery Channel today, Reza's team was featured on the Daily Planet. I appeared for a brief moment in the background. I'll try to not let it go to my head.

Friday, February 17, 2006

The bridge bearing battle scars after placing 3rd overall in Thursday's crushing.

In the language of the original civil engineers; veni, vidi, vici ... Barely. Our team placed 3rd and qualified for the national competition at Concordia University by the thinnest of margins. Only 0.5 points out of a 100 separated us from Chris and his team of masters students, the heavy favourites having set the Canadian record in 2003.

Our 1.35kg bridge held 784kg before the footings failed prematurely. In terms of the strength-to-weight ratio which comprises the majority of the score, we placed second. However, we were automatically deducted points in design because we went with an A-frame design, something that the organizers were trying to discourage. Nonetheless, even with this scoring scheme that we thought was unfair, we placed 3rd, barely ahead of Chris' team.

But it was not without controversy. When Chris' bridge was handled for the official weigh-in prior to the crushing, a member of the crushing committee accidentally knocked their bridge over and broke off the deck. Because the deck contributed nothing to the structural integrity of the bridge, they continued on with crushing. It did poorly failing at around 430kg. This is where things got a little crazy. Chris' team complained their bridge would of held more had the deck not been broken. They referred to a situation last year at Concordia where a similar situation occurred and they were awarded a 15% bonus in load score. This bonus would of placed them ahead of us and thus occupying the last qualifying position for the national competition.

Of course, this was a little upsetting. We clearly won according to the rules that we all agreed to when we entered the competition and it would of been extremely unfair had we lost our 3rd place standing because they changed the rules after the results. Fortunately, it worked out for us. I heard they may or may not send four teams this year. But personally, I just care we got what we deserved.



The second picture is courtesy of Stan.

Wednesday, February 15, 2006

After 50 painstaking hours over the past weekend, our popsicle stick bridge is finally done. This Thursday, February 17, the structural masterpiece our team designed and constructed will compete in the annual Ryerson bridge building competition. Starting 12pm that day, the bridges will be put under a hydraulic press and loaded until it fails. The top 3 Ryerson teams will move on to the national competition held at Concordia University in Montreal.

I want to be the first to thank the team members, Mike, Mohammed, and Stan for their dedication and hard work. Our bridge is kickass because you guys were there every step of the way.

Stay tuned. Pictures and videos are coming after the competition.

Stats:

  • Bridge Type: Quadruple I-beam A-frame
  • Design Bridge Mass: 1.15kg
  • Final Bridge Mass: 1.37kg
  • Design Load: 1250kg

GO I-BEAMERS!

Thursday, February 09, 2006



The future is now.
Here's a demonstration video of Multi-Touch display technology similiar to the one shown in the movie, The Minority Report:


Read more about the technology.
True story, I was happy. My girlfriend and I had been dating for over a year, and so we decided to get married. My parents helped us in every way, my friends encouraged me, and my girlfriend? She was a dream! There was only one thing bothering me, very much indeed, and that one thing was her younger sister. My prospective sister-in-law was twenty years of age, wore tight mini skirts and low cut blouses. She would regularly bend down when near me and I got many a pleasant view of her underwear. It had to be deliberate. She never did it when she was near anyone else. One day little sister called and asked me to come over to check the wedding invitations. She was alone when I arrived. She whispered to me that soon I was to be married, and she had feelings and desires for me that she couldn't overcome and didn't really want to overcome. She told me that she wanted to make love to me just once before I got married and committed my life to her sister. I was in total shock and couldn't say a word. She said, "I'm going upstairs to my bedroom, and if you want to go ahead with it just come up and get me." I was stunned. I was frozen in shock as I watched her go up the stairs. When she reached the top she pulled down her panties and threw them down the stairs at me. I stood there for a moment, then turned and went straight to the front door. I opened the door and stepped out of the house. I walked straight towards my car. My future father-in-law was standing outside. With tears in his eyes he hugged me and said, "We are very happy that you have passed our little test. We couldn't ask for a better man for our daughter. Welcome to the family.

The moral of this story is: Always keep your condoms in your car.

Thursday, January 05, 2006


Electric discharges produced by the Z Machine at Lockheed Martin's Scandia National Laboratories. It is the most powerful X-ray source on Earth. Scientists hope to use its intense magnetic fields to carry out experiments on warp propulsion theory. Read more.

Sunday, January 01, 2006

Howdy guys. It has been a while. I'm currently just having fun and recharging for the final push towards the end of the school year. I think I slept on average 12 hours a day this break. Yes, I didn't think it was possible either.

I'm satisfied with last semester's marks. I should of been more prepared for the exams though. That's my fault. I took my foot off the gas pedal a little bit too soon. It's going to be pedal-to-the-metal next semester!

Lots of stuff have been happening during the break. I held a LAN party at my house. Good times. My team has also been busy designing for the bridge building competition in February. We're going to unveil some pretty revolutionary designs so look for us ;)

I'm looking forward to hitting the slopes at Blue Mountain for a couple days with my friends. I really need the exercise. I think this year is a new low for me in terms of physical activity. Hopefully, I can get back to shape next semester by doing fencing and playing hockey in the civil engineering team Dave is organizing.

In the meantime, I'm going to go sit on my ass and watch some Smallville and maybe play some Warcraft.

Thursday, November 24, 2005

In the spirit of the Christmas season, here's a video of the coolest Christmas lights:

Monday, November 21, 2005


I was browsing around my previous company's website and I found they finally have the product line I was in charge of designing posted in their catalogue! I feel like a proud father seeing his kid go to school for the first time *sniff*.

I never thought I would miss Eaton Electrical but I must admit seeing this brought back many happy memories: kicking it with Kandy-In-My-Pants, Euchre at lunch with John, Harry and Ross, pissing off Vera, dodging my boss by hiding in the lab, drawing boobies in AutoCAD (DAMN PLINE TESSELATIONS!!!!), playing with Janette's dog, mastering lockpicking with Ritchie and seeing the look on people's faces when they find their drawers locked ("Brian, please, I really need my CD player...") ROFLOL and finally the best, replacing Krish's voicemail greeting with my own faking a gay British accent HAHAHAHA. He didn't notice for a whole year since he never calls himself HAHAHA genius!!! He later revealed he always thought people he spoke to on the phone acted strangely when they later met LOL. A WHOLE YEAR! THE BEST PRANK EVAR!

Monday, November 14, 2005

And yes Hojo, you have been thoroughly PWNED. You didn't think I forgot that conversation we had September 12 when you lauded the Segway calling the gyroscopic system "revolutionary". I said it was nothing of that sort and that in fact the math and design principle behind it was simple enough to build at home. You then started making obtuse references to control system problems steadfast in the belief your Waterloo knowledge is supremely right and I just let you bathe in your aura of arrogance... remember that? And to think you are teaching electromagnetism to students next semester *shudders* :lol:

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Saturday, November 12, 2005

Possibly one of the funniest video clips, evar!!! Classic Triumph the Insult Comic Dog from the Conan O'Brien show. Triumph visits the premiere of Attack of the Clones and interviews the Starwars nerds. And if you noticed I mistyped "Starwars", there's no denying it - you are a nerd.

Video (10min 28sec)

Tuesday, November 08, 2005

I attended a debate on whether God exists last Tuesday at Ryerson. My friend helped organized it. You might have seen a bunch of posters around school advertising the event. Dr. Kirk, a professor at Guelph, argued for the existence of God and Dr. Brown, a professor of philosophy at UT, argued against it.

Dr. Kirk brought up the 'first mover' argument. Namely, given that the universe had a beginning, a timeless, all-powerful entity must have existed to set it in motion. He also brought up the principle of Occam's Razor. That is: given two equally plausible theories, choose the simplest one. Dr. Brown on the other hand challenged that the existence of evil is incompatible with an all-loving God. He said given God is all-loving and all-powerful, He surely would be capable and would want to teach us moral values free of pain.

At the end of debate, there was a Q&A session with audience members. My friend asked Dr. Kirk, if what he said about there being a moral, all-loving God that created the universe, couldn't it be equally possible an evil God was responsible? His reply was that you must have faith. Of course, this question could not have had any other answer. Faith is the belief in something lacking in evidence whereas proof uses evidence to substantiate a case. The two are opposites of each other. There's no way around it. A debate on faith is over before it even started - end game, check mate, finito... whatever you want to call it.

In line with that thought, I asked both of them how a debate on God can exist if we cannot prove absolute truth exists. I pointed out that there is evidence things may not necessary have to be true or false. One example is fuzzy logic where answers can be partially true. I also mentioned Plato's allegory of the cave. It describes a person raised in a cave. Furthermore, this person is tied to a chair facing the back where all he sees are shadows casted on the wall created by puppets held in front of a fire behind him. Now, consider what happens if this person managed to escape from their bonds. They would realize that shadows are merely caused by 3-dimensional objects held in front of light from a fire. Hence, a greater truth is obtained and the person's previous reality is rocked. Now, imagine they stepped outside the cave. They would see trees, animals and light emanating from the sun. In this context, they would realize they have been living in a cave their whole life. Again, a greater truth is obtained.

The debate reaffirmed my belief that under the masquerade of science-based claims that God do or do not exist, it is still a debate between idiots, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.