My Thoughts and musings.
I just tried to change the LED in my mouse to a Blue LED. Let’s just say it did not quite go as planned. After putting the LED inplace I plugged it in and worked but as I put the clip back in I somehow chipped the printed circut on top. I was thinking that possibly I could use a small wire and follow the circut down further to the next solder point. I miss my mouse.
I sent an e-mail to Saint John Transit offering a suggestion : I recently read on CBC News the plans to incorporate an text messaging system which is great, however the currently the method of displaying the schedules in PDF remains unreadable by 90% of cellphones.The new Google transit system works with most cellphones (minus the maps for some) and for people with GPS Enabled cellphones it can use the Google Transit to find the closest bus stops an times. Best of all it’s free. And here is the response from Chris Campbell at Saint John Transit: Good morning Mr. Frees-Melvin. The system we will be using is from a company called Grey Island. There will be an interface with Google Transit, but not immediately. You will be able to text a 5-7 digit code from any cell phone and we will be adding a 5 digit numerical code at every stop in the city. Text that 5 digit number specific to the stop and the next bus arrival time will be sent to your phone. This will be in real time, not scheduled time. We hope that in the future people with a PDA will be able to access…
The first thing I want to start out with is a call I received earlier this week from fundraisers for the Conservative Party. Now I have always supported the party, and in ways still do. This brings me back to March 2005 in Montreal when the party had its last national meeting. Those long sessions debating the policies and constitution of the newly created party. The ideals of trying to give balance to the bottom-up Alliance to the top-down Progressive Conservatives. Now to see the current leader Stephen Harper disgraces the party by not knowing when to give up. Too many times in history have leaders like Idi Amin, Fidel Castro, Joseph Stalin and too many others repeat the same level of seeing themselves as the alternative to the status quo, then gain a position of power and do whatever they can to remain in office. Harper has blatantly in his struggle to maintain power thrown away the policies and constitution of the Conservative Party. One must remember that although the Conservative Party has more MPs the House of Commons does not have a majority and needs to work together. There needs to be reforms in the way government works,…
What is there to say about the movie Australia. This movie is definitely on the calibre of movie with Casablanca. This movie has aspects of almost every gents of movie it’s a comedy, drama, romance, war, western, nature, coming of age, family, real-life type movie. Even more remarkable than the fantastic acting in the moving is the calm heart-pounding score that carries you seamlessly through the story. This movie is written in the three-act style but all three acts have their own three acts it is truly a must-see. CEFM Rating: 5/5
Breast Men R Dull but based on real life events, with a porno-elements in a tasteful manner. CEFM.ca Rating: 3/5 Outsourced PG-13 This movie is a hoot and very ironic of you have ever worked for an outsourced company or are an outsourcer. But is the story of people understanding other unfamiliar cultures to help find themselves. CEFM.ca Rating: 4/5 Bolt PG Worth seeing in Real 3D. This is one of the first movies in 3D that I was not pissed off. Usually, 3D movie does things to show off the 3D that takes away from the storytelling. But not Bolt, Bolt uses it to tell a story of a dog who it lost both literally and metaphorically who struggle to find his way home (and himself). Meanwhile the cat is also learning its true nature without being boring. A good movie for the whole family. CEFM.ca Rating: 3.5/5 Twilight PG-13 This is not the type of movie I typically go to, but I really loved this movie. I especially liked the way the movie tied itself together so well. Also, the fact of the way she trusted them despite the fact of him being a monster. I really love…
$167,000. That number is the value of the pledges being made today at the 2008 Empty Stocking Fund. It was a whole lot of fun and a whole lot of work. It seemed as if at the beginning that it was going to be a nightmare, but the number of pure professionals that came together to pull it off was awe-inspiring. . . .
Update: The show was cancelled due to the weather. Night-Rain-Fog-TV Cameras don’t mix well.Believe it or not, the Santa Claus Parade is one my my favourite shows to work on each year. I also like seeing what is new each year and really enjoy coming home later to actually watch it. As a bonus for my readers, I have the float list for this year’s parade.
I was walking through the market this weekend when I saw taking with elderly ladies talking with the clerk at Baleman’s in the Saint John City Market holding this article. It was nice to see the interest as I have been working with the author on her website at http://www.ursj.ca.
Today is Election Day. Sure I could write about the election but, instead, I’m going to write a self-help post about one of my favourite hobbies, photography. The first tip to long exposure shots is to use a tripod. What is the fun in that? Knowing that your shot will be perfect first time, every time. That leads to tip 2, lean on something. It is almost given that this will work best most of the time. Tip 3 is to hold your arms close to your body. They are the main tips that most people who teach photography will say but I have a few of my own that work better in a digital world. Tip 4 is to use the delay timer set to like 2 seconds. I find the movement of pressing the button has ruined many photos. Tip 5 works off of the same idea. Use the multiple photo mode. You are likely to get one of many right. The next tip is to use the LCD screen. There is no way you can hold it still enough up to your face. If all else fails then my last tip is to fake it in PhotoShop.
Amongst the news of the bailouts to the economy in the United States, the Bank of Canada snuck in an additional bailout of the economy. That is resulting in the devaluation of the Canadian Dollar along with the US dollar. In the federal Leaders’ English debates this past week Green Party leader Elizabeth May said that the Canadian Dollar should be worth $0.80 US to stimulate our economy and as that makes sense from a manufacturing jobs standpoint of does not in the big picture. We can choose to not elect May. However, we have no say as to the Bank of Canada officials. There is a reason why the EU is banning the four largest EU states from this plan. It only allows more money to be borrowed and spent, money that can not be afforded to be paid back. It is true there is an overvaluation of real estate prices in Canada but when you borrow $750,000 for a house that drops when the bubble bursts to $225,000 and you have over $600,000 left to pay it makes more sense to default and buy a different house. This is what will happen in the next 5-10 years and…
Tonight I went to the Harbour Passage and watched the fireworks presentation paid for and put on by the Saint John Port Authority. It lasted for around 15 minutes. For Saint John, the fireworks were average and, delayed a day from when planned. I decided to post the best few here now but I took nearly 60 and will post them in my SnapShots gallery once I get home. I only had my iPhone so the pics are not the best for at night. The ship in the port was Canard Line’s Queen Mary 2. It is a really big vessel for the port. I’m not certain I have ever seen a ship quite as large.
Many people in the Maritimes are being flooded with the Democracy 250 events in Nova Scotia. It is great to see that province get together to recognize the importance of colonial democracy. The legendary ideals of the planner of Halifax Mosses Harris, and Governor Edward Cornwallis, is a legacy that all of the Maritimes can be very proud of. I haven’t been able to track the exact date of when St. John Island (current-day Prince Edward Island) split from the Nova Scotia colony, but I believe it was 1759 according to Wikipedia. Also, the colony of New Brunswick was not split off until 1783. So, therefore, I see these as a uniting celebration that we can all be very proud of. However, the fact that this celebration is not being openly acknowledged by the leaders of New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island are truly disheartening. But then again this is New Brunswick, and what else can we expect. But none the less I wish that I could make the 18th Century Period Costume Ball but that does not look very likely at the moment. Long Live Democracy. Also, prove you care and vote on October 14th democracy only works when…
So, I can’t post from my iPhone to my SnapShots gallery yet but here is another one for my things that annoy me files. On my way to catch the bus, I witnessed this little yellow dog zig-zagging the yards squatting and leaving gifts on every yard on the street. How long must this go on? I think that in a city only lap house dogs should be allowed, or that any animal allowed to run loose be euthanized. Sure you animal lovers might think this is too strict. However, the punishments for failing to comply with a law that needs to be strict enough for people to not want to break the law. I believe that losing your loved pet would be the only way to keep it on a leash and not leaving presents in my yard.
So once again we are in the pending situation for an election in October, the question to ask is why? The governing conservatives haven’t even had a chance for their national meeting in November to develop a new policy document to drive the platform from. So they will be forced by the party to develop a new platform off of an old and aged policy. Or perhaps, Stephen Haper is afraid of facing the music of a new policy, and National Council and also interferes with the election this fall of the hunt for a new leader for the NB PC party.
This morning I got up earlier than normal to go for a little walk before work so I went down to the Boardwalk. To my surprise the harbour was like 40% covered in this foamy stuff that was flowing down the river. Now it is not uncommon for a little of this stuff to be down river from the pulp mill but this was the most I have ever seen. I am curious to what this substance consists of someone said it was just the starches from the boiling of the pulp. Another person said it was the runoff from Moosehead however that is stupid as that runoff flows on to Main Street West, and that guy was drunk on the boardwalk at 8am so I don’t really beleve him.
Today I am going to post another gripe post. This week’s victim is CTV Atlantic late night news, last night I sat down to hear what was happening. There was 13 stories from Nova Scotia, 1 from PEI, 3 from NB and 3 from elsewhere. Like WTF! To make it even worse of the 3 stories they were flood relief from the northwest New Brunswick, a boil order from Oromocto, and an algae ploom in Moncton. It is like nobody cares about what is happening in New Brunswick, but to add insult with the lack of caring by dumping on us by adding an algae story to boost your NB news content.
I was just uptown and thinking about the talk of recent in Saint John about the growth and prosperity about to hit the city. I don’t really want to be a neigh-say-er but I just can’t imagine Saint John ever living up to its potential. The mentality of the people is one of the biggest drawbacks. It is the greatness of the “littlest city” syndrome the keeps the rose colored glasses, from seeing the realities the global economy is going to be in recession very shortly and I feel that the current growth can sustain and are set the repeat the last boom “Urban Renewal” / “Super Block” / Millidgeville / Shopping Centres projects from the 1960’s – early 80’s.