My new favorite site at which I like to hang. It’s a collaborative flash site that allows users to paint with their mouse’s in a shared space. Click on expand chat to see the artwork.
Update (August 1st, 2005): It appears the site is down.
Cheese Racing
Here is a great summer activity, probably the biggest thing to hit the UK since Marmite.
“Q: What do you think happens when you throw a slice of processed cheese (without removing the plastic wrapping) onto a lit barbeque?” The answer? Cheese Racing!
SawStop: Making Table Saws Safer
Check out the incredible videos of a table saw that can tell the difference between wood and skin. It’s something you have to see to believe; I recommend both the regular and super high speed videos.
The SawStop system works by recognizing the difference in the electrical properties of wood and a user. The system induces a high-frequency electrical signal on the blade of a table saw and monitors this signal for changes caused by contact between the blade and a user’s body. The signal remains unchanged when the blade cuts wood because of the relatively small inherent electrical capacitance and conductivity of wood. However, when a user contacts the blade while the saw is operating, the electrical signal changes because of the relatively large inherent capacitance of the user’s body.
In the videos, the saw blade is rotating at 4000 rpm. The blade is stopped in less than 5 milliseconds. It can make the difference between needing a Band-Aid or a hand surgeon.
Social Theory Trading Card – Old Sailor
Old Sailor sent me a plastic message in response to the unofficial trading card I made about him.
Thanks, friend.
Your card reminds me of when I was a lad, trading driftwood paintings of our favorite nautical heroes.
So happy sails to you, and take it from this old sailor, a fair greeting is as rare as a Berlin pearl fish, and half again as long.
Yours,
Old Sailor
Jeff Milner Movie Review – Lost in Translation
Anna and I watched Lost in Translation (IMDB link) last night. I thought this movie gave a beautiful look at what it’s like trying to live in a culture that is unfamiliar and often times incomprehensible. I liked this movie particularly because it reminded of my brief experience when I visited Japan, although I think I had a much better time than either Bill Murray or Scarlett Johansson’s characters, then again I was only there for 10 days.
Bob Harris (Bill Murray) is an American movie star, whom, nearing the end of his career, has come to Japan to shoot Whiskey ads. Charlotte is the young wife of a hot new photographer who finds herself stuck in her Japanese hotel room as her husband works. Both of them struggle with the different culture and language barrier, however as they slowly get to know one another they find an unexpected friendship blossoms.
Marketed as a hilarious comedy, this movie is actually the bittersweet tale of two foreigners trying to find friendship in a land they can’t seem to meld with. Both characters go on a journey – it’s hard to explain exactly as this movie is better experienced than described.
It wasn’t just the fact that they were in Japan, I think they would have been upset wherever they were, they might not have recognized it however. Nothing around them is familiar. As a defense mechanism they revert inwards in an attempt to find peace and security but in doing so, they find is self-doubt and insecurity. Despite being at different points in their lives they find within each other a kind of soul-mate.
Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson both did a tremendous job and it seemed more like watching two people live their lives than actors reciting a script. I enjoyed “Lost in Translation”.
Jeff Milner Movie Review – American Splendor
Anna and I rented American Splendor (IMDB link) DVD over the weekend. I can’t really say whether I give this movie a positive or negative rating overall. I’m glad I saw it, but I felt that at times it was slow and never, throughout the film, had a point. It just sort of told the story of Harvey Pekar and his comic books and then ended. It did pick up midway through the film with scenes of Harvey’s actual appearances on the Late Show with David Letterman, and I found his nerd friend pretty funny with his love of all things nerdy – especially “Revenge of the Nerds”.
Overall I think you have to be a person that either loves underground comics, independent films, or just loves to watch movies to really enjoy this film. My recommendation: get it if you think you will like it, if you’re not sure, then you probably won’t. I know that seems odd, but based on my own reaction and the reaction of others that I know who have seen it, I think that’s a pretty fair way to put it.
Washer & Dryer
I finally sold my old washer and dryer. I am very happy to have them out of the house. I’d like to say I am going to do something particularly special with the money, but in truth it will be going to my monthly bills. I am very happy though, to have the washer and dryer gone.
More importantly than my Washer and Dryer (boring) is the fact that Anna-Maria has made a triumphant return to Lethbridge and has no plans to leave again anytime soon. Anna-Maria was on tour for the last two months doing theatre performances in the French immersion and francophone schools all over Alberta. I’m so happy she’s back – I was wasting away and already I’m feeling (and looking) much better.
Impossible Japanese pencil carvings
Since wood carving is my dad’s favorite pastime, I figured I should point out this interesting pencil carving site I found (via BoingBoing) about carvings made out of number 2 pencils.
“To take carving in the wood of a pencil”, is certainly what pencil carving is all about. But we are required to be skilled enough for delicate woodwork in carving out a pattern like some kind of a tracery without making any miscut on the naked lead inside.
My Day at School with Professor Mathew Kabatoff
It was another incredible day at Production Management. Weird things happen in that class, its like entering the Twilight Zone. Anyway despite the tension and insanity, I think I at least learned a couple of important lessons.
- There is a time and a place for criticism directed at an instructor. This time and place is not in class even though in this case he specifically asked each student for their opinion. I don’t know why I didn’t just button up.
- Since I couldn’t keep my mouth shut, I wish I would have at least made a comment about something that mattered.
- Since I felt the dire need to speak up, and since I picked something that didn’t mean anything anyway, I could have at least bowed out a little more gracefully when he started to yell.
I did my best and realize my mistake. Well after everything is said and done I can at least say I learned something in Production Management today.
Update: It looks like my prof, Mathew Kabatoff, took the concerns I shared to heart. He updated his web page outline, and in doing so rectified my concerns. That seems so weird given his hostile reaction in class.
Host File – There’s No Place like 127.0.0.1
Here is a copy of the host file that I use. (Right click Save As) and then save it over your old host file (making sure it has no extension). The old host file can be found at:
Windows XP = c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc
Windows 2K = c:\winnt\system32\drivers\etc
Win 98/ME = c:\windows
This file contains a list of web sites you’d rather your computer not bother to look up. For example a site that uses advertising from the DoubleClick advertising network would show it’s own content but not the ads if you had the line 127.0.0.1 ad.doubleclick.net in your hosts file.
The host file can also prevent tracking which sites you use. I can’t tell you what a big difference a good hosts file can make in your browsing experience. Find out more about host files.
Update: By default, if you try to modify your hosts file in Vista, it will not let you save it. It tells you that you don’t have permission. To successfully modify the hosts file, run notepad.exe as an administrator and open the file.
- Browse to Start -> All Programs -> Accessories
- Right click “Notepad” and select “Run as administrator”
- Click “Continue” on the UAC prompt
- Click File -> Open
- Browse to “C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\etc”
- Change the file filter drop down box from “Text Documents (*.txt)” to “All Files (*.*)”
- Select “hosts” and click “Open”
- Copy and paste the text from my hosts file into yours. Save and close Notepad.
The above instructions also work for Windows 7.
Also note that I try and update my hosts files from time to time so even though this post is old, the file may not be.