Today is Marty Jordan’s birthday. Marty is basically my step-dad, and he lives out in Chilliwack with my mom. I have a little shindig to go to tonight, so in case I don’t get a chance to call, here’s an official birthday greeting for you Marty. Happy Birthday! ...

My new LCD arrived via FedEx this morning. I picked it up on the way to work, along with a Torx screwdriver to remove some of the internal pieces. I decided to take a stab at fixing it when I arrived, but it turns out it was far more involved than I thought. I ended up having to disassemble the entire keyboard portion of the Macbook Pro. Afterwards, I had to disconnect the antenna for the wireless card, as well as the inverter for the monitor. Then, the data cable for the LCD came off, and finally the entire top portion that contains the screen. At that point I was basically half-way. I then ...

I’ve been lying in bed for about 20 minutes now, trying to slow my brain down enough so that I can finally catch up on sleep. Unfortunately, my mind has been racing ever since blogathon, and it’s been rather difficult to shut it off. While in bed tonight, I started thinking about the day I had today, the people I spent it with, and the events of this past weekend. Like a hiker nearing the end of a long trek, I forced myself to stop and survey the trail from which I’ve come; the moments of exhaustion, the long rainy nights, the hills and the valleys, and the painful blisters that may never ...

Well, there’s only five hours left in my first blogathon. It’s actually been a pile of fun, even though I’m fairly exhausted. I want to give a big round of applause to everyone that’s been a part of this event, especially those that are also nearing the end (and thankfully, get to go to bed soon). There’s a third shift starting tonight at 10pm, so there will be plenty to read tonight. And while the blog entries and those who pen them are obviously to be commended, I think we need to all remember our respective charities, and remember the causes we are all fighting for. While I spent ...

We’re up to about $530 now. I’m hoping we can hit $1000, which means we basically need about $100 an hour. That’s a big goal, and I’ll need the help of every reader to pull it off. If you want to know more information about the United Gospel Mission, please head over to their website or send me a personal email via my contact page. When the iPhone 3G came out a few weeks ago, along with it came the new 2.0 firmware that brought many new features, including the coveted application store. Unfortunately, with the update came a pile of bugs, including problems with the GPS unit, and a completely ...

Trans fat is the dietary equivalent of the devil. It provides no nutritional value, and reeks havoc on the body’s ability to transport fats through the blood. In terms of the different types of fat that people obtain through their diet, the following effects take place: Saturated fat raises LDL (the bad cholesterol), but basically leaves HDL (the good stuff) in tack Polyunsaturated fat raises HDL (the good stuff), so it helps you Monounsaturated fat typically raises HDL, but sometimes raises LDL, so while it usually is good for you, in excess it can sometimes be bad for you Trans fat raises ...

I’ve a die hard Star Trek fan — always have been, and always will be. My dad and I used to sit around every Sunday watching Star Trek The Next Generation in the old days, and I’ve fairly certain I’ve seen every episode of the original series. That’s why I’m looking forward to the new Star Trek movie coming out, which is essentially an origin story. [easyvideo video=”http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/x44i94″] Even though the trailer doesn’t really show anything, I’m fairly certain it’s going to be awesome! This entry was written for Blogathon 2008, and in support of the Union ...

This entry was written for Blogathon 2008, and in support of the Union Gospel Mission charity. If you’d like to donate to the cause, please visit the blogathon donation page and fill out the form near the middle. You can also follow the blogathon RSS feed for this site by clicking here. ...

Duane invited me to guest post on an environmental topic, and since I had already been mulling over the question of privatization of water, I figured I’d do some quick research. Since this is an on-the-fly post and we are both exhausted after more than 22 hours worth of Blogathon, I am not going to do my usual super awesome in-depth research, and I’m just going to point you out to a quick reference page I found. Credit: Tskdesign The notion that water is a commodity kind of bugs me because I don’t think we can put an actual price on natural resources. Of course, there is the theory of payment ...

This next post hits pretty close to home. I work in the field of voice over IP. I write software for my day job that allows people to talk to each other using two computers. A popular manifestation of the technology I work with everyday is Skype, which many people use to communicate with each other. One of the benefits of Skype is that the entire conversation is automatically encrypted. In theory, this should mean that nobody, not even the government, would be able to listen in on your phone calls. However, a recent article speculates that there may be a backdoor in Skype that would allow governments ...

This is it folks — only two more entries to go after this one. I have, for the most part, been awake since yesterday at 9am. I hit a pretty rough patch this afternoon, but thankfully managed to get through it. It’s been a really great experience, and it’s been a privilege helping bring some awareness to the issues the homeless face in Vancouver. Without a doubt, I’m pretty beat. My supper tonight consisted of peanuts purchased from the little store downstairs. Rebecca and John ordered Greek, but I’ve had so much caffeine that the thought of food basically repulses me at this point. ...

I live right near English Bay, and right now most of Vancouver is gathering outside my front door to see the second night of the fireworks. As a kid, seeing the fireworks was something I used to really enjoy. But as an adult, I don’t really enjoy large crowds anymore, or fighting to get a spot to sit. That being said, I appreciate that the event brings a lot of people together from various parts of Vancouver, and the Fraser Valley. Last year, our good pal Tony was visiting Vancouver, and we all got to hang out, drink a few beers, and watch the fireworks together. And while we didn’t make it ...

As you can tell, this is my last entry. For the last 24 hours, I have essentially been in front of a computer, blogging about various topics that have interested me, and attempting to bring exposure to the realities that the homeless face in Vancouver. Rebecca and I joined forces this year to support the Union Gospel Mission, an organization in Vancouver that helps the homeless and the less fortunate in this city. First, I want to thank the Union Gospel Mission for nearly 70 years of effort with regards to helping others. By comparison, the little that most of us get to do for charity in our ...

As you can tell, this is my first entry for the 2008 Blogathon. The purpose of blogathon is to, over the course of 24 hours, blog and attempt to bring some exposure to a local charity of our choosing. For me, I have chosen to represent the Union Gospel Mission, a Vancouver charity that helps the homeless and those in need. Another Long Night In Vancouver The housing crisis in Vancouver is worsening, and many people find themselves without shelter each and every night. Those individuals, who are a part of this city, are often neglected and left to rot on the streets while our government dumps ...

A while ago I posted about my recent purchase of the Agent 18 Eco-Shield product. I received it via FedEx the other day and have had it on my iPhone ever since. I thought I’d give a quick review of the product. Agent 18 Eco-Shield First, I have to say that my primary motivation for purchasing the product was that it is supposed to be made entirely from recycled plastic. The product is indeed made of plastic, and fits my iPhone 3G perfectly (the last case I bought didn’t fit properly at all). Unfortunately, while I love the case, I have to say I was extremely disappointed with how much packaging ...

In October 2003, there was a massive release of energy from our sun. The resulting coronal mass ejection (CME) headed straight for our planet, bombarding it with a massive amount of charged particles. The official classification for the flare was an X17.2, which is one of the top three recorded solar flares in the history of our planet. Photo from here The charged particles disrupted satellite communications in space, and also lead to auroras being seen as far south as the Chicago. I was fortunate enough to be following the activity while it was happening, and was notified via email (via SpaceWeather.com) ...

As most of you know, I really enjoy photography. I have been fortunate enough to have received a bit of recognition for some of the shots I’ve done, and even managed to attend the 2008 Canadian Juno Awards as a photographer. I thought I’d post a few of my favourite shots here for those that are new here. Most of these shots make use of a technique called high dynamic range (HDR) photography. This entry was written for Blogathon 2008, and in support of the Union Gospel Mission charity. If you’d like to donate to the cause, please visit the blogathon donation page and fill out the form ...

The following is a guest entry by noted podcaster and new media guru, John Bollwitt. The true reason why I’m making this post is to make a guest appearance on Duane’s blog for Blogathon 2008. In fact, he tells me that the only way he’ll give me a ride home so I can go to bed is to make said post. But in a moment of “behold the power of blogging”, it made me recall a thought I had today about owning a car in general. Plain and simple, Rebecca and I don’t own a car. Part of it is by choice, the other is the simplicity of keeping cost of living down. We haven’t had a vehicle to be ...

I love camping. It’s perhaps the second most enjoyable thing in my life these days, the first being a nice, toasty warm plate of nachos. There’s something magical about a campfire next to a lake, or sitting around drinking a few beers under the stars with people you care about. I have always, for as long as I can remember, had trouble sleeping. Part of the reason is that I have a bad back (due to an injury I obtained in high school), and frequently wake up when I have an achy back. I also find that most city noises wake me up, and that I generally toss and turn most nights. The only time ...

It’s around 4am, and I’m drafting this post on the couch, glancing up occasionally to watch a bit of Dances With Wolves on Apple TV. I’m on entry #15, which means I have about 33 left to go. I am already faltering a bit with regards to content, which I think is more of a result of my lack of sleep rather than my imagination. I’m hoping to actually post an entry or two in advance and grab a wink or two if possible. Otherwise I’ll be forced to do nearly a 40 hour stretch without sleep, which I imagine will prove rather difficult come tomorrow night. John and Raul both left sometime ago, ...